15 Summer Programs for High School Students in Pittsburgh
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you’re a high school student interested in exploring a subject outside of the classroom, joining a summer program can be a practical way to build new skills and explore a subject in more depth. These programs are usually short and focused, and many are designed to help you work on advanced projects, learn directly from professionals, or experience how a subject is taught beyond the school level.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has a wide range of options, especially if you’re a local! Each year, local universities, labs, and community organizations host summer programs for high school students. You’ll find opportunities in science, business, arts, technology, and more. For students already living in Pittsburgh, choosing a local program can also make sense financially, since you can cut down on travel and housing costs while still accessing high-quality instruction and resources.
To help you with your search, we’ve put together a list of 15 summer programs in Pittsburgh that are open to high school students!
15 Summer Programs for High School Students in Pittsburgh
Location: Carnegie Mellon University campus
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 21 - July 19
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA students) who are at least 16 years old at the start of the program
The AI Scholars Program at Carnegie Mellon University is a four-week, fully funded summer experience for rising high school seniors. Held on CMU’s campus in Pittsburgh, it offers an immersive introduction to artificial intelligence through college-level courses, hands-on projects, and mentorship from leading researchers and faculty. You’ll work in teams to apply AI to real-world problems like healthcare, sustainability, or social impact and present your final project at the end of the program. Alongside the technical learning, you’ll attend sessions on college admissions, financial aid, and personal development.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University campus
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Competitive
Dates: June 21 - July 19
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores (rising juniors) who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients; must be 16+ by program start.
The CS Scholars Program at Carnegie Mellon University is a four-week, fully funded summer experience for rising high school juniors who are curious about computer science. Held on CMU’s campus in Pittsburgh, the program introduces you to core programming concepts, like variables, loops, conditionals, functions, and data structures, using Python. You’ll also learn problem-solving techniques such as algorithmic thinking, top-down design, and debugging. Beyond the technical content, you’ll take part in weekly sessions focused on college readiness, financial aid, and personal development.
Location: Magee-Womens Research Institute
Stipend: $1800 (if household qualifies for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program for Pennsylvania)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 6 weeks starting June 16
Application deadline: February 7
Eligibility: High school students currently in their sophomore or junior year | Over 16 years old by the program start date | Permanent/primary residence in the local southwest Pennsylvania region
At the Magee-Womens Research Institute in Pittsburgh, you can spend six weeks immersed in biomedical research with a focus on women’s health, reproductive biology, and infant health. Each intern is paired with a research mentor and lab team, allowing you to contribute to ongoing scientific studies in either basic, translational, or clinical research. Your daily activities may involve running experiments, handling lab equipment, or analyzing data, all while learning professional research practices. Weekly “Lunch & Learn” sessions expose you to different career paths in biomedical science through discussions with faculty and researchers. The program concludes with a presentation day.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies according to program type; full financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: Multiple cohorts during the year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a 12-week research experience for high school students. You get paired one-on-one with a Ph.D. mentor from a top university and work together on a research project in a subject you choose, like psychology, economics, computer science, engineering, and more. By the end of the program, you’ll have written your own research paper. You meet with your mentor weekly, get help from writing coaches, and can even present your work at a research symposium.
5. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial aid available
Dates: Multiple 10- to 15-week cohorts in a year, including winter, fall, spring, and summer
Application deadline: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: High school students | AI Fellowship applicants should either have been AI Scholars participants or have some familiarity with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI is an online program designed for high school students who want to explore artificial intelligence. If you're new to the field, the AI Scholars program is a great starting point. It covers the basics of AI and data science over ten sessions, and includes small projects to help you apply what you learn.
If you already have some experience, the AI Fellowship lets you work one-on-one with a mentor on an independent project. You can choose a topic like healthcare, climate change, or finance, and build an AI model that tackles a real-world problem. The program focuses on both theory and application, so you’ll understand the concepts and also see how they’re used in practice.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Fully funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 21 – August 2
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (rising seniors) who are 16+ by program start and from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM (e.g., first-gen, low-income, ESL households)
The Summer Academy for Math and Science, known as SAMS, is a six-week program on CMU’s campus designed to help you deepen your skills in STEM while connecting with peers from across the country. Before you arrive, you’ll take part in a required two-day virtual “Jumpstart” that introduces you to key concepts and skills so you are ready for the pace of the in-person experience. Once on campus, your days are filled with classes, workshops, and projects taught by faculty and staff who focus on both the academic and personal growth of participants. It all culminates with a symposium where you’ll present your STEM project.
Location: CMU campus
Cost: Residential: $9,310; Commuter: $7,038 + $50 application fee; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 21 – July 19
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors (must be 16+ by program start)
Carnegie Mellon’s Writing & Culture program is a summer experience for high school students who want to explore storytelling in different formats. Over several weeks, you’ll experiment with poetry, short stories, screenwriting, and film production, learning directly from CMU’s Department of English faculty. You’ll create a portfolio that may include poems, scripts, short stories, and even a short film. Along the way, you’ll get regular feedback to refine your work and see how written and visual mediums shape the way stories are told.
