10 University Robotics Courses for High School Students
If you’re fascinated by robotics, university robotics courses for high school students offer a unique chance to explore this exciting and rapidly evolving field. These courses blend engineering, programming, and problem-solving to introduce students to the foundations of robotics, including designing mechanisms, coding intelligent systems, and using simulation tools.
Participating in university robotics courses for high school students will help you gain hands-on experience in robotics, preparing you for future academic and career opportunities in automation, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and more. These courses also provide exposure to the latest technologies and research in robotics, offering insights into how robotics is transforming industries, from healthcare and disaster response to autonomous vehicles.
Beyond skill development, university robotics courses for high school students make a strong addition to college applications, showcasing initiative, curiosity, and the ability to handle college-level coursework. Here is a list of 10 university robotics courses for high school students that you can explore.
1. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Institute: Introduction to Machine Learning
Cost: $3,080 (financial aid available)
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: March 20, 2025
Program Dates:
Session 1: June 16, 2025 – June 27, 2025
Session 2: July 07, 2025 – July 18, 2025
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 – 11 at the time of application. Prerequisites include exposure to a computer programming language and a working knowledge of statistics.
Stanford’s Introduction to Machine Learning course provides high school students with a comprehensive foundation in the rapidly growing field of machine learning. This live, online summer university robotics course for high school students introduces you to advanced techniques used to analyze and extract insights from large datasets.
Using Python, you will learn to preprocess and visualize structured data, train and test machine learning models, and evaluate algorithm performance. By the end of the course, you will have the skills to select and present a final model, building a strong technical foundation and real-world applications for your college journey and beyond.
2. CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python
Cost: Free to audit; $299 for a verified certificate
Location: Online
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Program Dates: Self-paced (7 weeks)
Eligibility: Open to all; requires familiarity with Python programming
CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python offers a hands-on approach to learning the foundational algorithms and concepts that power modern artificial intelligence. While the course covers a broad range of AI topics, including graph search algorithms, reinforcement learning, and optimization, it also delves into robotics-related applications.
As a participant, you will learn to program intelligent systems that can analyze and interact with the world, laying the groundwork for robotic functionalities like pathfinding and object recognition. With exposure to machine learning libraries and real-world projects, this course will equip you with the skills needed to design AI-powered systems, including those that could drive advancements in robotics and automation.
3. MIT's 6.0001: Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python
Cost: Free to audit; $75 for a verified certificate
Location: Online (via MIT OpenCourseWare or edX)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions (start anytime)
Program Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: Open to high school students and beyond
MIT’s 6.0001 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python is an ideal starting point for students with little or no programming background. This university robotics course for high school students provides a comprehensive introduction to computational thinking and problem-solving, using Python 3.5 as the primary programming language. Through interactive lessons and projects, you will learn key concepts such as algorithms, data structures, and abstraction, all while developing practical coding skills.
Designed for flexibility, the self-paced format allows high school students to build a strong programming foundation at their convenience. Whether you’re exploring computer science as a future career or looking to acquire versatile coding skills, this course offers a solid platform to enhance your technical expertise.
4. Modern Robotics: Mechanics, Planning, and Control Specialization – Northwestern University
Cost: Free (paid verified certification)
Location: Online
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Self-paced (4 months, 10 hours per week)
Eligibility: Intermediate level; some prior experience required
Credits Awarded: Yes (upon completion)
The Modern Robotics: Mechanics, Planning, and Control Specialization from Northwestern University offers a deep dive into the essential concepts of modern robotics, including spatial motion, rigid body dynamics, motion planning, and control of both mobile robots and robot arms. Designed for students with a freshman-level engineering background, this course utilizes advanced tools like screw theory and the product of exponentials formula to provide a comprehensive understanding of robot mechanics.
The specialization emphasizes practical application, as you will develop and test robotics software using a free, state-of-the-art cross-platform simulator. This gives you an authentic experience with industrial robot manipulators and mobile robots, without the need for expensive hardware. Throughout the program, you will complete applied learning projects where you write simulators, create motion planners, and develop software for trajectory planning and feedback control of mobile manipulators (robot arms combined with wheeled mobile robots). These projects allow you to choose your preferred programming language and apply your skills to real-world robotic systems.
This flexible, self-paced program is ideal for individuals who already have some related experience and are eager to enhance their robotics knowledge while gaining hands-on experience in software development and control systems.
5. How to Get Into Robotics – University of Leeds
Cost: Free (paid verified certification)
Location: Online
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Self-paced (6 hours to complete over 3 weeks, 2 hours per week)
Eligibility: No prior experience required
The How to Get Into Robotics course offered by the University of Leeds provides a comprehensive introduction to the dynamic field of robotics, blending engineering, electronics, and computer science to create technologies that impact everyday life. Whether you envision humanoid robots aiding the elderly, autonomous vehicles ensuring safety, or medical robots enhancing surgical precision, this course introduces the exciting possibilities within robotics.
No prior experience is required, making this course accessible to anyone interested in exploring robotics. Over three weeks, you'll delve into the broad range of career paths in robotics, including engineering, software development, research, and project management. The course also highlights the essential skills needed to succeed in this rapidly growing industry.
