15 Science Camps for Middle School Students Â
- Stephen Turban
- 3 hours ago
- 10 min read
Science camps for middle school students give you the chance to explore STEM beyond what you learn in class, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to join one. These programs mix hands-on activities, real-world projects, and early exposure to exciting topics like biology, physics, engineering, and environmental science. Some are even run by top universities and research centers, so you get to learn from experts, try out advanced lab equipment, and work on group challenges.Â
Along the way, you’ll build skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, while meeting other students who are just as curious about science as you are. If you’re in grades 6–8 and want to go deeper into STEM, these camps can be a fun and valuable way to learn. Here’s a list of 15 of the best science camps for middle school students in the US, including programs that are challenging, well-respected, and mostly free or highly selective.
15 Science Camps for Middle School Students  Â
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type
Dates: The Summer cohort starts on June 3 (tentative) and runs for 8 weeks
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. The upcoming summer cohort deadline is May 12
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is an 8-week mentorship-based experience designed for middle school students to explore academic interests and create a project they’re passionate about. Students are paired one-on-one with mentors who are scholars from top-tier institutions like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE. The program begins with a broad exploration of four key topics within the chosen track (weeks 1-4). In weeks 5 and 6, students narrow their focus to one specific area for deeper study. The final two weeks (weeks 7–8) are dedicated to developing and completing their individual projects with continued mentorship and support. You can find the application form here.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,790 (Financial aid available)
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers is a virtual program designed to introduce middle school students to the core concepts of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over the course of 25 hours, students explore Python programming along with topics like data analysis, regression, neural networks, image classification, and AI ethics. The program features a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio, with learning delivered through a mix of lectures and collaborative sessions. By the end, participants complete a hands-on project tailored to their interests—past projects have included building music genre classifiers and AI tools that recommend personalized educational resources.
Location: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
Cost/Stipend: $1,799 (varies for different camps); scholarships available
Dates: August 8- August 15; August 17- August 22
Application Deadline: Until full
Eligibility: Ages 9-11
Space Camp offers an immersive STEM experience rooted in NASA-inspired astronaut training, aimed at developing leadership and teamwork skills. Since 1982, it has welcomed over one million participants from all 50 states and more than 150 countries. The program blends hands-on activities with simulations in space science, aviation, and robotics. You can explore space missions, build and program robots, or experience flight simulators. Each camp fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and curiosity through dynamic, real-world challenges.
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: July 7- August 1
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Age 12 by the start of the program but not older than 14 on the day the program begins; open to NYC Residents only
The Science of Smart Cities (SoSC) is a three-week program where you will explore how science, tech, and engineering can make cities safer and more sustainable. You will engage in hands-on activities involving coding, sensors, and urban planning, guided by NYU engineering mentors. You will build smart city models and present your projects to experts and the public. The program helps strengthen STEM skills while encouraging innovative thinking around real-world challenges.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $2,699 for a 3-week course; check the cost of other sessions here
Dates: July 14-August 1
Application Deadline: Until full
Eligibility: Ages: 12-14, 15-18
The UC Berkeley Coding Academy is a two-week intensive camp focusing on data science and machine learning for teens. Designed for beginners, it covers how big data is analyzed and how AI models are built, all through hands-on coding in Python. You will use tools like NumPy, pandas, matplotlib, and scikit-learn to work with real datasets – exploring anything from social media trends to environmental data. By camp’s end, you will complete a capstone project and presentation, earning a blockchain-verified certificate to showcase your achievement. The program provides lifetime access to extensive resources (100+ recorded lectures, coding notebooks, etc.), so learning can continue after camp. Small cohort sizes (about 6 students per instructor) ensure individualized attention. For a middle schooler interested in coding and AI, this camp offers a jump-start on technical skills in a supportive, project-oriented environment.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: ~$300/week; discounts for members (varies for different camps)
Dates: June-August (varies for different camps)
Application Deadline: Until full
Eligibility: Ages 12-14
Carnegie Science Center offers a wide range of science-focused camp themes designed to engage middle schoolers in hands-on, interactive learning across multiple fields. The chemistry and physical sciences come alive in Alchemy Academy’s experiments and Laboratory Lockdown’s science-based puzzles and escape rooms. For those fascinated by physics and robotics, camps like Robot Engineers and Camp Cryptid introduce robotics design, monster-creation technologies, and principles of electronics and sensor systems. In the applied science category, Cooking Up Science explores molecular gastronomy and food chemistry, while Survivor’s Guide engages campers in survival science through real-world engineering challenges. Each camp blends theory and practice, ensuring you not only learn STEM concepts but also apply them through projects, teamwork, and creative problem-solving in immersive settings.
