15 Computer Science Pre-College Summer Programs for High School Students
Summer computer science pre-college programs allow you to explore technical interests in a focused academic setting. Instead of only learning theory, you may spend time coding, building software, contributing to research, or working on collaborative technical projects. These programs also show how computer science connects to areas such as healthcare, robotics, cybersecurity, and public policy while introducing you to mentors and peers with similar interests.
What are the benefits of a computer science program?
A key benefit is the opportunity to complete structured projects that reflect how computer science is applied in research and industry, such as developing machine learning models or analyzing datasets. Some programs emphasize independent research, guiding you through the process of formulating a question and presenting results, while others focus on team-based software or AI development. Overall, these experiences help you strengthen technical skills and better understand possible academic and career paths in computer science.
To help you compare your options, we’ve narrowed this blog down to 15 computer science pre-college summer programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online STEM programs, check out our blog here.
1. Research Science Institute
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~2.5% applicants selected; 100 students/year
Dates: June 28 – August 8
Application deadline: December 10
Eligibility: High school juniors who meet the RSI academic prerequisites
Research Science Institute is a six-week, fully funded summer computer science pre-college program for high school students that combines advanced STEM coursework with independent research. You’ll begin with an intensive week of lectures covering mathematics, science, and computational methods taught by MIT faculty. The remaining five weeks focus on individual research under close mentorship, where you may work on theoretical, experimental, or computational projects. For CS-focused students, this often involves algorithmic modeling, data analysis, or AI-related applications. You are expected to conduct original research, and the program culminates in a formal research paper and an oral presentation at a symposium.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 10- to 15-week cohorts in a year, including winter, fall, spring, and summer.
Application deadline: Rolling basis, depending on cohort. You can apply here.
Eligibility: High school students; AI Fellowship applicants should either have been AI Scholars participants or have some familiarity with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI runs fully online programs that introduce you to artificial intelligence through academic instruction and research mentorship. If you are new to the field, the AI Scholars track covers Python programming, data analysis, and core machine learning concepts across a defined sequence of instructional sessions. Students with prior experience can apply to the AI Fellowship, which centers on completing an independent research project with one-on-one guidance from university researchers. You’ll move through the full research process, including defining a question, working with datasets, and developing models. Project areas commonly span healthcare, finance, environmental science, and social data analysis. Fellows produce a formal research paper and may pursue publication or a conference-style presentation.
3. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Pre-College: CS Scholars Program
Location: Carnegie Mellon University campus, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 20 – July 18
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school sophomores who will be 16 years old by the program start date and are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients
Carnegie Mellon’s CS Scholars Program is a four-week, fully funded residential experience for rising high school juniors focused on foundational computer science skills. During the program, you’ll study Python programming, algorithmic thinking, and core data structures, including lists and dictionaries. The coursework is complemented by team-oriented projects where students apply these concepts to solve problems. In addition to technical lessons, the program offers seminars on college readiness, admissions, and financial aid. Faculty and industry experts facilitate sessions demonstrating how CS ideas apply in real life. You will present your final project to peers and instructors at the end of the session.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, spring, fall, and winter
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students; accepted students typically have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a remote research experience that pairs you with a PhD mentor for individualized academic guidance. Participants design and complete an independent research project, moving through topic selection, literature review, methodology development, and analysis. Computer science research tracks may focus on software systems, algorithms, applied machine learning, or emerging technology topics. Mentors provide feedback to help refine research questions and strengthen technical rigor. The primary deliverable is a formal research paper documenting your process and findings. Completed work may later be adapted for submission to journals or academic competitions. You can find more details about the application here.
5. University of Chicago’s DSI Summer Lab
Location: John Crerar Library at the University of Chicago, Hyde Park campus, IL
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application deadline: January 12
Eligibility: High school seniors starting college in the fall and residing in Chicago; Applicants familiar with at least 1 programming language are preferred
The Data Science Institute Summer Lab at the University of Chicago is an eight-week research program that places you on an active, interdisciplinary data science project. Participants are paired with mentors and then contribute to research in areas such as computer science, public policy, biomedical data, or social science. Throughout the program, you’ll gain exposure to research workflows, collaboration practices, and versioned project development. Professional development workshops and guest speaker sessions run alongside research work. You’ll present your findings at an end-of-summer symposium modeled after an academic conference.
6. Texas Tech University’s Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Stipend: $750
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 12 students/year
Dates: June 21 – August 6
Application deadline: February 16
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents and at least 17 by the start date
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is a seven-week residential research experience for high-achieving high school juniors and seniors. You are matched with a Texas Tech faculty mentor and conduct independent research in a chosen discipline, which may include computer science, data science, or AI-related topics. Daily work varies by project and can involve computational modeling, data analysis, or literature-driven inquiry. The program includes weekly seminars, academic discussions, and enrichment activities that contextualize research within broader scholarly practice. Field trips provide exposure beyond your primary research area. You submit a formal written research report at the end of the program.
7. Princeton University’s AI4ALL
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 9 – 30
Application deadline: April 9
Eligibility: 10th graders (rising 11th graders) who live in the U.S. and qualify as low-income
Princeton’s AI4ALL is an on-campus summer program that examines artificial intelligence through technical, ethical, and public policy lenses. You’ll attend lectures led by Princeton faculty that introduce core AI concepts alongside discussions of regulation, bias, and responsible use. A core component involves working in small research groups under the mentorship of graduate students. The program features mentorship sessions and career talks from professionals at the intersection of AI and governance. Additionally, participants will join a multi-day trip to Washington, D.C., culminating in a formal group presentation of research findings.
