15 Free Online Computer Science Programs
If you are a high school student interested in exploring computer science topics outside of the classroom, consider participating in free online programs. These programs provide an opportunity to develop practical tech skills and connect with industry professionals, all from the comfort of your home. Many of these offerings are available at no cost or with significant financial aid, increasing their accessibility. Whether you aim to learn how to create your first app, understand how artificial intelligence works, or delve into other computer science subjects, there are options to suit diverse interests.
What are the benefits of a computer science program?
Given the wide range of topics within computer science, different programs often emphasize different areas. Some programs focus on programming languages such as Python or Java, while others may concentrate on fields like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. You might even get to explore the intersection of computer science with other fields, such as healthcare. Rather than focusing on just teaching you the concepts in theory, these programs also allow you to put what you learned into practice through projects. Enrolling in a free online program provides a low-risk, flexible opportunity to determine if computer science is the right career path for you.
With that, here are 15 free online computer science programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
1. MITES Semester
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: 6 months; June – December
Application Deadline: November – February 1
Eligibility: 11th graders who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
As a participant in the MITES Semester program, you will get to choose one project-based course and a supplemental course in subjects like computer science, physics, calculus, or science writing and communication. Previous project-based courses have been focused on robotics, machine learning, computational biology, and more. You will spend your time in this program learning new concepts in these subjects, as well as the impact STEM has on people's daily lives. In addition to the learning phase, MITES also helps you with college preparation by reviewing your college essay, practicing for admission interviews, hosting interactive sessions with admission counselors, and even helping you find the right college for you.
2. NASA & UT Austin SEES Summer Intern Program
Location: Online + In-person options
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Distance Learning Modules: May 15 – July 1; Remote Projects: June – July 3; Virtual Projects: June – July 21; Symposiums: July 20 – 21
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: U.S. 10th-11th graders (16+) who are first-time SEES participants
During the SEES Summer Intern Program, you will get to conduct research in the STEM fields under the guidance of scientists. Your schedule will start with online modules covering Earth and Space or Python. Following this, you will work on projects using real NASA data alongside other participants and a mentor to guide the team. You will also have the opportunity to present your work at an online symposium. This program gives you the chance to expand your knowledge of satellite imagery, mission design, and the use of AI in space science. You will also learn coding, data analysis, and how to present your research along the way.
3. Immerse Education Computer Science Online Courses
Location: Online
Cost: Varies; Financial aid offered
Dates: Flexible; Multiple 2-week cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; Multiple dates throughout the year
Eligibility: Students ages 13-18 from anywhere in the world
The Online Research Program provides you with the opportunity to undertake rigorous research in collaboration with tutors from Oxford, Cambridge, and Ivy League universities. As a participant, you will work closely with your tutor to explore a chosen subject in depth and produce an academic research paper. The program is offered in one-on-one and small-group formats, with the option to earn college credit from universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. The virtual research program covers more than 20 subjects, including artificial intelligence, chemistry, psychology, economics, computer science, creative writing, philosophy, and others. Upon program completion, you will receive a written evaluation from your tutor, have the opportunity to publish your research, and be invited to present at the Immerse Online Symposium.
4. The Coding School National High School Research Program
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free for students who meet specific requirements (details vary by track); Certain students are eligible for a $750 stipend; Financial aid offered
Dates: June 29 – July 24 (Data Science); June 29 – July 31 (Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence)
Application Deadline: February 1 (priority); March 15 (2nd priority)
Eligibility: Rising 10th-12th graders + rising college freshmen; Data Science track alone accepts applications from rising 9th graders
In the High School Research Program, you will have the opportunity to conduct research in one of three tracks: quantum computing, data science, or artificial intelligence. As a participant, you will spend time learning various technical skills within the aforementioned disciplines and how they are used in other fields, such as medicine, entertainment, finance, and more. The main component of this program is the mentored research you will conduct using real-world datasets and technical applications. Your mentors will be from reputable institutions such as the Columbia University Data Science Institute, Harvard Institute, MIT, Stanford University, and others.
5. George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Online + hybrid or in-person options
Cost: $1,299 + $25 application fee; Up to 100% financial aid offered
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: December 8 – February 15
Eligibility: Remote + In-person/hybrid (computer labs): High school students (15+); In-person/hybrid (wet labs): High school students (16+)
As part of the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program, you will spend 8 weeks working closely with George Mason University’s faculty on various research projects. This can include research in computer science fields such as cybersecurity, digital innovation, or natural language processing. During the program, you will learn to use professional tools, enhance your technical skills, and improve your research techniques. You will also have the opportunity to attend career panels that will introduce you to the various career paths available to those who pursue a STEM major.
6. Kode With Klossy Summer Camps
Location: Online + In-person options
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: 2 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Young women and gender-expansive teens (ages 13-18) from all over the world
Kode With Klossy hosts two-week summer camps for students interested in coding and STEM. With no prior experience required, your classes will focus on one of the program’s four tracks. These include Web Development, where you learn to build a website using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, and Mobile App, which teaches you Apple’s programming language, Swift. You can also participate in the Machine Learning track, which focuses on artificial intelligence and ML, and the Data Science track, which teaches you to analyze data with SQL, Python, and data visualization tools.
