15 Social Science Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Aug 7
- 11 min read
Updated: Oct 11
If you are a high school student curious about how societies function and how change happens, a summer program in social science could be a great next step!
Social science programs designed for high school students can offer accessible opportunities to explore topics in human behavior, society, politics, and economics beyond the typical high school curriculum. These programs often provide exposure to college-level academics and campus life, helping you prepare for higher education while still in high school.
Many also offer hands-on experiences, exposure to real-world case studies, and opportunities to build practical research and communication skills. In addition to academic enrichment, you can gain valuable industry exposure and start building a network of peers and mentors in the social sciences. Whether your interests lie in psychology, sociology, political science, law, or anthropology, these summer programs can help clarify academic goals and career paths.
To help you find the right opportunity, we’ve come up with a list of 15 social science summer programs for high school students.
15 Social Science Summer Programs for High School Students
Acceptance rate: Highly selective; 500 accepted out of 4,000+ applicants
Dates: Summer Cohort II starts on July 14; program duration varies from 12 weeks to a year
Application deadline: June 23
Eligibility: High school students
Location: Virtual
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a research program tailored for high school students. The program pairs high schoolers with Ph.D. mentors to work one-on-one on independent research projects. You can choose research topics related to social science, such as psychology, economics, international relations, philosophy, gender studies, law, sociology, history, classics, and environmental studies. Then, you will work with your mentor and writing coach to collect data, analyze it, and draw conclusions that will be added to your research paper. At the end of the program, you will have developed an independent research paper! You can find more details about the available subject areas, program formats, and application here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 26%
Dates: Trimester-long programs throughout the year, including summer.
Application deadline: June 22
Eligibility: High school students
Location: Virtual.
Horizon offers trimester-long research experiences in psychology, international relations, history, behavioral economics, politics, organizational behavior, philosophy, and political theory, among other social science disciplines. As a participant, you will choose a research project in the social science field of your choice and get to learn from mentors, conduct experiments, analyze data, and present your findings. By the end of the session, you would have completed a 20–25-page research paper. You will also get an opportunity to receive a letter of recommendation based on the research quality. Throughout the program, you’ll benefit from mentorship, flexible research options (quantitative or qualitative), and the potential to present at a symposium. Apply here!
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 12 students/cohort
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application deadline: February 24
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 17 years old and U.S. citizens/permanent residents
Cost: Free + a $750 stipend offered
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
The Clark Scholars Program, conducted at Texas Tech University, is a highly selective seven-week summer research program for exceptional high school students in the country. Designed to provide a rigorous, research-intensive experience, the program pairs you with distinguished faculty from both the general academic campus and the Health Science Center. You will primarily conduct hands-on research and, additionally, engage in weekly seminars, discussions, and field trips that foster critical thinking and support your academic and career development. The program also includes social activities. On completing a successful research report, you will receive a $750 stipend!
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 26 students
Dates: June 16 – July 3
Application deadline: April 14; applications open on March 3
Eligibility: High school students residing and attending high school in Los Angeles County
Cost: Free!
Location: USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Los Angeles, CA.
The Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement is a three-week summer program for high school students from the communities near USC’s University Park and Health Science Campuses. The program offers exposure to college-level coursework and opportunities to learn about the crucial role of media and journalism in shaping civic-minded leaders. Here, you will develop skills in writing, critical thinking, public speaking, multimedia production, interviewing, and ethnographic research. You will also be introduced to USC Annenberg’s academic offerings and potential media careers while engaging with faculty and industry professionals who are redefining communication, journalism, and public relations. The program offers daily meals, potential transportation support, and sessions on college admissions and essay writing.
Acceptance rate: Selective; exact details not specified
Dates: July 5 – 26
Application deadline: Applications assessed on a rolling basis until April 27; program is typically full before the final deadline
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 11
Cost: $9,949; School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school students may be able to attend free of charge with scholarships
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
The Social Justice Research Academy is a three-week social science summer program for high school students to examine historical and current issues of inequality and activism. Open to students interested in social sciences, humanities, and the arts, the program covers topics such as civil rights, climate change, immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and prison reform. You will develop leadership, research, and analytical skills through lectures, workshops, and discussions led by Penn faculty and guest experts. You will also visit key cultural and historical sites in Philadelphia, including the National Constitution Center. The program concludes with a capstone project, in which you will design a research question and an action plan, utilizing university resources to explore social justice issues through academic or creative work.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified; 16–18 students per class
Dates: Session One: June 22 - July 11 | Session Two: July 13 - August 1
Application deadline: May 16
Eligibility: High school students
Cost: Residential: $7,501 | Commuter: $6,701. Need-based financial aid is available.
