12 Online Coding Courses for Middle School StudentsÂ
- Stephen Turban
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you are a middle school student interested in programming, robotics, game design, and computer science, consider enrolling in coding courses. Online courses can be a great way for you to learn beyond the school curriculum without worrying about travel costs and expensive program fees associated with in-person opportunities.Â
What do online courses include? What will I do as an a participant?
Many universities and online platforms offer programs that cover key programming concepts to help you explore your interests in the subject before committing to it long-term. These courses also allow you to work on assignments, quizzes, and exercises that help you practice problem-solving, creativity, and logical thinking, and assess your progress. You can choose from beginner-friendly options or challenge yourself with more advanced coding courses, depending on your preferences.Â
To help you with your search, we’ve carefully chosen a list of 12 online coding courses for middle school students.Â
Location:Â Virtual
Cost:Â Varies, financial aid available
Dates:Â Eight-week cohorts available multiple times each year; dates vary
Application deadline:Â Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an online mentorship-based research experience tailored for middle school students who want to work on an academic project in a field of interest. You can indicate your preference for a coding-focused experience while applying. You will work closely with mentors (often affiliated with prestigious institutions like MIT, Harvard, or Stanford) who will guide you with project selection, research techniques, and the project development process. Throughout the program, you will learn to conduct independent investigations, practice logical and critical thinking, and do experiments. The experience ends with the completion of your final project.
Location:Â Online via Coursera
Cost:Â Free; optional fee for certificate of completion
Dates:Â Self-paced; commitment of five hours a week for 10 weeks required
Application deadline:Â None
Eligibility:Â Open to all
Designed by Meta programmers, Programming with JavaScript is a free virtual coding course for learners of all ages interested in learning JavaScript. The course covers a comprehensive range of topics, following a progressively challenging structure that moves from the basics of Java setup to advanced program testing. You will explore topics like functions and strings, error handling, functional programming paradigms, modifying Document Object Models, and working with npm packages. As a participant, you will access course materials, complete assigned readings, practice coding skills, and engage in assignments and projects.Â
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates:Â 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring cohort and 25 hours over two weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort.
Application deadline:Â Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
The AI Trailblazers program by Veritas AI is a virtual program designed to help middle school students learn about the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over 25 hours, you will explore the basics of Python as well as gain insight into topics like data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. You will learn through lectures and group sessions conducted in a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. Previous student projects have included building a machine-learning model to classify music genres and developing a machine-learning algorithm to generate a custom list of educational resources based on specified criteria.
Location: Virtual
Cost: None
Dates: Starts on April 21 and runs for about six weeks
Application deadline: April 9
Eligibility:Â Open to all
Stanford University offers free access to content from its flagship CS106A course, which introduces students to programming using Python. During the online course, you will learn about concepts like control flow, loops, and conditionals, as well as console programs with graphics, lists, variables, and dictionaries through sessions led by programmers, teachers, university students, or other instructors. Additionally, you will work on projects, building games, and using concepts you learn during the course. Once a week, you will attend a virtual session with 10 other students and access a more personalized learning experience.
Location: Virtual via edX
Cost:Â Free to enroll; $299 to earn a certificate
Dates:Â Self-paced courses
Application deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility:Â Anyone interested in coding; certain courses may require prior coding experience or familiarity with a programming language
Harvard University offers various virtual courses, including options in computer science, coding, and AI. Its CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science course can help you develop algorithmic thinking to solve programming problems while gaining a basic understanding of programming languages like JavaScript and Python. Additionally, here, you will explore concepts like web development, data structures, and software engineering. You will also work on various programming assignments and a final programming project. Another option is the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python course, which covers concepts like neural networks, algorithms, natural language processing, logical inference, and probability theory. In this course, you will explore the applications of AI in game-playing engines, handwriting recognition, and other fields.
Location: Virtual via Coursera
Cost: Free to enroll
Dates:Â Flexible; self-paced course
Application deadline:Â RollingÂ
Eligibility:Â Open to everyone
The Python Basics course, offered by the University of Michigan on Coursera, is designed for beginners interested in learning programming in Python. This is the first course in the five-course series called Python 3 Programming Specialization. Split into four modules, the course covers concepts like sequences and iteration, strings and loops, conditional statements, and sequence mutation. As a participant, you will learn how to create drawings and engage in debugging. Led by lecturers, the program offers an opportunity to build a theoretical as well as practical foundation in programming.Â
Location:Â Virtual
Cost:Â Free and paid options available; amount varies by course
Dates:Â Vary by session; classes run for four days/week for four weeks
Application deadline:Â Until the spots are filled
Eligibility:Â Middle school students
Create & Learn offers short, engaging coding courses covering topics like Scratch, Roblox game design, Python, and AI. As a participant, you will try out new tools, build small projects, and receive feedback from experienced instructors. Within small groups of up to five students per class, you will have plenty of chances to ask questions and get personalized help. You can choose from courses such as AI Explorers, Mobile Coding and Games, Scratch, and Arduino. The program is flexible, letting you pick class times that align with your schedule, including after-school options. Once you complete the course, you will earn a certificate to recognize your progress.
