17 Online Summer Programs for High School Students in 2024
If you are looking to make the most of your summer break with an academic experience that boosts your profile for college and allows you to explore a subject of interest, then you can consider an online summer program! These virtual educational experiences offer flexibility and convenience, allowing you to customize your academics based on your schedule and save on costs like stay and transport.
While attending a summer program at a prestigious university doesn’t guarantee admission, it can provide valuable exposure to college-level academics and networking opportunities. In this blog, we’ll explore 16 of the best online summer program options for high school students, from comprehensive online schools to research mentorship programs conducted virtually.
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Cost: Individual Research Program - $2,800 | Premium Research & Publication Program - $5,400 | Research Fellowship - $8,900. Need-based financial aid is available. Also check out the Lumiere Research Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.
Application Deadline: For the summer cohort, the final application deadline is in May. The program runs in winter, fall, and spring as well.
Program Dates: The summer cohort typically begins in June. The program length depends on which one you choose to attend!
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply.
Lumiere, founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford, offers immersive research experiences for ambitious high school students across a range of STEM and non-STEM subjects through the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs. Each student is paired with a top Ph.D. mentor, and will collaborate one-on-one to produce a university-level research paper. The programs, which are entirely virtual, vary in duration, allowing students to customize their experience based on their desired depth of exploration! Subjects covered include mathematics, chemistry, engineering fields, and more. Explore Lumiere Education programs further in our complete guide here!
You can find the application form here.
2. Veritas AI
Cost: AI Scholars - $1,790 | AI Fellowship - $4,900 | For both programs - $5,900. Need-based financial aid is available.
Application deadline: The program runs in cohorts throughout the year. Applications for the n summer cohort close on April 21, 2024. You can apply here!
Program Dates: Multiple sessions from July to September. The AI Scholars runs for 10 weeks, and the AI Fellowship program runs for 12-15 weeks.
Eligibility: Applicants can be anywhere in the world.
- For the AI Scholars program, no previous experience is required - applicants need to show a keen interest in AI.
- For the AI Fellowship program, applicants will either need to complete the AI Scholars program or have had past experience with AI concepts or Python.
Founded and run by Harvard graduates, Veritas AI offers two online programs tailored for high school students interested in the fields of AI, ML, data science and computer science—the AI Scholars Program and the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase Program.
In the AI Scholars Program, you’ll start with learning about the fundamentals of Python and its applications in AI development. You will move on to exploring more complex topics, such as neural networks, NLP, deep learning, and much more, through lectures and hands-on group projects.
The AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase Program is aimed at high schoolers with foundational Python proficiency. It engages you in data science topics of your interest with an expert mentor on a 1-on-1 basis. Moreover, you will also get a chance to participate in a college-level research publication/competition to showcase your work publicly.
For more information, take a look at the brochure!
3. Horizon Academic Research Program
Location: Virtual
Application Date: May 21, 2024 for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024 for the fall cohort
Program Dates:
Summer seminar - June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024
Fall seminar - October 23, 2024 - February 19, 2025
Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields, under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student, as well as detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects and on college applications. Apply here!
4. SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers at Stanford University
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: 3-4 weeks in June-August, as per the previous year’s schedule.
Eligibility: Students who will be in grades 11–12 at the time of application, OR full-time community college students (within the first 3 years of community college), are eligible to apply.
This program hosted by Stanford University offers high schoolers a prestigious opportunity to conduct research. Participants are grouped into projects aligned with their interests, covering diverse fields like science, engineering, arts, psychology, and more. You'll engage in projects and collaborative work, gaining hands-on experience. You will spend most of your time conducting research and be in regular communication with your mentor(s) and group members.
Mentoring by Stanford Compression Forum’s students, faculty, and staff is a key component, fostering essential research, analysis, and writing skills. Emphasizing the integration of humanities with STEM research, SHTEM encourages a holistic approach to learning, exploring the interconnectedness of different fields.
Cost: $2900, financial aid is available on a need-basis
Application Deadline: Regular Admission Deadline 1: April 14, 2024 | Regular Admission Deadline 2: May 12th, 2023
Program Dates: June 5 -26, 2024
Eligibility: Open to all high school students!
The Young Founder’s Lab is an entirely virtual startup bootcamp founded and led by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, participants collaborate to develop a revenue-generating startup aimed at solving real-world challenges. Mentoring opportunities with established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X are also provided. In addition to startup development, participants engage in interactive classes covering business fundamentals and ideation, along with workshops, skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more!
Cost: $4,000. Need-based financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: March (tentatively, based on previous years). You can check for updates here.
