9 Online AI Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
If you’re a high schooler interested in AI, applying to a summer program can be a solid step before you start preparing for your college applications!
Online AI summer programs specifically, are super accessible and come at much lower costs than in-person programs that may require you to move cities/states. They are also held exclusively in the summer, which makes them the perfect option if you’re not looking to disrupt your school year.
These programs also help you figure out what areas of AI interest you most. Some focus on ethical implications, others on algorithm development, and many include research opportunities. These experiences can guide your high school coursework, support your college applications, and help shape your future academic trajectory.
9 Online AI Summer Programs for High School Students
1. Veritas AI
Veritas AI offers two online programs for high school students interested in artificial intelligence. Founded by Harvard graduates, the organization focuses on helping students understand and apply AI concepts through hands-on experience and expert mentorship. The AI Scholars program introduces you to real-world applications of AI in a group learning format.
The AI Fellowship is a more advanced option, where you’ll work one-on-one with mentors to conduct independent research. In the AI Fellowship, you’ll explore how AI is used in fields like healthcare, education, finance, and gaming. Past student projects have involved diagnosing medical conditions using neural networks, designing AI-powered study tools, and building game strategies with reinforcement learning. You’ll also have the chance to present or publish your research.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Cost: $2,290 (AI Scholars); $5,400 (AI Fellowship); $6,900 (both). Need-based financial aid is available.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including the summer!
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort.
Eligibility: High school students. Students applying to the AI Fellowship program must complete the AI Scholars program or provide evidence of previous experience in AI and Python.
The EDIT ML Summer Internship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center is a research program where high school students use machine learning to solve real healthcare problems. You’ll join a team working on topics like cancer detection, analyzing medical reports, or studying complex biological data.
You’ll also learn to use coding tools like Python and R and work with powerful computers to process large datasets. Along the way, you’ll attend lectures, meet with mentors, and present your research. Some students may even help write scientific papers.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small research teams
Cost: Free
Dates: June–August (8–10 weeks; onboarding begins as early as April)
Application Deadline: April 15 (early decisions by March 27)
Eligibility: High school or early college students with a background in computer science; prior exposure to ML pipelines preferred
3. Lumiere Research Scholar Program - AI track
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 AI, ML, data science, psychology, physics, economics, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. More details about the application are here!
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Cost: Starting at $2,990. Financial aid is available!
Dates: Summer: June - August, fall: September - December, winter: December - February, spring: March - June.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The Summer Cohort I application deadline is April 13!
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.3 out of 4 GPA
MIT FutureMakers is a six-week online summer program for high school and early college students, especially those with limited access to advanced STEM resources. The first four weeks are focused on learning how to build AI tools that are useful and ethical. In the last two weeks, you’ll work with a small team to create a project that solves a real problem in your community using AI.
You’ll also attend workshops on communication, resume writing, and teamwork to help prepare for college and future jobs. Throughout the program, you’ll be guided by college students studying AI and computer science.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; prioritizes students from under-resourced communities
Cost: Free
Dates: June–August (exact dates TBA; program runs for 6 weeks)
Application Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: U.S. and Puerto Rico-based students entering or enrolled in high school in Fall; no prior coding experience required
The Global AI Hackathon is a free online event run by MIT RAISE and the App Inventor Foundation. In this program, students from around the world build apps that use AI to solve real problems, especially those related to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
You’ll use MIT App Inventor to create your app and then submit a demo video and presentation to share your idea. You can also join the hackathon on your own or with a team. Projects are judged on how creative, useful, and well-designed they are. Winners in the youth category get to travel to the MIT AI & Education Summit in Massachusetts to present their work.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to all eligible participants; four winning teams selected
Cost: Free
Dates: March 3–April 14 (project work); Summit is July 16–18
Application Deadline: April 14
Eligibility: Individual or team participants must be under 18; open globally except for embargoed countries; basic familiarity with MIT App Inventor recommended but not required
The Beaver Works Summer Institute, run by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT’s School of Engineering, offers a rigorous online course called “Serious Games Development with AI.” This program introduces high school students to simulation design, coding, and applied artificial intelligence through the lens of game development. You will use Python to build a simulation game that explores the spread of disease and the impact of public health decisions.
Throughout the course, you’ll work on weekly milestones to model a zombie outbreak, apply AI tools to shape game behavior, and consider ethical choices in gameplay. You will also participate in backend development, data visualization, and user interface design using an Agile software process.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited cohort size
Cost: Free
Dates: July 7–August 2 (online course begins February 3 and must be completed by June 20)
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: U.S.-based rising juniors and seniors who complete the online prerequisite course; prior Python experience recommended
Columbia University offers a two-week online course in Data Science and Machine Learning for high school students. It’s designed for beginners, so no coding experience is required. The course covers coding in Python, using simple machine learning tools, and understanding how data is used in areas like business, healthcare, and policy.
It also includes live sessions, hands-on labs, and group discussions. You’ll work with real data, practice building models, and learn how to explain your results clearly. If you already know Python and some basic math, you can choose the more advanced version of the course.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not listed; estimated ~15 students per class
Cost: $3,960 (limited financial aid for NYC commuter students only)
Dates: July 7–July 18 (Session A) | July 21–August 1 (Session B)
Application Deadline: Rolling; early registration opens March 10
Eligibility: Open to high school students entering grades 9–12
Offered by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI), this two-week online program introduces high school students to how AI is used in healthcare. You’ll join lectures, group projects, and research activities led by Stanford students and researchers. The program also includes career talks and support as you create a mini research project on a healthcare topic.
It’s a fast-paced program for students who already have some experience with math, coding, or health-related work. Those who finish the program get a Certificate of Completion. Financial aid is available, and some students may be invited to continue with an extended research project afterward.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25 students selected
Cost: $850 (financial aid available)
Dates: June 16–June 27 (9 a.m.–1 p.m. PT)
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: U.S.-based students entering grades 9–12; strong preference for students with coding, math, or health-related experience
The Harvard Computer Society AI Bootcamp is a five-day online program for high school students who want to learn about machine learning and generative AI. Led by Harvard students and researchers, the program includes lectures, coding sessions, and a small research project.
You’ll explore topics like computer vision, transformers, and AI ethics. At the end, you’ll present a mini-project. There are two levels: one for students new to AI but comfortable with Python and math and another for those with more experience. Sessions are live on Zoom in the evenings, and students get a Certificate of Completion. High-performing students may also get special recognition.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified; rolling admissions
Cost: $495 (regular); $595 (Final Priority); limited financial aid available
Dates: June 2–6, June 9–13, or June 16–20 (evening sessions)
Application Deadline: April 8 (standard); May 30 (final)
Eligibility: High school students with Python proficiency and strong math background; exceptions considered on a case-by-case basis
Image Source - Columbia University Logo
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.