Registration for the 2026 Community Bank Case Study Competition is now open!
Overview
Banks play a critical role in the U.S. economy by providing credit and financial services to businesses and consumers. Community banks play an especially important role in our nation’s financial system. In addition to sustaining their local economies, community banks also serve as key providers of banking services, particularly in rural communities across the country.
The CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition provides undergraduate students in all fields of study an opportunity to gain valuable, first-hand knowledge of the banking industry. The competition pairs student teams with community banks to conduct original case studies focused on timely topics.
The top three teams are awarded scholarships and are published in the Journal of Community Bank Case Studies. The winning team is also invited to attend and present their work at the Community Bank Research Conference, co-sponsored by CSBS, the Federal Reserve, and the FDIC.
Competition Goals
The CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition is designed to:
- Build a deeper understanding of the community banking business model and the role community banks play in local economies.
- Connect academics with the banking industry to foster research on community banking.
- Help undergraduate students gain insight into the field of community banking, potentially steering them toward careers in community banking or financial regulation.
Many students who participate in the competition go on to accept positions at community banks or state regulatory agencies.
Competition Information
Topic
For the 2026 competition, student teams will explore how community banks have adapted to changing economic conditions since 2020 by examining how they approach interest rate risk, make lending decisions, and respond to inflation. Teams will also analyze how banks manage and maintain adequate capital through various strategies. Read the full 2026 competition topic here.
Statements of Interest
University professors interested in sponsoring a student team must submit a Statement of Interest during the open application period, which closes on Friday, Dec. 19.
Faculty are encouraged to use the remainder of the fall term to identify student candidates and secure a community bank partner. As the faculty advisor, professors are responsible for selecting their team of between three to five students and coordinating the team’s community bank partner. Click here to view more information about Bank Partner eligibility and participation.
Student & Bank Partner Registration
Faculty advisors must ensure that each student and bank partner register for the competition no later than COB Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Registration will open to faculty who submit a statement of interest.
Case Study Development
Student teams, under the guidance of their faculty advisor, will produce both a case study paper and a five-minute video summarizing their findings.
Teams are recommended to meet with their bank partner’s executive team at least twice (either in person or virtually) to collect the information needed to address the competition topic.
Each team must submit:
- A paper (up to 25 pages) thoroughly analyzing the case study topic.
- A five-minute video highlighting their key findings.
The submission deadline for both the paper and video is Friday, April 10, 2026. The grading rubric used by judges will be provided to help guide paper and video development.
Judging Period & Announcement
There will be three rounds of judging to determine the top three papers. The winning team will be announced via livestream from the CSBS’s State-Federal Supervisory Forum on May 13, 2026.
Awards
- First Place: $1,000 CSBS scholarship for each student and faculty advisor, plus an invitation to present at the Community Banking Research Conference.
- Second Place: $750 CSBS scholarship for each student and faculty advisor.
- Third Place: $500 CSBS scholarship for each student and faculty advisor.
The top three teams will have their case studies published in the Journal of Community Bank Case Studies.
The top three teams will have their case studies published in a journal of academic research. Click here to view the 2025 Journal of Community Bank Case Studies.
Please contact the Competition Manager, Shannon Lucernoni, if you have any questions at [email protected].
2025 Journal of Community Bank Case Studies
The publication of the winning research papers from the 2025 Community Bank Case Study Competition is now available in print and digital formats. The publication was released as part of the Community Banking Research Conference, where the top case study competition team shared its case study.