12 Chemistry Summer Camps for High School Students
If you’re a high school student who enjoys chemistry, a summer camp can be a strong option to deepen that interest in a practical and focused way. Chemistry summer camps give you exposure to lab techniques, experimental design, and problem-solving beyond what most school classrooms can offer. You might work with professional-grade equipment, learn to analyze chemical data, and see how chemistry connects to real industries such as medicine, environmental science, and materials engineering. Along the way, you can also build valuable connections with instructors, researchers, and like-minded peers who share your curiosity about the field.
How are camps different from other programs in high school?
Camps are typically shorter and more focused than broader academic programs or long-term research internships. Instead of covering many subjects, they concentrate on a specific area of chemistry or a closely related field. In a chemistry camp, you might synthesize compounds, test polymers, explore biochemistry in a lab setting, or study environmental samples. These programs often center on projects, guided experiments, and structured lab work that mirror how professional researchers approach challenges.
To help you get started, we’ve narrowed down our list to 12 chemistry summer camps for high school students.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
1. Stanford Inspiring Future Scientists Through Shadowing Program
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: June 15 – 26
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 and live in San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties
The Chemistry Department at Stanford University offers local high school students an opportunity to observe real-world chemistry research through a short-term shadowing experience. During this two-week program, you will follow graduate students and faculty members in active research labs, gaining exposure to different areas of chemistry and the techniques used in ongoing projects. By shadowing multiple researchers, you’ll explore a variety of scientific topics and laboratory methods while observing how experiments are designed and carried out. This experience allows you to observe the daily workflow of a university chemistry department and gain a clearer understanding of what studying and researching chemistry at the college level entails.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; need-based financial aid is available
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including winter, fall, spring, and summer
Application Deadline: Rolling. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: AI Scholars: All high school students | AI Fellowshipapplicants should either have been AI Scholars participants or have some familiarity with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI offers a range of programs designed to introduce and deepen high school students' understanding of artificial intelligence. In the AI Scholars program, you begin by learning Python and foundational data science skills, then move on to explore essential AI concepts such as regression, neural networks, and natural language processing. For those ready to work more independently, the AI Fellowship pairs students with expert mentors who guide them through the design, development, and testing of their own AI research projects in fields such as healthcare, climate change, and finance. Over several weeks, participants build coding expertise, refine research methods, and implement AI models to address real-world challenges.
3. UT Southwestern's Chemistry Camp
Location: UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX
Cost: None
Dates: July 10 –18
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grade 9 who will take sophomore-level chemistry next year
The Chemistry Camp at UT Southwestern Medical Center is a hands-on learning experience that explores the fundamentals of chemistry in an engaging, practical way. Through guided lab sessions and interactive activities, you will strengthen your understanding of key topics, including stoichiometry, chemical reactions, the mole concept, ions, compounds, complex molecules, and thermodynamics. You will also take part in team-building sessions with other students, helping you develop collaboration skills as you prepare for high school chemistry coursework. A highlight of the program is visiting the university’s biochemistry lab, where you will gain exposure to a real research environment and see how chemistry is applied beyond the classroom.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program - Chemistry Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies with program type; financial aid available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students; preferred GPA 3.3+
Lumiere’s Chemistry Track lets you work one-on-one with a PhD mentor to develop an independent research paper. Students can choose topics in areas like organic synthesis, biochemistry, or chemical engineering. While not a typical camp, you follow a structured timeline: you’ll meet with your mentor to align on a topic, explore literature and define your question, draft and refine your paper, and prepare for a final symposium. You’ll learn research fundamentals, including literature review, experimental design, and academic writing. At the graduation ceremony, you’ll present your work, and if you choose the publication track, you continue working with your mentor to submit your research to a high‑school or college‑level journal, a distinctive feature among chemistry programs for high school students.
5. Florida Atlantic University’s Crystal Summer School Camp
Location: Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Boca Raton, FL
Cost: Free
Dates: June 30 – July 3
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–12
Crystal Summer School at Florida Atlantic University is a free, one-week program funded by the National Science Foundation for a small group of middle and high school students. In this camp, you will explore how crystals form and why they are important in subjects like chemistry, physics, engineering, and geology. You will attend short lectures, take part in fun science games, and go on lab tours to see real research spaces. Through hands-on activities such as growing geodes and creating crystal gardens, you will learn about crystallization, environmental impacts, biomineralization, nanotechnology, and how marine organisms build shells and skeletons. You will also use advanced microscopes to study leaves, corals, and mollusk shells up close.
