13 Math Programs for High School Students in Indiana
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 10 min read
High school programs offer a practical way for you to explore your academic interests. They give you a preview of college-level expectations, campus life, and the rhythm of independent learning. Many options offer exposure to research environments and useful experience in problem-solving and collaboration. A math-focused program can deepen your understanding by showing you how mathematics functions in practical contexts.
Why should I do a math program in high school?
Participating in a math program in high school gives you a direct look at advanced coursework and the expectations you’ll face in college. These programs encourage you to work through challenging material, adapt to new problem-solving approaches, and collaborate with peers who share your academic interests. You will gain exposure to mentors, whether faculty, graduate students, or industry professionals, who can help you understand possible college majors or future career paths. Experiences like these can strengthen your college applications, since selective schools value demonstrated interest. You’ll also benefit from connecting with students across the state who are exploring math programs, forming networks that may continue into college.
Since the range of offerings can feel overwhelming, we’ve narrowed down math programs for high school students in Indiana that stand out for rigor, structure, and educational value. Here are 13 math programs for high school students in Indiana!
Location: Virtual, hosted by Lumiere Education
Cost: Varies; Need-based financial aid offered
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: 12-week program; Multiple cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students with a GPA of 3.3+
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a research-focused opportunity designed for high school students who want to explore academic topics in depth. You work 1-on-1 with a Ph.D. mentor on an independent project in a subject area you choose. Over the course of twelve weeks, you learn how to form a research question, gather information, and develop your ideas into a full research paper. You can select from fields such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and several others. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Location: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN
Cost/Stipend: $7,500; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Roughly 15% acceptance; about 60 first-year students per site
Dates: June 14–July 24
Application Deadline: March 8
Eligibility: Pre-college student, typically ages 15–18
The Ross Mathematics Program offers you a six-week experience centered on a deep exploration of number theory. You spend several hours daily in lectures and small discussion groups, followed by long stretches of independent and collaborative work on problem sets. The structure encourages you to think critically, form conjectures, write proofs, and communicate mathematical ideas clearly. You also become part of a community where students share strategies, compare approaches, and learn to support each other through challenging material. Through this environment, you gain firsthand experience with rigorous mathematical thinking and develop habits that are valuable for future study in the field.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts.
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! A few tracks require prerequisites; see here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as psychology, politics, economics, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.
Location: Indiana University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Cost/Stipend: No program fee; eligible students may receive a stipend of up to $4,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not listed; admission is competitive with interviews
Dates: June 8–July 30
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current Indiana high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors who have completed at least one chemistry course and are able to commute to the IU Indianapolis campus
The SEED/STEM Summer Program connects you with research mentors working in fields such as medicine, biochemistry, computer science, and engineering. Over eight full-time weeks, you join an academic or industry lab where you help carry out meaningful research while learning core techniques and methods. The program is structured to help you gain confidence in applying scientific ideas, contributing to lab discussions, and taking part in data collection and analysis. You collaborate with researchers throughout the process and spend time preparing a final poster that communicates your work and what you’ve learned. Working in real-world environments at institutions like the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, you get a clearer picture of STEM career paths and can develop lasting professional connections.
Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, and virtual
Cost/Stipend: Tuition-based; costs vary by residency status and number of credit hours, plus a $60 application fee and $500 enrollment deposit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; admission decisions based on holistic review
Dates: Modules run May 18–August 7, with 4-, 8-, and 12-week options and short-term residential courses offered June–July
Application Deadline: Priority deadline February 1; final deadline April 1
Eligibility: Students at least 16 years old, have completed their sophomore year, and meet academic prerequisites for selected courses; residential options require you to be under age 18 when the program begins. Check additional criteria here.
