10 Free Machine Learning Programs for High School Students
If you’re interested in machine learning, applying to free machine-learning programs for high school students can be a great way to further their education outside of the school’s curriculum. Whether you aim to pursue computer science, engineering, or data science, learning about the field early on and gaining exposure to machine learning offers the opportunity to work on real-world problems and deepen one’s understanding of the subject.
In addition, many colleges value applicants who take the initiative to actively explore their passions and interests. Attending free machine-learning programs for high school students indicates to college admissions officers that you have a unique interest and are passionate enough about the field to pursue outside opportunities. This demonstrates your curiosity, commitment, and ability to take on challenges.
In this blog, we’ve compiled a list of free machine-learning programs for high school students that you can consider.
1. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Starts from $2,290 (need-based financial aid available)
Application Deadline: Rolling. The spring cohort deadline is January 5, 2025
Program Dates: Spring cohort starts in March; more info here.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students. Applicants to the AI Fellowship program should have completed the AI Scholars program or have experience with AI concepts or Python.
If you’re interested in exploring the fields of AI, ML, and data science, you will benefit from Veritas AI’s AI Scholars program. During this 10-session boot camp, you will be introduced to concepts like the fundamentals of AI & data science and also get to work on real-world projects.
If you’re a more advanced student, then the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase might be a better fit for you. During this program, you’ll get to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A stand-out feature of this program is that it will give you access to the in-house publication team, which will help you secure publications in high school research journals. The fellowship encourages you to explore interdisciplinary approaches, enabling you to merge AI with fields like finance, medicine, sports, environmental science, and more! You can also take a look at some examples of past projects here.
2. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote
Cost: $2,990
Application Deadline: Multiple cohorts are available throughout the year. December 29, 2024, for Winter Cohort II
Program Dates: 8 weeks. Winter Cohort II starts from January 20, 2025
Eligibility: Enrolled high school students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4). No previous knowledge required
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a research program designed for high school students that offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities. As a participant, you will be paired with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. You’ll be able to choose research topics from subjects across a wide range of fields, such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial assistance is available)
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. The spring cohort deadline is February 9, 2025
Program Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year. The spring cohort starts on March 3, 2025
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap-year students
Ladder Internships aims to connect high school students with top startups and nonprofits around the world through a virtual internship program. As a participant, you can choose an industry that aligns with your interests, with opportunities spanning fields like technology, engineering, AI, machine learning, computer science, and health tech. You'll receive one-on-one mentorship on skills like communication and time management, along with group training sessions, and also get to work closely with both a startup manager and a dedicated Ladder coach for extra guidance.
Keep in mind that this internship typically requires a commitment of 5-15 hours per week over 8 weeks. It is ideal if you're interested in the startup world but need a part-time commitment that works around your school schedule.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free ($299 with certification)
Application Deadline: Future dates TBA
Program Dates: Self-paced. 4 weeks
Eligibility: High school students
Google’s AI for Anyone is a beginner-friendly online course with interactive labs and tutorials that provides students with an introductory look at artificial intelligence. This free machine learning program for high school students is entirely self-paced and has no prerequisites to enroll, making it an accessible learning opportunity for any student.
During the course, you will learn about what AI is, why data is important, applications of AI, what programming AI looks like, neural networks, and more. The course consists of three chapters: “What is AI?” “Let’s talk terminology,” and “Ethics and Fairness.” These chapters will take about four weeks to complete if you dedicate about 2-3 hours each week.
5. Google’s Machine Learning Crash Course
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Not mentioned
Program Dates: Sel-paced
Eligibility: Everyone. Recommended prerequisites are a basic understanding of variables, linear equations, graphs of functions, histograms, and statistical means, along with experience in Python.
Google’s Machine Learning Crash Course is a compact, comprehensive course for students interested in machine learning and its applications. In this course, Google offers more than 100 practice exercises, 12 learning modules, video lectures, and interactive visualizations. Modules include lessons on the fundamentals of building regressions, how to work with data, advanced machine learning model architectures, and more. This program is open to all individuals and is again entirely self-paced, making it suitable for those who hope to learn in a flexible environment. You will also receive a certificate at the end of this course.
6. Carnegie Mellon AI Scholars
Location: Carnegie Mellon University
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: March 1, 2025
Program Dates: June 21 – July 19, 2025
Eligibility: 11th and 12th graders in high school during the summer of 2025; must be 16 years of age by June 21, 2025
AI Scholars is a four-week immersive experience held at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), designed to introduce students to AI through lectures and project-based learning. The program consists of college-level courses, guest lectures from CMU faculty, group projects, workshops, academic tours, and field trips to leading tech companies.
As a participant, you will be involved in a group research project centered around applying AI to real-world challenges that you will present at the end of the program. This residential experience will give you a taste of university life while still in high school; students are encouraged to explore the CMU campus, participate in on-campus clubs, and venture into Pittsburgh. As Carnegie Mellon is one of the leading AI research institutes in the country, this program could be a great addition to your resume.
7. Curiosity Machine AI Challenge
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Not mentioned
Program Dates: Varies
Eligibility: High school students aged 18 and under
The Curiosity Machine AI Challenge is a free machine learning program for high school students that asks you to identify problems in your community centered around transportation, health, education, safety, or the environment, and create a solution to the problem using AI technology. You will be guided through this challenge with 10 free lessons on machine learning, predictive models, and coding. After the challenge, you will have found an AI invention that solves a problem in your community; you can then submit your project to Technovation Families’ global competition.
8. edX: Principles of Machine Learning
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Not mentioned
Program Dates: Varies
Eligibility: Open to all students
Offered by Microsoft via edX, this free course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of machine learning through video lessons, readings, quizzes, and more. As a participant, you will learn about supervised and unsupervised learning, model evaluation, and how to use machine learning in real-world scenarios. You can also receive a certificate upon completion of the program. As this course is offered by Microsoft, you will get the opportunity to learn from a leader in the field of AI and machine learning.
Location: In-person and online
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling. TBA. Sign up here for updates
Program Dates:
Summer Camps: 2 weeks
Code-A-Bration: 2 days
Eligibility: Female-identifying, gender-nonconforming, and trans students aged 13-18
Kode with Klossy offers various coding programs aimed at creating opportunities in tech and coding for underrepresented demographics. In particular, Kode with Klossy aims to promote the AI literacy of young women and gender-expansive youth. You can choose to participate in the two-week Summer Camps or the two-day Code-A-Bration.
The camp allows you to choose one of four tracks: web development, mobile app development, artificial intelligence, or data science. No prior coding experience is necessary and the camp is completely free, making it accessible for students with little experience in AI and computer science. During the Code-A-Bration program, you will learn about the foundations of artificial intelligence and machine learning, how to train an image classifier and build it into a website using HTML, and more. Code-A-Bration is also free and is designed for beginner to intermediate coders.
10. Fast.ai: Practical Deep Learning for Coders
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: N/A
Program Dates: Self-paces
Eligibility: Open to all. It's recommended for students who have some coding experience.
Fast.ai offers a free course that focuses on deep learning techniques using Python. This course is ideal for students who have some coding experience and want to delve deeper into the application of deep and machine learning. It covers topics such as natural language processing, regression models, and how to use PyTorch—the world’s fastest-growing deep learning software. The course consists of 9 lessons, with each lesson taking around 90 minutes to complete.
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI is founded by Harvard graduate students. Through the programs, you get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. You can apply here!
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