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
What responsibilities do developed nations and their citizens have toward those in need? Can we justify systems that sustain inequality or harm future generations? This Johns Hopkins summer program course explores such dilemmas through the lens of human rights and economic justice. Here, you will examine case studies of genocide, study the evolution of international aid networks, and debate justice theories. You will also learn to define types of human rights, understand the history of the international human rights movement, and analyze contemporary global affairs. Emphasis is placed on applying international relations theories, conducting rigorous research, and forming well-supported arguments in both written and oral formats.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 13 – 18
Application deadline: March 5
Eligibility: High school students in grade 11 who are at least 15 years old
Cost: $2,500; need-based financial aid is available.
Location: The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
The Young Innovators Climate & Energy, a part of the University of Chicago’s summer pre-college program, is a week-long residential opportunity to explore careers in climate and energy policy. Through intensive, discussion-based classes, lectures, readings, and group projects, you will learn about the urgent issues in climate and energy. You will be guided by experts from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), the Becker Friedman Institute, and the Climate Impact Lab throughout the program. You will also gain insights into academic and professional opportunities in an urban setting through curated experiences in Chicago, including a visit to Invenergy’s headquarters. During the visit, industry professionals will share their career paths and the impact of STEM degrees in advancing sustainability.
Acceptance rate: Not specified, but the average class/course size is 16
Dates: July 7 – 18
Application deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 11 at the time of application
Cost: $3,080; need-based financial aid is available
Location: Virtual
Stanford’s pre-college program offers various courses, of which Topics in Psychology is an introduction to key methodological and theoretical foundations of psychology through the study of influential topics and figures in the field. Here, you will examine works that shaped psychology’s historical evolution and explore contemporary research areas and methods. The curriculum includes hands-on activities, such as small-scale research projects, to help you gain practical exposure to the tools used in social science research. Topics covered during the program may include social and cognitive development, perception, memory, psychological disorders, behavior analysis, and the real-world applications and limitations of psychological research.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Session I: June 1 – 6 | Session II: June 8 – 13
Application deadline: Applications open on November 1 and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 9 – 12
Cost: $3,400; need-based scholarships are available
Location: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
The Wake Forest Summer Immersion Psychology Institute offers high school students an in-depth exploration of the human mind and behavior. Through interactive sessions and hands-on experiences, you will examine the brain’s structure, the impact of emotions and biases, and how perception shapes our understanding of the world. You will engage in activities such as brain dissection, sensory labs, and observational research, while exploring topics like emotional influence, neurological disorders, addiction, and neuroplasticity. You will be taught by PhD-level Wake Forest University professors. The program culminates in the presentation of team-based research findings, providing a comprehensive introduction to psychological science.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Acceptance rate not specified; 5-20 students selected per course
Dates: June 8 – July 12
Application deadline: Early application deadline: March 3 | Regular application deadline: April 7
Eligibility: Current high school juniors
Cost: Commuter: $3,985 for one credit-bearing course and $7,645 for two credit-bearing courses | Residential (includes housing and meals): $8,385 for one credit-bearing course and $11,785 for two credit-bearing courses; need-based financial aid is available. Children of WashU employees and returning students are eligible for a 10% discount.
Location: Washington University in St. Louis campus, St. Louis, MO
Washington University in St. Louis offers multiple pre-college courses to high school students. The Introduction to Cultural Anthropology is a five-week, in-person summer program that introduces foundational concepts, theories, and research methods in Cultural Anthropology. The course can provide you with a broad understanding of human societies and the role of anthropologists in interpreting the human experience. Designed as a gateway to advanced study in the field of anthropology, the program allows you to earn college credit and become part of the WashU academic community. You will complete the coursework under the guidance of university instructors. Upon completion, your grades will be recorded on a WashU transcript, which you can submit to colleges during the admissions process.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified; 16–18 students in every class
Dates: Multiple three-week sessions from June through August.