Program Dates: June 26 - July 14 (tentatively, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Current 9th graders (rising 10th graders during the summer of the program) with a keen interest in AI
Stanford’s three-week online program, in partnership with AI4ALL, is a prestigious opportunity for students to explore the dynamic and vast world of AI. With a combination of lectures, hands-on research projects, and mentoring activities, students engage with AI experts and explore its applications in fields like medicine, disaster response, and poverty alleviation. Led by graduate students and postdocs in computer science and AI, participants will work on small-group research projects focusing on applying AI to address pressing societal challenges. You can expect to participate in small-group research projects led by graduate students and postdocs in computer science and AI.
Curious about what life in this virtual program will look like? Check out the daily schedule here.
7. UC Berkeley Coding Academy’s Data Science to AI
Cost: $2,495. Limited scholarships are available
Application Deadline: Unspecified, and based on remaining spots. Currently open, register here!
Program Dates: June 17 -28, 2024 | July 8 -12, 2024
Eligibility: Open to students aged 12-18
Berkeley’s summer course on data science and AI is designed to introduce students aged 12–18 to the fundamentals of AI, machine learning, and big data science. Participants will learn how to write and evaluate Python code for AI and build machine learning models using real data. This course is ideal for those seeking to enhance their technical and programming skills. With different levels tailored to students’ coding backgrounds, participants will collaborate in small groups to create individual projects and models!
Cost: Starting at $1990. Financial aid is available
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. Summer cohort: April 14, 2024 (Regular Admission 1) | May 12, 2024 (Regular Admission 2).
Program Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students, who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. These internships are also open to undergraduates and gap-year students!
Ladder Internships, founded by Harvard alumni, offers a unique opportunity for high schoolers to intern with startups and nonprofits across the world. Students can choose the field they wish to intern in, with companies in a wide range of industries, including computer science, technology, engineering, machine learning, AI, media, journalism, sustainability, healthcare and more.
This 8-week virtual internship is structured around real-world projects tailored to each student’s selected field of interest. In addition to working closely with startup managers, interns receive guidance from a dedicated Ladder Coach. This dual mentorship ensures a comprehensive learning experience, providing support, insights, and an opportunity to showcase their work after the internship!
9. Harvard Secondary School Program
Note: The 4-week session is residential, conducted at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. The 7-week session has residential, commuter and online options.
Cost: $75 application fee + 4-week residential - $7,700 | 7-week residential - $14,250 | 7-week commuter $7,600 | 7-week online $3,900. Need-based and merit-based scholarships are offered.
Application Deadline: April 10, 2024
Program Dates: 4-week session (July 14, 2024 - August 9, 2024) | 7-week session (June 22 - August 10, 2024)
Eligibility: Students who will graduate from high school and enter college in 2024, 2025, or 2026; and are at least 16 years old by June 22, 2024, and will not turn 19 years old before July 31, 2024, are eligible to apply.
Harvard Summer School’s Secondary School Program (SSP) is a rigorous academic program for motivated high school students who want to take college courses and earn credit. Students can choose between the 4-week and 7-week session. While the 4-week program is residential (you’ll be staying on campus), the 7-week program has residential, commuter and online options. During the 4-week program, you will take one college-level course for 4 credits.
During the 7-week program, you have the option of taking one or two courses, for 4 or 8 credits respectively. You can take a look at all the courses offered under this program here. These courses will introduce you to various concepts in your chosen subjects, and help you build a strong foundation of knowledge to pursue your future academics. Through a series of lectures, seminars, and discussions, you will gain insight into subjects of your choosing, earn college credit and experience life on campus.
10. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
Cost: Individually-paced courses range from $955-$1,555 | Session-based courses range from $695-$2,130
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Program Dates: Apply at your convenience and you can get started in 2 weeks
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) offers expert-led online courses designed to expand your knowledge beyond your school curriculum. Courses cover a range of STEM and non-STEM subjects. The program offers two types online course formats —session-based and individually-paced. Session-based courses provide structure with assignment deadlines and optional set meeting times. Interaction with classmates occurs through discussion forums and virtual meetings. Individually-paced courses offer the freedom to create a personalized learning schedule within course guidelines.
Cost: $3,094 — $5,998, scholarships available.
Application Deadline: May 10, 2024
Program Dates: June 17 , 2024 - July 26, 2024
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 - 12, aged 14 - 18 by June 16, 2024
Summer@Brown Online offers over 80 courses across various fields, including biotechnology, business, literature, political science, and performing arts. Led by innovative instructors, these courses reflect Brown University’s Open Curriculum, providing rigorous, active learning experiences. Students can choose from asynchronously, mostly asynchronously, or blended learning formats. Embracing college-level academics, students receive personalized feedback in a supportive environment, free from formal grades and credit pressure.
12. Columbia University’s Pre-College Online Summer Program
Cost: 1-week $2,810 per session | 2-week $3,960 per session (single course registration). Note that these are the program costs for 2023. Costs for the 2024 session are yet to be announced.
