15 College Programs for High School Students in New York City (NYC)
If you are a high school student looking to experience college-level academics before graduation, pre-college programs can provide an opportunity to explore subjects in a more focused setting. Many programs allow you to take courses, participate in research, develop creative projects, or engage with topics such as engineering, business, medicine, public policy, and the arts alongside faculty and other motivated students. These experiences can help you better understand your academic interests while becoming familiar with the expectations and structure of college learning.
Why should you attend a college program in New York City?
New York City is home to institutions such as Columbia University, New York University, Barnard College, and Fordham University, which offer pre-college programs for high school students. Through these programs, you may take college-level courses, conduct research, develop creative portfolios, explore engineering and STEM subjects, or study topics ranging from public health to entrepreneurship under the guidance of faculty and instructors. Whether you are a local student looking for opportunities nearby or an out-of-state student interested in studying in the city, these programs provide several ways to experience college-level learning before graduation.
In this blog, we've narrowed down to 15 college programs for high school students in New York City.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
1. NYU ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free; students receive a $2,000 stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 – 25 for the remote workshops, followed by the lab experience from July 6 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Current 10th or 11th graders who live in one of the five NYC boroughs
ARISE is a 10-week program that pairs NYC high school students with faculty-led research labs at NYU Tandon. The first four weeks consist of remote evening workshops covering scientific ethics, data analysis, lab safety, research practices, and public speaking, run in partnership with the Irondale Ensemble Project. From July onward, you will work full-time in an NYU lab alongside graduate and postdoctoral researchers on a real, ongoing project spanning fields such as biomedical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, chemical engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering. The program wraps up with a research colloquium where you'll present findings to the NYU community, followed by a poster symposium at the American Museum of Natural History. College advice, financial aid workshops, and one-on-one application writing support are also built into the schedule.
2. Columbia University Engineering the Next Generation (ENG)
Location: Columbia University Fu Foundation School of Engineering, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – August 13
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from the Harlem area who are interested in engineering and the social sciences
ENG is Columbia Engineering's six-week summer research experience for motivated NYC high school students. You will be matched with a Columbia Engineering faculty mentor and embedded in their lab, where you'll conduct hands-on research alongside graduate students and undergraduate researchers. The program runs a multi-level mentorship model, with faculty, grad students, and undergraduates each playing a distinct role in guiding your work. Beyond lab time, the schedule includes a research skills seminar, master classes, college preparation workshops, and a poster symposium at the close of the program. Students who complete the program receive a college letter of recommendation from Columbia Engineering, and high-performing participants may have the opportunity to continue their research into the following academic year. There is also the possibility of publication in the Columbia Research Scholars Journal.
3. Columbia Double Discovery Centre (DDC) Summer Academy
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – August 7
Application Deadline: April 12
Eligibility: Current 9th and 10th graders enrolled in NYC public high schools, with neither parent having graduated from a U.S. college, meeting low-income requirements, with a GPA of 80+
Columbia's DDC Summer Academy is a four-week commuter program that brings eligible NYC public high school students onto the Morningside Heights campus for academic enrichment and college preparation. Coursework covers reading, writing, research skills, and a range of subjects, including literature, history, sociology, and STEM, with academic sessions running Monday through Thursday and Fridays reserved for curated field trips around the city. Beyond academics, the program includes wellness-focused workshops providing social and emotional support throughout the four weeks. Participants have access to Columbia's campus facilities and work with DDC staff and advisors dedicated to college readiness. Because the DDC maintains an ongoing relationship with enrolled students that extends into school-year programming, the Summer Academy is one part of a broader support system rather than a standalone experience.
4. Columbia University Freedom & Citizenship
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Fully funded
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Extremely selective, only 45 students selected per cohort
Dates: June 29 – July 24 for the summer seminar, twice a month from September 3 – May 3 during the academic year
Application deadline: March 30
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who live or attend school in New York City, with priority given to first-generation college-bound students and those from low-income families
Freedom & Citizenship is a year-long commitment that opens with a four-week intensive seminar in July and continues through May of the following year. During the summer, you will study political philosophy at the college level with Columbia faculty, covering thinkers and ideas central to democratic theory and civic life. Cohort sizes are small, and classes are discussion-driven rather than lecture-based, with undergraduate teaching assistants from Columbia College providing academic support throughout both phases of the program. During the academic year, you will develop and carry out an independent advocacy project on a contemporary political issue. College application guidance from Columbia's Double Discovery Center is built into the fall program calendar, alongside mentoring from Columbia College undergraduates.
