16 University Coding Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 12 min read
Structured programs can be your chance to explore new interests beyond the classroom and prepare for college academics while in high school. A solid way to do that is to join university-led programs. University-based programs help you learn from professors, get a taste of college-level expectations, and try your hand at managing college coursework while still exploring your interests. If you are interested in coding, participating in a university-led coding camp, internship, or academic program is worth considering.
Why should you participate in a university coding program in high school?
University-hosted coding programs can offer you access to cutting-edge labs, accomplished faculty, and motivated peers who share similar interests. In these programs, you get to participate in hands-on coding projects, discussions, and peer collaboration to build practical technical skills and gain exposure to real research environments and industry applications. This can also be an opportunity to learn about advanced concepts in machine learning, software development, cybersecurity, computational science, and data science.
To help you with your search, we have put together a list of 16 university coding programs for high school students. We have narrowed down opportunities based on rigor, meaningful networking opportunities, full funding, extremely low acceptance rates, and affiliation with prestigious institutions.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost / Stipend: Fully funded
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Highly selective; cohort size and acceptance rate vary by year
Program dates: June 20 – July 18
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Students in 10th grade (entering 11th grade) who are at least 16 years old by June 20 | U.S. citizens or permanent residents with current U.S. green cards | Must submit financial need documentation with the application
This selective pre-college experience focuses on introducing you to advanced computer science academics. During the program, you will attend classes, lectures, and seminars, and visit campus research labs and tech-focused facilities. The coursework emphasizes collaboration and hands-on learning. You will attend programming sessions, take a math course, and work within a small group on a computer science research project, all the while accessing guidance from faculty, Carnegie Mellon students, and program staff. At the end of the program, you and your team will present your project. Additionally, the program runs workshops on college prep and organizes weekend activities to help you connect with peers and explore Pittsburgh.
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Application deadline: Multiple summer cohorts; 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 lets high school students experience university life firsthand. You will live on campus and study in small groups of 7-10, and learn from tutors from eminent top universities like Oxford and Cambridge. In the computer science track, you will learn about data structures, algorithms, and programming languages, and build a strong technical foundation. You will also work on coding projects and team challenges to develop problem-solving, analytical thinking, and programming skills. By the end of the program, you’ll complete a personal project, receive written feedback, and a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost / Stipend: Fully funded
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Less than 2.5% of applicants selected; ~100 participants/year
Program dates: Six weeks in the summer; dates vary by year
Application deadline: Typically, early to mid-December
Eligibility: High school juniors who meet the RSI academic prerequisites
RSI is a selective STEM research opportunity offered to high school students by MIT. In the first week, you will attend seminars led by university faculty, covering a range of advanced topics in STEM and the humanities. For the remaining five weeks, you will work on an individual research project in computer science or a coding-focused topic under the guidance of a mentor. Throughout the research phase, you will focus on planning your study, collecting data, analyzing results, and refining your technical writing. At the end of RSI, you will prepare a formal research paper and deliver an oral presentation summarizing your work in an academic conference-style format.
4. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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. 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: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost / Stipend: $5,600
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: ~22 students/year
Program dates: June 15 – August 7
Application deadline: January 12
Eligibility: High school students in the Chicago area and undergrads | Familiarity with at least one programming language (Python, Java, C++, etc.) preferred
This is an eight-week summer research experience, where you will join a team at the University of Chicago and work on applied data science projects. You will contribute to research that involves working on public health datasets, climate modeling, and computational social science, alongside faculty members and other researchers. During the program, you will use Python, Jupyter Notebooks, and version control platforms to work on research tasks. You will also engage in weekly sessions focused on research methodology and attend meetings to connect with faculty and graduate student mentors and review your progress. At the end of DSI Summer Lab, you will deliver a presentation with your team to share the results of your work.
