14 Software Engineering Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 1 hour ago
- 12 min read
Summer programs are a great way for high school students to boost their odds in college admissions through research opportunities, undergraduate-level academics, practical skill development, and networking events. Specialized summer programs aligned with your intended major and career path are particularly effective, as they provide training in fields outside of the high school curriculum. They can help you solidify your interests and demonstrate your preparation for specialized academic study to college admissions officers.
With computer science majors and careers rising in popularity, software engineering has become an increasingly competitive field to enter. High schoolers interested in studying software engineering in college can benefit from specialized summer programs. In this blog, we’ve reviewed the 14 top software engineering summer programs for high school students.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook
Cost / Stipend: Residential students pay about $2,450 for housing. Stipend provided
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective. Acceptance rate below 5 percent
Application deadline: February 5
Program dates: June 29 to August 7
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors age 16 or older who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States. Students need nomination from their high school. Each high school submits up to two nominations.
Simons Summer Research Program is a highly selective, fully-funded summer research program for high schoolers offering a multitude of opportunities, including several in software engineering. Based on your skills and interests, you’ll be matched with a mentor to complete an independent project aligned with the research team’s current work. Current software engineering projects include developing improved algorithmic decision systems, training AI algorithms for medical imaging diagnostics, programming cybersecurity control systems, and conducting quantum software analysis. In addition to research experience, you’ll attend a weekly lecture series on faculty research, research training sessions, professional development workshops, and networking events. At the end of the program, you’ll write a formal research abstract and design a research poster, which you’ll present at the closing poster symposium.
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies 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 that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students 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 software engineering research topics through specialization in subjects such as data science, computer science, or engineering. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Cost / Stipend: Free. $750 stipend provided. $25 application fee
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective. 12 students
Application deadline: February 16
Program dates: June 21 to August 6
Eligibility: Current 11th and 12th grade students age 17 or older by the program start. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States.
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program hosts 12 students annually for a summer-long research experience, with software engineering opportunities offered through its Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering placements. You’ll be matched with a faculty mentor sharing your interests to design and complete an advanced research project. Past software engineering projects include designing machine learning software for diabetes classification, developing interactive visualization tools, and detecting anomalies in transactional networks. Outside of research, you’ll attend a weekly academic lecture series, field trips, career and academic planning discussions, and networking events.
4. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence and software engineering. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
Location: Hybrid at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge for PRIMES, or remote through PRIMES-USA
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective. About 47 students selected. Strict eligibility criteria limit the number of qualified applicants
Application deadline: December 1
Program dates: One year program beginning January 1
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors | Students in the Greater Boston area may apply to PRIMES; all other students must apply to PRIMES-USA
MIT PRIMES and PRIMES-USA are fully-funded, year-long research programs for high school students. While predominantly mathematics-focused, about one-third of current student research projects center on computer science in affiliation with the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, making it a strong software engineering program. You’ll work with an MIT researcher to develop a project addressing an unsolved problem in your chosen field, and complete an Advanced Reading Period to gain background knowledge. After successful completion of an initial reading report, you’ll begin intensive research; PRIMES students are encouraged to work mostly independently and seek out mentor guidance on an as-needed basis. You’ll submit an interim research report in June and spend the summer working to finalize your project with more rigorous mentor support. You’ll finish by writing a final research paper, which you’ll present at the PRIMES conference. Supported software engineering research topics include operating systems, machine learning, network security, and more.
Location: National Institute of Standards and Technology campus in Gaithersburg or Boulder
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective. About 5 percent acceptance rate for the ITL track. About 10.4 percent acceptance rate for SHIP overall
Application deadline: January 26
Program dates: June 22 to August 7
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA | Must be a US citizen | Must live within 50 miles of the host campus | See additional preferred skills here
Hosted by the federal Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, SHIP’s Information Technology Laboratory offers an intensive internship experience for high school students interested in software engineering and applied mathematics. Over the course of 7 weeks, you’ll complete an independent research project under the guidance of NIST scientists and engineers. Potential research topics include trustworthy software research and development, software quality testing, biometrics for computer security, and digital data retrieval and preservation. Your work will focus on improving information technology systems to enhance the United States’ industrial innovation and develop national IT standards for governmental and industry operations. In this program, you’ll network with federal researchers while contributing to nationally-significant developments in cybersecurity and software development.
