7 Best Chemical Engineering Summer Programs for High School Students
- Trisha Malhotra
- Jul 30, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Chemical engineering sits at the intersection of chemistry, physics, and applied mathematics — and summer programs are one of the best ways for high school students to explore the field before college, through hands-on lab work, industry tours, and real-world projects spanning energy, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials. Beyond the technical skills, these programs help you build a stronger college application and clarify whether chemical engineering is the right path for you.
Here are 7 of the best chemical engineering summer programs for high school students — ranging from free university day camps to paid research internships and online courses at Stanford and Yale, covering in-person options across Texas, New York, Illinois, and South Dakota as well as remote programs open to students nationwide. Dates and deadlines below are based on the most recent available cycle and may shift year to year — always confirm on the program's official page before applying.
Location: Lamar University, Beaumont, TX
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: TBA
Program Dates: Jun 24– Jun 28
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors are eligible to apply provided they have completed chemistry and algebra II!
Lamar University’s Chem-E Camp invites rising high school junior and senior students to a week-long day camp focused on chemical engineering in a collaborative setting. The camp introduces participants to various roles within petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and food manufacturing industries, showcasing common equipment and processes through hands-on activities and industry plant tours.
Limited to students who have completed chemistry and algebra II, the camp emphasizes safety with requirements for long pants and closed-toe shoes throughout laboratory and industry visits, with additional personal protective equipment provided as necessary. Space is limited, ensuring a personalized and engaging experience for all attendees.
Location: Kirtland/AMOS, Eglin/Hurlbert air force bases
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded, stipend provided.
Application Deadline: This may vary based on the AFRL sites and/or projects you are applying to.
Program Dates: Varies from project to project, but you can expect it to be during the summer months for 9 weeks.
Eligibility: High schoolers with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, who are US citizens and have a valid driver’s license. You must also be eligible to work 40 hours a week for summer internship positions.
For ambitious upper-level high school students with a keen interest in chemical and aerospace engineering, the AFRL program offers an enriching summer opportunity before college. Selected participants will benefit from mentorship provided by seasoned AFRL scientists and engineers, guiding them through immersive experiences, including laboratory tours and hands-on involvement in groundbreaking research and technology. Students may delve into aerospace and mechanical design, exploring propulsion systems and materials science.
Chemical engineering topics might include researching novel composite materials for lightweight aircraft structures, optimizing fuel formulations for efficiency and environmental impact, and developing coatings to enhance aerospace component durability. These opportunities extend beyond the undergraduate and graduate levels, welcoming high school students to participate. Make sure you filter for specific opportunities tailored to high school students.
Location: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City, SD
Cost: $300
Application Deadline: TBA
Program Dates: Jul 8 — Jul 11
Eligibility: High school students — grades 8 to 12 — are eligible to apply!
South Dakota Mines University’s summer camp in chemical engineering offers an exciting journey into the discipline, blending science and mathematics to create valuable materials that shape everyday life. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, such as creating plastics and polymers, mastering chemical separation techniques, and exploring sustainable electricity generation.
They will also navigate the Unit Operation Lab and learn about biofuel production from biomass. This camp provides an immersive experience for high school students, combining education and hands-on activities, and highlights the profound impact of chemical engineering on daily life.
Location: University of Buffalo’s North Campus, NY
Cost: $400
Application Deadline: TBA
Program Dates: Jul 15- Jul 19
Eligibility: Students entering 11th and 12th grade in the fall of the current year are eligible to apply provided they have already completed regents chemistry (or enrolled in regents chemistry in the fall).
The University of Buffalo’s Chem-E camp offers a dynamic and immersive experience designed to ignite a passion for chemical engineering among high school students exploring future college majors. Participants engage in hands-on activities and digital simulations, interact with university faculty, students, and industry professionals, and enjoy lunch with UB experts and practicing professionals.
The camp includes exclusive tours and activities at Linde (formerly Praxair), as well as visits to Dupont Corian® and Rich Products. Campers also gain firsthand experience in laboratories within UB’s chemical and biological engineering department on the Amherst campus.
5. CURIE: Catalyzing UR Interest in Chemical Engineering by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Location: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL
Cost: The residential camp costs $1000, while the commuter camp is $600.
Application Deadline: Last week of March.
Program Dates: Jul 21– Jul 27.
Eligibility: High school students from grades 10–12 are welcome to apply.
The week-long CURIE: Catalyzing UR Interest in Chemical Engineering summer camp offers an engaging exploration of the discipline, focusing on the large-scale production of useful materials by combining science and mathematics. Campers will participate in virtual interactive sessions with chemical engineers, create plastics using an extruder machine, and take video tours of chemical plants.
