15 Camps for High School Students in Illinois
If you are a high school student interested in exploring a future academic or career path, camps can be an effective way to gain focused experience in a subject outside the classroom. These programs often provide learning through projects, workshops, simulations, and applied activities that help you build practical skills and explore your interest in a field. Depending on the camp, you may develop experience in areas such as engineering design, coding, healthcare, finance, legal studies, game development, filmmaking, or advanced mathematics. Many camps also allow you to learn from instructors, professionals, and mentors working in those fields while collaborating with peers who share similar interests.
Why should you attend a camp in Illinois?
Illinois is home to a wide range of summer camps for high school students across academic, technical, and career-focused disciplines. The state’s offerings include camps hosted by major universities such as the University of Illinois, DePaul University, and Southern Illinois University, as well as camps run by independent organizations, law firms, and nonprofit educational groups. This range gives you access to both university-based academic enrichment and specialized field-specific camps, depending on your goals.
To make your search easier, here is a list of 15 camps for high school students in Illinois.
If you’re looking for science programs in Illinois, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
Several programs are free, including Argonne National Laboratory Big Data Camp, Midwestern University Health Careers Institute, Invest for Kids at DePaul University, Kode With Klossy Summer Camps, and select SIUE camps, making Illinois a strong state for no-cost academic enrichment across a wide range of fields.
Programs span a wide range of disciplines including data science and AI (Argonne Big Data Camp, Veritas AI, Kode With Klossy), cybersecurity (Illinois Tech Bootcamp, UIUC Grainger camps), healthcare and medicine (Midwestern University, SIU Pathways to Saluki Medicine, Rural Health Careers Camp), finance and investing (Invest for Kids at DePaul), engineering (UIUC Grainger, UIC Engineering), game development (Jarvis at DePaul), legal studies (Saper Law Immersion), and competition mathematics (MathCON).
Several programs are hosted on major Illinois university campuses, including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois Chicago, DePaul University, Southern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, and Illinois Tech, giving students direct access to university faculty and research environments.
Students looking for programs specifically designed for underrepresented groups can apply to Kode With Klossy (for young women and gender-expansive teens), Rural Health Careers Camp (for students from rural Illinois communities), and Jarvis Game Dev Camp (offering full scholarships), all of which prioritize access and inclusion.
Deadlines for competitive programs are concentrated between March and June, with UIUC Grainger, Kode With Klossy, and Argonne Big Data Camp closing March 31 and April 29, respectively, so students should begin identifying programs in the winter and apply to March and April deadline programs first.
1. Argonne National Laboratory’s Big Data Camp
Location: Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Up to 30 students
Dates: July 20 – 24
Application deadline: April 29
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors who can arrange their own transport to and from Argonne’s Lemont, IL campus | Must have basic coding experience in a computer language such as C, Python, Java, etc.
Argonne National Laboratory’s Big Data Camp is a free five-day summer camp that introduces high school juniors and seniors to the fundamentals of data science and its applications in scientific research. You will work with professional research data and tools from Argonne National Laboratory to explore scientific questions and uncover patterns within real datasets. Led by scientists from Argonne’s Leadership Computing Facility, the camp will provide exposure to professionals in computational research and help you build skills in formulating research questions, analyzing data, and creating visualizations. The program is designed for students with basic coding experience who are new to data science and want an introduction to how data analysis is used in scientific problem-solving.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12–15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application deadline: Rolling. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here
Eligibility: High school students. 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 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.
3. Midwestern University’s Health Careers Institute – IL
Location: Midwestern University, Downers Grove campus, IL
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – 17
Application deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors
Health Careers Institute is a free five-day summer program for current high school juniors and seniors interested in exploring a range of healthcare professions. Held on Midwestern University’s Downers Grove campus, the program will introduce you to fields such as osteopathic medicine, physician assistant studies, pharmacy, dental medicine, physical therapy, optometry, occupational therapy, and public health through structured workshops and career exploration sessions. You will participate in interactive, hands-on activities, including human anatomy labs, dental simulation, osteopathic medicine skills workshops, vital signs and physical exam training, and other clinical sessions across different health disciplines. Throughout the program, you will learn directly from mentors and healthcare educators about professional pathways in medicine and allied health fields.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Approximately 12.5%
Program dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
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. 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 psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. Illinois Tech’s Elevate College Prep’s Overnight Programs – Cybersecurity Bootcamp
Location: Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus in Chicago, IL
Cost: $1,500
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 27 – 31
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: High school students aged 15 and above
The Cybersecurity Bootcamp is an overnight summer program for high school students that’ll introduce you to the fundamentals of cybersecurity and let you experience college campus life. Through hands-on learning and collaborative activities, you will study topics such as network security, ethical hacking, threat analysis, and incident response. The program will include simulated real-world cybersecurity scenarios in which you’ll apply defensive techniques and practice assessing vulnerabilities in digital systems. You will also participate in broader campus activities while staying overnight on Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus in Chicago throughout the camp.
