Taking university courses in high school can be a valuable way for students to expand their knowledge and explore subjects they are passionate about. These programs give you access to advanced material and help you develop critical thinking and independent study skills. By engaging with collegiate-level academics early, you can refine your interests and make more informed choices about your future studies and career paths.

Additionally, completing university courses can strengthen your college applications. It demonstrates ambition, academic readiness, and the ability to handle challenging coursework, helping you stand out in a competitive admissions process. This opportunity not only enhances your knowledge but also provides a head start on both personal and academic growth. More specifically, it can offer insight into career fields you’re considering, especially in areas like computer science, a broad field with numerous career opportunities. Here are 10 university computer science courses for high schoolers!

1. College Edge Program by Columbia University

Cost: The tuition is approximately $2,376 per point, with most courses worth 3 points, totaling around $7,128 for a full course.

Location: Columbia University, Morningside Heights, NY (no residential options)

Application Deadline: December 2, 2024 for Spring cohort

Course Dates: January 21 - May 16, 2025 (Spring); September 2 - December 19, 2025 (Fall)

Eligibility: Students must have a GPA of 3.3 or higher, and be in grades 11-12. 

Columbia University's College Edge program provides high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to earn college credits while studying alongside Columbia undergraduates. You can choose from a variety of subjects such as psychology, economics, computer science, and mathematics, with the chance to complete up to six credits. The program also includes workshops focused on college preparation, helping support both academic and career development.

Held on Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus, this program exposes you to the demands of college-level academics, emphasizing the critical skills needed for success in higher education. You will be expected to dedicate two to three hours to assignments for every hour spent in class, which mirrors the rigor of a university environment. Additionally, the program includes college readiness activities to help ease your transition to university life.

To see the full list of available courses, click here.  

2. Python for Everyone Specialization offered by Coursera & University of Michigan

Cost: The program is free to audit. A certificate is available for a fee.

Location: Online

Application Deadline: There is no application deadline, as it is an open-enrollment

Program Duration: Approximately 32 weeks, consisting of 5 courses

Eligibility: Open to all participants, with no prior programming experience required.

This specialization, developed in collaboration with the University of Michigan, expands upon the foundational Python for Everybody course. It focuses on critical programming concepts like data structures, database management, and using networked APIs with Python. The program includes five courses that build upon one another:

1. Programming for Everybody  

2. Python Data Structures  

3. Using Python to Access Web Data  

4. Using Databases with Python  

5. Capstone: Retrieving, Processing, and Visualizing Data  

Each course is designed to progressively advance your Python knowledge, taking you from basic syntax to more complex applications. The Capstone Project is a hands-on opportunity to apply everything you've learned by creating functional applications that focus on tasks like data retrieval, processing, and visualization. This culminates the program with practical experience working with real-world data.

3. Introduction to Computer Science 1 Boston University High School Honors Online

Cost: Summer 2025 costs will be posted on December 15, but the estimated range is $3,000 to $7,000.

Location: Online

Application Deadline: May 23, 2025 

Program Duration: May 14 - June 28 or July 1 - August 16

Eligibility: Open to rising high school juniors or seniors 

The Boston University High School Honors Online Introduction to Computer Science 1 offers a solid introduction to key programming concepts, making it a valuable choice for students interested in computer science, data science, or related fields. The course covers topics such as numeric, string, and list data types, functions, decisions, recursion, iteration, and object-oriented programming. You will work on applications like matrix operations, image processing, games, and artificial intelligence through a combination of readings, video lectures, interactive exercises, and problem sets.

Expect to dedicate 25-30 hours per week to complete assignments and other course activities. Regular workshop sessions will support debugging and reinforce your learning. A Mac or Windows computer is required to install the necessary software. Additionally, this course fulfills Boston University Hub requirements in Quantitative Reasoning II, Creativity/Innovation, and Critical Thinking.

4. SOE-YCS101: Computer Science 101 with Stanford Online

Cost: Free 

Location: Virtual

Application Deadline: Applications are accepted all year round. 

Program Duration: Self-paced at 4-6 hours for 6 weeks 

Eligibility: Open to all 

Stanford University offers a free online computer science course that provides a thorough introduction to algorithms, their mechanics, and real-world applications. Through well-structured video lectures, you will learn programming language concepts, focusing on both syntax and semantics. The course also covers key data structures, illustrating their importance in software development with practical examples.

The program includes hands-on assignments to help refine your problem-solving abilities and programming skills. It also focuses on software design principles, giving you a comprehensive understanding of how to create efficient and scalable systems. Interactive forums offer opportunities for collaboration, allowing you to exchange ideas and insights with fellow participants.

Explore the topics included in this course here.

5. Thriving in Our Digital World with The University of Texas Austin’s OnRamps

Cost: Free 

Location: Texas high schools offering OnRamps courses

Application Deadline: Varies by high school 

Program Dates: Year-long course, during the school year 

Eligibility: Open to high school students who have completed Algebra I

OnRamps, an initiative of The University of Texas at Austin supported by the Texas Legislature, offers high school students advanced academic opportunities. Its goal is to provide access to learning experiences that align with the standards of leading research universities, helping prepare students for the challenges of higher education.