Application Deadline: Session A: May 19, 2024 | Session B: June 2, 2024 | Session C: June 23, 2024
Program Dates: Session A - 2 Weeks: July 1–July 12, 2024 | Session B - 2 Weeks: July 15–July 26, 2024 | Session C - 1 Week: August 5–August 9, 2024
Eligibility: High school students (grades 8 to 12).
Columbia University offers a range of pre-college programs for high school students. Of the number of options available, the Online Summer program offers students the opportunity to choose from over 40 courses across various disciplines. As a participant in this program, you will learn from and be guided by industry experts and university faculty, introduced to concepts in your field of choice, and even take on projects to apply your knowledge! This program is conducted via a combination of class discussions, debates, simulations, individual and group projects, Student Life workshops, and more.
13. UC San Diego Academic Connections at University of California, San Diego
Note: Both residential and online options are offered.
Cost: $1,500 (online course tuition) | $1,700 (online course tuition + online SAT prep course) | $5,700 (residential course tuition + housing) | $5,900 (residential course tuition + housing + online SAT prep course). Scholarships are offered. Note that these are 2023 program fees, and 2024 fees are yet to be updated.
Application deadline: Applications for the online program typically close in June, and for the residential program in May.
Program dates: July 1-26, 2024 (online) | July 7-27, 2024 (residential)
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply.
This summer program is designed for high-achieving students who are keen to explore subjects like biophysics, programming, marine science, health, language and more at the college level. Through engaging coursework, interactive discussions, and hands-on projects, you will dive into the subject area of your choice, learn the basics and build your way to a final project. With this program, you have the opportunity to learn from UC San Diego faculty members and engage in intellectual discussions with peers who share your passion for learning.
14. Georgetown University's Pre-College course in Medical Research
Cost:$1,795, scholarships available
Application Deadlines: There is no information available on this at the moment.
Program Dates: Multiple session options to choose from
Eligibility: Open to all high-school students
This pre-college program is for students interested in the field of medicine and medical research. The summer course is spread across 1-week intensives, 2-week, and 4-week sessions, based on your pace of learning and availability. In this pre-college program, you will be introduced to clinical research, ethics in research, delve into medical research in cancer, as well as writing a scientific article based on your research project. With guided projects, mentorship by top researchers, and career guidance this program is definitely worth considering.
Note: The course also lets you work on a capstone research project of your choice, an excellent way to demonstrate your motivation, dedication, and relevant skills in your college application.
15. Girls Who Code’s Summer Immersion Program
Cost/Stipend: No cost, $300 need-based grant provided (for eligible students in the U.S.)
Application Deadline: Applications open by mid-January 2024. Early acceptance is due by mid-February 2024. General application deadline in late March 2024.
Program Dates: 2 weeks, typically, in July but may vary depending on the program.
Eligibility: All female and non-binary high school students are eligible.
Girls Who Code aims to address the gender gap in the tech industry with its summer program, providing hands-on projects and networking opportunities with women in technology. Participants can choose between a 2-week immersion program or a 6-week self-paced experience. The 2-week program covers intermediate computer science concepts, the iterative design process, and foundational knowledge in UX design. On the other hand, the 6-week program delves into HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for web development or explores more advanced applications of Python.
16. University of Washington’s Young Scholars Program-REACH
Cost: $100 for the virtual program
Application Deadline: Applications closed in March 2024, and are TBD for 2025.
Program Dates: 4 days in the summer, typically mid-July as per the previous year’s schedule.
Eligibility:
- Must be a high school student. (Graduating seniors can apply)
- Must attend all required lectures, seminars, focus groups, tours, class sessions, and workshops.
- Commit to full program participation.
In REACH, high school students delve into neuroscience and neural engineering, exploring neuroethics, scientific communication, and advancements in brain-computer interfaces. They also have the chance to tour partner labs in departments such as Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at CNT. Ideal for those interested in pursuing a STEM career, particularly in neural engineering and neuroscience, this non-credit program provides valuable insight and preparation.
17. Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative
Cost: Maintenance fee varies, but most cost $25 per student. They range from $10 to $80
Application deadline: Varies based on the course
Program Dates: Dependent on the course you’re applying to
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative (OLI) courses provide a diverse array of STEM opportunities for independent learners. From Computer Science and Programming to Life Sciences and Mathematics, each course features interactive activities, assessments, and multimedia resources tailored to enhance understanding. With the flexibility to study at your own pace, OLI Independent Learner Courses empower the exploration of complex subjects with engaging materials and assessments. Offering a high-quality and flexible online education experience, these courses are also financially accessible, with fees per course being as low as $10.
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also 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 data science and AI with us. You can apply here!
Image Source - Johns Hopkins University Logo