2026 Overall Winners

First place: The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama

Second place: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Third place: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

2026 USLI Top 10

1. The University of Alabama in Huntsville

2. Vanderbilt University

3. North Carolina State University

4. University of Notre Dame

5. University of Florida

6. Purdue University

7. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

8. Auburn University

9. James Madison University

10. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

3D Printing Award

College Level:

• First place: Florida State University Panama City, Panama City, Florida

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Edison Academy Magnet School, Edison, New Jersey

Altitude Award

College Level:

• First place: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: The Stony Brook School, Stony Brook, New York

Best-Looking Rocket Award

College Level:

• First place: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: SmilingTree, Sammamish, Washington

AIAA Reusable Launch Vehicle Innovative Payload Award

College Level:

• First place: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Judge’s Choice Award

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, Maryland

Project Review Award

College Level:

• First place: University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

AIAA Reusable Launch Vehicle Award

College Level:

• First place: James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

USLI Rookie Award

College Level:

• First place: Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Indiana

Safety Award

College Level:

• First place: University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana

Social Media Award

College Level:

• First place: The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: AIAA Orange County Section, Irvine, California

Community STEM Engagement Award

College Level:

• First place: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Edison Academy Magnet School, Edison, New Jersey

Industry STEM Engagement Award

College Level:

• First place: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia

SLI Vehicle Design Award

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Edison Academy Magnet School, Edison, New Jersey

SLI Payload Design Award

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, Maryland

ARC-NASA SL Excellence Award

Middle/High School Level:

• First place: The Stony Brook School, Stony Brook, New York

2025-2026 Teams

University Student Launch Initiative – College/University Division

• Auburn University – Auburn, Alabama
• California State University,  Fresno – Fresno, California
• California State University, Long Beach – Long Beach, California
• Carnegie Mellon University – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Colorado State University – Fort Collins, Colorado
• Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering  – Tallahassee, Florida
• Florida State University Panama City – Panama City, Florida
• Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa
• James Madison University – Harrisonburg, Virginia
• North Carolina State University – Raleigh, North Carolina
• Purdue University – West Lafayette, Indiana
• Purdue University Northwest – Hammond, Indiana
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology – Terre Haute, Indiana
• The Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio
• The University of Alabama in Huntsville – Huntsville, Alabama
• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga – Chattanooga, Tennessee
• The University of Toledo – Toledo, Ohio
• The University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
• University of Alabama at Birmingham – Birmingham, Alabama
• University of California, Los Angeles – Los Angeles, California
• University of California, Riverside – Riverside, California
• University of Colorado Colorado Springs – Colorado Springs, Colorado
• University of Florida – Gainesville, Florida
• University of Illinois Chicago – Chicago, Illinois
• University of New Orleans – New Orleans, Louisiana
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Charlotte, North Carolina
• University of Notre Dame – Notre Dame, Indiana
• University of Oklahoma – Norman, Oklahoma
• University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez  – Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
• Vanderbilt University – Nashville, Tennessee
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Blacksburg, Virginia
• Washington University in St. Louis – St. Louis, Missouri
• Western Michigan University – Kalamazoo, Michigan

Student Launch Initiative – Middle and High School Division

• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Orange County Section – Irvine, California
• Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School – Rockville, Maryland
• Edison Academy Magnet School – Edison, New Jersey
• Farmington High School – Farmington, Connecticut
• Hardin Valley Academy – Knoxville, Tennessee
• Notre Dame Academy High School – Los Angeles, California
• SmilingTree – Sammamish, Washington
• The Stony Brook School – Stony Brook, New York
• Vocational STEAM Works – El Cajon, California