6. Introduction to Robotics with Webots Specialization – University of Colorado Boulder
Cost: Free (paid verified certification)
Location: Online
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Self-paced (3 months, 9 hours per week)
Eligibility: Beginners (some prior experience is recommended)
The Introduction to Robotics with Webots Specialization by the University of Colorado Boulder is designed to introduce learners to the essential principles of robotics. The specialization focuses on the interplay between mechanism, sensor, and control in designing intelligent systems. By the end of this course, you will be able to describe forward and inverse kinematics, discretize the robot’s state from algorithmic reasoning, and understand sources of uncertainty in sensing and actuation.
Throughout the program, you will gain hands-on experience using the Webots robotics simulator and Python, applying your knowledge through practical projects. The first course introduces Webots and foundational robotics concepts, while subsequent courses build towards more complex hands-on activities. In the final project, you will implement a complete mobile manipulation solution, putting your skills into practice.
In addition to building a solid theoretical foundation, you will actively engage with Webots to create your own simulations. The program encourages exploration, with step-by-step instructions to implement devices or algorithms in Webots. Graded peer evaluations require you to reproduce and demonstrate your understanding through well-defined behaviors, culminating in a large project that incorporates all learned concepts.
7. Collaborative Robot Safety: Design & Deployment – University of Buffalo
Cost: Free (paid verified certification)
Location: Online
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Self-paced (approximately 16 hours)
Eligibility: Beginner (no prior experience required)
As collaborative robots (cobots) become integral to various industries, ensuring safety during human-robot interaction is critical. The Collaborative Robot Safety: Design & Deployment course by the University of Buffalo teaches you to assess and mitigate risks in collaborative robot workcells. It provides insights into industry-endorsed safety standards and best practices recommended by ISO, RIA, and OSHA.
You will explore key differences between traditional robots, cobots, and conventional machinery, with a focus on understanding risk assessments, the causes of robot-related accidents, and applications of collaborative technologies. The course also covers essential design techniques to reduce collision forces and methodologies for effective safety testing.
8. Principles of Computation with Python – Carnegie Mellon University
Cost: $25
Location: Online
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Flexible. 1 week
Eligibility: Beginners (no prior experience required)
The Principles of Computation with Python course introduces students to Python programming and foundational concepts in computer science. Designed to cater to a general audience, the course uses Python to teach key computational principles such as iteration, recursion, and binary representation of data. It also explores advanced topics like cellular automata, encryption, and the limits of computation, providing a comprehensive overview of the broader impact of computer science on solving real-world problems.
The program consists of seven modules: Programming with Python, Iterative Processes and Recursive Thinking, Binary Data Representation, Cellular Automata, Encryption Methods, and Limits of Computability. While the first four modules use Python to teach flow control and iteration through an embedded programming environment, the latter modules highlight the theoretical underpinnings of computation. These modules are especially valuable for students who are curious about the practical and theoretical aspects of computer science beyond just coding.
9. Intelligent Machining – University of Buffalo
Cost: Free (paid verified certification)
Location: Online
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Flexible
Eligibility: Open to beginners (no prior experience required)
The Intelligent Machining course introduces students to the evolving world of machine tools that are self-aware, capable of perceiving their environment, and making autonomous decisions. This course provides foundational knowledge of intelligent machining, including its background, essential tools, and key terminology. As a participant, you will learn how smart sensors and control systems are transforming manufacturing processes by improving efficiency and productivity. Key topics covered include:
Smart Sensors and Sensing Techniques: Understanding how sensors collect and interpret data
Process Control Strategies: Methods to optimize machining operations
Open Architecture Systems: Frameworks that enable customization and integration of intelligent systems
Delivered through a combination of lectures, readings, discussions, and videos, the course equips you to contribute effectively to intelligent machining projects. It is ideal for individuals interested in the intersection of technology, manufacturing, and automation.
10. Stanford AI4ALL
Cost: $4,000 (need-based financial aid available)
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: January 24, 2025
Program Dates: June 18 – July 2, 2025
Eligibility: 9th-graders or rising 10th-graders over the age of 14; students should have math or computer skills. Open to international students
Stanford AI4ALL is a prestigious summer program designed to increase diversity in artificial intelligence, with a particular emphasis on robotics and its societal applications. During the program, students from underrepresented groups engage in a transformative learning experience that includes lectures, hands-on research projects, and mentorship from AI and robotics professionals.
The program explores AI’s role in innovative fields like robotics, healthcare, and disaster management, giving you the chance to work on projects, such as designing intelligent robotic systems for real-world problem-solving. You will also learn about ethical considerations and the broader impact of AI technologies on society.
Graduates of this program leave with a certificate of completion and a deeper understanding of how AI and robotics can shape the future.
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!
Tyler Moulton is Head of Academics and Veritas AI Partnerships with 6 years of experience in education consulting, teaching, and astronomy research at Harvard and the University of Cambridge, where they developed a passion for machine learning and artificial intelligence. Tyler is passionate about connecting high-achieving students to advanced AI techniques and helping them build independent, real-world projects in the field of AI!
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