Purdue’s Summer College gives you the chance to take real university courses alongside undergraduates, allowing you to start earning credit while learning how college classes operate. With more than 650 courses available across STEM and other fields, you can choose math-intensive subjects or broader academic content aligned with your goals. Residential short-term courses offer a structured week of hands-on learning, campus exploration, and engagement with Purdue faculty. If you prefer more flexibility, online modules let you study remotely while maintaining access to university-level instruction and support. Through either path, you develop stronger academic habits, gain exposure to potential majors, and experience what it’s like to be part of a large research university.
Location: Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN
Cost/Stipend: $125 non-refundable registration fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not stated; selective
Dates: July 12–July 19
Application Deadline: April 10
Eligibility: Students from varied backgrounds entering grades 10–12 in the fall, who hold at least a 3.2 GPA, have completed or are taking science and math coursework, and plan to pursue a science-related path
The Jim Holland Summer Science Research Program places you in an Indiana University research lab for a week of guided investigation. You’ll collaborate with faculty mentors, graduate students, and other researchers as you work on a focused project or component of an ongoing study, which tends to be heavily math-based. Throughout the week, you receive training in lab procedures, learn how to handle equipment, and practice documenting your research process. By the end of the program, you will prepare a poster that communicates your findings, mirroring the way scientists share results in academic settings. The experience is structured to help you understand how research questions are developed and tested, and to give you a realistic view of scientific work and its daily responsibilities.
Location: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN
Cost/Stipend: $1,650 program fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Session 1 runs June 7–12; Session 2 runs June 14–19
Application Deadline: April 20
Eligibility: Rising 10th or 11th graders
The Rose POWER program gives you a week of hands-on engineering experience in Rose-Hulman’s Branam and Kremer Innovation Centers, where you learn how to design, prototype, and build your own creations from start to finish. You will spend the week working with college mentors and faculty who guide you through tools, fabrication techniques, and safe practices in the makerspace. Each day offers structured build time that encourages you to think critically about design choices while learning to iterate on your ideas. You also collaborate with peers who share your curiosity, building problem-solving skills and confidence as you bring your project to life. By the end of the week, you will leave with a completed prototype and a stronger understanding of how engineers turn ideas into functioning solutions.
Location: Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN
Cost/Stipend: Tuition-based; no-cost materials provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; classes capped at about 15 students
Dates: Session 1 runs June 3–June 14; Session 2 runs July 8–July 19
Application Deadline: Registration opens in spring and remains available through early summer
Eligibility: Middle or high school students
The Foundations in Science and Mathematics program gives you the chance to build skills in a variety of subjects, including mathematics courses such as Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Trigonometry, and standardized test math review. You attend classes three times per week for two hours, with instruction led by Indiana University graduate students who focus on helping you reinforce core ideas and prepare for high school coursework. Because class sizes are small, you receive more individualized support as you practice new concepts or revisit challenging topics. Many courses incorporate hands-on activities, problem-solving practice, and opportunities to ask questions in a low-pressure setting. By the end of the session, you’ll leave with stronger foundational math skills and greater confidence heading into your next academic year.
Location: Cupertino, CA (in-person) and online
Cost/Stipend: In-person tuition ranges from $1,625–$3,550 depending on course level and length; online tuition ranges from $1,150–$2,550; early and super-early discounts available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not stated
Dates: Camp 1 runs June 8–26; Camp 2 runs June 29–July 17; Camp 3 runs July 20–August 7
Application Deadline: Rolling until full; early discounts available through May 1
Eligibility: Students who meet the math background requirements for their chosen level; camps serve students from late elementary through high school who want structured training for AMC, AIME, and Olympiad-track contests. Check diagnostic tests and levels here.
AlphaStar Summer Math Camp provides you with a structured pathway to strengthen competition math fundamentals across algebra, geometry, number theory, and combinatorics. You choose from a wide range of levels so you can study material that aligns with your readiness, whether you're preparing for AMC 8, AMC 10/12, AIME, or more advanced Olympiad-style problems. Live classes combine targeted instruction with examples, problem-solving time, and homework review, while online participants can revisit recorded sessions to reinforce understanding. Each course includes homework, quizzes, and an optional final exam you can complete at your own pace over a two-year window. Through consistent practice and guidance from instructors with deep competition backgrounds, you build the strategies and confidence needed to approach contest problems more effectively.
