10 Tech Summer Camps for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- May 12
- 8 min read
Tech summer camps for high school students are a practical way to explore computer science, engineering, robotics, and more, without committing to a full-time academic program. These camps are often shorter, more focused experiences that allow you to gain practical skills and a deeper understanding of tech fields. Many tech summer camps offer exposure to college-level material, projects, and mentorship opportunities, making them a valuable stepping stone if you’re considering a career in STEM. Compared to longer pre-college programs, camps tend to be more accessible in terms of cost and time commitment.
How are camps different from other programs in high school?
Camps are usually hosted by independent organizations or tech-focused institutions, and they emphasize short-term, intensive learning. Unlike semester-long pre-college programs, tech summer camps are typically geared toward specific interests like coding, AI, or game design, allowing you to explore a subject without the pressure of grades.
If you're interested in exploring how tech fits into your future—whether it's software development, machine learning, or cybersecurity—a tech summer camp might be worth checking out. We've narrowed down 10 tech summer camps for high school students that stand out for their content, structure, and focus on application.
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Tech Track
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 research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Subject Areas: STEM, humanities, and social sciences
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.3 out of 4 GPA
Application Deadline: The Summer I Cohort application deadline is April 13.
Program Dates: June to August (summer). Fall, winter, and spring cohorts are also available.
2. Veritas AI
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. 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.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Program dates: Varies according to the cohort: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
CS4CS is a four-week summer program hosted by New York University that introduces high school students to core cybersecurity concepts. The camp covers various topics, including ethical hacking, cryptography, digital forensics, and data privacy, with no prior coding or cybersecurity experience required. You will engage in labs and security analysis. You will also participate in communication workshops based on theater techniques to build presentation and collaboration skills. The curriculum is developed and taught by NYU faculty and cybersecurity professionals, offering insight into academic and industry applications. To learn more about this camp, check out our complete guide here.
Subject Areas: Cybersecurity, Cryptography, Digital Forensics, Computer Science
Location: Brooklyn, NY (NYU Tandon School of Engineering)
Eligibility: NYC residents currently in 10th or 11th grade
Application Deadline: April 15
Program Dates: July 14–August 8
Cost: Free (full scholarship)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly stated; selective
SAMS at Carnegie Mellon is a fully funded residential program for high school juniors from underrepresented backgrounds interested in STEM. The experience starts with a virtual "Jumpstart" before moving into in-person coursework in biology, chemistry, math, and computational thinking. You will complete research projects guided by faculty or graduate student mentors, culminating in a final symposium where you will present your work. In addition to academics, SAMS includes a credit-bearing college transition course, workshops on college admissions and financial aid, and mentorship through the Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion. You will engage with CMU faculty, students, and alumni while developing academic and personal skills. To learn more about this camp, check out our complete guide here.
Subject Areas: Math, Science, Engineering, Computational Skills, College Prep
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents entering 12th grade in the fall (must be 16+ by program start)
Application Deadline: Preferred deadline February 1; Final deadline March 1
Program Dates: June 21–August 2 (with required virtual Jumpstart on June 16 & 17)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 100 students
BWSI is a four-week STEM program that offers a wide range of project-based courses for rising high school seniors. Hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT’s School of Engineering, BWSI provides advanced training in autonomous systems, quantum computing, AI, remote sensing, and cybersecurity. Admission requires completing an online prerequisite course. Courses are offered in-person at MIT and virtually, culminating in final projects or challenges such as autonomous drone racing or simulated disaster response. You will work in teams, gaining experience in problem solving, coding, and engineering design using professional tools like Git and VSCode. The free program is designed to give students early exposure to technical careers and academic paths in engineering and computer science. To learn more about this camp, check out our complete guide here.
Subject Areas: Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum Computing, Microelectronics, Machine Learning, Game Development, Remote Sensing
Location: Cambridge, MA (MIT campus and online)
Eligibility: U.S. high school students entering 12th grade
Application Deadline: March 31
Program Dates: July 7–August 2 (Final Event: August 2–3; required online coursework begins February 3 and must be completed by June 20)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly stated
Stanford AI4ALL is a two-week online program offering early exposure to Artificial Intelligence to high school students from underrepresented backgrounds. Hosted in partnership with the Stanford AI Lab, the program combines daily lectures, mentoring, and research projects in medical AI, NLP, and computer vision. You will work alongside AI professionals and Stanford researchers, understanding AI's ethical and technical aspects. The program emphasizes applications and social impact, encouraging you to explore how AI can be used to benefit communities. The program includes group projects and career development workshops to prepare you for further study in tech fields.