Location: University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Cost / Stipend: Free + $1,200 stipend
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: July 7 – 31
Application deadline: April 1
Eligibility: High school students in 10th or 11th grade at a Washington State-based school | U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA recipients, or Employment Authorization Document holders
The CIC program is a mentorship-focused experience for high school students who want to develop coding skills. During the program, you will work on coding projects with other participants while receiving guidance from undergraduate mentors at the University of Washington. In addition to technical training, you will take part in activities that introduce broader topics in technology and engineering. Faculty members provide support on college preparation and the application process. Throughout the program, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with peers who share similar interests and goals, building both skills and connections in a university environment.
Location: Virtual or Johns Hopkins APL, Laurel, MD
Cost / Stipend: None
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Less than 10% of applicants accepted/year
Program dates: June 23 – August 21
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors, ages 15 and up, with a minimum GPA of 2.8, who are permanent residents of specific Maryland, D.C., and Virginia-based regions (check detailed criteria here)
ASPIRE is a hands-on virtual and in-person STEM research experience for high school students. You will work with researchers, scientists, and engineers on projects in fields such as computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, math, and information technology. Throughout the program, you will work within a professional research setting and follow established project goals and timelines while gaining exposure to Johns Hopkins’ research facilities and resources. Beyond technical skills, the program focused on teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, helping you develop practical skills for college and future careers and connecting you with mentors and peers in STEM. Check out our detailed guide to the program here to make an informed decision.
Location: Virtual or Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost / Stipend: Virtual: $4,120 | Residential: $9,800; financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Virtual: June 15 – 26 | Residential: July 19 – 31
Application deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Rising 10th graders | Underrepresented students in tech encouraged to apply
Stanford AI4ALL is a two-week virtual and in-person program that is designed to introduce high school students to artificial intelligence and its applications. During the program, you will work on research projects in areas such as robotics, medical AI, computer vision, and natural language processing while focusing on how AI can be used to solve problems. You will attend lectures led by Stanford faculty to learn about the world of tech and career pathways. You will work with graduate students and researchers, participate in career panels to hear from AI professionals, and visit tech companies to see the applications of AI in industry.
Location: Virtual or George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Cost / Stipend: $25 application fee + $1,299 tuition for three course credits; fee waivers available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: June 18 – August 12
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students who are at least 15 years old
Every summer, ASSIP offers on-campus and online research internships in various tech-focused fields, including computational and data sciences, game design, cybersecurity, and computer science. You can choose a mentor offering a coding-focused research placement to engage in research, build scientific writing skills, and practice professional communication. During the program, you will also gain insight into various career paths through interactions with researchers and STEM professionals. The summer experience ends with a symposium, where you will learn about the research conducted at ASSIP over the summer.
Location: Illinois Tech, Chicago, IL
Cost / Stipend: $550
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: June 22 – 26
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Rising 9th – 12th graders | Ages 14–17
Illinois Tech is a private university that runs various in-person and virtual summer programs for high schoolers who are interested in exploring topics in STEM. The Coding Bootcamp: Introduction to Python program is a daytime program designed to offer high schoolers with little to no prior coding experience an introduction to computer programming. During the weeklong program, you will learn about the fundamentals of programming, study and practice using Python, and participate in coding sessions and project work. The curriculum covers key coding concepts like functions, basic algorithms, variables, data types, and control structures.
Location: Virtual and University of California, San Diego, CA
Cost / Stipend: $2,000; full and partial scholarships available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified; over 70 participating schools/year
Program dates: June 8 – July 31
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Southern California residents in grades 10 – 12 | At least 16 years old by June 15 | Minimum unweighted 3.0 GPA | Must meet project prerequisites | One year of high school chemistry or biology recommended
This program is designed to introduce San Diego County students to computational science and related fields through hands-on research in computer science and data analysis. Hosted by the San Diego Supercomputer Center, the program offers hands-on exposure to machine learning, data visualization, and computing. You will work with a mentor on a research project, attend lab meetings, and participate in group discussions to develop a deeper understanding of computational methods. You will learn how to design experiments, test hypotheses, and carry out data analysis. Research projects may focus on AI modeling, big-data analysis, and algorithm development in bioinformatics or climate science. You can choose the non-research track to attend coding workshops, seminars, and lectures on cybersecurity, robotics, and natural language processing.
