15 Best Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 40 minutes ago
- 10 min read
If you are serious about making the most of high school, summer programs become one of the few places where that motivation actually shows in practice. You could consider applying to some of the best summer programs across the country that open their doors to high schoolers each year.
What will I do as a participant?
These programs help you develop research skills, technical thinking, collaboration, and independence. You work on actual problems, meet mentors who expect rigor, and learn what college-level work actually feels like.
What makes for the “best” summer program for high school students?
The defining feature of the best summer programs is selectivity. Thousands of students apply each year, but only a small fraction are admitted. This is usually demonstrated by a low acceptance rate! Many of the summer programs below are run by major universities or government research organizations, which makes the application process even more rigorous. Admission to these programs itself carries meaning. It shows colleges that you were tested, evaluated closely, and are capable of meeting high academic expectations.
You can also check out a list of the best summer internships for high school students here!
With that, here are 15 of the best summer programs for high school students!
15 Best Summer Programs for High School Students
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 80-100 students are accepted annually.
Dates: June - August
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents, high school juniors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science program, known as MITES, is a six-week residential experience that mirrors the pace and rigor of a first-year college STEM curriculum. You take advanced courses in areas like machine learning and genomics while choosing hands-on electives such as robotics or architecture. Mentorship is central to the program. You receive close academic support and college guidance from MIT undergraduates and professionals throughout the summer. The experience ends with a final symposium where you present your capstone work to peers and the MIT community. MITES also focuses on building a strong cohort culture, creating long-term connections among students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost: $25 application fee and a $750 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: competitive; cohort of 12 students
Dates: June 21- August 6
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident, high school student at least 17 years of age before the start date
Texas Tech University’s Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is a residential summer experience where you spend several weeks doing serious academic work, not just sitting in classes. You join faculty-led seminars and commit to a research or creative project that asks you to think deeply, work independently, and follow an idea all the way through. You are mentored closely by professors and peers who help you shape your project, improve your writing, and learn how to present your ideas clearly. You have full access to campus resources like libraries and labs, and you get a real feel for university life. By the end of the program, you present your work publicly, with a stronger sense of how academic research actually works and whether this kind of environment suits you.
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: $8,950 cost including housing and meals
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive, serves 40 students
Dates: June 21 – July 17
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 -11 under the age of 18 at the time of application submission are eligible to apply for the residential program
Stanford University’s Mathematics Camp, known as SUMaC, is a three-week intensive program for students drawn to advanced, proof-based mathematics. The program moves well beyond standard high school material, focusing on areas such as abstract algebra, number theory, and algebraic topology through daily lectures, problem sets, and structured exploration. You work closely with graduate student mentors and Stanford faculty on challenging problems that often lead to a final research-style project centered on rigorous proof writing. Guest lectures introduce you to professional mathematicians and academic pathways.
5. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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, you will be 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, you will 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 and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost: Free of cost covering housing, meals, and transportation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: batch of 40 students
Dates: June - August
Application Deadline: January 26
Eligibility: A full-time U.S.-based high school junior with a minimum 3.5 GPA. Eligibility also requires meeting at least one income-based criterion (household income ≤ $65,000, or qualification for free/reduced lunch or an SAT/ACT fee waiver).
Princeton University’s Princeton Summer Journalism Program, known as PSJP, is an intensive experience where you learn the core skills of reporting, writing, and editing. You train through workshops led by professional journalists and university faculty, with a strong focus on hands-on work. You report on real events, conduct interviews, and help produce a student-run newspaper, the Princeton Summer Journal. Beyond the newsroom, the program offers sustained mentorship through your senior year to support the college application process.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost: Income-based; many students attend at low or no cost depending on family income
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; approximately 20 students admitted per year
Dates: June 27 - July 25
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school juniors (rising seniors)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Women’s Technology Program, known as WTP, is an academic experience designed for high school girls with strong math and science abilities. You choose a track in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering and take classes taught by female MIT graduate students. The program is highly project-based. You design and build real prototypes in MIT labs, from DC motors to DNA analysis tools. WTP emphasizes a supportive all-female environment that encourages collaboration and risk-taking.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: less than 2.5%
Dates: Six weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Mid-December
Eligibility: High school juniors. It is recommended that PSAT Math Scores be at least 740 or higher, and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score be 700 or higher. ACT math scores should be at least 3,3 and verbal scores at least 34.
Center for Excellence in Education’s Research Science Institute, known as RSI, is a six-week program that pairs advanced coursework with a mentored research internship. You work on original STEM research under university or industry mentors, contributing to real projects rather than simulations. Throughout the program, you develop skills in experimental design, data analysis, scientific writing, and presentation. Mentors provide close guidance on methodology, problem-solving, and professional research standards. The experience concludes with a public research symposium where you present your findings to peers and faculty.
