15 Summer Programs in the United Kingdom (UK) for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 10 min read
Spending part of your summer studying in the UK can be an effective way to explore new academic interests while gaining a sense of university life abroad. Many UK-based summer programs let high school students experience courses taught by university faculty, explore research fields, and engage in workshops that build practical and academic skills.
What will I do in a summer program in the UK for high school students?
These programs range from science and engineering to the humanities, business, and the arts. You can often attend lectures, complete group projects, and explore British cities and campuses as part of the experience. For many students, these programs also serve as an introduction to the UK’s higher education system, which is known for its emphasis on focused study and independent learning.
Studying in the UK over the summer can also help you strengthen your future university applications by showing early academic initiative and global exposure. Most programs last two to four weeks and are open to international students, often including opportunities for campus tours, mentorship, and career sessions.
To help you get started, we’ve gathered 15 of the best summer programs in the UK for high school students!
15 Summer Programs in The UK for High School Students
Location: King's College London, London, UK
Cost: Varies by program length; ranges from £3,095 - £15,440
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: July 6-10, July 13-17, July 20-24, and/or July 27-31 | Students may pursue between one and four week-long courses
Application Deadline: April 10
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 or 17 with a minimum of B2 English proficiency | Students must have either a Standard Visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization
King’s College London provides a variety of one-week-long courses through its Pre-University summer program across the humanities, social sciences, and STEM. You are permitted to take as few as one or as many as four consecutive courses based on your preferred timeline. You’ll choose between course options based on undergraduate level study, including Business Management, Neuroscience, and International Relations. Under the instruction of King’s College faculty, you’ll study topics ranging from the Cold War, biological roots of brain disorders, and operations management through an experiential learning format combining lectures, discussion seminars, and research-focused workshops. You’ll supplement your coursework with field trips across London, such as the British Museum, the Imperial War Museums, and engineering laboratories. Most courses culminate in a final research project and/or presentation.
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions.
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school
The Academic Insights Program provides school students with an opportunity to take undergraduate-level classes at universities around the world. You will work with academics from universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard in classes of 4-10 students. They attend university-style lectures and 1:1 weekly sessions with their tutor. The program includes practical experiences such as dissections in medicine, robotic arm building in engineering, or moot courts for law. You can choose from over 20 subjects, including architecture, artificial intelligence, business management, computer science, economics, medicine, philosophy, and more. By the end of the program, they complete a personal project and receive written feedback and a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
Cost: £6,850 | Limited course options offer scholarship opportunities
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: July 11 - August 1
Application Deadline: Not provided
Eligibility: Students aged 16-18 with a minimum 3.2 GPA or equivalent | Students must obtain an appropriate visa to attend
Scotland’s University of St Andrews hosts high school students for its Academic Experience summer program, providing three weeks of intensive academic study under university staff and advanced graduate students. You’ll choose from multiple course options, including Creative Writing, Social Science and Humanities, Psychology and Neuroscience, and Cinema, Ideas and Society. Each course homes in on specialized sub-fields offered for undergraduate-level students, spanning creative non-fiction, Old English heroic literature, nervous system disorders, and the politics of spectatorship in film. Course structures include lectures, discussion sessions, interactive workshops, and independent research projects. Outside of class, you’ll participate in activities and field trips across the local area, from visiting the Edinburgh Dungeons to touring castles to learning traditional Scottish dancing.
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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 one-on-one research program for high school students looking to develop a specialized project in their area of interest. You’ll be paired with a PhD-level mentor to study a field of your choosing, with options including History, Biology, Engineering, International Relations, and more. You’ll begin with a deep dive into your chosen discipline, then formulate and execute a research project under the guidance of your mentor. You’ll finish the program with a formal academic paper, including guidance on submitting to student journals. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Oxford University Saïd Business School, Oxford, UK
Cost: £8,995
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: July 19 - August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 16-18 | Students must obtain a proper visa
Hosted at the Oxford University Saïd Business School in partnership with Oxford’s Department of Economics, the AI and Machine Learning Pioneers summer program provides high school students with training across computer science and business. You’ll study applications of artificial intelligence developments, including global industry applications, econometrics, and business analytics. Other practical skills development includes Python coding, AI-informed data science, and ethical considerations in AI development. You’ll work under the primary guidance of an Oxford Economics professor, additionally learning from visiting Oxford academics, industry experts, and AI researchers.
Location: Imperial College London, London, UK
Cost: £7,260
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: June 29 - July 10 or August 3-14
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions beginning in January
Eligibility: Students aged 16-17 with a GPA of 3.2, including a 4.0 in Math and Science courses and/or 3-4 AP exams with a score of 5 | Passport required within 5 days of application
Imperial College’s summer program brings high school students to the UK for a two-part experience in STEM. You’ll spend your first week focusing on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, Medicine and Life Sciences, or Physics, pursuing a combination of lectures, hands-on activities, and group research projects. Features include measuring blood pressure and glucose at St Mary’s Hospital, demonstrations at the Data Science Institute’s Data Observatory, and using coding to model oscillations. In the second week, you’ll move into the Innovation Challenge, working under faculty from the Imperial Enterprise Lab to collaboratively develop a solution to a global challenge and a business model to accomplish your goal. Other activities range from exploring South Kensington museums to seeing a play in London’s West End to a boat party on the Thames.