6. Summer Camps at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE)
Location: Most camps take place at SIUE, Edwardsville, IL (check individual camp pages here to verify location before applying)
Cost: Varies by camp (some camps are available free of cost; check individual camp pages here for more information)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by camp; check here
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to high school students; grade levels, age, and other eligibility requirements may vary based on the camp
SIUE offers a broad collection of summer camps for high school students across academic, creative, athletic, and career-focused disciplines. You can choose from programs in areas such as engineering, healthcare, pharmacy, filmmaking, writing, music, soccer, and college or career readiness, depending on your interests. Each camp differs in structure, but many include hands-on learning activities such as laboratory experiments, design contests, creative projects, rehearsals, workshops, or sport-specific training sessions. Some camps also provide opportunities to work with university faculty, healthcare professionals, coaches, or other subject-matter experts. Depending on the camp, you may also participate in performance showcases, overnight residential experiences, or field trips as part of the curriculum.
7. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Grainger Engineering Summer Camps
Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
Cost: $1,500 + $25 deposit (Residential) | $750 + $25 deposit (Commuter)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: ~25–40%; the exact acceptance rate varies by camp
Dates: Varies by camp
Application deadline: March 31 (priority deadline)
Eligibility: Open to high school students; eligible grade levels can vary based on the camp (check individual camp pages here)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Grainger Engineering Summer Camps are weeklong programs for middle and high school students interested in exploring engineering. You can choose from camps such as Exploring Your Options, which’ll introduce multiple engineering disciplines, or specialized camps focused on areas such as aerospace engineering, bioengineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and quantum science. Throughout the program, you will participate in engineering projects, demonstrations, lab activities, and classroom sessions related to your selected field of study. The camps will also include research lab tours and opportunities to interact with university faculty, researchers, and engineering students, providing exposure to current work taking place in the Grainger College of Engineering. Camp sessions will conclude with closing ceremonies that showcase campers’ work and highlight the projects completed during the week.
8. Invest for Kids Summer Investment Challenge at DePaul University
Location: DePaul's Lincoln Park and Loop campuses in Chicago, IL
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 20 students per cohort
Dates: Session 1: July 27 – 31 and Session 2: August 3 – 7 (tentative; based on previous years)
Application deadline: June 1 (tentative; based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school students
Invest for Kids Summer Investment Challenge at DePaul University is a week-long residential program that introduces high school students to the academic and practical foundations of finance through coursework and industry-based experiences. You will attend seminar sessions covering topics such as financial markets, assets, financial instruments, valuation principles, and financial theory to gain insight into what studying finance at the university level can involve. The program will also include visits to finance companies, guest lecturers from industry professionals, and workshops focused on Excel, Bloomberg terminals, and financial data analysis. At the conclusion of the program, you will develop and pitch a stock proposal to finance professionals and receive feedback on your presentation and analysis. Through its combination of classroom instruction, technical workshops, and exposure to professionals in the field, the program will provide an overview of both finance education and investment-related career paths.
9. UIC Engineering Summer Camp (Track 3)
Location: University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $500 (discounts available for children of UIC employees)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Five subgroups of up to 30 students each
Dates: July 27 – 31
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
UIC Engineering Summer Camp (Track 3) is a weeklong engineering program for rising 10th–12th grade students that introduces you to college-level engineering through applied projects and collaborative problem-solving. During the camp, you will explore five engineering topic areas over five days and complete more than 15 hands-on projects based on concepts developed in UIC engineering research labs. Activities may involve coding, robotics, biomechanics, and other engineering challenges completed in small teams, allowing you to practice technical and collaborative problem-solving skills. The camp will also help you build engineering skills such as experimental design, data analysis, solution evaluation, and technical communication. In addition to project work, you will receive college preparation guidance and participate in campus and laboratory tours to learn more about engineering study at the university level.