The program offers over 17 dual enrollment courses, all designed by UT Austin faculty. These courses have helped more than 167,000 Texas students build the skills needed for college-level academics, with participation continuing to grow each year.

One course, Thriving in Our Digital World, introduces students to the fundamentals of computer science and its broad applications. Through a project-based approach, you will explore topics such as programming in JavaScript, 2-D and 3-D modeling, animation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and big data. The course emphasizes the development of computational thinking and problem-solving skills, culminating in a final product that showcases your mastery. The curriculum promotes collaboration and critical thinking, highlighting the relevance of computer science across various industries. Upon completion, students earn 3 college credits (UT Course Code: CS 302). A desktop, laptop, or Chromebook is required.

6. CSE 121: Introduction to Computer Programming I by University of Washington

Cost: Free for public school students

Location: Hosted at partner schools 

Application Deadline: March 3, 2025 (for second semester courses) 

Program Dates: During the school year
Eligibility: Open to students attending partner schools offering this program.

UW in the High School allows you to take University of Washington courses and earn college credits without leaving your high school campus. Public school students can participate at no cost, while private school students pay a discounted fee.

One of the available courses introduces computer programming to students with no prior experience. The focus is on developing algorithmic thinking and solving computational problems related to contemporary scientific and societal challenges. The curriculum covers key procedural programming techniques, such as methods, control structures (including loops and conditionals), and foundational data types like arrays. You will learn how to design and write programs that turn problem-solving concepts into practical applications.

7. Introduction to CS and Programming Using Python with MIT’s OpenCourseWare

Cost: Free

Location: Virtual

Application Deadline: None

Program Date: Self-paced

Eligibility: Open to students with little to no programming experience

This course is designed for students with little or no prior programming experience. It introduces the role of computation in problem-solving and aims to help you build confidence in writing basic programs to achieve practical goals. Open to students from all academic backgrounds, the course uses Python 3 as the primary programming language.

8. Introduction to Game Progarmming with CCNY

Cost: Free

Location: City College of New York, New York City

Application Deadline: December 7, 2024

Program Dates: February 1 - May 17, 2025

Eligibility: Open to all high school students living in New York City

College Now, a program run by the City University of New York (CUNY), provides New York City public high school students the opportunity to take college courses at no cost. As CUNY’s largest partnership program, it collaborates with over 400 high schools and enrolls more than 20,000 students annually. At The City College of New York, students can take credit-bearing courses, primarily on Saturdays, with some weekday after-school options available.

This course introduces you to video game programming, focusing on the Unity game engine and C# programming language. You will explore key programming concepts such as logic, functions, custom variables, and writing code to manage and access real-time data. Through in-class assignments, you will create custom C# scripts to understand how game engines turn basic components into interactive games. The curriculum emphasizes foundational principles and technical skills that are important for understanding the mechanics of game development.

9. Pre-College Coding Academy at Tufts

Cost: $4,225 (Commuter) | $5,750 (Residential)

Location: Tufts University, Medford/Somerville Campus 

Application Deadline: May 1, 2025

Program Dates: July 20 - August 1, 2025

Eligibility: Open to students in grades 10-12 or Spring 2025 high school graduates

Tufts’ two-week summer coding program provides students with essential programming skills to address real-world problems and explore the possibilities of coding. You will learn Python, a popular language used for mobile apps, web development, software engineering, and desktop GUIs. The program emphasizes hands-on training, helping you build your coding portfolio while exploring the growing fields of data science, programming, and technology. Daily lectures are complemented by workshops, individual and group coding sessions, and expert-led discussions on topics like AI, robotics, and cybersecurity, offering a broad introduction to computer science.

You will also gain industry exposure through "Tech Treks" to technology companies in the Boston area, learning about different career paths in software and technology. By collaborating with peers, you will develop both technical and soft skills, culminating in a final group project presented at the program’s conclusion. This experience will help you apply your coding knowledge to various fields, build confidence, and establish a strong foundation for future success.

10. AS.110.100 - Data Analytics Workshop with Johns Hopkins University

Cost: $1,950 (per credit) + $85 application fee 

Location: Virtual

Application Deadline: Applications for 2025 have not opened yet. Fill out this form to be notified when they open.

Program Dates: July 7 - July 18, 2025 

July 21 - August 1, 2025

June 23 - July 4, 2025

Eligibility: Open to high school students who have completed precalculus with a GPA of 3.0+

This two-week pre-college program introduces you to the fundamentals of data analytics through hands-on group projects. You will select a dataset to collect, organize, clean, and visualize, culminating in a final presentation of your analysis. Key topics include exploratory data analysis, data visualization, probability distributions, data scraping and cleansing, regression modeling, and the basics of hypothesis testing.

The program primarily uses Microsoft Excel, with additional tools like Octave (Matlab) and Octoparse to expand your understanding of data analysis techniques. By engaging in both theoretical and practical exercises, you will develop foundational skills in data analytics while gaining experience with tools commonly used in the field.

If you're interested in building a project or research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!

Founded by Harvard graduate students, Veritas AI offers you the opportunity to work one-on-one with mentors from top universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and others to create personalized projects. In the past year, over 1,000 students have participated in learning 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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