10 Best AI Summer Programs for High School Students That You Need to Check Out
- Stephen Turban
- Jul 7
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 26
High school is a great time to explore emerging fields like artificial intelligence. Additionally, with AI rapidly transforming industries, understanding this technology is important, and a summer AI program can help you do just that!
Some of the best AI summer programs designed for high school students can help you gain practical skills, work on cutting-edge research, and connect with industry experts, without disrupting your schoolwork. These programs also offer hands-on experience in coding, machine learning, and AI, helping you build a strong foundation in the field. Many programs also offer mentorship from university researchers and professionals, helping you get insights into potential careers.
Given the increasing competition in STEM fields, participating in a selective AI program can also strengthen your college application by demonstrating that you have a serious interest in AI.
To help you find the best opportunities, we have compiled a list of the 10 best AI summer programs. Many of these opportunities are fully funded, meaning they cover tuition and associated costs, and most of them have small batch sizes and low acceptance rates, making them highly competitive.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective: ~5%; only 100 students selected per year out of 2,000+ applicants
Cost: Fully funded
Dates: Late June to early August
Application deadline: December/early January; exact dates TBA
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with a strong interest in STEM
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
RSI is a competitive summer program in STEM, bringing together 100 of the brightest high school students worldwide for an intensive, research-focused experience. Over six weeks, you will engage in advanced STEM research under the mentorship of experienced scientists and engineers. The program begins with a week of theory-based coursework in mathematics and science, followed by five weeks of hands-on research in a university lab. It offers the valuable opportunity to work on real-world AI projects, such as developing machine learning models, analyzing big data, or improving AI-driven decision-making systems. At the end of the program, you will get to present your research findings in a professional conference-style setting.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Cost: $4,000 | Financial aid is available.
Dates: June 28 – July 2
Application deadline: January 24
Eligibility: 9th graders and rising 10th graders who are at least 14 years old
Location: Fully virtual
AI4ALL is a two-week-long summer program designed to introduce underrepresented students to artificial intelligence through a combination of lectures, hands-on projects, and mentorship from Stanford faculty. The curriculum covers key AI topics such as computer vision, natural language processing, and ethics in AI. You will also learn about the potential of AI tools in the context of improving society. During the program, you will collaborate within small groups to develop machine learning models that address real-world problems, such as detecting fake news or improving medical diagnostics. The program also includes guest lectures from AI professionals and site visits to leading tech companies.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Cost: Fully funded
Dates: June 21 – July 19
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who are at least 16 years old
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
The Carnegie Mellon AI Scholars program is an intensive four-week experience where high school students work on artificial intelligence research and applications. The program combines coursework in AI fundamentals with hands-on coding labs and project-based learning. You will work in teams to develop AI models for tasks such as facial recognition, natural language processing, or autonomous navigation. You will also engage in discussions about AI ethics and policy, which can help prepare you for future leadership roles in the field. The program is led by CMU faculty and graduate researchers, who can offer you mentorship and guidance to help you refine your technical skills.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Cost: Free for students from families earning less than $150,000 annually
Dates: July 7 – August 3
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school juniors with a strong academic record in STEM
Location: Virtual or on-site at MIT, Cambridge, MA
Beaver Works is a four-week program that offers a range of intensive, project-based courses on AI and related fields. You can choose courses covering topics such as autonomous vehicles, reinforcement learning, and cybersecurity. For instance, if you choose the Serious Games Development with Artificial Intelligence course, you will explore modern methods in game-like modelling, AI ethics, and key topics in serious gaming, including experimental design, game design, and application development. Throughout the program, you will get to collaborate on engineering challenges, build AI-driven systems, and receive mentorship from MIT faculty. A major highlight is the final competition, where teams test their AI models against one another in real-world simulations.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Cost: No cost
Dates: July 9 – 30
Application deadline: April 9
Eligibility: Rising 11th graders from low-income families who live in the U.S. or Puerto Rico
Location: Princeton University campus, Princeton, NJ
Princeton University’s AI4ALL is a three-week residential program for students interested in learning about the field of AI. Here, you will explore AI topics, cutting-edge research in the field, and the societal impacts of AI through a combination of lectures, field trips, hands-on research projects, and mentorship. You will also engage in personal and career development sessions, including workshops, small-group mentoring sessions, and social events. A key part of the experience is a field trip to Washington, D.C., where you will visit public and private organizations and explore topics and careers in AI and public policy. You will also work in a small group, led by AI graduate students, on a research project on one of the societal effects of AI. At the end of the program, you will present your project work.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Cost: $2,990 | Financial aid is available
Dates: Start and end dates vary depending on the program format and cohort. Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including the Summer cohort, which runs from June to August
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Summer cohort’s applications are typically due in May.
