13 Camps for High School Students in Colorado
If you are looking for a focused way to explore your interests this summer without committing to a long or expensive pre-college program, consider participating in a camp. Camps can give you direct exposure to a field you’re curious about, whether that means practicing clinical skills, building a prototype, writing, studying the brain, developing a business pitch, or working in a studio. As camps are usually shorter and more concentrated than other opportunities, they can be your chance to quickly test a subject while still building practical skills. At camp, you may learn from faculty, professionals, mentors, and college students who share your interests. These connections can help you ask better questions, explore potential majors, and leave with experience you can build on after the camp ends.
Why should you attend a camp in Colorado?
Colorado has a strong mix of camps for high school students, offering learning experiences across a range of fields. In the state, universities and organizations run camps and short camp-like programs in biomedicine, veterinary science, bioengineering, neuroscience, architecture, creative writing, arts and media, business, and technology. You may spend a few days or a couple of weeks designing a medical device, touring research labs, practicing healthcare skills, building an app, analyzing a business case, experimenting with neuroscience techniques, or developing creative work with feedback from experienced instructors. These camps are useful for both local and out-of-state students seeking a focused experience.
To simplify your search, we have put together a list of 13 camps for high school students in Colorado.
If you’re looking for programs in Colorado, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These camps span biomedical research, bioengineering, neuroscience, veterinary science, architecture, arts and media, business, and AI, so high school students with a wide range of interests can find a relevant option in Colorado.
Several programs are free, including CU Boulder's Business Leadership Program, CSU's IT in Business Program, and CSU's First Generation Business Summit, while others, such as BOLT Camp, SciVet, and LYNX Arts and Media Camps, offer scholarships for eligible students.
Programs range from one-day architecture workshops to ten-day business intensives (CSU Global Business Academy), with most camps running between four days and two weeks, making them accessible for students who want a focused experience without a long summer commitment.
Application deadlines vary from February (CSU SciVet) to rolling admissions, with several programs, such as CU Biomedical Bootcamp and CU Science Discovery camps, closing in late May or early June, so students should begin researching options in the winter.
1. University of Colorado Science Discovery: Biomedical Research Bootcamp
Location: CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Cost: $1,200 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 – 12
Application deadline: May 22
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 – 12
This camp for high school students in Colorado offers an opportunity to explore core practices in biomedical science, with an emphasis on laboratory techniques, research design, and scientific documentation. You will learn about research under faculty guidance, focusing on how experiments are planned, recorded, and evaluated in a structured lab environment. The program also helps you understand how biomedical research connects to larger questions in medicine, healthcare, and scientific discovery. Visits to research facilities will give you exposure to the equipment, methods, and professional settings used by working scientists. Additionally, you will explore research ethics and the importance of accuracy when collecting and interpreting data. The experience will conclude with the completion of an original research proposal, allowing you to apply what you have learned to a focused scientific question.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type; financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12 – 15-week cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Rolling enrollment; deadlines vary by cohort: Fall (September), Spring (January), Summer (May), and Winter (November). You can find more details and apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students; AI Fellowship with Publication and Showcase accepts previous AI Scholars participants or those with some experience working with AI or Python.
Veritas AI, started and run by Harvard graduate students, offers various online programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. If you are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science, you can choose the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, you will learn about the fundamentals of AI and data science and work on real-world projects. Another track for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. During this program, you will get a chance to work 1-on-1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A key feature of this program is that it offers you the support of an in-house publication team to help you secure publications in high school journals. You can check out examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. University of Colorado Denver’s Bioengineering Opportunities and Leadership Training (BOLT) Camp
Location: CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Cost: $1,075; limited scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 35 students/session
Dates: June 8 – 11 | June 15 – 18 | June 22 – 25
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10 – 12 in the fall
BOLT Camp gives you a hands-on introduction to biomedical engineering, especially how engineering tools can be used to solve problems in medicine and healthcare. You will work in teams to design, build, test, and improve a prototype, practicing technical problem-solving and collaboration. This camp for high school students in Colorado combines engineering principles with exposure to clinical and laboratory environments, giving you a broader view of what bioengineers actually do. Activities such as 3D printing, lab tours, prototype development, and tissue engineering will help you connect classroom science to practical design challenges. A core part of the camp is learning how empathy must help engineering decisions, especially when designing for people with disabilities or medical needs.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote! You can participate in the program from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies by program type; full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, spring, and winter. Options range from 12 weeks to one year.
