11 Online Computer Science Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in exploring computer science as a subject before applying to college, consider participating in online computer science programs! Not only do these save you the cost (and time) of commuting to and from the location of the program, but also free up a lot of time in your schedule if you’re working on a passion project or test prep during the school year!
Computer science programs are a solid way for you to gain experience in a competitive field, demonstrate interest in learning about a subject outside of school, and can provide solid networking opportunities.
For this blog, we’ve compiled a list of 11 online computer science programs for high school students.
Application Deadline: Varies
Cost: Varies
Duration: Varies
Eligibility: Depends on the course offered
Harvard University offers several programs for high school students that cover a wide range of topics, including computer science, data structures, algorithms, programming, databases, web development, and many more. Most of these online programs are free to audit with an additional fee if you wish to receive a verified certificate.
Harvard’s online programs are extremely flexible. Once enrolled, you may study the course material at your own pace. These programs are a great opportunity to learn computer science from experienced Harvard faculty members at a fraction of the cost. Some of these courses are:
Introduction to Data Science with Python
Introduction to Databases with SQL
Computer Science for Lawyers
Machine Learning and AI with Python
Web Programming with Python and JavaScript
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, psychology, physics, economics, data science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
3. Veritas AI - AI Fellowship
Location: Virtual
Cost:
$1,790 for the 10-week AI Scholars program
$4,900 for the 12-15 week AI Fellowship
$4,700 for both
Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Applications for the fall cohort have closed on September 3, 2023.
Program dates: Various according to the cohort
Program selectivity: Moderately selective
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.
Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions about the student's background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest.
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.
Cost: $1990 (Financial Aid Available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries from tech/deep tech, AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. Past founders have included YCombinator alums, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
Interns are offered one-on-one training in communication, time management and other such valuable skills and will also have the opportunity to attend group training sessions with other interns in their cohort. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Application Deadline: Varies. Apply here
Cost: £595 (1 week) and £995 (2 weeks)
Duration: June - August
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 15 - 18
Through independent coding projects, discussions, and research, this project helps students achieve practical skills in Python. As a participant, you will be required to attend 10 sessions in total. The one-week program ends with the fifth session, whereas the two-week program ends with the tenth. The first session starts with icebreakers for the students to get to know each other and an introduction to the course. The one-week course will cover topics like basics in coding, web development, complexity analysis, and introduction to HTML. The two-week course will include additional topics like introduction to Python and Javascript, making games, and artificial intelligence. Look here for information on the classes.
The class sizes are limited to only 15 students to help students and live sessions are held from 1-3 pm UK time. At the end of the program, students receive a Certificate of Achievement and a personalized Letter of Recommendation.
6. Horizon
Subject Areas: STEM, Humanities, Social Sciences
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines. The next is 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 college applications. Apply here!
Application Deadline: Varies
Cost: Varies
Duration: Varies
Eligibility: High school students interested in Al and machine learning
Columbia University coding boot camps teach students coding, data analytics, cybersecurity, digital marketing, UX/UI, and Artificial Intelligence. These programs are offered by Columbia University in collaboration with edX. Students will also get support with career planning, resume support, and technical interview training.
Successful applicants will receive an award of completion, continued one-on-one career coaching with their career director, and a portfolio of projects covered throughout the Boot Camp. There also exists a full-time coding option for students who wish to complete the program earlier!
Application Deadline: 2024 applications are now closed. Register here for 2025 updates.
Cost: Free
Duration: 2 weeks (June 3 - August 16, 2024)
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 13 - 18 who identify as women, gender non-conforming, or trans
Kode with Klossy works with the aim that underrepresented students in STEM have access to learn more about technology. Their camp is an opportunity to learn web development using Javascript, HTML, and CSS, ways to improve the UI and UX of a website, and machine learning, including topics such as algorithms and data sets, natural processing, and more!
Their program is a great opportunity for those without knowledge of computer science. A bonus is the licensed educators and assistants assigned to each camp, which will ensure that you are supported throughout the camp duration.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines
Cost: Varies
Duration: Varies
Eligibility: High school students in NYC or Live Online
NextGen Bootcamp has various programs to help students learn coding, data science, Java, and web design. All of these programs are taught by expert instructors. The program has taught over 45000 students over 34 years. Programs are organized in a way that each student gets personalized attention due to their small batch sizes, works on real-world projects, and learns from industry experts.
A half day at NextGen starts at 10 am and ends at 1 pm, and a full day ends at 4 pm. Some of the topics covered via NextGen’s programs are Python Data Science, AI Machine Learning, Java Programming, etc. You may find a list of programs they offer here.
The Summer Immersion Program (SIP) is run by the Girls Who Code, an organization with a mission to help girls around the world close the gender gap in tech. As part of this mission, the 2-week SIP program was created where you can attend virtual classes sponsored by companies such as MetLife, Bank of America, and Game Design.
In 2023, you will learn about intermediate CS concepts, the iterative design process, and UX design basics and gain an introduction to Game Design! Moreover, GWC promises participants that they can meet mentors who are industry experts from their partner companies.
One of the advantages of participating in SIP is the flexibility offered to each student. Through the course, you can pursue any project that you are passionate about! In fact, previous projects by students have included cybersecurity chatbots to protect people’s passwords or creating affordable GPS tracking devices that alert caregivers!
Application Deadline:
Early Acceptance - February 17th
General Acceptance - March 29th
Program Date:
Round 1 - June 16th - June 30th, 2024 (U.S. Students Only)
Round 2 - July 19th - July 21st, 2024 (U.S. and International Students)
Round 3 - July 31st - August 11th, 2024 (U.S. and International Students)
Eligibility:
Identify as a girl or non-binary.
In the 2024-2024 school year, you were a freshman, sophomore, or junior (U.S. Citizen)
Should be between the ages of 14-18 on June 16th, 2024 (International Students).
Application Deadline: Applications 2024 have closed. 2025 applications to start soon
Cost: $1500
Duration: July 6 - July 26, 2024
Eligibility: Students having completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade with a minimum GPA of 3.5 and 3.0 if not all positions have been filled.
Terp Young Scholars offers a 3-credit course on Introduction to Computing, where classes are held classes held every day from Monday to Friday for 3 hours a day. You can look here for the full course syllabus!
As an online student, you must attend classes, complete schoolwork, and engage in interactive virtual activities without supervision. Throughout the program, online students are supported by course instructors, teaching assistants, and Terp Scholars mentors. Do note that you must have access to a consistent high-speed internet connection and a distraction-free learning environment.
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research in computer science, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
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.