Subject Areas: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Robotics, Natural Language Processing, Medical AI
Location: Online
Eligibility: Students entering 10th grade (must be 14+ by program start); open to international students
Application Deadline: January 24
Program Dates: June 18–July 2
Cost: $4,000 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly listed; competitive selection
The Berkeley Summer Computer Science Academy is a two-week residential program for students with little to no prior coding experience. The program is based on the university’s Beauty and Joy of Computing (CS10) curriculum. It uses Snap!, a blocks-based programming language, to explore foundational computer science concepts like abstraction, Boolean logic, algorithms, and recursion. Each day includes coding challenges and collaborative problem-solving, culminating in a final project showcased during a “Code Celebration” attended by UC Berkeley faculty. In addition to academic sessions, you will participate in activities, excursions, and community-building events led by undergraduate mentors. To learn more about this camp, check out our complete guide here.
Subject Areas: Computer Science, Programming, Problem-Solving, Computational Thinking
Location: UC Berkeley (on campus)
Eligibility: Students ages 16–17 who have completed 10th or 11th grade and will return to high school in the fall; must meet GPA and (if applicable) English proficiency requirements
Application Deadline: March 10
Program Dates: June 23–July 4
Cost: $5,160 (includes tuition, housing, meals, activities, and basic health insurance); scholarships available via NSHSS
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly stated; selective
The Summer High School Research Academy (HSRA) is a five-week research program for Texas high school students interested in exploring STEM. You will be matched with active research groups in the College of Natural Sciences and spend 15–25 hours per week on lab work. Research areas span disciplines like genetics, neuroscience, and ecology. In addition to lab time, you will attend weekly seminars with UT faculty and complete graded assignments for NSC309 college credit. The experience concludes with a research symposium where you will present posters of your work. To learn more about this camp, check out our complete guide here.
Subject Areas: Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Environmental Science, Neuroscience, Genome Engineering, Data Analytics, Ecology
Location: Austin, TX (University of Texas at Austin campus)
Eligibility: Texas residents who will be 15+ by June 1 and entering 10th–12th grade in the fall
Application Deadline: March 23
Program Dates: June 9–July 16 (no programming on June 19, July 3–4)
Cost: Tuition applies (amount not publicly listed); need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Cornell’s Engineering High School Outreach Program offers two residential summer academies—CURIE and CATALYST—to introduce rising juniors and seniors to engineering. Hosted by Cornell’s Office of Inclusive Excellence, each program includes faculty-led field sessions, research projects, and social activities. You will explore a range of engineering disciplines while developing a final research presentation with mentorship from Cornell faculty, postdocs, and students. The academies are geared toward students who have faced educational or identity-based barriers in STEM, and foster a community-centered approach to learning. Housing is provided on Cornell’s campus, and travel assistance is available for students with financial need. Learn more about the CATALYST Academy here and the CURIE Academy here.
Subject Areas: Engineering, STEM Research, Robotics, Biomedical Devices, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence
Location: Ithaca, NY (Cornell University campus)
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school sophomores or juniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA; strong performance in math and science required; additional criteria apply for CURIE (focused on women in STEM) and CATALYST (focused on underrepresented identities in STEM)
Application Deadline: February 15
Program Dates: July 13–19
Cost: $1,900 (includes housing, meals, and materials); $75 non-refundable deposit; scholarships available based on need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 35–50 students per academy
UCLA’s Computer Science Summer Institute: Introductory Track is a three-week commuter program for high school students interested in gaining foundational computer science experience. Through a mix of college-level coursework (CS 30, 4 units), you will explore programming basics such as loops, conditionals, data types, and functional decomposition. No prior experience is needed, making the program accessible to beginners. Alongside class instruction, you will visit UCLA labs, engage with faculty, and complete programming assignments with guidance from teaching assistants. Admission is selective and includes short written responses, an academic transcript, and a brief statement.
Subject Areas: Programming, Data Analysis, Computer Science Fundamentals
Location: UCLA campus (commuter only)
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12; must be at least 15 years old by June 23
Application Deadline: June 13
Program Dates: June 23–July 11
Cost: Estimated $3,291 (includes tuition, registration, document, and IEI fees); housing not included
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Rolling admissions; selective, based on GPA (3.5+), transcript, and short essays
Lydia is currently a senior at Harvard University, studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Economics. In high school, she was the captain of her high school’s Academic Decathlon team and attended the Governor's School of Engineering and Technology. She aims to become a life sciences consultant after graduation.
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