Location:Â Online
Cost:Â $3,080; financial aid available
Dates: June 16 – 27 (Session One) | July 7 – 18 (Session Two)
Application deadline:Â March 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 8–11 who have completed an algebra course
Stanford’s Pre-Collegiate Summer Institute offers an entirely virtual programming course focused on C++, covering essentials ranging from basics to advanced coding exercises. Here, you will learn about control statements, recursion, functions, arrays, and abstract data types through lectures and hands-on group activities. The course also provides insights into algorithms and the interaction between the compiler and the hardware. You will also work on class assignments, which involve developing algorithms for solving real-world coding problems. You will get access to online office hours if you need additional assistance with the coursework.
Location:Â Online via Coursera
Cost:Â Free; optional fee for certificate of completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size:Â Open enrollment
Dates:Â Self-paced; commitment of ~80 hours
Application deadline:Â None; open enrollment
Eligibility:Â Open to all
University of Michigan’s Web Design for Everybody is an online coding class for middle school students looking to develop skills in website development and user interface design. You will work with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to develop interactive websites for computers, phones, and tablets. The course is divided into different segments with dedicated focus areas, including coding skills for website-user interactivity, personalizing text and formatting, and advanced styling and responsive design. The course will also teach you how to modify your site’s code for accessibility, including modifications for individuals with visual, auditory, or physical impairments. You will complete the course with an initial web portfolio, which you can continue to develop for college applications or for creating personal websites.
Location: Virtual
Cost:Â $1,850; financial aid available
Dates: Courses available throughout the year; dates vary by session
Application deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–11
The Coding and Creating with Arduino course is a 12-week live online opportunity to learn about the applications of the open-source electronics platform Arduino. The course focuses on the use of Arduino microprocessors in the latest tech while covering concepts that help you explore the role, working mechanism, and scope of digital prototyping platforms. You will learn about concepts such as pseudocode, comments, and actual code, and explore existing prototypes. You will engage in exercises involving code modification and the creation of a working prototype with an Arduino microcontroller.Â
Location:Â Virtual
Cost:Â Starts at $289 for the five-day program
Dates:Â TBAÂ
Application deadline:Â Not specified
Eligibility: Students, ages 5 – 18
Coding with Kids runs a five-day online program for students of different ages who are interested in learning programming. As a middle schooler, you can choose from courses covering mobile app development, web development, 3D game creation, or core programming. Each class has no more than eight students, ensuring you get individual attention during live sessions. The lessons are paced according to your learning level. Experienced camp leaders will guide you through designing projects, fixing bugs, and improving your code. This online coding course for middle school students can help you develop and refine programming skills, building on what you’re already learning in school.
Location:Â Online
Cost:Â Amount varies depending on the course and branch
Dates:Â Summer camps, seasonal camps, and year-round classes available
Application deadline:Â Varies by session or class
Eligibility:Â Students of various ages, including middle school students
The Coder School runs coding classes and camps where you can learn languages like Python, JavaScript, or game design. The in-person centers (located across the U.S.) provide you with a space to work with mentors in real time, while the online classes offer flexibility. The structured class format (weekly or on weekends) helps you gradually build coding skills. The camps focus on short-format learning, whereas year-round classes are designed for deeper exploration. Some of the classes available for middle schoolers are Python Startup, Webrox with HTML/CSS and JavaScript, Mobile Madness, Robocode, and Java camp. As a participant, you will learn how to work with tech tools and find opportunities to connect with mentors and peers. Over time, you will build a portfolio of coding assignments.
Location:Â Virtual
Cost:Â $499 for Wizard Level 1 | $599 for Wizard Levels 2 and 3
Dates:Â Varying start dates; the program typically lasts 12 weeks, with one class scheduled every week
Application deadline:Â Registration open till slots fill
Eligibility:Â Middle school students
CodeWizardsHQ’s online courses are designed to introduce students to the inner workings of websites, online games, and apps. You can choose one out of three tracks (level 1, 2, and 3) depending on your familiarity with topics. With the level 1 curriculum, you will explore the basics of coding using Python and design basic webpages using HTML and CSS. As a level 2 participant, you will learn more complex and responsive webpages using JavaScript. At level 3, you will dive into APIs and databases. At the end of each level is a capstone project where you will use all the tools you learnt in the course.Â
Location: Online
Cost: $3,080+ $65 registration fee and other course-specific costs; financial aid available
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 – 11 who have completed an algebra course
This introductory course focuses on Java Programming and Object-Oriented Programming. While engaging in two-hour live video lectures spread across 10 days, you will explore concepts like data sets, graphical user interfaces, abstract data types, searching and sorting algorithms, and basic syntax. You will work on problem sets to explore the practical applications of the programming concepts you learn during the online classes. You will also learn how to develop algorithms and compute solutions to real programming problems. Project work and homework are essential parts of the experience.Â
Location:Â Virtual
Cost:Â Based on a credit system; you can try all classes for free, and then choose to pay for more sessions through credits.
Dates:Â Multiple sessions throughout the year; check the website for available dates for your program of choice
Application deadline:Â Open till full
Eligibility:Â Middle school students
Outschool offers a variety of live, interactive coding programs and courses that allow students to explore web development, game design, robotics, and general programming. Each class has fewer than 10 students, allowing instructors to give you plenty of personal attention and guidance. You can choose from courses focusing on Python, Minecraft coding, Java, or even hardware-based courses such as Arduino. Many programs are free to join, and you only pay if you decide to continue engaging after trying them out. At the end of most courses, you will receive a certificate of completion.
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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