10 Best Computer Science Summer Programs + Internships for High School Students
Are you a CS nerd or a beginner who wants to learn the basics? Look no further because our list of 10 computer science summer programs has something for everyone! These computer science summer programs are provided by universities with some of the finest CS departments or leading providers of CS education. The computer science summer programs in this blog range from highly selective to fairly welcoming, and while some have a fee associated with them, others provide a stipend.
If you are targeting a computer science or STEM major in college, these programs will go a long way in helping you build key skill sets and showcase your profile for college applications. Even if you are not targeting a STEM major, basic concepts from CS are useful for analyzing data across subject areas and can add diversity and academic rigor to your application.
Note: Please keep in mind the following information is for 2024-2025, though dates tend to be similar year on year.
Here are 10 of the best computer science summer programs for high school students!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Main summer deadlines are March 15, April 15, and May 15
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility:
You must be currently enrolled in high school
Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note. students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
Program Dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, Spring from March to June
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students, across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: University of Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Fee/Stipend: $4,625
Application deadline: March 2023 (based on previous year’s schedule)
Program dates: June 19, 2023 - July 1, 2023 (based on previous year’s schedule)
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school students who are 16-17 years old by June 19, 2023 and have good academic standing. For detailed eligibility criteria, please visit here.
This is a rigorous 2-week experience designed for motivated students who are interested in coding and computer science and want to experience college-level student life. It is designed for students with little to no prior coding experience. Students will undergo an immersive learning experience in coding, powerful computer science concepts, collaborative programming, and problem-solving.
3. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost:
$2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program
$5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
$6,900 for both
Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines depending on the cohort. Winter cohort deadline - December 1, 2024
Program Dates: Varies 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 experience with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs tailored for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
An option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase—through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. The fellowship encourages students to explore interdisciplinary approaches, enabling them to merge AI with various fields such as finance, medicine, sports, environmental science, and more! You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Fee/stipend: None
Application Deadline: January 15, 2023 (based on previous year’s schedule)
Program Dates: June 2023 - July 2023
Eligibility: Applicants must be juniors or seniors in high school
This is a 4-week summer academic and residential experience where 60 female high school students explore engineering through hands-on classes that are taught by female MIT graduate students. You will also take part in labs and team-based projects. Students focus on either Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) or Mechanical Engineering (ME).
Location: Columbia University, Columbia, NY
Fee/stipend: Fee - $6,300 (commuter). $12,449 (residential)
Application Deadline: Applications for 2023 will open in late November 2022.
Program Dates: Sessions I is likely to be from June 27, 2023 –July 15, 2023. Session II is likely to be from July 19, 2023–August 5, 2023 (based on previous year’s schedule)
Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in a high school as of Spring 2023. While no prior experience is required, applicants should have an aptitude for logical reasoning and systematic thinking
The summer program offers 1 and 3-week courses across a wide array of subjects. The computer science courses cover key fundamentals such as coding in Java, C, and Python and courses on AI / ML and Big Data. Programming projects involving mathematical problems and logic games challenge students to develop logical reasoning, systematic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA and online for the Secondary School Program
Fee/stipend: Fee - $5,300 (pre-college program), $3,600–$13,750 (secondary school program, depending on the number of courses selected)
Application Deadline: Program runs in cohorts throughout the year - applications for the Winter Cohort close on November 27, 2022
Program Dates: There are multiple sessions of the pre-college program from June - August 2023. June 17 - August 5, 2023, for the secondary school program
Eligibility: Applicants must be expected to graduate from high school and enter college in 2024 or 2025 and be at least 16 years old by June 17, 2023 and must not turn 19 years old before July 31, 2023
Students can pick between programs that are 2-week, non-credit (pre-college program) and 7-week, college credit (secondary school program). Multiple computer science courses are available, such as “Introduction to Data Science with a Focus on Visualization” and “Introduction to Scientific Programming in Python."
Location: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
Fee/ stipend: Fee - $2,500 per course (approx. and depends on the course)
Application deadline: Rolling
Program dates: To be announced
Eligibility: Applicants must be between 13-18 years of age. Courses have different experience levels, and those criteria must be met
These coding camps are designed to enable students to explore their interests in computer science through courses on Python, C++, and game development. The objective is to focus on the various applications of computer science in business and technology.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Fee/stipend: None
Application deadline: March 15, 2023
Program dates: July 1, 2023, to July 28, 2023
Eligibility: Applicants must be current sophomores in high school
This 4-week program enables students to explore computer science through a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on research projects, faculty lectures, and industry engagement with leading tech companies from around the country. Students will engage in college-level courses in computer programming and mathematics. Those who complete the program and demonstrate a desire to continue may be invited to return as rising seniors to CMU’s AI Scholars program the following summer.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Fee/stipend:
Attending as a commuter, taking a minimum of 3 units: starts at $4,926
Living on campus, taking a minimum of 8 units (typically 2-3 courses): starts at $15,875
Application deadline: Application for this year has closed. Registration for 2023 will start in November 2022 Program dates: June - August
Eligibility: Applicants must be current sophomores, juniors, or seniors who are at least 16 years of age when the program begins. The applicant must not be matriculating into Stanford as a first year
These 8-week programs offer an array of research opportunities across different subject areas and within computer science. Students can explore a wide range of topics from the essentials of programming and programming abstractions to various internet technologies. All Stanford Summer Session courses carry Stanford University credit.
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Fee/stipend: Fee - $2,223. Scholarships are available for students in California
Application deadline: TBA
Program dates: June 21, 2023 – July 8, 2023 (based on previous year’s schedule)
Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in a high school as of Spring 2023
This 3-week program is a computer science introductory track which awards credit for UCLA coursework. Students will learn how to use computers as tools for problem-solving, creativity, and exploration through the design and implementation of computer programs. Key topics covered in this program are data types, including integers, strings, and lists; control structures, including conditionals and loops; and functional decomposition.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.