Location: Online (hosted by Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA)
Cost/Stipend: Tuition varies by session; limited financial assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small teams of 3–6 students; admission is selective
Dates: Offered year-round; summer sessions run as 3-week intensives, while spring and fall sessions run approximately 6 weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling until groups fill; deadlines vary by term
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12
The Virtual Math Research Circle provides you with the opportunity to take part in authentic mathematical research guided by LSU faculty, postdocs, and collaborators from universities nationwide. You will join a small team to explore advanced topics such as graph theory, combinatorics, number theory, and discrete optimization while formulating conjectures, testing ideas, and writing proofs. Throughout the session, you meet regularly with your mentor, build technical skills, including LaTeX typesetting, and learn how mathematicians communicate results. Each team produces a final report and delivers a colloquium-style presentation, with many groups continuing into the Research Extension to prepare work for conferences like LSU Discover Day. The structure gives you a realistic experience of mathematical inquiry and the collaborative nature of academic research.
Location: Remote research program administered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 40–50 students nationwide
Dates: Year-long program running January 1–December 31, with four phases
Application Deadline: Not listed on this page (typically early fall)
Eligibility: High school sophomores or juniors living in the U.S. outside the Greater Boston area
PRIMES-USA allows you to work one-on-one with a mentor on an original mathematics or applied mathematics research project across an entire calendar year. You begin with an advanced reading period, where you study foundational material and prepare a research readiness report before moving into active investigation guided by your mentor. During the spring and summer, you spend weekly sessions discussing ideas, refining approaches, and developing proofs or computational techniques depending on your project. In the fall, you prepare a conference presentation and finalize a research paper that is posted on the PRIMES website and may be submitted to national competitions. Through this long-term structure, you build experience with real mathematical inquiry and learn how research evolves from exploration to formal results.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Tuition-based; discounts available for early applicants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective admission with required application test (returning students and USA(J)MO qualifiers automatically admitted)
Dates: Session 1: June 8–26; Session 2: June 29–July 17; Session 3: July 20–August 7
Application Deadline: Final deadline on May 26
Eligibility: Students aged 12–18 years old
The AwesomeMath Summer Program offers an intensive three-week experience designed to strengthen your mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills. You will attend daily live classes that blend a 90-minute lecture with a 60-minute problem-solving session, giving you practice with advanced concepts in algebra, geometry, combinatorics, and number theory. Homework is submitted each day for individualized feedback, while weekly assessments help you track your progress. Since the program attracts students aiming for competitions like AMC, AIME, and USA(J)MO, you work alongside highly motivated peers who share your goals. This structure provides sustained exposure to challenging material and steady support from instructors with deep experience in mathematical problem solving.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA (residential and online options)
Cost/Stipend: Residential tuition is $8,950; online tuition is $3,750; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; residential cohort: 40 students and online cohort: 64 students
Dates: Both options run during the summer in multi-week sessions
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students in 10th or 11th grade at the time of application, at least 15 years old during the program, and experienced in proof-based mathematics; applicants 18 or older may only apply for the online track
SUMaC gives you the chance to explore higher-level mathematics through one of two advanced courses: Abstract Algebra & Number Theory or Algebraic Topology. You study material that goes far beyond the high school curriculum, working on proof-based problem sets that require careful reasoning and creative thinking. Throughout the program, you learn directly from Stanford instructors and collaborate with peers who share your enthusiasm for challenging mathematical ideas. You also participate in problem workshops, discussions, and enrichment activities that help you see how modern mathematical research develops. Whether you attend online or on campus, you join a small, focused cohort that encourages intellectual curiosity and sustained engagement with difficult concepts.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. 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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