6. University of Washington Materials Camp
Location: UW Seattle Campus, Seattle, WA
Cost: Free
Dates: July 6 – 11
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school sophomores attending high school in the greater Seattle area
At the University of Washington, you can take part in a materials science-focused summer day camp that introduces you to this interdisciplinary field through hands-on learning. During the program, you will participate in demonstrations, lab sessions, and field trips to explore the chemistry and structure of various materials. You will learn how scientists study materials in greater depth, including using advanced tools such as a scanning electron microscope to observe structures at the nanoscale. Throughout the camp, you will also participate in team-based problem-solving activities guided by professional engineers and researchers, gaining insight into how materials science is applied to real-world innovation.
7. CURIE: Catalyzing UR Interest in Chemical Engineering Camp
Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
Cost: Residential (with housing): $1,500 | Commuter (no housing): $750
Dates: July 26 – August 1
Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 (usually rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors).
At the CURIE (Catalyzing UR Interest in Chemical Engineering) Camp at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, you will spend a week exploring how chemistry connects to real-world engineering. Through the WYSE summer programs, you will take part in hands-on experiments, interactive workshops, and guided activities that introduce you to core chemical engineering concepts. You will work in teams to solve problems, learn directly from faculty and current engineering students, and gain insight into how chemical engineers design processes, create products, and improve everyday life. By the end of the camp, you will walk away with stronger critical thinking skills, practical STEM experience, and a clearer understanding of whether chemical engineering could be a path you want to pursue in the future.
8. Chemistry Camp – Bucknell University
Location: Bucknell University,Lewisburg, PA
Cost: $250
Dates: June 13 | June 14
Application deadline: May 3
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10, 11, or 12 by the summer of the camp.
The Chemistry Camp at Bucknell University is a two-day, hands-on experience where high school students entering grades 10–12 will explore real college-level chemistry in action. During the program, you will work in Bucknell’s chemistry laboratories with faculty and current students, participating in experiments and demonstrations across organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry. You will learn how to design and conduct experiments, analyze results, and even present your own scientific demonstration at the end of the camp.
9. Chemistry and Biochemistry Camp – Hillsdale College
Location: Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
Cost: $150Dates: June 21 – 26
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (grades 10–12) interested in science.
The Summer Chemistry and Biochemistry Camp at Hillsdale College is a one-week residential science program for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors that lets you dive into chemistry through hands-on experiments and interactive lessons. During the week, you will work in real labs and explore scientific concepts such as nanotechnology, organic synthesis, chemical dyes, polymers, chromatography, and chemical identification with instrumentation. The camp also gives you a taste of college life by living on campus and collaborating with peers who share your interest in STEM, helping you grow both your scientific skills and your confidence.
10. USA Chemistry Camp
Location: Carmel, IN
Cost: $3500 + $100 registration fee
Dates: July 6 – July 17
Application deadline: June 13
Eligibility: High school students who qualify by performance on the US National Chemistry Olympiad exam (Top 150+)
The USA Chemistry Camp Summer Lab is a two-week, in-person program designed for high school students with a strong background in chemistry who qualify through the US National Chemistry Olympiad. Participants work closely with expert instructors and peers in a fully equipped lab environment, conducting advanced experiments and exploring complex chemical concepts beyond the typical high school curriculum. The program emphasizes developing skills in experimental design, data analysis, and the application of theoretical knowledge, aiming to enhance both practical laboratory skills and scientific thinking.
11. Ohio State University's Summer STEM Camps
Location: The Ohio State University at Marion, Marion, OH
Cost: $185
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application deadline: May 31
Eligibility: Rising freshmen through seniors in high school
The Ohio State University at Marion offers various week-long camps where you explore science and engineering through practical activities and projects. You can work across areas like chemistry, molecular genetics, biology, math, computer science, and engineering under the guidance of faculty mentors. For high school students, the school offers “Science Adventurers: Elements of Discovery” and “Horizons of Science: From Microbes to Megastructures.” You also visit science and technology facilities, giving you practical exposure to how STEM concepts are applied beyond the classroom.
12. Eckerd College Marine Science Program
Location: Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL
Cost: $2,250
Dates: Session I: June 14 – 19 | Session II: June 21 – 26
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 11 and 12 in the fall; selected candidates must pass a pool swim test
This program at Eckerd College targets high school students interested in exploring marine chemistry, geology, and biology through hands-on experiences in real coastal environments. During the week, you conduct experiments in both college laboratories and the field, analyzing seawater composition and examining how human activity influences ocean chemistry. You observe wild dolphins to understand their ecology and behavior, identify seashells along local beaches, study foraging shorebirds, and examine live plankton under a microscope. While this program takes an interdisciplinary approach that includes marine biology and ecology, it places a strong emphasis on marine chemistry, including seawater composition, environmental analysis, and the chemical impacts of human activity on ocean systems.