Location: Lockheed Martin offices in Denver, Sunnyvale, Cape Canaveral, King of Prussia or Valley Forge, Huntsville, and Herndon
Cost / Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective
Application deadline: December 19
Program dates: Nine or more weeks from June through August
Eligibility: Current high school students age 16 or older who live within commuting distance of their selected facility
The aerospace and defence company Lockheed Martin offers summer internships to high school students interested in contributing computer science and software engineering skills to innovations in aerospace technology. You’ll be assigned to work with a team of current Lockheed Martin employees to contribute to ongoing projects. Potential assignments include developing software solutions, application programming interfaces, and automated documentation generation. You’ll access multiple professional development opportunities, including leader shadowing, career planning workshops, networking events, and touring Lockheed Martin facilities. Many former high school interns are invited to participate in undergraduate internships, which in turn often lead to full-time job offers after graduation. You can read more about a former intern’s experience here.
Location: Remote and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge
Cost / Stipend: Online prerequisite course: Free | Summer program: Free for families with income below $150,000 or $2,350
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Online course: Open enrollment | Summer program: Selective
Application deadline: Online course: Registration open until mid January | Summer program: March 30
Program dates: Online course: February 2 – June 19 (self paced; students finish early) | Summer Institute: Four weeks during summer
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-11 residing and attending high school in the US | See site for detailed requirements on prerequisite knowledge
MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute in Quantum Software is an advanced software engineering program focused on quantum computing. You’ll complete a pre-requisite online course covering topics including linear algebra, classical computing, and complex numbers before applying to the Summer Institute. During the Summer Institute, you’ll cover topics across Quantum Concepts, Quantum Computing, and Quantum Algorithms; focus areas include superposition, entanglement, quantum inference, and integer factorization. Your work will combine lectures, hands-on programming assignments, and class discussions. You’ll end the program with a small-group final project, where you’ll develop a software program implementing a quantum algorithm of your design and present your work to the cohort. The strongest project will be awarded a prize.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Less than 10 percent
Application deadline: February 1
Program dates: Six weeks from mid or late June to early August
Eligibility: Current high school juniors | Must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States
MITES is an interdisciplinary summer program for students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM. With a technology and engineering focus, MITES prepares high school students for advanced study in computer science, including software engineering. You’ll take a course load of five classes in math, life sciences, physics, humanities, and a project-based elective in fields like machine learning or electronics. Your work will model traditional course structures, including final projects, midterms, presentations, and homework assignments. MITES provides comprehensive support in professional and academic development, including discussions with admissions officers from MIT and other prestigious colleges, training in networking and social skills, tours of MIT labs and Boston-area STEM companies, and seminar discussions with industry professionals. MITES alumni have historically strong college admissions results; the colleges with the highest enrollment rates are MIT, Stanford, and Harvard.
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: $5,518. Financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; about 150-200 students are hosted at each campus, though clusters are limited to 20-25 students
Dates: July 5 - July 31 or August 1, depending on your campus placement
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders who are California residents | Minimum 3.5 GPA strongly recommended | Specific Clusters typically have additional prerequisites
COSMOS is a summer program for California high schoolers offering a wide variety of specialized Cluster programs, with many options in computer science and software engineering. In Artificial Intelligence for Speech and Imagery, you’ll develop AI algorithms and Siri-like software through learning skills in soundwave synthesis and speech recognition. Video Games: The Design of Fun from Concept to Code provides project-based learning focused on video game development, including advanced topics like 3D graphics and AI-driven features. Introduction to Machine Learning provides more accessible education in software development, with course topics including model performance analysis, deep learning, and training in Python programming. While exact assignments vary by cluster, your work may include final software or game design projects, oral presentations, hands-on programming labs, and developing research posters.
