Online Chemistry Summer Programs for High School Student
Updated: 5 days ago
Updated October 2026
TL;DR
This guide lists 10 online chemistry programs you can take over the summer, from one-on-one research mentorship to college-credit courses at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, and Arizona State. Each program has the same quick facts (location, cost, cohort size, dates, deadline, and eligibility), plus a short description of what you'll study and who it's right for. A goal-based table helps you match a program to what you want from your summer, and a second table compares all 10 by cost, credit, format, and length. If you want to research a chemistry question of your own with one-on-one guidance from a PhD mentor, you can apply to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.
If you’re a high school student planning to study chemistry in college, a summer online program is a smart way to get ahead, no matter where you live. Depending on the program, you might analyze how chemical industries can cut emissions, learn how proteins and other molecules cause disease, or complete a for-credit general chemistry course with labs. If you’d like to ask your own questions, a research mentorship program can help you turn one idea into a college-level paper. This guide covers 10 fully online chemistry programs, what each offers, what it costs, and how to apply. If you want to start thinking about a research topic now, browse our chemistry research ideas for high school students.
What can you do in an online chemistry program?
Online chemistry programs for high schoolers fall into four main types.
Research mentorship programs: these pair you with a PhD scholar to write a paper on a question you choose.
College-credit courses: these put you in real university classes with grades, exams, and sometimes required labs.
Short pre-college courses: these run two weeks and focus on one topic, like pharmaceutical chemistry or sustainability.
Self-paced high school courses: these let you earn chemistry credit on your own schedule.
Which type fits depends on whether you want credit, a finished paper, or a focused introduction. If you're aiming for the most selective chemistry programs, including in-person ones, our list of competitive chemistry programs for high school students is a useful comparison.
Which online chemistry program fits your goal?
If you want | Look at |
Your own research paper with a mentor | |
College credit for under $500 | |
A Harvard or UCLA transcript | |
Chemistry connected to medicine | |
Chemistry connected to climate and sustainability | |
No prior chemistry required | |
High school credit you can start anytime |
Online Chemistry Summer Programs for High School Students
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort.
Program Dates: Vary 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. The program pairs you 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.
Who is it right for? Students who want to investigate their own chemistry question with one-on-one guidance.
Location: Online, mostly asynchronous with daily and weekly deadlines
Cost: $1,950, plus an $85 nonrefundable application fee; financial assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 6 to 17)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: rolling until July 13)
Eligibility: Completed 9th grade by the program start and a 3.0 cumulative GPA; a background in chemistry and biology is strongly recommended
This two-week course looks at how chemistry drives medicine and pharmaceutical science. You'll see how developing a new drug depends on chemical analysis and the synthesis of new compounds. There's no required textbook, since readings and videos are provided. Your instructor also offers optional live sessions like office hours. You earn one Johns Hopkins credit when you complete it.
Who is it right for? Students leaning toward pharmacy, medicine, or drug development.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Financial aid available.
Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0GPAA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th- or 11th-graders!
Formulation chemistry explains why your shampoo, paint, or medicine behaves the way it does. Working one-on-one with a PhD or postdoctoral scholar, you'll learn emulsion preparation, stability, encapsulation, and characterization methods. Then you'll see how they're applied in food, coatings, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Your project is an in-depth literature review on a challenge where formulation chemistry meets materials science.
Who is it right for? Students curious about the chemistry inside everyday products.
Location: Online, with live class sessions
Cost: $4,180 for one 4-credit course in 2027, plus a $75 nonrefundable application fee; need-based scholarships for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and DACA recipients
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (Chemistry in Context ran June 22 to August 7)
Application Deadline: January 13, 2027 (early); February 10, 2027 (regular); March 31, 2027 (late, no financial aid)
Eligibility: High school students who will enter college in 2027, 2028, or 2029; at least 16 by June 13, 2027, and not turning 19 before July 31, 2027
Through the Secondary School Program, you take graded, for-credit Harvard courses online. In the most recent cohort, the online options included Chemistry in Context (CHEM S-A), a 4-credit introduction to general chemistry framed around health, technology, and environmental issues. It covers atomic structure, stoichiometry, bonding, thermochemistry, electrochemistry, polymers, and equilibrium, and no prior chemistry is required.
Who is it right for? Students ready for a full college course and an official Harvard transcript.
Location: Online, live classes
Cost: $3,200 tuition (2026), plus a $65 application fee; need-based aid for domestic and international students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published (average class size: 16)
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 6 to 17)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: March 13)
Eligibility: Grades 10 and 11 at the time of application; completed algebra and comfortable with atoms, atomic mass, and molecular mass
This two-week course looks at the chemistry and engineering behind cement, steel, transportation fuels, and ammonia production, along with their environmental impact. Using ideas like energy use, material properties, and chemical equilibrium, you'll evaluate ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Class meets live for two hours a day, with a third hour for office hours.
Who is it right for? Students who want to connect chemistry with climate solutions.