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: July 13 – August 7
Application deadline: May 15
Eligibility: High school students in 10th or 11th grade | Residents of New York City or designated areas of New Jersey or Nassau County
The CS4CS program is a fully funded opportunity that introduces high school students to fundamental topics in cybersecurity and computer science. You will explore subjects such as cryptography, steganography, ethical hacking, digital forensics, privacy, and data management, with a focus on how these areas relate to current cybersecurity issues. Throughout the program, you will work with software tools to simulate and tackle cyber threats, analyze encryption methods for network security, and develop coding skills. Additionally, the program covers behavioral science concepts that help you understand risks such as phishing and identity theft, and how to address them in practical scenarios. The program also offers opportunities to attend a workshop focused on theater-based exercises to practice communication and public speaking through structured improvisation.
Location: Center for Cybersecurity at University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL
Cost / Stipend: Free (funded by NSA–NSF GenCyber grant) + lunch provided
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Basic Camp: June 2 – 6 | Advanced Camp: June 9 – 13 (tentative)
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Rising 7th–10th graders | Basic Camp for newcomers to GenCyber | Advanced Camp for returnees or students with prior experience in GenCyber, computer science classes, or cybersecurity academies
The UWF GenCyber Summer Camps are free, week-long day programs for middle and high school students interested in cybersecurity. In the Basic Camp, designed for beginners, you will engage in hands-on activities, interactive lessons, and games that introduce you to the core cybersecurity concepts. In the Advanced Camp, you will explore programming, open-source intelligence, cryptography, penetration testing, and advanced networking through practical exercises and labs. Both camps emphasize ethical practices in cybersecurity, collaboration with peers, and the application of skills to realistic scenarios. Throughout the program, UWF faculty and cybersecurity professionals will provide guidance and support.
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn/New York, NY
Cost / Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Option 1: July 6 – August 7 | Option 2: July 13 – August 7
Application deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 11 | At least 15 years old | NYC residents
The ieSoSC is a four- to five-week program designed to introduce you to the technological process of building modern urban environments. You will engage in exercises focused on coding, electronics, and microcontrollers to come up with smart city solutions. You will also learn how to work with sensors and cloud computing to develop prototypes for smart infrastructure, including solutions for waste management and transportation systems. Additionally, you will attend workshops to refine communication skills, learn how to present your solutions, and deliver a business pitch.
Location: San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Selective
Program dates: July 14 – 21 (tentative)
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 – 12
The Robotics Camp is a free, one-week program at San Diego State University designed for middle and high school students interested in building coding skills and learning how to work with robotic devices. During the camp, you will learn to code in Scratch and Python, explore the fields of cybersecurity and AI, and practice working with MBot Mega robots and drones. Additionally, you will attend guest lectures. Team-building activities and 3D printing activities are also part of the camp experience. You will also get to explore the SDSU campus and visit STEM labs during the program.
Location: Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus, Mesa, AZ
Cost / Stipend: $300; partial and full scholarships available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: May 27 – 30 (tentative)
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 12
The SUCCESS camp (A Survey of Computing, Coding, and Engineering Software Systems) is a short summer program offered by Arizona State University School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence for students interested in exploring computing. During the program, you will learn about different areas of computing, including artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, mobile and web development, cybersecurity, game development, and embedded systems. Designed for beginners, the camp includes hands-on activities to help you become familiar with coding and programming concepts. You may also get to practice what you learn to create a simple game, develop an AI-based application, explore virtual reality technology, or assemble an LED message wall.
One other option—Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you want to pursue independent research under the guidance of a mentor, consider applying to Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, which are selective high school programs founded in partnership with Harvard and Oxford researchers. In the past, 4,000+ students applied for just 500 spots in the research program. You can learn about the application and available programs on the application form here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Also, you can check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation—a non-profit research program for talented low-income students. Last year, it offered 150 students full need-based financial assistance.
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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