Application deadline: May 16
Eligibility: High school students in grades 7-11 are eligible to apply.
Cost: Residential: $7,259 | Commuter: $6,459. Need-based financial aid is available.
Location: Option to choose from multiple university campuses in the U.S. You can check details here.
Cognitive psychology, known as the study of the mind, explores how individuals perceive, process, and store information. Johns Hopkins' summer course in the subject introduces key cognitive functions such as perception, memory, attention, learning, reasoning, language, and problem-solving, while also addressing neurological structures linked to these processes. You will explore core research methods and apply them to theories and models within the field. Through readings, simulations, discussions, and research evaluation, you will develop a deeper understanding of how information is processed and gain insight into your own cognitive tendencies. The course emphasizes analytical thinking, effective communication, and collaborative learning. The experience culminates in a final research project.
Acceptance rate: Not selective; applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
Dates: Session I: June 22 – 28 | Session II: July 13 – 19 | Session III: July 27 – August 2
Application deadline: Early bird deadline: January 31; final deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum GPA of 2.0
Cost: Residential: $3,525 | Commuter: $2,730; need-based financial aid is available.
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown’s Law Academy, a part of its in-person summer pre-college program, offers high school students a rigorous introduction to legal studies under the guidance of university faculty and legal professionals. The program can help you get insights into jurisprudence, legal processes, and the evolving nature of American law in response to societal values. Through lectures, guest speakers, and discussions, you will explore key topics such as constitutional interpretation, criminal justice, and civil rights. You will get some hands-on practical experience through mock trials, simulating roles in a criminal case, and engage with current legal debates. The program also introduces you to potential legal careers.
Acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: June 23 – July 11
Application deadline: June 13. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 15 years of age by the first day of the program
Cost: $2,456; need-based financial aid is available.
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
The Political Science Summer Institute offered by the Political Science Department at UCLA is a three-week in-person experience introducing students to American Politics and potential career paths within the field. Combining academic coursework with guest lectures from professionals, the program offers a foundational understanding of political processes, collective action, and the institutions that structure political life in the U.S. Here, you will have access to mentorship from undergraduate and graduate students and get to explore the broader impact of political thought in society. The course also introduces social science research methods. You will also learn about the field through examples from U.S. political history and contemporary issues. Additionally, you will get to earn five college credits by completing the course.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; details regarding cohort size are not specified
Dates: June 22 – July 26
Application deadline: December 3; applications open on October 15
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors who are at least 15 and not older than 18 years at the start of the program
Cost: Free!
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, and University of Maryland, College Park, MD
TASS is a free residential experience for high schoolers. The program explores how power and privilege influence social systems through two distinct tracks. TASS-CBS (Critical Black Studies) focuses on the historical and cultural contributions of people of African descent, and TASS-AOS (Anti-Oppressive Studies) examines systemic inequalities such as white supremacy, patriarchy, and classism. You can choose any one track. Irrespective of the choice, you will engage in daily, college-level humanities or social science seminars that emphasize discussion, small-group collaboration, and analytical writing during the program. Outside the classroom, you will engage in democratic decision-making, community-building activities, public speaking, and practices that promote transformative justice. Each seminar is led by two faculty members, with support from resident advisors and teaching assistants, who also provide guidance in writing and critical analysis.
Acceptance rate: Not selective; applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
Dates: June 8 – 14
Application deadline: Early bird deadline: January 31; final deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school students with at least a 2.0 GPA
Cost: Residential: $3,525 | Commuter: $2,730; need-based financial aid is available.
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
The American Politics Academy offers an in-depth exploration of the United States government, focusing on the legislative, executive, and judicial branches through a combination of lectures, debates, and interactive exercises. The program will offer you insights into how political parties, public opinion, and special interest groups influence political behavior and policy decisions. It will also help you analyze the impact of cultural shifts on political movements and governance at all levels. You will get to engage directly with elected officials, lobbyists, Capitol Hill staff, and policymakers who will share insights on congressional campaigns, legislative agendas, and current national issues. The curriculum includes simulations of congressional processes and discussions on key topics such as the roles of Congress and the presidency, judicial influence, party dynamics, public opinion, foreign policy, and fiscal authority. The program is conducted through lectures, hands-on activities, and group discussions.
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 which offers students opportunities to work 1-1 with a research mentor and develop an independent research paper.
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