8. Stony Brook University’s Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 5%
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application deadline: February 7
Eligibility: Students in their junior year of high school (11th grade) who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program
The Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University places you within an active STEM research group for several weeks. You’ll work under faculty supervision and contribute to an ongoing project in fields such as computer science, engineering, mathematics, or physics. Students interested in CS often engage in computational modeling, artificial intelligence, or data visualization. Weekly faculty talks and skills workshops introduce academic research pathways and communication practices. This computer science pre-college summer program for high school students concludes with a written abstract, research poster, and campus-wide presentation.
9. Stanford AI4ALL
Location: Virtual or at Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Residential: $9,800 | Online: $4,120; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Residential: July 19 – 31 | Online: June 15 – 26
Application deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Current 9th graders/rising 10th graders over the age of 14 by the start of the program
Stanford AI4ALL is a two-week virtual program that introduces you to artificial intelligence through collaborative, project-based learning. The curriculum covers topics such as computer vision, natural language processing, robotics, and medical AI. You will collaborate in small teams on guided research projects that link technical techniques to real-world issues. Mentorship is provided throughout the program by graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and industry professionals. Ethical considerations, bias, and equity are integrated into both lectures and project discussions. Students are also exposed to career panels and workshops focused on academic pathways in AI.
10. Discovery Partners Institute – Digital Scholars Program
Location: Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 5%
Dates: June 23 – August 1
Application deadline: May 2
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th graders; Preference is given to Black, Latine, women, gender expansive, and first-generation students throughout the Chicagoland area
The Digital Scholars Program at Chicago’s Discovery Partners Institute offers college-level coursework in computing and data science for high school students. You can select a specialized track such as Data Science Discovery, which focuses on analyzing real datasets using Python, or mobile app development with Swift. Another track explores computer engineering through the interaction of hardware and software systems. The coursework is supplemented by workshops on artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and applied machine learning. The computer science pre-college summer program for high school students further connects technical learning with regional industry contexts through networking sessions with Chicago-based professionals.
11. New York University – ARISE Program
Location: New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Stipend: $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Remote Workshops: June 1 – July 6 | In-Person Lab Work Start: July 6 – August 14
Application deadline: February 20
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; Full-time NYC residents attending NYC schools in the upcoming school year
NYU’s ARISE Program is a ten-week summer research experience that introduces you to academic STEM research, including computational and data-driven fields. The first four weeks focus on research preparation through online training in lab safety, ethics, technical skills, and college writing. You’ll then transition into a six-week placement in an NYU lab, contributing roughly 120 hours to active research projects. Students interested in computer science may work on data modeling, computational neuroscience, or machine learning-related studies. Tasks often include coding, data analysis, system testing, and documentation. The program incorporates communication workshops to support research presentations.
12. MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute
Location: Virtual and in-person at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free pre-requisite course; the summer program fee is zero for students with family income less than $150,000, and is $2,350 for other applicants.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Online Courses: Starts February 3 | In-person Summer Program: July 6 – August 1 or 2
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 – 11 who live in the U.S. or will live in the U.S. during the program
MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute is a project-based STEM program with multiple tracks centered on computer science and artificial intelligence. Before the summer session, you complete a required online prerequisite course covering Python and foundational technical concepts. The core program runs for approximately four weeks and is centered on intensive, team-based project work rather than lectures. AI-related tracks may include autonomous systems, machine learning for remote sensing, or serious game design. You collaborate closely with peers as you iterate on system design and implementation. Mentorship is provided by MIT-affiliated faculty, graduate students, and industry experts. Student projects are showcased at the end of the program in a formal presentation setting.
13. ASPIRE Program
Location: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate: 7%
Dates: June 23 – August 21
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors (15+) with a minimum 2.8 GPA; U.S. citizens
This computer science pre-college summer program for high school students places you in a full-time summer internship at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Interns are paired with staff mentors and assigned to projects aligned with their interests, such as computer science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, or systems engineering. The work is project-driven and may involve coding, algorithm development, data analysis, or testing technical systems. You are expected to contribute independently while collaborating within a professional research team. Regular meetings with mentors support progress tracking and technical refinement.
14. Cyber Security for Computer Science (CS4CS)
Location: NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~48 students
Dates: July 13 – August 7
Application deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Students currently in 10th or 11th grade at the time of applying and must be residents of New York City or nearby areas such as Jersey City, Newark, or Hempstead
This computer science pre-college summer program for high school students is hosted by NYU Tandon and aims to introduce you to cybersecurity through both technical and human-centered perspectives. The curriculum covers foundational topics such as ethical hacking, cryptography, steganography, digital forensics, and data privacy. You’ll also examine how social engineering tactics like phishing and identity theft operate, along with methods used to counter them. A required collaboration with Irondale Theater integrates improv-based training to strengthen communication and public speaking skills. This component focuses on explaining technical ideas clearly and working effectively in teams.
15. UCSD’s Research Experience for High School Students (REHS)
Location: UC San Diego campus, San Diego, CA
Cost: $2,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 – 12 who are Southern California residents and have completed their most recent high school semester | At least 16 years old on or before June 15 of the application year | Minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA
UC San Diego’s REHS program at the San Diego Supercomputer Center is an eight-week research experience focused on computational science. You’ll work alongside scientists and graduate students on projects involving machine learning, software development, or large-scale data analysis. Many projects rely on Python, Jupyter notebooks, and access to high-performance computing systems such as the Expanse supercomputer. You’ll also participate in weekly lab meetings and technical workshops that reinforce research methods and scientific communication. The program concludes with a poster presentation summarizing your findings.