Location: University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
Cost: £4995
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: June 30 - July 11
Application Deadline: Applications open January 10; check the site for deadline updates
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged 16-18 | Students must obtain a proper Visa
The University of Edinburgh’s Pre-University Summer School program offers high schoolers 5 two-week course options in Social Sciences, Humanities, Using Data in the Sciences, Insights into the Life Sciences, and Design. In the Social Sciences course, you’ll study economics, policy, and anthropology through classwork and a visit to the Scottish Parliament. In Humanities, you’ll learn topics across literature, history, and philosophy, learning research skills and going on field trips to museums and galleries in Scotland. The Design course offers an opportunity for students considering art school, providing training in the design process, presentations, and developing a portfolio for college. STEM courses include laboratory work, workshops, and data analysis, focusing on skills across statistical research, genetics, and biochemistry, with opportunities to network with professional scientists and visits to industry sites. All programs include discussions on career paths in the field and preparing for college admissions, both at Edinburgh and other universities in the UK.
Location: University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
Cost: £5,250
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: July 14-24
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions ending May 31
Eligibility: Students aged 16-17 planning to apply or currently applying to college | Students must obtain a proper visa or electronic travel authorization
At the University of Warwick’s Pre-University Summer School, you’ll travel abroad to the UK for two weeks of academic study in Economics and Finance, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, or Science and Engineering. Working under the instruction of University of Warwick professors, you’ll study multiple sub-fields within your chosen subject. In Economics and Finance, you’ll study across game theory, environmental economics, and 21st-century finance, covering topics from the Financial Crisis to the impacts of pollution on human capital.
In Arts and Humanities, you’ll learn about postmodernism, film criticism, industrialization, and other advanced topics in performance studies, literature, and theatre. A Taste of Science and Engineering covers diverse STEM fields, moving from psychology and human behavior to steel and aluminum engineering, to the Black Death. The Social Science course covers law, education studies, philosophy, politics, and sociology. Outside of the classroom, you’ll live on campus and join outings and events like exploring the city of Oxford and visiting Warwick Castle.
Location: Oxford University, Oxford, England
Cost: £8,995
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: July 19 - August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 16-18 | Students must obtain a proper visa
Oxford’s Future Climate Innovators brings high school students to the UK for a two-week summer program focused on sustainability, climate change, and leadership skills. You’ll study topics across extreme weather, AI and climate change, and ecosystems, working towards a sustainable business proposal culminating in a final project and presentation at the Oxford Climate Innovation Conference. You’ll live on campus at Oxford, combining class time with an array of social networking events, campus tours, and field trips to the Oxford Botanic Garden and an off-site industry visit. To expand your professional and academic development, you’ll attend a career workshop, resume clinic, and discussions on launching a successful startup.
Location: Oxford University, Oxford, UK, and other UK cities
Cost: $7,912
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: June 30 - July 11
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students completing grades 10-12, aged 16-18 (by June 15) | Check site for travel/visa requirements
Brown Experiential Education: Oxford is a 12-day pre-college program by Brown University for students ages 16–18 who want to learn about biotechnology in an international setting. Through the course Basics in Biotech: From Genes to Innovation, you’ll study core biotech topics like DNA, CRISPR, cancer immunotherapy, artificial intelligence in medicine, and brain–computer interfaces. The program combines classroom learning with real-world exposure through site visits and expert-led sessions in Oxford and London. You’ll visit leading research centers such as the Big Data Institute, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Jenner Institute, Oxford University Innovation, and the Francis Crick Institute.
11. Hillsdale College High School Summer Study - In Love and War: The Land and Literature of England
Location: Warwick, Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Bath, Windsor, Canterbury, and London, UK
Cost: $4,995, scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30-50 students
Dates: July 2-16
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions ending February 15; applications considered after deadline if space remains
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors aged 15 or older
Hillsdale College’s “The Language and Literature of England” course brings students to the UK for a week of intensive coursework and travel, studying across seven cities in England. Under the instruction of Hillsdale faculty, you’ll study the literature of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Eliot, Austin, and more, focusing on texts engaging with love, war, and their role in the human experience. You’ll discuss topics across desire, tragedy, commitments, and threats, and their presence in literary works across historical periods in England. You’ll supplement your learning by traveling to the authors’ hometowns and the settings of their writing, including seeing Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Globe Theater while you study Shakespeare, to visiting Canterbury Cathedral as you read Chaucer. Upon successful completion of the program, earning a grade of “C” or above, you’ll earn three transferable college credits.
Location: Notre Dame London, London, UK
Cost: $8,750, limited financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 18 students
Dates: July 5-19
Application Deadline: January 21
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors aged 16 or older | Valid passport required
The University of Notre Dame hosts programs abroad in addition to its on-campus summer programs, including the opportunity to study finance and history in the UK through its London-based program. You’ll learn about London’s development throughout history, studying topics from colonialism and imperialism to modern financial development, and how the interpretation of history informs today’s world. You’ll stay on Notre Dame’s London campus to experience college life abroad, and supplement your classroom experience with excursions to London museums, cultural institutions, and a Shakespeare performance at the Globe Theatre.
Location: Oxford University, Oxford, UK
Cost: $8,890
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10-12 students per course
Dates: July 3-16, July 17-30, or July 31 - August 13
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Grades 9-12; strong rising 9th grade students considered
Oxford Academia’s course in History of Art and Architecture exposes students to art history through exploring museums and noteworthy architectural structures in Oxford. You’ll study under an art historian from Oxford, covering English art from the medieval era to postmodernism. You’ll visit collections at the Ashmolean and Modern Art Museums of Oxford, learning the background of the pieces and practicing historical analysis skills. You’ll finish the course with a final project curating an original art exhibit. Programs are also offered in fields including AI, Creative Writing, Medicine, Law and Society, and more.
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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