Eligibility: High school students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement | An unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4 is recommended
Location: Remote
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a selective program designed for high school students interested in conducting their own research. During the program, you will have access to sessions with a writing coach and 1-on-1 discussions with a Ph.D mentor, who will help you complete your project. You can choose from various research subject areas and topics, including AI, or even customize your research topic based on your interests. At the end of the program, you will have your own independent college-level research paper! You can find out more about the program formats on the application form here.
7. Veritas AI
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Cost: $2,290 (Financial aid available)
Dates: Multiple 12- to 15-week cohorts throughout the year, including in summer.
Application deadline: The summer cohort’s application cycle typically closes in May.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students | AI Fellowship applicants should either have been a part of the AI Scholars program or have some familiarity with AI concepts or Python.
Location: Remote
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers various programs for high school students who want to learn about artificial intelligence and get some hands-on experience in the field. If you are just getting started with AI, ML, and data science, you could consider the AI Scholars program, which is a 10-session virtual boot camp. Here, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of AI and data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects. If you are somewhat familiar with AI and programming languages, you can opt for the AI Fellowship, where you will work on an AI project under the mentorship of an AI practitioner or researcher. Apply here
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 80 students are selected annually
Cost: Fully funded.
Dates: Late June to early August
Application deadline: Early February
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
MITES Summer is a fully funded six-week intensive program with a strong focus on STEM subjects, including machine learning. MITES condenses a whole semester of college-level courses into six intensive weeks over the summer, allowing you to learn about the impact of STEM via plenty of hands-on learning and team projects. You will also get to tour MIT labs, visit local organizations employing MITES alumni, and engage in seminars with STEM professionals. You will also have access to college application guidance. The experience can help you explore STEM fields and potential career paths as well as become better equipped for college.
9. Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging (AIMI) Summer Research Internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 20–25 students accepted each year
Cost: $40 application fee + program fee $850 | Full need-based scholarships are available
Program dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are over the age of 14 | Preference is given to applicants with math or computer programming skills and/or experience working on a healthcare project
Location: Online
Stanford AIMI’s Summer Research Internship is meant for students interested in exploring the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. During the two-week virtual program, you will engage in a combination of introductory and technical lectures on the basics of AI in healthcare. You will also have access to mentorship and hands-on group work sessions to complete your research projects, which is a key part of the program. You will also get to engage in social activities and sessions led by guest speakers from academia, industry, non-profit, and government. As an AIMI research intern, you may also get an extended independent research internship opportunity following the end of the program.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~10%
Cost: $6,500 | Full scholarships available
Dates: Session I (June 22 – July 4) | Session II (July 6 – 18) | Session III (July 20 – August 1)
Application deadline: Early January
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors from around the world
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
YYGS is a highly selective pre-college program that offers an AI and data science-focused track under its Innovations in Science & Technology (IST) course. It lets you explore AI applications in various fields, from healthcare to environmental science, through hands-on projects and discussions with Yale faculty. The program focuses on interdisciplinary learning, allowing you to work on research projects that integrate AI with other scientific disciplines. While YYGS is not solely focused on AI, its IST track provides an excellent introduction to AI’s role in scientific innovation. You also get to engage in seminars, breakout discussions, and on-campus social events to experience academics and life on a college campus.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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