Location: CMU campus
Cost: 6 Weeks - Residential: $11,791 and Commuter: $8,733 | 3 Weeks - Residential: $7,676 and Commuter: $5,975
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 21 – August 2
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Students between 10th and 11th grade or 11th and 12th grade during the summer who are 16 years of age by program start
Carnegie Mellon’s Pre-College Art Program is a six-week, studio-based experience for high school students who want to deepen their artistic practice in a college-level environment. You’ll work in the College of Fine Arts building, using both traditional tools and modern technologies to explore drawing, design, fabrication, and conceptual development. Classes run Monday through Thursday, with Fridays reserved for elective workshops that let you experiment beyond your core courses. Evenings include open studio sessions, giving you time to refine your work and build your portfolio.
Location: UPMC Hillman Cancer Center sites
Cost: Free; stipend may be available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application deadline: Early December to mid-February
Eligibility: High school students in good academic standing who are at least 16 years old by the program start
At the UPMC Hillman Academy, you’ll spend your summer working on cancer and biomedical research alongside faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. You’ll be placed at a research site focused on areas like cancer biology, computational biology, surgery, pathology, immunology, or women’s health. Your day-to-day work may include lab experiments, computational modeling, data analysis, or even shadowing physicians and scientists. Each week, you’ll attend lectures and seminars where researchers share their projects and career paths. You’ll also receive close mentorship from a faculty researcher and lab team who will guide your progress throughout the program.
Location: Entertainment Technology Center
Cost: $12,529 + $50 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 21 – August 2
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Students between 10th and 11th grade or 11th and 12th grade during the summer who are 16 years of age by program start
The National High School Game Academy (NHSGA) at Carnegie Mellon University is a six-week residential program where you’ll experience the full process of video game development. The first two weeks focus on structured classes in programming, visual art, music and audio, storytelling, and game design. While you’ll study all these areas, faculty will assign you a primary role, such as programmer, artist, designer, or composer, based on your portfolio and interests. From the third week onward, you’ll join a team to create original game prototypes. Each student completes two projects, giving you the chance to work with different groups and explore varied creative approaches.
Location: University of Pittsburgh
Cost: $3600 (optional social activities not included)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 100 students
Dates: June 29 – July 26
Application deadline: February 25
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors; at least 15 years of age by application deadline
The University of Pittsburgh Health Career Scholars Academy (UPHCSA) is a four-week residential summer program for high school sophomores and juniors interested in healthcare. Hosted on Pitt’s campus and connected with the UPMC Health System, the program gives you direct exposure to medical careers and public health. You’ll take part in classroom sessions, small group discussions, site visits, simulations, and shadowing in clinical settings. Alongside general sessions like Caring for Health and Making a Difference, you’ll also focus on one concentration area, such as global health, geriatrics, or behavioral health, depending on the year’s offerings. Evenings are spent working with peers on assignments and preparing presentations.
Location: University of Pittsburgh campus
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 23-July 18
Application deadline: March 3
Eligibility: Current 10th and 11th-grade students at select public high schools in Pittsburgh
The Public Health Science Academy at the University of Pittsburgh is a four-week summer program for current 10th and 11th-grade students from select Pittsburgh public high schools. The program is built to show you how science connects with real-world public health issues while giving you a window into careers in healthcare, research, and community advocacy. Your schedule includes lectures, interactive exercises, and panel discussions, along with field trips to local public health organizations where you’ll see how public health ideas are applied in practice. You’ll also work on a group research project under the guidance of a Pitt faculty mentor and present your findings at a final symposium.
Location: University of Pittsburgh campus
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 7–25
Application deadline: April 18
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12) from the Pittsburgh region interested in architecture, design, or urban studies
The Experiencing Architecture Program at the University of Pittsburgh is a free, three-week summer studio for high school students interested in architecture, design, or urban studies. You’ll build foundational skills like sketching, drawing, and model-making while working on your own design projects in Pitt’s studios and maker spaces. The program also includes walking tours of Pittsburgh’s buildings and public spaces, along with visits to construction sites and architecture firms where you’ll see how design ideas are applied in practice.
Location: Point Park University, Downtown Pittsburgh
Cost: Commuter: $1,600 | Resident: $3,100
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: June 16–27
Application deadline: Rolling; first 16 students accepted
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9-12 in the Fall and/or recent high school graduates
Point Park University’s Film Intensive introduces you to the fundamentals of filmmaking, from writing and directing to cinematography and editing. You’ll take part in lectures, screenings, and workshops while also working hands-on with digital cameras and Adobe Premiere Pro to create short films. In addition to your own project, you’ll rotate through different crew roles on your classmates’ films, gaining experience with the collaborative side of production. The daily schedule balances theory and practice so you build both creative and technical skills. By the end, you’ll have a completed short film screened at a final showcase for friends and family.
Location: Citywide
Cost: None; stipend $15/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July–August
Application deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Pittsburgh high school students
Through the Venture Outdoors Leadership Academy, you can spend your summer developing leadership skills while gaining paid experience in the outdoor industry. The program partners with local organizations to introduce you to areas like survival skills, first aid, equipment repair, and nonprofit management. Each week combines outdoor adventures with workshops on resume building, marketing, media literacy, and grant writing. You’ll also meet professionals across Pittsburgh who share their career paths in outdoor and community-focused work.
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 1-on-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Carnegie Mellon University logo