15 Programming Courses for Middle School Students
If you're a middle school student who likes figuring out how apps and games actually work, a programming course is worth a look!
Unlike a quick computer class at school, these courses ask you to actually build something, a game, a website, a small app, using real code instead of just learning about what code does. You'll learn the basics of a language like Python or Scratch, build small projects, run into bugs, figure out why they're happening, and fix them yourself. Many courses also walk you through the same kind of problem-solving real programmers use every day.
Why should I take a programming course in middle school?
Programming courses let you take an interest in computers and actually turn it into a skill, instead of just clicking around on a screen. You're building something with a real function, and getting better at it the same way real developers do, by testing, failing, and fixing.
They also give you a real head start heading into high school, since computer science classes there tend to move fast and assume some prior experience. Whether you end up loving coding or just want to understand how the apps you use every day actually work, a programming course gives you a hands-on way to explore that, with skills you can keep building on long after the course ends.
To help you get started, we've compiled a list of 15 programming courses for middle school students!
15 Programming Courses for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Middle school students (grades 6–8)
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program introduces middle school students to academic research through a structured, mentor-guided experience. You'll work with an experienced mentor to explore a subject of your interest, develop foundational research skills, and produce a short academic paper. The program covers subjects across STEM, humanities, and social sciences, and is designed specifically for students in grades 6–8 who want to get a head start on rigorous academic work. Completing JEP helps students build the habits and skills they'll need for high school and beyond.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines. You can apply to the program here.
Program dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring cohort and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
The AI Trailblazers program by Veritas AI is a virtual program that teaches middle school students the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over 25 hours, you will learn the basics of Python as well as topics like data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. Students learn through lectures and group sessions with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. Previous student projects have included building a machine-learning model to classify music genres and creating a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Location: Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA / Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA / Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA
Cost: $6,717–$7,549 for Ursinus and Dickinson (residential/commuter dependent) and $6,969–$7,801 for Loyola Marymount, plus a required $55 CTY membership fee and a $75 in-person registration fee.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 18-20 students/cohort; highly selective
Dates: June 28 – July 17 | July 19 – August 7
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions till spots fill; June 8/June 21, depending on the session
Eligibility: Grades 7–11; students must qualify for CTY-level or Advanced CTY-level coursework through CTY eligibility criteria
The Johns Hopkins CTY Foundations of Programming course provides an academically rigorous introduction to computer science through both practical coding skills and theoretical programming concepts. You’ll study the syntax and structure of high-level programming languages such as Java, Python, C, or C++, while also learning concepts like recursion, modular programming, object-oriented design, and debugging. Beyond completing guided tutorials, you will work through increasingly complex programming problems and build algorithms from scratch through a mix of individual assignments, collaborative exercises, and hands-on projects. CTY also offers additional programming and robotics opportunities for middle school students, including courses in Arduino programming, robotics, creative coding with Python, app development, and computer science fundamentals.
Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Cost: Tuition varies; financial aid may be available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 28 – July 17
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in late spring or once courses fill
Eligibility: Grades 6–12 with prior programming experience and qualifying scores, recommendations, or previous CTD coursework
The Northwestern CTD Programming with Python and Java course is designed for students who already have some coding experience and want a faster-paced introduction to advanced programming concepts. In this course, you’ll build projects using Python or JavaScript while exploring topics like app development, animations, games, data visualization, and introductory AI applications. The program emphasizes computational thinking and problem-solving through increasingly complex coding challenges and collaborative work. A major component of the course is the capstone project, where you’ll design and develop a functional app, game, or digital tool that solves a real-world problem while documenting your debugging and testing process. You’ll also present your final prototype, giving you experience communicating technical ideas and demonstrating completed work.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Starting $2,999
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, small cohorts (~6 students/project session)
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application Deadline: Rolling until cohorts fill
Eligibility: Students aged 12-18
Berkeley Coding Academy’s Data Science: The AI Journey program introduces you to Python programming, data science, machine learning, and neural networks through a structured four-week online curriculum. You’ll begin by learning core Python concepts before progressing into data analysis, visualization, predictive modeling, and AI applications using tools like Pandas, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and Keras. Throughout the program, you’ll work with real datasets, create visualizations, build machine learning models, and explore topics like regression, decision trees, recommendation systems, and image recognition. A major focus of the course is independent project development, where you’ll conduct original research using a dataset of your choice and present your findings through coding notebooks and slideshows.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Fully-funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~12 students/cohort
Dates: July 6 – 24 (summer session); August 6 – December 9 (fall meetings)
Application Deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–7 from low-income backgrounds who reside in and attend school in the United States
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program is not strictly a programming course, but it is still a strong option for middle school students interested in computer science, quantitative reasoning, and advanced STEM learning. You’ll learn in a small cohort while exploring subjects connected to mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and analytical thinking, which are all skills that will support your future programming and computer science study. The program combines a three-week live online summer course with weekly academic-year meetings designed to help students prepare for rigorous high school programs and future academic opportunities in technical fields. Course topics vary each year and may include areas like cryptography, financial mathematics, geometry, and inquiry-based quantitative exploration, all taught through collaborative discussion and real-world applications.
7. UC Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science – Coding and Engineering Nano-Satellites for Space Exploration
Location: University of California, Berkeley, CA
Cost: $1,550 tuition + $1,350 optional residential add-on
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 22 – 26; July 6 – 10; July 20 – 24; July 27 – 31
Application Deadline: Applications remain open till sessions fill
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7–9
If you’re interested in combining coding with engineering and space science, UC Berkeley’s Coding and Engineering Nano-Satellites for Space Exploration program offers a hands-on introduction to programming through real-world aerospace challenges. During the week-long program, you’ll learn block-based coding concepts while designing and programming a model nanosatellite inspired by modern deep-space missions. As you work through daily design challenges and engineering activities, you’ll also explore concepts related to satellites, planetary science, and iterative problem-solving. Students with prior experience in Python or JavaScript can choose to complete more advanced coding challenges using those languages, which makes the program flexible for different experience levels. One of the highlights of the experience is a visit to UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory, where you’ll tour active research facilities and interact with scientists working on real space missions.
Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $400 – $550; scholarship opportunities available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Multiple sessions between June 1 and July 31
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until sessions fill
Eligibility: Rising 6–8th graders
Georgia Tech's CEISMC Summer PEAKS program gives you the chance to explore coding through hands-on projects on the university's campus. You can choose from several computing-focused tracks depending on your interests. In Code to Console, you'll build your own video games using Microsoft MakeCode while learning the fundamentals of game development. Think Like a Machine introduces you to machine learning through data analysis and beginner AI projects that show how computers recognize patterns and make predictions. If you're more interested in combining coding with creativity, Code the Beat teaches you Python by having you generate, modify, and experiment with digital music. Across every track, you'll spend more time building and testing projects than listening to lectures, giving you a practical introduction to computer science and programming.
Location: University of California, San Diego / Wangenheim Middle School, San Diego, CA
Cost: $500 – $525; depends on the workshop
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; limited capacity
Dates: July 6 – 10
Application Deadline: June 15
Eligibility: Middle school students
The Sally Ride Science Academy Summer STEAM Program offers several hands-on workshops that make it a strong option if you are exploring programming courses for middle school students with a creative, project-based focus. Hosted in San Diego, the program allows you to explore coding, robotics, electronics, and engineering through immersive workshops led by experienced instructors. In the Raspberry Pi and Python course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of Python scripting while building real-world applications using Raspberry Pi hardware, including projects such as alarm systems, drum sets, visual games, and dimmer switches. You’ll also gain exposure to electronic components like LEDs, resistors, and sensors while learning how software and hardware interact in practical computing systems.
