12 Free Computer Science Summer Programs for High School Students
- Kieran Lobo
- Jan 26, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 23
If you’re an ambitious high school student looking for an introduction to CS or to dive deeper into the subject, then this list is for you! We’ve put together a list of 10 fully funded, competitive CS programs for high school students ranging from summer to year-long research programs. Opting for dedicated programs such as these is a great way to learn more about a subject, gain experience, and show interest in CS in your college application.
Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year. Here are 12 free CS programs you should consider applying to:
1. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
Cost: The program is fully funded!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort. Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility:You must be enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall and must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In the flagship program, talented high-school students are paired with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. This program is a solid option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper. You can apply here!
Location: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Application deadline: March 1
Program dates: June 22 to July 20
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors.
Rising high school juniors can apply for CS Scholars, a four-week summer residential program at Carnegie Mellon University. You will take college-level coursework and attend sessions that focus on preparing for college admissions (personal statement writing, applying for financial aid, preparing your portfolio, etc). Course material includes learning to code using Python and using this framework to explore data structures, algorithmic components, and problem-solving techniques. Carnegie Mellon may invite outstanding CS Scholars to attend their AI Scholars program for high school seniors, which is also fully funded. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
3. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
4. MIT PRIMES
Location: Virtual, with occasional travel to the MIT campus (Cambridge, MA)
Application deadline: November 30
Program dates: February 1 to January 15
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: All high school students living within the Greater Boston area
MIT PRIMES is a year-long research program where high school students work on research projects in mathematics, computer science, or biology with mentorship from MIT graduate or postdoctoral students. The program is highly competitive, and to apply, you must solve a set of questions based on your chosen research interest. You can see previous years’ problem sets here. The program is split into four phases: advanced reading, active research, independent study, and write-up. You must be able to commit a minimum of 10 hours per week to independent study and research. To learn more about MIT PRIMES, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
Application deadline: January 15
Program dates: June - July
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Girls who are rising high school seniors can apply for the program
MIT’s Women Technology Program (WTP) introduces high school girls to engineering through a four-week summer residential program. You will learn about the discipline through classes taught by female graduate students, lab work, and team-building exercises. You can attend either the mechanical or electrical engineering and computer science tracks. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX)
Application deadline: February 15
Program dates: June 16 to August 1
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 17 years old by the program’s start date (they can be either rising high school seniors or have recently graduated high school)
The Clark Scholars Program is a highly selective seven-week summer residential program that accepts only 12 students per cohort. Additionally, Texas Tech pays students a $750 stipend at the end of the program. Successful candidates can choose a research area of interest and will benefit from one-on-one mentorship by Texas Tech faculty. You can choose either the Computer Science or Electrical and Computer Engineering track. Previous Clark scholars’ research projects include “An Interactive 3D Visualization Tool for Dynamic Synaptic Networks” and “Optimal GPU Frequency Selection: Using Workload-Unique Power and Performance Predictions.” You can see a list of research projects here. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
Application deadline: March 31
Program dates: July 8 to August 4
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
The Beaver Works Summer Institute is a four-week summer program for high school seniors to improve their STEM skills and knowledge through dedicated courses. Some courses include online and in-person components. For computer science, students can choose between
Serious Game Development with AI Use machine learning and game-like modeling to implement socially relevant policy interventions
Embedded Security and Hardware Hacking Learn about programming in Python and C, assembly language, and cryptography. Students will also design a secure system for an internet-based home door lock
Cyber Security in Software Intensive Systems Learn about the different elements involved in cyber security, including intelligence, network defense, digital forensics, malware analysis, and offensive security
To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: New York University (New York, NY)
Application deadline: April 14
Program dates: July 8 to August 2
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Rising high school students in grades 9,10, 11, and 12 who are New York City residents
CS4CS is a four-week summer program for NYC high school students to discover computer science and cybersecurity. During the program, you will learn about fundamental cybersecurity concepts like white-hat hacking, cryptography, stenography, digital forensics, privacy, and data usage. You will also learn about technologies used to detect and prevent cyber threats, how to trace threats to their source, how to code, and how ciphers are used in network security, among other topics. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
Application deadline: January 7
Program dates: June 9-15 and July 7-13
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Rising high school students in grades 10, 11, and 12
The Academy for All with UT Computer Science is a week-long residential program that teaches students the fundamentals of computer science. UT faculty conducts the program. You will attend sessions dedicated to exploring careers in tech, meetings with industry leaders, and college application prep. The Academy for All has two cohorts that run in June and July, respectively:
Standard Edition: learn to code using C++ and use the Arduino microcontroller to develop an LED light show
Machine Learning Edition: learn to code using Python and code and train a machine learning model
UT-Austin also offers need-based scholarships of up to $500 to cover students’ cost of transport to and from the university campus.
Location: University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
Application deadline: April 3
Program dates: July 8 to August 4
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: All high school students
CIC is a four-week program offered by the University of Washington to introduce high school students, especially those from underrepresented communities, to the fundamentals of computer science and engineering. The program is taught by the university’s undergraduate and graduate students. The coursework includes coding and problem-solving and classes on ethics in tech. All students receive a $1,500 stipend at the end of the program, and financially deserving students get a $250 gift card for meals.
Location: University of California San Diego (San Diego, CA)
Application deadline: May 10
Program dates: June 17 to August 9
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10, 11, or 12 living in Southern California. Applicants must be at least 16 years old by June 15
REHS is a student outreach program offered by the UC San Diego Supercomputer Center to introduce high school students to computer science and its impact on research across disciplines. Students interested in the program can choose between non-research and research projects. Non-research projects include internships within the Supercomputer Center and learning through experience, while research projects involve assisting faculty with their research projects. Note: Students who opt for a research project must pay a $1,500 registration fee.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Application deadline: March 1
Program dates: June 22 to July 20
Program selectivity: High
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors.
AI Scholars is a four-week residential summer program for rising high school seniors that, like the CS Scholars program, includes college-level coursework and college admission prep. Course material focuses on AI as a social good. You can attend guest lectures by industry leaders, go on field trips, and participate in workshops and group projects. You will complete a capstone project and present it at the end of the program.
Kieran Lobo is a freelance writer from India who currently teaches English in Spain.
Image Source: CMU logo