7. Girls Who Code: Pathways
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 29 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 27 (early); April 10 (general)
Eligibility: Girls and non-binary rising 9th-12th graders and graduating 12th graders (ages 14-18)
The Girls Who Code Pathways program offers you the chance to learn a particular computer science track, with options ranging from game design and data science to AI, cybersecurity, and web development. During the program, you will spend six to seven weeks working on a project within your chosen track. The program will also allow you to participate in corporate partner events, career panels, advisor-led workshops, and other educational events. It equips you with both computer and problem-solving skills.
8. University of Michigan’s Python for Everybody Specialization
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free to audit
Dates: Flexible; 2 months at 10 hours a week
Application Deadline: Open all year round
Eligibility: High school students
If you want to learn Python from scratch and don't know where to get started, consider this self-paced course. It will teach you some of the important aspects of programming, such as data structures, networked application programming interfaces, and databases, using Python. You will use this newly acquired knowledge to complete a capstone project in which you have to retrieve, process, and visualize data using Python. Moreover, by the end of the program, you will be familiar with tools such as Extensible Markup Language (XML), JSON, RESTful API, and Relational Databases in addition to Python Programming.
9. UCLA Extension: Computer Science
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Vary by the course
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students
Aiming to make UCLA’s curriculum more accessible, this initiative offers free courses across various fields, including computer science. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to learn software development and programming that runs certain applications, the impact that AI and ML models have in other industries, how large-scale data is analyzed using computers, and more. Depending on the course, you will also explore topics such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, blockchain, and others. You can choose from courses like Cybersecurity, Data Science, Agentic AI and Autonomous Systems, and more.
10. UC Merced High School Internship Program
Location: Online + In-person options
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: 12 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Early March or the second week of April
Eligibility: High school students from the Central Valley and the Bay Area
Initiated by an engineering and computer science professor at UC Merced, the UC Merced High School Internship Program introduces you to software development and research within the computer science field. As a participant, you will get to contribute to active research projects in fields like computer science, cognitive science, virtual reality, applied artificial intelligence, and more. Previous participants have worked on projects involving gestural interaction, stress detection, personal assistants, emotion recognition, and so on. You would be expected to work 20 hours per week and will receive a certificate of completion upon completion of the internship.
11. HarvardX: CS50's Introduction to Cybersecurity
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: 5 weeks
Application Deadline: Open all year round
Eligibility: High school students
This introductory course on cybersecurity teaches you how to protect your personal computer and its data from phishing, brute-force, dictionary, buffer-overflow, and other cyberattacks. The online class will cover both low-risk and high-risk threats that you need to be aware of. You will also learn to identify the threats your device may be prone to in the future. The course focuses on equipping you with the knowledge to keep your computer protected while ensuring it remains user-friendly. By the end, you will become familiar with terms such as secure deletion, full-disk encryption, public-key encryption, and more.
12. CyberSpartans Summer Camp
Location: Online
Cost: Free for students from low-income backgrounds; $250 for others
Dates: July 7 – 11
Application Deadline: June (tentatively)
Eligibility: High school students from the Tampa Bay area
The University of Tampa offers cybersecurity summer camps for high school students that cover fundamental cybersecurity concepts and both offensive and defensive aspects of the field. For five days, you will participate in various activities that will enhance your understanding of Linux, computer networking, web security, open-source intelligence, encryption, and passwords. You will also get to explore career prospects in cybersecurity and the competitions you can participate in.
13. Beaver Works Summer Institute @ MIT
Location: Online + In-person options
Cost: Free for students with a household income of $200,000; $2,400 for others
Dates: February 2 – June 19 (online course); July 6 – August 1/2 (summer program)
Application Deadline: The prerequisite online course opens in December; The summer institute: March 2 – 30
Eligibility: Rising 12th graders who live or attend a high school in the U.S.
MIT's Beaver Works Summer Institute lets you dive into advanced computer science topics, including artificial intelligence, satellite technology, and more, through workshops and projects. It also engages you in research activities where you find solutions to problems that occur in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, and other tech areas. By participating in the activities in this program's curriculum, you will also develop your critical thinking and teamwork skills, which are vital in STEM.
14. HarvardX: CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python
Location: Online
Cost: Free; $299 to earn a certificate
Dates: Self-paced over 7 weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students; Prior Python programming experience required
Conducted by Harvard University faculty, this online course teaches you the fundamentals of AI using programming in Python and the machine learning tools used in AI. You’ll get to work on projects where you’ll explore topics like search algorithms, optimization, neural networks, machine learning, and natural language processing. Some of the projects you can expect to do include building a system for handwriting recognition or game-playing. Overall, the curriculum includes both theoretical and practical sessions to ensure you gain an in-depth understanding of AI.
15. Veritas AI
Location: Online
Cost: Varies; Full financial aid is available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students looking to get started in 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 have the opportunity to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students have the opportunity 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. You can also check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
Image source - NASA Logo