Campers will meet with faculty and students to explore chemical engineering research. Activities include experimenting with Silly Putty to learn fluid physics, playing computer games to understand protein functions, and discovering how everyday chemicals are produced. The previous camp organized field trips to local chemical plants like LyondellBasell in Tuscola and Abbott Power Plant in Champaign to provide real-world insights.
Location: Online
Cost: $3,050. Financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: March 29th
Program Dates:
Session 1: June 17 — June 28
Session 2: July 08 — July 19
Eligibility: Students should be in grades 9–12 by the time of application.
Stanford University’s non-credit course on chemical and environmental engineering offers an in-depth and interactive exploration of advanced topics without the pressure of grades. It covers fundamental engineering principles for analyzing chemical processes, with a focus on energy and innovative chemical solutions. Meeting for two hours daily online, the course emphasizes skill-building and fosters a collaborative environment where students learn from both instructors and peers.
Students will diagram processes, convert variables, and set up material and energy balances to find steady-state solutions, applying these concepts to real-world challenges such as renewable energy, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and advanced materials development. The course culminates in interactive assignments and a collaborative, student-led group project, providing a comprehensive and practical learning experience.
Location: Online
Cost: $5070 (tuition fee) + $85 (technology fee)
Application Deadline: Mid January
Program Dates: May 27 — Jun 28 and Jul 1 — Aug 2
Eligibility:
Must be entering their senior year of high school (summer after junior year) or freshman year of college (summer after senior year). Current sophomores are not eligible to apply!
Must be 16 years of age or older by their program start date.
Yale University offers a rigorous online introductory course in thermodynamics open to qualifying high school students. The course covers essential topics such as the first and second laws of thermodynamics, cyclic processes, chemical reactions, and phase equilibria, and introduces statistical thermodynamics.
Designed to equip students with qualitative knowledge and quantitative skills for solving engineering science problems, the course’s prerequisites include multivariable calculus. Enrollment in this course is limited to 25 students to ensure personalized instruction and effective learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need prior chemistry or engineering experience to apply? Most camp-style programs require at minimum that students have completed or are enrolled in high school chemistry — Lamar's Chem-E Camp and Buffalo's Chem-E Camp both specify this. South Dakota Mines' camp is the most beginner-friendly, welcoming students from grade 8. The more advanced options — Stanford's Pre-College Institute (grades 9–12) and Yale's thermodynamics course (requires multivariable calculus) — expect a stronger academic foundation. The AFRL Scholars Program requires a 3.0 GPA and U.S. citizenship.
2. Are there online options for students who can't attend in person? Yes — two strong ones. Stanford's Pre-College Summer Institute in Chemical and Environmental Engineering is fully online, open to grades 9–12, and runs two sessions in June and July ($3,050, financial aid available). Yale's Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics course is also online, though it's more advanced and limited to rising seniors with multivariable calculus experience ($5,155). For students seeking a free remote research option, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program (listed as a Bonus) offers 1-on-1 PhD mentorship in chemical engineering topics.
3. How do these programs help with college applications? Meaningfully — particularly for students targeting engineering programs. Completing a program at a recognisable institution (Stanford, Yale, UIUC, or a national laboratory like AFRL) signals genuine interest and initiative in the field. Programs involving hands-on lab work, industry visits, or a final project give you specific experiences to reference in essays and interviews. The AFRL Scholars Program is especially strong for applications, as it involves working on real government-funded research for 9 weeks.
Key Takeaways
This list features 7 chemical engineering summer programs for high school students, spanning hands-on day camps, paid research internships, and rigorous online courses — hosted at institutions including Lamar University, University at Buffalo, UIUC, Stanford, Yale, and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Costs vary widely — from fully free (Lamar Chem-E Camp, AFRL Scholars) to $300–$1,000 for university camps (South Dakota Mines, Buffalo, CURIE at UIUC) to $3,050–$5,155 for the online Stanford and Yale courses. Financial aid is available at Stanford; AFRL provides a stipend.
Most in-person programs are designed for rising juniors and seniors who have completed chemistry and algebra. The South Dakota Mines camp is the most accessible, open from grade 8 onwards. Yale's thermodynamics course is the most advanced, requiring multivariable calculus and restricting enrollment to rising seniors.
In-person programs are geographically anchored — Texas, New York, Illinois, and South Dakota — while Stanford's Pre-College Institute and Yale's Summer Session are fully online and open to students in grades 9–12 and rising seniors respectively, regardless of location.
The AFRL Scholars Program stands out as the only stipended option on this list and the most research-intensive, placing students in active aerospace and chemical engineering labs for 9 weeks.
Bonus — Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are interested in doing university-level research in chemical engineering, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students co-founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Trisha Malhotra, an Ashoka University alumna, has 5 years of experience being a freelance writer and currently writes for Lumiere Education. She is passionate about music, reading, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well as a devoted cat parent.
Image Source: Lamar University logo