Application deadline: Varies based on cohort
Eligibility: Students enrolled in high school who demonstrate strong academic performance
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous program tailored for high school students. It offers extensive one-on-one research opportunities across a broad range of subjects that you can explore as a high school student. The program will pair you with Ph.D. mentors to work one-on-one on a research project. At the end, you will have developed an independent research paper! You can choose from areas such as physics, math, computer science, data science, engineering, chemistry, psychology, international relations, economics, and more. You can learn more about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. University of Colorado Denver’s LYNX National Arts & Media Camps
Location: CU Denver College of Arts & Media campus, Denver
Cost: One-week commuter camps $650 | Two-week camps — Commuter-only: $1,300; Commuter-Plus: $1,800; Residential: $2,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~260 – 300 students/year
Dates: June 8 – 12 (one-week commuter camps) | June 14 – 26 (two-week Music Industry program) | July 12 – 24 (two-week Animation, Filmmaking, and Visual Immersive Art camps)
Application deadline: Priority deadline: March 15; Final deadline: May 15 (late applications considered through June 1)
Eligibility: High school students ages 14 – 18 who have completed 8th grade and have not yet started college; students who have completed 12th grade are accepted in some cases.
The LYNX National Arts & Media Camps give you an intensive introduction to creative fields such as animation, music, filmmaking, photography, comic design, recording arts, and visual media. You will work in studios, labs, and performance spaces while learning from faculty, artists, and professionals with experience in the field. These camps for high school students in Colorado emphasize hands-on production, so you are not just studying creative work but actively building, recording, designing, performing, or presenting it. Depending on your track, you may complete individual projects, collaborate with peers, or receive feedback on your artistic process. Guest artists and faculty interactions will also help you understand how creative skills translate into college majors and career paths.
6. University of Colorado Denver’s Architecture in the City Camps
Location: CU Denver’s College of Architecture & Planning campus, Denver, CO
Cost: Day camp: $750 | Overnight camp: $2,000 | One-day workshop: $120
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Day Camp: June 8 – 12 | Overnight Camp: June 20 – 27 | One-day workshop dates TBA
Application deadline: Rolling; scholarship deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Students entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school; recent high school graduates also may apply
Architecture in the City camps introduce you to key aspects of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and city planning through studio-based work and design-build projects. You will practice sketching, model building, spatial thinking, and working with architectural design tools over the course of a day or a week. This camp for high school students in Colorado is designed to help you see how designers approach materials, sustainability, public space, and movement, and how people interact with buildings and cities. Working with faculty, practitioners, and teaching assistants will give you a clearer sense of how architecture is taught at the college level. Site visits and exposure to design firms or project spaces will help connect your studio work to professional practice.
7. CU Boulder’s Business Leadership Program
Location: Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 21 – 27
Application deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Students from underrepresented backgrounds, students of color, and first-generation high school students entering their senior year and incoming Leeds first-year students; priority will be given to Colorado residents and students enrolled in a Colorado high school
The Business Leadership Program is a week-long experience that introduces you to the world of business through a case competition centered on real-world problem-solving. You will work in teams to analyze a challenge, develop a strategy, and present your proposed solution in a format similar to what business students and professionals often use. The program also offers you exposure to areas such as marketing, leadership, communication, and customer-focused decision-making. Through faculty guidance and interaction with business professionals, you will explore how business theory connects to actual organizations. Winning teams earn a $1,000 scholarship to Leeds School of Business.
8. Colorado State University’s SciVet
Location: Colorado State University (CSU), Fort Collins, CO
Cost: $1,800 (residential) | $1,200 (commuter); scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 21 students
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application deadline: February 6
Eligibility: High school students, ages 15 and up, by program start
This camp for high school students in Colorado offers you a close look at veterinary medicine through a mix of lab work, field investigations, demonstrations, and scientific discussions. You will explore topics in animal health, as well as ecology, environmental science, research methods, and professional veterinary practice. Activities may include wildlife research, water quality testing, examination of native species, equine-assisted therapy, dendrochronology, and integrative veterinary medicine. The program’s field-based components will help you see how veterinary science is not limited to clinics; it also intersects with conservation, public health, agriculture, and ecosystems. Faculty, staff, and guest experts will guide you through investigations that use real scientific tools and data collection methods.
9. CSU’s IT in Business
Location: CSU College of Business, Fort Collins, CO
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Five days in the summer
Application deadline: Typically in May
Eligibility: Colorado high school students
The IT in Business Summer Business Program explores how technology is changing the way companies operate, compete, and solve problems. You will engage in hands-on activities such as app creation, robotics, cybersecurity games, data visualization, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence over the course of five days. In the process, you will explore how digital tools support decision-making, entrepreneurship, operations, and innovation. Faculty-led sessions will help you understand how information systems are used in real organizations and why technical literacy matters in modern business careers. The hands-on format also lets you practice creative thinking, troubleshoot problems, and work with peers on applied challenges.