5. Columbia University Pre-College Summer Immersion (NYC Commuter)
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $6,380 per 3-week session | $2,882 per 1-week session
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – 26 or August 3 – 7 for 1-week sessions | June 29 – July 17 or July 21 – August 7 for 3-week sessions
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12
Columbia's Pre-College Summer Immersion Program allows high school students to take non-credit, college-level courses on Columbia's campus across a wide range of subjects, including architecture, biology, political science, economics, creative writing, engineering, law, mathematics, and technology. Courses are taught by Columbia instructors and follow a rigorous seminar format, with morning and afternoon class sessions running Monday through Friday. The flexibility in duration allows you to fit this program into your summer schedule even with other responsibilities, and Columbia also offers online or residential formats.
6. Columbia SHAPE (Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers)
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $6,241 for commuter | $11,492 for residential
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 24 | July 27 – August 14
Application Deadline: December 22
Eligibility: Current high school students
SHAPE is Columbia Engineering's project-based pre-college program for high school students ready to work at the university level. Each three-week session centers on a college-level engineering course taught by Columbia Engineering faculty, including machine learning and AI, robotics, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, and operations research. You will also enroll in an elective, attend engineering field trips and industry site visits, and take part in college preparation workshops covering academic planning, financial aid, and the engineering career landscape. Students may attend one or both sessions. You will engage with Columbia faculty, staff, industry professionals, and alumni through interactive programming woven throughout each session.
7. NYU Tisch Summer High School Residential Program
Location: Greenwich Village or Brooklyn, New York, NY
Cost: $2,002 per credit
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 5 – August 1
Application Deadline: December 1
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
The Tisch Summer High School Residential Program is a four-week pre-college arts intensive program designed on the Tisch undergraduate curriculum. You will apply to one of nine tracks — Animation, Dance, Drama, Drama: Production & Design, Dramatic Writing, Filmmaking, Game Design, Photography & Imaging, or Recorded Music — and spend the month in intensive daily coursework taught by Tisch faculty. Each track concludes with a final showing, screening, or performance evaluated by faculty, and all participants earn four to six transferable college credits. The program runs at a conservatory pace, with demanding schedules and college-level expectations from day one, making it a thorough introduction to what an arts college is all about.
8. NYU Precollege
Location: New York City, NY, and online
Cost: Varies from $700 – $16,000 for 0–8 credits
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Available in fall, spring, and summer; July 1 – August 12 for the summer cohort
Application Deadline: June 15
Eligibility: Rising 11th or 12th grade students with a minimum 3.0 GPA
NYU Precollege places high school students in NYU undergraduate courses, where they sit in class alongside enrolled NYU students and earn transferable college credits. Over 100 courses are available across arts and media, STEM, humanities, social sciences, and business. Credits earned can be applied toward a future degree at NYU or at most other universities. The experience mirrors actual undergraduate life: you manage your own schedule, access the full range of NYU campus resources, and take part in a summer calendar of organized events and trips around New York City. A College 101 series covering financial aid, essay writing, and the application process runs alongside coursework.
9. Barnard NextGen Leadership Institute
Location: Barnard College, New York, NY
Cost: $8,160 (commuter) | $10,771 (residential)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – July 17 | July 20 – August 7
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
The NextGen Leadership Institute places academics at the center of a three-week summer experience at Barnard. You will choose one of three subject tracks: STEMinist, Writing and Literature, or Global Humanities. In the STEMinist track, coursework involves lab work, data analysis, and field-based science exploration in and around New York City, guided by Barnard faculty and instructors. The Writing and Literature track covers fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and literary criticism, while the Global Humanities track engages with primary sources, political philosophy, art history, and contemporary media. Alongside academic coursework, all students participate in a weekly Leadership in Action series, run by Barnard's Athena Center for Leadership, that introduces practical frameworks for collaboration and community impact. NYC learning experiences, such as museum visits, site tours, and guest speaker sessions, are woven into the curriculum throughout each session.
10. Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP)
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $900 per year
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: September 20 – April 25 on Saturday mornings
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: 10th-12th graders attending a high school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut within a 75-mile radius of Columbia's campus
The Columbia University Science Honors Program is one of the longest-running high school science programs in the country. Instruction is delivered by Columbia scientists and mathematicians who are actively engaged in their own research, with courses ranging from relativistic astrophysics and organic chemistry to quantum physics, neuroscience, and computer programming. Admission requires a two-hour online entrance examination covering algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability, and introductory science. Because the program runs on Saturday mornings throughout the academic year, it rewards students who can commit consistently over a long period rather than just a few summer weeks. You will work through material that goes well beyond the typical high school curriculum and have regular exposure to researchers at the cutting edge of their fields.
