CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced that registration for the 23rd annual CME Group University Trading Challenge, which will be held from October 4 to October 30, is now open for interested university students around the world.
The CME Group University Trading Challenge is a hands-on educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students. Teams, led by students or faculty advisors, take on a range of marketplace risks as they work to protect their mock investment portfolios.
Using a simulated, professional-grade trading platform from CQG, teams step into the day-to-day realities of running an investment portfolio–facing the same pressures and possibilities real traders encounter. To sharpen their edge, students can draw on a rich set of available resources, from market data and news to live updates via the Dow Jones newsfeed and The Hightower Report. It all comes together as a real-time test of their ability to read and respond to shifting market dynamics.
"We're excited to launch this year's Trading Challenge, a program that continues to inspire and equip the next generation of traders worldwide," said Anita Liskey, Global Head of Brand Marketing and Communications at CME Group. "For more than two decades, this one-of-a-kind competition has drawn more than 40,000 participants. We are so pleased to offer students real-world practice in managing risk and seizing opportunities through futures trading."
The deadline for registration for this year's competition is 5:00 p.m. CT on September 29, 2026.
Last year, participation reached a record 615 teams, including approximately 1,800 students from 174 universities across 25 countries. The 2025 winning team came from Universidad de Monterrey in Mexico.
CME Group is committed to educating the next generation of finance professionals on the significance of global derivatives markets and risk management. In addition to interactive events, like the University Trading Challenge, CME Group partners with other industry organizations to offer educational tools, such as Futures Fundamentals, a one-stop educational resource that explains the role of futures markets in everyday life. The goal of the site is to make financial education an engaging experience for anyone, regardless of how well versed they are in the world of finance.
For more information on the CME Group University Trading Challenge, visit https://www.cmegroup.com/events/university-trading-challenge/2026-trading-challenge.html.
