My university had the usual ACM algorithmic programming contests, but the ACM and UPE (CS honor society) student groups also put on other "alternative" programming contests, which I found more fun.

Last year they had a 24 hour programming contest to make the best app based around a certain theme... "a series of tubes": http://uscp24.com/

My team made a crime tracking web app for my school, which had nothing to do with tubes except we called it TOOBS: http://toobs.tlrobinson.net/

This year they're doing a two day contest called "Code for a Cause" where teams make accessibility software for the disabled: http://ss12.info/