11. Barnard Athena Summer Innovation Institute
Location: Barnard College, New York, NY
Cost: $8,160 (commuter) | $10,771 (residential)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – July 17
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
The Athena Summer Innovation Institute is a three-week entrepreneurship boot camp run in collaboration with Barnard's Athena Center for Leadership. Teams work to develop a new venture, such as a startup business, nonprofit, or advocacy campaign, from initial concept through a final pitch. Daily coursework covers product ideation, customer research, branding, marketing, startup finance, and negotiation, taught by a Lead Instructor and a rotating roster of guest speakers who are working entrepreneurs. A Mentor-in-Residence provides targeted coaching throughout the three weeks, and Barnard's Speaking Fellows program supports each team in developing public-speaking and pitch-delivery skills. You will also visit active startups and companies in New York City to see how organizations operate in practice. The program concludes with a "Pitchfest" where all teams present their ventures to peers and receive structured feedback.
12. Cooper Union Summer STEM
Location: Albert Nerken School of Engineering, New York, NY
Cost: $3,150 for 3-week courses, $5,150 for 6-week courses, need-based financial aid available, with priority given to students from New York City public schools, who reside in New York City and its boroughs
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 23 and July 27 – August 13 for 3-week courses | July 6 – August 13 for 6-week courses
Application Deadline: March 22
Eligibility: Current 9th, 10th, and 11th graders
Cooper Union Summer STEM immerses high school students in college-level engineering and computer science. Each 3- or 6-week course is based on material that Cooper Union undergraduates cover in their first or second year, or on active faculty research projects. Past course offerings have included digital systems, circular design and sustainability, computational simulation, robotics, and design and drawing for engineering. You will work in teams throughout, mirroring the collaborative nature of engineering practice, and present real project work by the end of the session.
13. Fordham Summer Leaders Academy
Location: Rose Hill Campus (Bronx) and Lincoln Center Campus (Manhattan), Fordham University, New York, NY
Cost: From $1,418 (1-week commuter, non-credit) to $5,039 (2-week residential, 3-credit)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Immersion 1: June 22–26 | Immersion 2: July 6–16 | Immersion 3: July 20–30
Application Deadline: April 30 for residential | May 1 for commuter
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, though credit-bearing courses are only open to rising seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA
Fordham's Summer Leaders Academy offers one-week and two-week courses across STEM, law and civic engagement, the arts, business, and the social sciences. Offerings include Future Leaders of AI, Cybersecurity, The White Coat and More: Pre-Health Intensive, Your Journey to the Bar: Pre-Law Intensive, Musical Theatre Workshop, New York Exploration of Art History, and Introduction to Clinical Psychology, among others. Afternoons and weekends bring team-building activities, off-campus excursions to museums and landmarks, and sessions on the college application process run by Fordham's undergraduate admissions team. Two-week tracks in Immersions 2 and 3 offer credit-bearing options for rising seniors, with actual grades and transferable credits awarded upon successful completion.
14. Pratt Summer Pre-College Intensive
Location: Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: $5,452 (commuter) | $8,192 (residential)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students ages 16–18
Pratt's four-week Summer PreCollege Intensive places high school students in two college-level studio courses taught by the same faculty who teach Pratt's degree programs. Upon completing the program, you will earn four transferable college credits and receive an official Pratt transcript with a letter grade. Course options span illustration, animation, fashion design, photography, interior design, product design, architecture, painting, and creative writing, among others. Required evening studio hours give you dedicated time to work on assignments with guidance from current Pratt students, and the program also includes visits to cultural sites and working studios across Brooklyn and Manhattan.
15. Barnard College Health and Society Institute
Location: Barnard College, New York, NY
Cost: $8,160 (commuter) | $10,771 (residential)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 20 – August 7
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
The Health and Society Institute takes an interdisciplinary approach to health, medicine, public health, and the social systems that shape them. Rather than treating medicine as a purely scientific field, the program explores how policy, equity, community, and identity affect health outcomes, making it relevant whether your interests lean toward pre-medicine, public health, social work, or policy. Small classes are led by Barnard faculty and instructors, with case studies, guest speakers from clinical and research settings, and field-based learning around New York City built into the curriculum. A weekly Leadership in Action series run by Barnard's Athena Center connects coursework to broader questions of impact and collective action.
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
With Veritas AI, which was founded by Harvard graduate students, you can work 1-on-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we have had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. Check out a past student’s experience in the program here. You can apply here!