10. Pathways to Saluki Medicine at Southern Illinois University (SIU)
Location: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
Cost: $375 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 31 – June 5
Application deadline: Rolling; registration opens on March 16
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Pathways to Saluki Medicine is a five-day overnight summer camp for high school students interested in medicine, healthcare, or biomedical science. Hosted by the SIU School of Medicine’s Physiology Department, the camp will introduce you to medical education through hands-on experiences in anatomy, physiology, and clinical skills training. During the camp, you will participate in CPR and first aid training, analyze medical case studies using the sample problem-based learning approach employed by SIU’s medical and physician assistant programs, and tour facilities such as the cadaver anatomy lab and technical and research laboratories. You will also interact with physicians, research scientists, faculty, and current undergraduate, graduate, and medical students to learn about different careers in medicine and the pathways to pursue them. The residential format of the camp will allow you to stay on campus throughout the week while participating in evening recreation and group activities with fellow students.
11. Jarvis Game Dev Summer Camp
Location: DePaul University Loop Campus, Chicago, IL
Cost: $450 (full scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 20 – 24
Application deadline: June 20
Eligibility: High school students who have completed their freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior years
Jarvis Game Dev Summer Camp at DePaul University is a game development program for high school students that introduces you to the process of designing and building games using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). Held in DePaul’s Jarvis Innovation Center, the camp will provide hands-on instruction in creating playable experiences within the Fortnite platform while exploring core areas of game development. You will study topics such as game design, character art, level design, and animation as part of the curriculum. The program will be taught by staff from DePaul’s Instruction Game and Innovation Lab and include guest speakers from the video game industry, giving you exposure to professionals working in game development. Participants will also complete projects for a final showcase and receive a certificate of completion at the end of the camp.
12. MathCON Summer Camp
Location: Loyola Water Tower Campus, Chicago, IL
Cost: $2,400 ($800 scholarships available for MathCON Online Test participants)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – 19
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–12
MathCON Summer Camp is a one-week intensive mathematics program for middle and high school students interested in exploring advanced math concepts beyond the standard school coursework. During the camp, you will study higher-level topics such as number theory, algebra, geometry, combinatorics, and mathematical problem-solving through focused coursework led by experienced instructors. The curriculum is designed to strengthen both your conceptual understanding of mathematical theory and your problem-solving skills applicable to any field of study. In addition, the camp will include preparation relevant to AMC 8, AMC 10, and AMC 12 competitions, making it suitable for students seeking structured competition training alongside broader mathematical study.
13. Rural Health Careers Camp
Location: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
Cost: $150 per camper
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Up to 50 students
Dates: June 29 – July 1
Application deadline: Opens in January
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores, or junior who live and attend school in a rural community (25,000 or less population) | Preference will be given to underclassmen and incoming freshman students from the following counties: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Henderson, Henry, JoDaviess, Knox, LaSalle, Lee, Mercer, Ogle, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Stephenson, Warren, Whiteside and Winnebago (high school seniors and students living outside these countied will be considered based on availability)
Rural Health Careers Camp is a three-day overnight program for high school students interested in learning about careers in healthcare, particularly in rural health settings. The camp will introduce you to a variety of healthcare professions through at least 15 hands-on activities and lab sessions designed to simulate different areas of healthcare work. You will learn directly from practicing healthcare providers through discussions and Q&A sessions about their careers, while also interacting with camp counselors who are current health professions students. The residential format will allow you to stay in a university residence hall and experience college campus life during the camp. In addition to healthcare-focused activities, the camp will include career workshops, guest speakers, and team-building sessions that’ll give you opportunities to collaborate with other students interested in health professions.