Location: Georgia Tech campus, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: $450
Dates: Session 1: June 6- June 10; Multiple week-long workshops from early June to late July
Application Deadline: Starts in spring and closes when each camp is full
Eligibility: Rising 2nd-12th-grade students
Georgia Tech’s CEISMC Summer P.E.A.K.S. (Programs for Enrichment and Accelerated Knowledge in STEM) offers a variety of one- or two-week workshops for rising 6th–8th graders. Hosted on the Georgia Tech campus, these camps immerse middle schoolers in STEAM topics – from computing and engineering design to science experiments and math puzzles. Each workshop has a specific theme and is taught by Georgia Tech faculty, staff, or experienced K-12 STEM teachers. You will get to explore topics through hands-on activities and projects, experiencing life on a college campus in the process. By working on projects such as building machines, coding apps, or tackling environmental challenges, you will start seeing how academic concepts apply to real-world problems. Being taught by Georgia Tech faculty and experienced STEM educators means you’ll be learning from experts who can challenge and inspire you
The program is designed to bridge classroom learning with real-world applications, helping you retain knowledge over the summer. Families can choose workshops that fit their child’s interests and schedule, making this an accessible science camp option with the backing of a top engineering university.
Location: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Cost/Stipend: AM session or weekend: $350 (weekend includes lunches); All Day (during the week): $675 (includes lunches)
Dates: June 23-27; July 7-11
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Grades 7th and 8th
MST@MSU is a one-week summer program at Michigan State University designed for academically advanced middle school students with a keen interest in math, science, and technology. It can be attended as either a residential camp or a commuter program. MST brings together current 7th and 8th graders to tackle a high school-level STEM curriculum in a fast-paced, challenging environment. During the week, you will take three different classes (for example, an advanced math course, a laboratory science course, and a technology/engineering course). The aim is to match talented middle schoolers with appropriately rigorous content – allowing them to stretch beyond their grade level. In addition to classes taught by MSU faculty or master teachers, you’ll learn about research techniques and may visit cutting-edge facilities on campus. MST@MSU expects you to be highly motivated and provides an opportunity to learn alongside peers of similar ability, preparing you for advanced coursework in high school and beyond.
Location: Multiple Locations-Yale University, Cornell University, UCLA, Georgetown University
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies by course, check here
Dates: 3-week sessions in the summer, check here
Application Deadline: Until full
Eligibility: Rising 6th-8th graders
Summer Discovery offers pre-college academic programs for middle and high school students, and they have specialized sessions for middle schoolers. These 3-week programs blend academic courses, field trips, and recreational activities to give younger students a taste of college life. You can choose from a wide selection of courses and workshops – over 50 options ranging from robotics and engineering to introductory medical science to even interdisciplinary topics. Mornings are typically spent in classes or hands-on labs, while afternoons might involve project work or cultural/site visits (for example, touring D.C. museums or LA tech companies, depending on location). Evenings and weekends include social activities and excursions, all supervised by program staff. It’s a broader academic camp experience that covers STEM and beyond, preparing you for more intensive high school programs later on.
Location: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost/Stipend: Varies by camp, roughly $60 to $320 per program (Financial aid available)
Dates: Camps run throughout June–August, exact dates depend on the specific camp
Application Deadline: Until full
Eligibility: Rising 6th-8th graders
Oregon State University’s STEM Academy hosts a variety of summer camps for middle schoolers to encourage interest in science and engineering. These camps, typically one-day to one-week long, cover diverse topics: e.g., Wild About Wildlife (biology and ecology field trips), Making Arcade Games (computer science and engineering), Physics Camp, ActivityBots Robotics, Flying Robots (drones), and more. Each camp involves hands-on learning and team projects – for instance, building and programming a small robot, designing a simple video game, or conducting experiments to understand physics principles. Some programs include field trips to local labs, nature reserves, or engineering facilities to enrich the experience. The STEM Academy’s mission is to boost college attendance and STEM participation for Oregon youth, so it makes efforts to reach a broad group of students and keep fees low. Camps are day programs (no overnight stay) and often subdivided by specific grades (so rising 6th graders might have different sessions than rising 8th). With its mix of topics and flexible lengths, OSU’s STEM camps let you sample new STEM areas or deepen existing interests in a fun, supportive environment.