Location: Telluride Association, Ithaca, NY
Cost: None, housing and travel covered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 16-20 students
Dates: June 21 – July 25
Application Deadline: December 3
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors ages 15 - 17
Telluride Association’s Summer Seminar, known as TASS, is a six-week academic program built around discussion, debate, and shared responsibility rather than grades. You take college-level seminars led by university faculty, examining history, politics, literature, and the arts through close reading and critical inquiry. A defining part of the experience is democratic self-governance. You help manage budgets, plan activities, and make collective decisions with your peers. This structure pushes you to develop leadership, public speaking, and independent thinking alongside rigorous academic work.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: $40 application fee; waivers available; $500 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 50 students, under 3% acceptance
Dates: June 8- July 30
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school juniors or seniors, at least 16 years old by June, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Stanford Medicine’s Institutes of Medicine Summer Research program, known as SIMR, places you inside active research labs to work on real medical science projects. You are paired with a mentor, often a PhD student or postdoctoral fellow, and contribute to a defined research question tied to real-world clinical needs. Alongside lab work, the program includes safety training, bioengineering lectures, and career-focused workshops in the medical sciences. The experience ends with a poster session where you present your research to the Stanford scientific community.
Location: Stony Brook University, New York
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 40 students
Dates: June 29 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: Junior year (11th grade) of high school; must be a U.S. citizen and/or permanent resident and must be at least 16 years of age.
Stony Brook University’s Simons Program places you directly inside a working research lab for six weeks. You join a faculty research group in science, math, or engineering and work as an apprentice, collaborating with professors, graduate students, and senior researchers on real projects. Alongside daily lab work, you attend faculty talks, tour advanced facilities, and take part in workshops on scientific writing and communication. You are expected to produce a formal research abstract and a poster, which you present at a final symposium.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 20 - July 18
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: 11th grade of high school; must be a U.S. citizen and/or permanent resident and must be at least 16 years of age.
Carnegie Mellon University’s AI Scholars is a four-week immersive program where you are introduced to artificial intelligence by actually working with it. You attend lectures led by Carnegie Mellon faculty and spend much of your time collaborating in teams to build AI projects that tackle real problems, not just textbook examples. Along the way, you get exposure to what careers in AI look like through industry visits and conversations with people working in the field. The program also asks you to slow down and think about the ethical side of AI, how these systems affect people, and why the choices behind the code matter.
Location: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Cost: Stipend of around $2,530
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 7%
Dates: Typically June- August
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: U.S. citizen 18 years old by September 30 or a graduating high school senior who will be 17 years old as of June 1
The National Institutes of Health’s Summer Internship places you inside active biomedical research labs across its institutes. You work alongside investigators on real projects, contributing to experiments, data analysis, and literature reviews rather than simulated exercises. You build practical skills in research design, laboratory techniques, and scientific writing while receiving close mentorship from researchers and lab staff. Most internships end with a symposium or poster session where you present your work. Along the way, you also attend seminars on clinical research, ethics, and career pathways.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost: None for families with income under $150,000; otherwise $2,350
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 275 students
Dates: July 7 - August 3
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: U.S. Residents attending high school physically in the U.S. In a grade level no higher than a junior (11th grade).
MIT Beaver Works’s Summer Institute, known as BWSI, is a project-driven engineering program where you spend weeks solving hard, real-world problems with serious technology. You choose a focused course, such as autonomous air vehicle racing, cybersecurity, or cognitive assistant design, and work closely with a team to build something that actually functions. The experience begins with online coursework and leads into a four-week hands-on summer session guided by MIT researchers and Lincoln Laboratory staff. You are pushed to learn advanced concepts and work with hardware that most high school classrooms never touch. The program ends with a final competition or public demonstration where you present what you have built and defend how it works.
Location: Columbia University, New York City, NY
Cost: 1-Week Commuter Program Cost: $2,830 per session 3-Week Commuter Program Cost: $6,310 per session (need-based financial aid is available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly Selective
Dates: Various sessions from June 22 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: grades 9 through 12, and for the NYC Residential program, students must be 15 years of age or older and turn 16 by December 31
Columbia University’s NYC Commuter Summer Program lets you experience Ivy League academics while continuing to live at home. You choose from more than 70 courses across fields like business, economics, the arts, and the sciences, all taught by Columbia instructors. You have access to campus libraries, academic resources, and commuter student spaces that help build a sense of community. The program also uses New York City as an extension of the classroom through museum visits and industry tours.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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