Location: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost: $200/camp; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; limited capacity
Dates: July 6 – 10 | July 13 – 17
Application Deadline: Rolling until camps fill
Eligibility: Middle school students
Oregon State University's STEM Academy offers several coding camps that make programming approachable through projects you can build yourself. Depending on the camp you choose, you'll explore physical computing, game development, or introductory artificial intelligence. In Making with Microcontrollers, you'll program a micro: bit using MakeCode to create interactive devices while learning both block-based coding and JavaScript fundamentals. Making Arcade Games walks you through designing and building your own multi-level games, helping you strengthen logic and programming skills along the way. If AI interests you, AI Camp introduces machine learning by having you train simple models, recognize gestures, and write code that uses AI to complete practical tasks. Across all three camps, you'll spend your time experimenting, debugging, and improving your projects while also discussing how emerging technologies affect the world around us.
11. Sounds of NYC
Location: Andries Hudde Magnet School of STEAM, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Fully-funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6 – 30
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Current 6th–7th grade NYC residents only
The Sounds of NYC program combines coding, electronics, environmental science, and engineering to help you solve real-world problems. Designed for New York City middle school students, this fully funded four-week program explores sound waves and noise pollution through hands-on projects. You'll collect and analyze sound data, study how noise affects public health, and build electronic devices that measure urban noise. Along the way, you'll learn foundational coding and electronics while developing smart city technologies. The program also includes theater-based communication activities, teamwork exercises, and an end-of-program expo where you'll present your project to instructors, peers, and community members.
Location: Andries Hudde Magnet School of STEAM, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Fully-funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6 – 30
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Current 6th–7th grade NYC residents only
The Science of Smart Cities program helps you explore coding, electronics, and engineering while solving real urban challenges. Designed for New York City middle school students, this fully funded four-week program introduces you to sensors, circuitry, microcontrollers, and programming through hands-on projects. You'll work in teams to design smart technologies that make cities more sustainable, efficient, and safer. Along the way, you'll learn how hardware and software work together, strengthen your problem-solving and collaboration skills, and explore environmental and urban science. The program ends with a final presentation where you'll showcase your project and explain how it addresses a real-world city challenge.
13. Kode with Klossy
Location: Multiple locations across the country, virtual options available
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June – August
Application Deadline: Typically late spring
Eligibility: Young women and gender expansive students; age and grade requirements vary by camp
Kode With Klossy introduces you to coding through creative, beginner-friendly projects in a supportive learning community. Designed for young women and gender expansive youth, the program offers tracks in web development, app design, artificial intelligence, and data science. You'll learn programming fundamentals while building hands-on projects that connect technology with creativity and real-world problem-solving. Along the way, you'll collaborate with peers, receive guidance from mentors, and strengthen your coding and problem-solving skills. The camps also focus on community, confidence, and career exploration, making them a great choice if you're just starting your journey in computer science.
Location: In-person nationwide, or virtual
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Year-round, including after-school, weekend, and summer sessions
Application Deadline: Depends on local club and program partner
Eligibility: Students in grades 3–12
Girls Who Code Clubs are a strong option if you are looking for programming courses for middle school students that combine coding education with mentorship, creativity, and community-building. Open to students of all experience levels, these free clubs provide a supportive environment where you can explore computer science through hands-on projects and self-guided coding activities. Depending on your interests, you may learn foundational programming concepts through block-based coding or explore topics such as web development, game design, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and computational thinking through guided tutorials and project-based learning. The program also introduces emerging technologies through activities focused on AI literacy and interactive coding challenges that connect computer science to real-world applications.
Location: Online (Coursera)
Cost: Free; optional fee for certificate of completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: N/A
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all
Programming with JavaScript is a free online course designed by Meta engineers that helps you build a strong foundation in JavaScript. While the course takes around 50 hours to complete, it covers everything from JavaScript basics to more advanced concepts like functions, strings, error handling, functional programming, DOM manipulation, and npm packages. You'll learn through video lessons, readings, coding labs, assignments, and hands-on projects that gradually build your programming skills. It's a good choice if you're looking for a more in-depth online coding course.