Location: University of California, San Diego, CA (some virtual courses available)
Cost/Stipend: Varies by camp, roughly $50 to $320 per program, check here
Dates: 4-day sessions scheduled from July 8 through August 2
Application Deadline: Typically end of May
Eligibility: Rising 6th-8th graders
The Sally Ride Science Academy at UC San Diego offers a collection of summer workshops that inspire middle school (and high school) students in STEM and arts subjects. Named after the late astronaut and educator Sally Ride, this program includes 3- to 4-day workshops on topics like computer programming, robotics, engineering design, marine biology, environmental science, biotechnology, and more. Each workshop is led by experienced instructors – often UCSD faculty, graduate students, or industry professionals – and emphasizes interactive, project-based learning. You can enroll in multiple workshops as long as the schedules don’t overlap, effectively building a custom summer curriculum. By attending, you’ll get a feel for college-style learning in a relaxed format, boost your critical thinking skills, and connect with like-minded peers. It’s an appealing option for those who prefer shorter camps or want to explore a variety of STEM topics in one summer.
Location: SMU Lyle School of Engineering, Dallas, TX
Cost/Stipend: $600
Dates: Co-ed camp: July 21-July 25; Girls only camp: July 14-July 18; Boys only camp: July 7-July 11
Application Deadline: Starts from February 17, open until full
Eligibility: Rising 7th-8th graders
Southern Methodist University’s Lyle School of Engineering in Dallas runs a highly selective Introduction to Engineering Summer Camp for middle schoolers. This is a 5-day residential camp that admits only about 20 students each summer, making it an exclusive opportunity. The camp provides a comprehensive overview of engineering fields – including electrical, mechanical, civil, and environmental engineering – along with some computer science. Each day, you’ll dive into hands-on projects and simulations designed by SMU faculty to represent real-world engineering challenges. The curriculum is crafted to be accessible even to those with no prior STEM experience, so any curious student can succeed. Outside of project time, you’ll get to experience campus living, staying in dorms and engaging in social activities in the evenings.Â
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost/Stipend: $70 (Full scholarships available)
Dates: June 23-July 30
Application Deadline: February 26
Eligibility: Rising 6th-9th graders who attend New Haven public or parochial schools
The Ulysses S. Grant Program (often called U.S. Grant) is a six-week summer academic camp hosted at Yale University for talented middle school students from New Haven public schools. While not exclusively a science camp (it includes humanities), U.S. Grant has a strong STEM component and provides an enriching, college-like experience. The science offerings might include hands-on courses in topics such as forensic science, human biology, or environmental science – all geared to be interactive and fun. You’ll spend the day on Yale’s campus Monday through Friday, not only learning advanced content but also gaining skills in critical thinking and problem-solving without the pressure of grades. Many of you might form close bonds with your Yale student instructors and fellow campers. With its low cost and Yale’s backing, U.S. Grant is a prestigious opportunity for local middle schoolers to advance in science and other subjects over the summer.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,990
Dates: June 23- August 1
Application Deadline: June 11 (or until full)
Eligibility: Grades 8th-12th
The MehtA+ Machine Learning Bootcamp is an online 6-week program that introduces middle and high school students to university-level concepts in data science and AI. Led by engineers and researchers from MIT and Stanford, the curriculum starts with foundational math and coding skills and progresses to advanced machine learning and deep learning topics. Over the course of the camp, you’ll learn to implement algorithms from scratch, work with popular ML libraries, and understand the ethical considerations of AI. A distinguishing feature of MehtA+ is its emphasis on research and publication: the program culminates in team-based research projects where you’ll tackle cutting-edge problems in fields like medicine, economics, or linguistics using AI. You’ll write research papers or create posters summarizing your findings, and many of you get the chance to present at youth science conferences – with some of you even seeking to publish your work.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. 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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