UC Berkeley's Summer Programs for Middle School Students
As a motivated middle school student, you should actively pursue summer programs like the ones organized by the prestigious University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley). Attending a summer program while in middle school will help you build an academic mindset that will be useful across any field of study.
UC Berkeley is the top-ranked public university in the U.S. and spending even a few days at the campus will give you a glimpse into college life and present you with an opportunity to interact with accomplished scientists and professors. There is also a prestige associated with participating in a program at institutes like the UCB and will bolster your resume for future college applications!
If you are interested in attending summer programs at UC Berkeley, keep on reading, as we have curated a list of programs suitable for middle school students.
1. B-BAY Middle School Entrepreneurship
The Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) is a business academy for school students that is part of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. It has an annual program for middle school students known as the B-BAY Middle School Entrepreneurship where you’ll learn what it means to be an entrepreneur by creating, running, and closing down your own business.
This is a two-week commuter-only program in which you learn from experienced professors and also interact with mentors and real entrepreneurs to explore the basics of business. This program introduces you to business fundamentals, such as finance, marketing, and accounting. You get to work individually and in teams on relevant classroom projects. You will also be tasked with creating a virtual business and learning what it takes to survive against competition.
The course recognizes the role of technology in the modern world and also helps students develop the computer skills necessary for running a modern business. What’s more, in the two weeks, you’ll also get a personalized, guided tour of the UC Berkeley campus. You check out the key learning points from the program here.
Cost/Stipend: No stipend. There was a non-refundable $80 application fee, and the tuition was $3,640 for California residents & $4,160 for out-of-state applicants in 2024, which is subject to change.
Location: Haas School of Business, Berkeley, CA
Application Deadline (2025 Program): Mid-March 2025
Program Dates: Two weeks in June 2025
Prestige: Well, there’s just one cohort of the program every year, so there is some level of exclusivity to the program. The Haas School of Business is one of the top business schools in the U.S., and a similar B-BAY High School Entrepreneurship program is quite competitive.
Eligibility: Open to all middle school students, including international students, who can commit to the full two-week program and can make housing and meal provisions for themselves, as this is a commuter program
2. Summer Teen Research Programs @ The Lawrence Hall of Science
The Lawrence Hall of Science is the public science center of UC Berkeley and hosts the Summer Teen Research Programs for middle and high school students every year. You can register for one of the four week-long programs available for middle school students, which aim to enhance your understanding of STEM topics through a hands-on and research-based approach that brings science to life with real-world applications.
You can choose from one of these programs - Designing and Engineering Bridges, Body Systems and Biomedical Innovations, Coding and Engineering Nano-Satellites, and Solar Energy and Electrical Engineering. You can click on the links to check out each program in detail. Both commuter and residential options are available for the applicants.
Cost/Stipend: No stipend. Tuition for any of the four programs was $1,350 in 2024, and for the residential option, there was a $1,150 add-on fee. Limited half-and full-price financial aid assistance is available to families with financial need.
Location: The Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley, CA
Application Deadline (2025 Program): April 2025
Program Dates: One week in June 2025 for the middle school program
Prestige: Not that prestigious, but as it focuses on learning through hands-on experiments, you will get to learn a lot.
Eligibility: Open to all middle school and high school students in the U.S.
3. UC Berkeley’s Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP)
UC Berkeley’s Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) is designed to provide academically inclined students between grades 7 and 11 to attend rigorous summer coursework over six weeks, in which they meet 2 or 3 times per week. 6th-grade students who have attended the ATDP’s Elementary Division (K-6) and have a great academic record can also apply.
Students can apply for one of the 40 courses that offer either half-year equivalent (one semester) or full-year equivalent (two semesters) courseloads. With a lot of concepts to learn in just six weeks, you should expect to spend between three and ten hours preparing for each class meeting. That’s why only students with strong academic backgrounds are allowed to take two courses.
Courses are offered in five subject areas - Writing and Literature, Mathematics, Computer science, Social sciences, and natural sciences. You can check all the course options and details like fees and weekly hours here.