Location: Online, mostly asynchronous with daily and weekly deadlines
Cost: $1,950, plus an $85 nonrefundable application fee; financial assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohorts: June 22 to July 3 and July 20 to 31)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohorts: rolling until July 13)
Eligibility: Completed 9th grade by the program start and a 3.0 cumulative GPA; no course prerequisites
Guided by the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, this course looks at how chemicals are made. You'll compare synthetic routes using atom economy and other green metrics, weigh safer solvent options, and learn the basics of chemical toxicology. You earn one Johns Hopkins credit when you complete it.
Who is it right for? Students interested in sustainability who haven't taken advanced chemistry yet.
Location: Online, live classes
Cost: $3,200 tuition, plus a $65 application fee; need-based aid for domestic and international students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published (average class size: 16)
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 6 to 17)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: March 13)
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 11 at the time of application; completed a high school biology course
You'll study the four major macromolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids) and how their dysfunction leads to disease. The course uses examples like the synthesis of insulin. For the final group project, past topics included CRISPR-Cas9, mRNA vaccines, antibiotic resistance, and why grapefruit interacts with certain medications.
Who is it right for? Pre-med students who want to see where chemistry meets biology.
Location: Online
Cost: $25 to enroll; $400 to add the 4 credits to an ASU transcript, paid only if you're happy with your grade
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Program Dates: 8- or 16-week sessions; next listed start is January 12, 2027 (16 weeks)
Application Deadline: No application required; enroll before your session starts
Eligibility: Open to high school students; MAT 114 College Mathematics or MAT 117 College Algebra is strongly suggested
This 4-credit college course covers atomic structure, bonding, reactions, and chemical quantities. It uses applications like how your blood's pH is regulated. It includes a lab, which counts for 25% of your grade, and ends with proctored exams that require a photo ID. The credit appears on an ASU transcript exactly as it would for an on-campus student, and ASU recommends checking how your future college will count it.
Who is it right for? Students who want transferable college credit at a low cost.
Location: Online (course format can change each summer)
Cost: $420 per unit plus a $350 nonrefundable registration fee; other fees may apply
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (2026 Summer Sessions began June 22)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students who are at least 15 by the first day; one or two courses from the approved list (10 units max)
UCLA's approved list for high schoolers includes CHEM 14A (General Chemistry for Life Scientists I) and CHEM 20A (Chemical Structure). UCLA recommends both only for students who've taken high school chemistry and at least 3.5 years of math. Your work is recorded on an official UCLA transcript. Since courses can switch between online and in-person, confirm that your chemistry course is listed as online before you register.
Who is it right for? Strong students who've finished high school chemistry and want a UCLA course.
Location: Online, self-paced
Cost: $238 per semester (0.5 credit); $476 for both semesters (1 credit)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Program Dates: Self-paced; start anytime
Application Deadline: None listed
Eligibility: High school students and adult learners; no prerequisite listed
This high school chemistry course is taught by state-licensed teachers. You can take it on its own or as part of a full diploma. The first semester covers atomic theory, the periodic table, bonding, naming compounds, reactions, and stoichiometry. The second semester moves into gases, solutions, enthalpy, entropy, reaction rates, equilibrium, acids and bases, redox, polymers, and nuclear chemistry.
Who is it right for? Students who need high school chemistry credit over the summer.
When should you apply for summer 2027?
Earlier than you might think.
Harvard's early deadline is January 13, 2027, and Stanford's Summer Institutes closed on March 13 last cycle. Johns Hopkins reviews online applications on a rolling basis, but popular courses can fill up. ASU and The American Academy don't require an application at all, so you can enroll closer to summer.
If you're also weighing in-person research programs with winter deadlines, our list of chemistry research opportunities for high school students can help you plan both at once.
Where can you take your chemistry interests next?
If you're not sure what question you'd study in a research program, browse our chemistry research ideas for high school students for topics in energy, drug discovery, and nanomaterials. Once you've written a paper, our guide on how to publish a research paper in high school walks you through finding the right journal.
Most courses on this list teach you chemistry that's already known. If you'd like to investigate something new, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you one-on-one with a PhD fellow or postdoc from a top university.
Your questions about online chemistry programs, answered.
1. Can I do real lab work in an online chemistry program?
Sometimes. A couple of the credit-bearing courses on this list include required labs as part of your grade. The others focus on lectures, simulations, data, or reading the scientific literature.
2. Do I need to have taken high school chemistry first?
Not always. Two courses on this list require no prior chemistry. Others recommend a year of high school chemistry plus about 3.5 years of math, or comfort with atoms and molecular mass, so check each course's prerequisites before you apply.
3. Are there free online chemistry programs?
None on this list are fully free, but costs vary widely. One university course costs just $25 to start and charges credit only if you're happy with your grade, and several programs offer need-based aid. For fully funded options, see our list of free research mentorship programs for high school students.
4. Will I finish with a research paper?
Only in the mentorship-based programs. The courses end with grades, credit, or a certificate of completion. If a finished paper is your goal, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program has you write a college-level research paper online with one-on-one guidance from a PhD mentor.