8 Free Virtual Data Science Programs for High School Students
When it comes to exploring options for pursuing online programs, data science should be one of the fields that should be on top of your list if you are a high school student. Data science is one of the most promising fields in today’s world, and building a strong foundation in data analytics and coding will help you build a good career in this promising field.
Participating in a data science program or internship can allow you to network with researchers who are at the top of their field. You can later use these connections either for job opportunities or even letters of recommendation! However, one of the biggest hurdles in finding such opportunities is the cost of commuting to and from the program location. One easy solution is opting for programs that are both free-of-cost (or have need-blind aid) and virtual!
If you are looking for some free data science programs that can be attended virtually, we have got you covered! In this post, we have curated a list of 10 data science programs.
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI a suitable environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. These programs are designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni and you can expect a great, fulfilling educational experience. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship.
The AI Fellowship program will have students pursue their own independent AI research project. Students work on their own individual research projects over a period of 12-15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. In the past, students have worked on research papers in the field of AI & medicine, AI & finance, AI & environmental science, AI & education, and more! You can find examples of previous projects here.
Do note that Veritas AI programs are paid, however, need-based financial aid is available, for which you can apply here!
Application deadline: Summer Cohort: June 23, 2024
Program dates: Various according to the cohort
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit past experience with AI concepts or Python.
2. 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!
3. Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program
The Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program (SIP) is a unique two-week virtual experience designed for high school students who are curious about data science and the broader tech industry. Sponsored by leading companies such as MetLife, Bank of America, Logitech, and Synchrony, the SIP offers live virtual classes that introduce you to a range of computer science concepts—from the basics of game design and UX design to intermediate coding principles.
This program is tailored for current 9th to 11th graders, providing an enriching environment to explore the tech world and the step-by-step design process without requiring any previous computer science experience. Beyond the technical skills, you'll have the chance to meet industry leaders, learn about tech jobs, and become part of a supportive community that fosters sisterhood and mutual growth.
Application Deadline: March 22, 2024. Students can still apply for the waitlist and might be added if spots open up
Program Dates: 3 different two-week sessions are available that run from June 14, 2024 to August 9th, 2024
Eligibility: Female students in grades 9-11
Through the Google Summer of Code (GSoC), you will have the opportunity to apply your coding skills to real-world data science projects under the mentorship of experienced professionals from over 850 open-source organizations worldwide. For the 2024 program, 195 open-source projects were shortlisted, and 1,220 contributors were selected.
Interested contributors are encouraged to propose a programming project that aligns with your interests and the needs of an open-source organization. Once accepted, you'll spend the summer (12+ weeks) coding, learning, and growing as a developer. Beyond just coding, GSoC offers you the chance to attend lectures and workshops on a variety of topics within open-source software, including specialized areas like data science.
By the end of the program, you'll share your project with the world, adding to the 45 million+ lines of code written by over 20,000 new contributors from 116 countries over GSoC's 19-year history.
Application Deadline: 2 April 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates)
Program Dates: 12 weeks starting when your project begins
Eligibility: Open to all
5. MITES Summer
MITES Semester (formerly MOSTEC) is a six-month learning experience running from June through December. You'll engage in two rigorous courses, including a project-based course and a supplemental core course in calculus, physics, computer science, or science writing and communication.
The STEM Immersion Phase (June–early August) offers a chance to complete challenging courses and team projects, culminating in presentations at the MITES Semester Conference. This phase is packed with webinars, discussions, and game nights, fostering a close-knit community with your peers and mentors.
The College and Career Prep Phase (August–December) shifts focus towards preparing for college, with mock interviews, essay reviews, and workshops, alongside interactions with faculty, researchers, and STEM professionals.
Application Deadline: February 1, 2024. The applications for 2025 opens in November
Program Dates: STEM Immersion Phase (June–early August) & College and Career Prep Phase (August–December)
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors; underrepresented, underserved, and first-generation students are especially encouraged to apply.
AI4ALL is a US-based nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in AI education, research, development, and policy. The organization conducts summer programs in association with reputed universities which help high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to get familiarized with data science and AI concepts.
One of the virtual programs offered by them is the UCSF AI4ALL program. It is an immersive program for high school students, which includes lectures, an introduction to research projects, and even field trips to local companies involved in AI in Biomedicine. The deadline to apply for 2024 is closed, but you can access other resources online.
Bonus - Their website also has a section titled Open Learning Curriculum, in which high school teachers can access free curriculum and resources so that educators of any subject can increase access to AI education in their communities. Some of the courses include topics like AI and neural networks. The resources can be accessed here. These courses are also accessible year-round!
Application Deadline: March 28, 2024, for the UCSF AI4ALL.
Program Dates: July 8 - July 26, 2024, for the UCSF AI4ALL.
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors; underrepresented, underserved, and first-generation students are especially encouraged to apply.
Stemming from MIT’s Media Lab, the Day of AI is a free, annual program offering curriculum and practical experience for K-12 students to gain greater familiarity with artificial intelligence and its practical applications. The 2024 Day of AI was conducted on May 13, but if your school did not participate in the events, you can ask teachers to conduct all of the activities on another day, provided that they had registered for the materials beforehand!
Apart from the one-day activities, there are also curricula and activities developed by leading faculty and educators from MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education) for elementary, middle school, and high school students. They can be accessed for free by teachers and students. You can access the 30 to 60-minute lectures here.
Application Deadline: Not Applicable
Program Dates: Not Applicable
Eligibility: Open to all
MIT OCW is a free and open publication of material from thousands of MIT courses across the entire MIT curriculum. These courses are available to anyone and can be accessed from anywhere. These courses are a great source for developing a basic understanding of any topic that you would like to explore!
The OCW has a great collection of data science courses and one of the best courses which you can pursue is - Introduction To Computational Thinking And Data Science, an undergraduate-level course. It is intended for students with little or no programming experience. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the role computation can play in solving problems.
Application Deadline: Nothing as such
Program Dates: Nothing as such
Eligibility: Open to all
9. Harvard University Online Courses
If you are just starting to explore data science and AI, you should consider enrolling in one of the free online courses offered by Harvard University, which they offer in collaboration with edX. There are various self-paced courses that you can pursue which are taught by Harvard University staff.
For introductory-level knowledge, you can enroll in Introduction to Data Science with Python, which will help you get familiar with popular libraries such as Pandas, numPy, matplotlib, and SKLearn. You will also build a foundation for the use of Python in machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Statistics and R is another good introductory-level course, which will help you explore the applications of R programming language, which is used heavily in statistical analysis and Exploratory Data Analysis!
Application Deadline: Nothing as such
Program Dates: Nothing as such
Eligibility: Open to all
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!
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