14. Kode With Klossy Summer Camps
Location: Virtual or in-person sessions in several cities across the world, including Chicago, IL
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 17 (Chicago session); there will be multiple virtual camps held throughout the summer
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Young women and gender expansive teens ages 13–18 who feel comfortable learning in a female-identifying environment
Kode With Klossy Summer Camps are free two-week coding programs for students aged 13–18 who want to build foundational programming and technology skills. Depending on placement and availability, you will complete one of several coding-focused curricula in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science, or web development. In the AI/ML track, you may study algorithms, datasets, natural language processing, and chatbot development using Python, while the data science curriculum may focus on SQL, Python, and data visualization. The web development curriculum may teach you how to build dynamic websites using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS while introducing you to concepts such as responsive design and accessibility. Camps will be co-taught by licensed educators with instructional assistants and also include speaker series featuring women working in tech fields.
15. Saper Law Immersion Program
Location: Saper Law Offices, Chicago, IL
Cost: $875 (need-based scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 40 students
Dates: August 10 – 14
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to high school students
The Saper Law Immersion Program is a weeklong legal education program for high school and college students that introduces them to the legal profession through practical coursework and professional exposure. The curriculum will include negotiation and legal writing exercises, mock legal proceedings, and case studies centered on entertainment, business, internet, and technology-related law. You will learn directly from practicing attorneys at Saper Law as well as guest speakers from law firms, government agencies, startups, nonprofits, and the court system. The program will also include field trips to legal and professional workplaces, allowing you to observe different legal environments firsthand. Additional activities, such as LSAT practice and personal statement workshops, will provide further insight into legal education pathways and law school preparation.
Frequently asked questions
What types of camps are available for high school students in Illinois?
Options include data science and research camps (Argonne Big Data Camp), AI and machine learning programs (Veritas AI, Kode With Klossy), cybersecurity bootcamps (Illinois Tech, UIUC Grainger), healthcare and medicine camps (Midwestern University, SIU Pathways to Saluki Medicine, Rural Health Careers Camp), engineering programs (UIUC Grainger, UIC Engineering), finance and investing programs (Invest for Kids at DePaul), game development camps (Jarvis at DePaul), legal studies programs (Saper Law Immersion), and competition math camps (MathCON).
Are there free camps for high school students in Illinois?
Yes, several programs are free. Argonne National Laboratory Big Data Camp, Midwestern University Health Careers Institute, Invest for Kids at DePaul, and Kode With Klossy are all free to attend. Select SIUE summer camps are also offered at no cost. Programs like Lumiere, Veritas AI, Jarvis Game Dev, and Saper Law Immersion charge fees but offer scholarships or financial aid for eligible students.
Which Illinois camps are best for students interested in healthcare or medicine?
Midwestern University Health Careers Institute is a free five-day program covering osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, physical therapy, and more through hands-on clinical workshops. SIU Pathways to Saluki Medicine includes cadaver lab tours, CPR training, and case-based learning modeled on medical school methods. Rural Health Careers Camp is a residential program for students from rural Illinois communities interested in health professions, with at least 15 hands-on healthcare activities.
Which camps are best for students interested in technology and computer science?
Argonne National Laboratory Big Data Camp introduces students to scientific data analysis and visualization using professional research tools. Illinois Tech Cybersecurity Bootcamp covers network security, ethical hacking, and threat analysis. Kode With Klossy offers free two-week coding camps in AI and machine learning, data science, or web development. UIUC Grainger camps include specialized tracks in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum science.
Are there Illinois camps specifically for girls or underrepresented students?
Kode With Klossy is specifically designed for young women and gender expansive teens ages 13 to 18 and is free to attend. Rural Health Careers Camp prioritizes students from rural communities in specific Illinois counties who may have limited access to healthcare career exposure. Jarvis Game Dev at DePaul offers full scholarships for students with financial need.
When should I apply to camps for high school students in Illinois?
UIUC Grainger Engineering Camps and Kode With Klossy both close March 31. Argonne Big Data Camp closes April 29. Midwestern University Health Careers Institute closes April 1. Invest for Kids at DePaul and Jarvis Game Dev both have June deadlines. SIU Pathways to Saluki Medicine and UIC Engineering accept rolling applications. Students should begin researching in the winter and prioritize March and April deadline programs before the spring semester ends.
Tyler Moulton is Head of Academics and Veritas AI Partnerships with 6 years of experience in education consulting, teaching, and astronomy research at Harvard and the University of Cambridge, where they developed a passion for machine learning and artificial intelligence. Tyler is passionate about connecting high-achieving students to advanced AI techniques and helping them build independent, real-world projects in the field of AI.