10. CSU’s Global Business Academy
Location: Colorado State University’s College of Business, Fort Collins, CO
Cost: $3,750; limited scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 12 – 22
Application deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 15 and 18 who continue to be enrolled in high school in the fall
The Global Business Academy is a 10-day program that introduces you to business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation through an applied learning experience. You will work on team-based challenges that require negotiation, decision-making, cross-cultural communication, and creative problem-solving. Faculty sessions, workshops, company tours, and conversations with executives will help you understand how global organizations operate and make strategic choices. The program also focuses on sustainability, ethics, and entrepreneurship, encouraging you to think about how business can respond to real-world needs. Through activities such as startup-style challenges and leadership exercises, you will practice presenting ideas clearly and working with peers from different backgrounds.
11. CU Science Discovery: Neuroscience
Location: CU Boulder’s Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building, Boulder, CO
Cost: $650
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 8 – 12 | July 6 – 10
Application deadline: May 29 (June session) | June 26 (July session)
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 12
CU Science Discovery’s Neuroscience camp is designed for high school students in Colorado interested in the brain and nervous system. Through experiments, lab activities, demonstrations, and research-focused discussions, you examine how anatomy, physiology, genetics, development, behavior, sensation, learning, memory, and brain plasticity all connect within neuroscience. Hands-on work may include mini-experiments, DNA extraction, electrophysiology simulations, neuroanatomy activities, and dissections that help make complex concepts more concrete. Guest presentations and lab tours will highlight how neuroscientists investigate questions about the brain in professional research settings. The camp will also encourage you to think critically about how evidence is collected and interpreted in studies of behavior and biology.
12. CU Science Discovery: Medical Student Experience
Location: CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Cost: $650; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – 19
Application deadline: June 5; scholarship applications deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 – 12
The Medical Student Experience gives you a structured introduction to the academic and clinical sides of medicine. You will participate in supervised labs and demonstrations that may cover skills such as suturing, injections, physical exams, casting, ultrasound, anatomy, and diagnostic reasoning. Interactions with medical students, faculty, and healthcare professionals will provide insight into training pathways, medical school preparation, and different healthcare careers. Research presentations will also show how scientific discovery supports clinical decision-making and advances in medicine.
13. First Generation Business Summit @ Colorado State University
Location: CSU College of Business, Fort Collins, CO
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 20 – 25
Application deadline: April 21
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and recent graduates who will be first-generation college students
The First Generation Business Summit offers you an introduction to business, college life, and professional networking through a supportive, team-based format. You explore areas such as marketing, finance, management, design, operations, and entrepreneurship while working on a business case project/challenge. The case competition will require you to research a problem, develop a solution, and present your idea to an audience, helping you practice analysis and communication. Company visits, faculty sessions, and interactions with business leaders will demonstrate how business concepts are applied in real-world organizations. Mentorship from current students will give you a clearer view of the college search process and the experience of being a first-generation student in a business school setting.
Frequently asked questions
1. What camps are available for high school students in Colorado?
Options include biomedical and health science camps, such as CU Biomedical Research Bootcamp, BOLT Camp, and CU Medical Student Experience, veterinary and environmental science camps, such as CSU SciVet, arts and media camps, such as LYNX National Arts and Media Camps, architecture and design camps, such as CU Denver's Architecture in the City, neuroscience camps, such as CU Science Discovery Neuroscience, and business camps, such as CU Boulder's Business Leadership Program, CSU Global Business Academy, and CSU First Generation Business Summit.
2. Are there free camps for high school students in Colorado?
Yes, CU Boulder's Business Leadership Program, CSU's IT in Business Program, and CSU's First Generation Business Summit are all free. Several other programs, such as CSU SciVet, BOLT Camp, and CU Denver Architecture camps, offer scholarships, and Lumiere and Veritas AI offer need-based financial aid.
3. Which Colorado camps are best for students interested in medicine or health sciences?
Students interested in medicine or health sciences might consider CU Biomedical Research Bootcamp for an introduction to lab techniques and research design, BOLT Camp for biomedical engineering and prototype development, CU Science Discovery Medical Student Experience for supervised clinical skills and anatomy, and CU Science Discovery Neuroscience for brain science, electrophysiology, and neuroanatomy.
4. When should I apply to camps for high school students in Colorado?
The earliest deadline is CSU SciVet (February 6), followed by CU Boulder's Business Leadership Program (March 13) and CSU First Generation Business Summit (April 21). Several camps, such as CU Biomedical Bootcamp (May 22) and CU Science Discovery programs (late May to late June), have later deadlines, but students should begin researching options in the winter to stay ahead of scholarship deadlines, which often close earlier than general applications.