Cost/Stipend: No stipend. Tuition varies for each course but you can expect to pay anywhere between $700 to $1,100. Limited financial aid is available
Location: UC Berkeley campus and online option is also available
Application Deadline (2025 Program): March 2025
Program Dates: June to July 2025
Prestige: Yes. This program has been running every year since 1982 and you get to learn a semester’s worth of concepts in just six weeks. While there is no GPA requirement to apply, the program only accepts academically excelling students. The class size for each course is limited to 20-24 students.
Eligibility: Open to all middle school and high school students in the U.S. who can commit to attending almost all courses as missing even a few sessions will result in termination from the program
4. Girls in Engineering’s Summer Camp
Girls in Engineering is an initiative of Berkeley Engineering that aims to close the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. They run various camps, workshops, and events around the year that tackle various aspects of engineering for middle school girls interested in STEM fields. Girls in high school can participate in this program as volunteers.
GiE runs a week-long camp in the summer in which participating students are invited to the UC Berkeley campus to learn about engineering and design. You will attend lectures from Berkeley faculty, staff, and students, and learn first-hand what it means to be an engineer, by honing your critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills to address real-world problems.
Electrical engineering, Robotics, Bioengineering, Computer science, Design thinking, Environmental Engineering, Leadership, and Team building are some of the topics covered in detail. You will also get to understand how you can pursue and succeed in engineering careers.
Cost/Stipend: No stipend, but need-based financial assistance is available. The tuition is $600
Location: UC Berkeley campus
Application Deadline (2025 Program): March 2025
Program Dates: June to July 2025
Prestige: No, but it covers basic engineering fundamentals in detail and is exclusively for girls interested in STEM, which makes it unique. Every year, around 120 students attend the summer camps, which are conducted in two sessions.
Eligibility: Open to all middle school girls from the San Francisco Bay Area only
5. UC Berkeley Youth Recreation Summer Camp
UC Berkeley has held a summer camp for students of all ages annually for over 60 years. Middle school students can participate in the Teen Leadership Program, which helps them learn leadership skills that can be applied to all aspects of life through adventure camps and training programs.
You can choose to participate as the Campers In Leadership Training (CILTs), who are taught basic leadership lessons focused on working with youth and learning general job skills. You also learn communication skills within both large and small groups, professionalism, career and self-development, teamwork, critical thinking, technology, confidence, discipline, and initiative.
If you are interested in media production and content creation, the Media Production Teen Camp is suitable for you. You will learn to use professional equipment such as cameras and camcorders, computer editing software, audio recording software, lights, and more. The program will lead you through the many aspects of media and video production while also focusing on the relationship between social media and content creation.
Cost/Stipend: No stipend, but need-based financial assistance is available. The tuition varies depending on the camp you are interested in
Location: UC Berkeley campus
Application Deadline (2025 Program): Rolling basis
Program Dates: Multiple sessions during the summer months
Prestige: Not very prestigious; only prestige is because of its association with UC Berkeley.
Eligibility: Open to all students between 8-18 years of age
While this is not a program organized by UC Berkeley directly, in this program, your school needs to register itself with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is run by the University of California. As part of the Let’s Talk About STEM, Berkeley Lab staff volunteer to share their experiences in STEM with students and classrooms.
There are multiple one-hour sessions, which will cover a deep dive into a specific subject, hands-on activities, STEM career talks, or a virtual tour of Berkeley Lab's facilities. This program is open to school groups and out-of-school organizations and for grades 6-12, with a minimum of 10 students from the participating organization.
You get to interact with lab researchers about the advances in Physics, Biology, Math, Computer Science, and Chemistry. Several hands-on experiments are also conducted, including Make Your Own Circuit Card and Chibi Traffic Lights.
Cost/Stipend: No stipend. This is a free program.
Location: At your school or at one of the schools that have registered online
Application Deadline (2025 Program): Rolling basis
Program Dates: Depends on the availability of Berkeley lab staff
Prestige: Not very prestigious; only prestige is because of its association with UC Berkeley.
Eligibility: Open to all students between 8-18 years of age
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