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge | Online options available depending on the course
Cost: $4,180 to $15,735 depending on course length and format | Financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Selective | Cohort size varies by course
Application deadline: January 7 (early or priority) | February 11 (regular) | April 1 (late; courses fill)
Program dates: Varies by course | Four week and seven week options offered
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 to 12, age 16 to 18 | Computer science courses require prior background in programming, statistics, or data science depending on the course
The Secondary School Program at Harvard invites high schoolers to join current Harvard students in summer courses, with multiple options in software engineering and computer science. In User Experience Engineering, you’ll learn to identify and design optimized user interaction flows and interfaces through case studies, industry guest lectures, and a final project conducting the full UX design process. You’ll end the course with a portfolio you can use for college or internship applications. Other options include studying network design and security in Communication Protocols and Internet Architecture or learning to code in C, Python, SQL, CSS, and other programming languages in Intensive Introduction to Computer Science. You’ll earn transferable college credits upon completion of the course, allowing you to simultaneously build your resume and get ahead on future college requirements.
Location: New York University, New York
Cost: $4,550 commuter | $5,748 residential including housing and meal plan
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not publicly available
Application deadline: May 15
Program dates: June 17 to July 3 (Session One) | July 8 to July 26 (Session Two) | One day orientation about one week before the program begins
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 to 11
Computer Engineering for Good is an NYU summer program for high school students focused on developing skills in software and hardware engineering to solve social issues. You’ll learn topics including embedded systems, computational analytics, and cloud computing, while studying how computational skills can address global challenges like sustainability and social disparities. The program includes a combination of discussions, lectures, and hands-on programming from developing initial designs to implementation. You’ll finish the program by merging software and hardware skills to program an internet-connected microcontroller device with a sustainability focus.
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax | Off site research institute placements offered
Cost: $1,299 | $25 application fee | Fee waivers and full financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective
Application deadline: February 15
Program dates: June 18 to August 12
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students | Minimum age 15 for remote or computer lab internships | Minimum age 16 for wet lab internships
George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program provides a rigorous research summer program for high school students, with opportunities to focus on software engineering. You’ll work under a faculty mentor sharing your interests in a department such as Computer Science, Cyber Security Engineering, or Computer Game Design to conduct research contributing to your mentor’s work. Supported software engineering topics include deep learning, foundation models, quantum computing, and virtual reality. To supplement your work, you’ll attend events including training sessions on scientific research and writing, career exploration workshops, and networking socials. You’ll design a research poster after completing your project, which you’ll present at the end of the program. Upon successful completion of the program, you’ll earn three transferable college credits.
Location: Belin-Blank Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Cost: $7,500; substantial financial aid and scholarships are offered
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very selective; ~10% acceptance rate
Dates: June 17 - July 24
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-11
The Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP) is a research-focused summer program for high school students with focus areas offered in nearly 20 disciplines. SSTP offers an Electrical & Computer Engineering placement for students interested in software engineering; applicants are encouraged to explore potential mentors, so you may also identify researchers in other STEM disciplines with a software focus. You’ll be matched with a faculty lab based on your demonstrated interests, with whom you’ll develop and complete a self-driven research project. You’ll earn three transferable college credits by participating in the program, so your research will be supplemented by undergraduate-level seminars featuring assignments, group discussions, and readings. At the end of the program, you’ll design a research poster to present at the SSTP Student Symposium. Previous software engineering projects include optimizing large language models for anxiety detection software (Tippie College of Business), developing lexicon-based clinical screening for apps (Department of Business Analytics), and designing neuroinformatics algorithms (Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences).
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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