15 Computer Science Programs for High School Students in Boston
If you're a high school student in or around Boston interested in computer science, summer is the perfect time to explore the field beyond the classroom. From coding and app development to data science and robotics, multiple programs offer experiences that build practical skills while helping you connect with peers and mentors.
Due to Boston’s ecosystem of world-class universities and growing tech organizations, high school students can access a wide range of high-quality CS-focused programs — including options hosted by MIT, Harvard, Northeastern, and local nonprofits. We've carefully selected 15 programs that emphasize core computer science skills, are either in Boston (or within an hour’s distance), or offer virtual participation.
Whether you're just beginning to explore computer science or looking to deepen your understanding through research or mentorship, this list includes various options for different interests, goals, and experience levels.
1. MIT THINK Scholars Program
Location: Virtual + in person at MIT, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 6% or less
Application Deadline: January 1
Dates: Finalist Decisions released mid-January and Project Completion by June
Eligibility: All high school students, as individuals or in teams of two
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded
If you have a well-researched idea for a STEM project and need technical support and resources to get it off the ground, the MIT THINK Scholars Program is a good fit. If selected as a finalist, you’ll submit a proposal for a science, tech, or engineering project and receive up to $1,000 in funding and weekly virtual mentorship from MIT undergraduates. You’ll also visit MIT for 4 days (all expenses covered) to tour labs, attend classes, and share your work with students and faculty. The student-run program focuses on helping you move an early-stage idea toward completion with steady support and structure.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open Enrolment
Application Deadline: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. June 22 for the upcoming summer cohort
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Cost/Stipend: $2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program | $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase | $6,900 for both. Need-based financial aid available for AI Scholars
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with 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 get a chance to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance 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. Past projects have explored AI applications in healthcare, finance, gaming, and social sciences.
3. Harvard Summer Coding Academy – AI Track
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25 - 30 students
Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
Dates: Session 1: June 23 - 27 | Session 2: August 4 - 8
Eligibility: High school students with a basic understanding of Python
Cost/Stipend: $1,800; need-based financial aid available
This on-campus summer program at Harvard might be a good fit if you're interested in how artificial intelligence works. During the program, you will explore machine learning, neural networks, and the ethics behind AI, using tools such as NumPy, MATLAB, and PyTorch to bring theory into practice. The class includes a mix of lectures, guided sessions, and mini projects. Towards the end, you'll team up with peers on a final project. Past students have designed chatbots and created sign language tracking systems.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Computer Science Track
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world! Cost: Varies depending on program type
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
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 that you can explore as a high schooler. 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.
5. Northeastern University Young Scholars Program (YSP)
Location: Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, 32 students in YSP 2025
Application Deadline: March 15 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: June 23 – July 31
Eligibility: High school juniors (i.e., rising seniors) from Massachusetts with at least a 3.5 unweighted GPA
Cost/Stipend: No cost, stipend provided
This is a six-week summer research experience for rising high school seniors in Massachusetts. You’ll join a research lab in one of Northeastern’s STEM departments – Engineering, Science, or Health Sciences, working alongside professors and contributing to live research projects. Past students have worked on projects such as Exploring Language Processing Acceleration, a computer engineering project aimed at enhancing the speed of language-processing systems. Alongside lab work, you’ll explore STEM beyond the lab through site visits to companies like Biogen, Akamai, MIT labs, and more. You’ll also spend time on campus, with access to Northeastern’s Snell Library and Curry Student Center.
6. Wolfram High School Summer Research Program
Location: Bentley University in Waltham, MA + Virtual pre-program workshop
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, around 60 students worldwide
Application Deadline: April 15 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: June 25 – July 12
Eligibility: High school students (aged 14 to 17) with a strong interest in STEM fields
Cost/Stipend: $4,500, including a $500 non-refundable deposit; need-based financial aid available on a sliding scale
During this program, you’ll spend two and a half weeks developing a computational research project using the Wolfram Language, with guidance from mentors and Stephen Wolfram himself—the creator of the language. Past projects have included simulating flocking behavior in birds, building graph-based models of chemical reactions, analyzing molecular structures, and generating video game levels, which reflect the range of technical and creative directions you can explore. You will write both a computational essay and an interactive paper published through the program. After the program, you may also be invited to pursue internships, advanced projects, or teaching roles through Wolfram’s extended research network.
7. Girls Who Code Summer Programs
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open Enrolment
Application Deadline: April 16 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: Summer Immersion Program (SIP) Round 1, July 7 – 18 (U.S. students only) | SIP Round 2, July 28 – August 8 (U.S. and International students) | Pathways: June 30 – August 8 (U.S. and International students)
Eligibility: Summer Immersion Program: Current 9 -11 graders | Pathways: Current 9th-12th graders, including Summer Programs alums and graduating seniors
Cost/Stipend: Free, $300 needs-based grant for eligible students in the United States
Girls Who Code offers two free, virtual summer programs for high school students. In the Summer Immersion Program (SIP), you’ll spend two weeks in live virtual classes designing computer games, exploring UX design, and getting college and career advice from technology experts. In the Pathways Program, you’ll learn at your own pace over six weeks, with courses in web development, data science, AI, and cybersecurity using Python, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS You will also get support from a dedicated teaching team and may be eligible for grants, laptops, or hotspots.. Also, you earn certificates as you complete each course. In both programs, you’ll work on projects, connect with mentors, and build a community through Discord and live events.
8. Tech Apprentice – Boston PIC
Location: Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open Enrolment
Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
Dates: 6 – 7 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in a Boston Public School
Cost/Stipend: Stipend of minimum $15/hour, total approximately $3,000-3,500 for 25-35 hours of work/week
Tech Apprentice is a six-to-seven-week paid internship program for Boston Public Schools (BPS) high school students to provide tech experience. It’s part of the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program and is run by the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC). This is a good fit for you if you’ve had some technical exposure, are considering IT or tech majors/careers, and want workplace experience to test and grow your skills. You’ll be matched with companies across Boston, based on your skills, interests, and employer needs. Internship areas include Coding, Programming, Web Development, and Database Analysis.
9. Research Science Institute
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, 100 students worldwide
Application Deadline: December 11 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: June 22 – August 2
Eligibility: High school juniors, including international students, with a recommended PSAT Math Score of at least 740 or higher, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score of 700 or higher. ACT Math score should be at least 33, and verbal score at least 34.
Cost/Stipend: Free of cost, stipend provided
At RSI, you’ll spend six weeks at MIT conducting original research alongside 100 other students worldwide. The program starts with a week of STEM classes taught by researchers and professors. At the end of the first week, you’ll receive your research project assignments from your mentors and begin working on them for the next 5 weeks, reading academic papers and running experiments. You’ll write a formal paper and prepare an oral presentation at the end, similar to a scientific conference. Outside the lab, you will attend evening talks, visit research spaces around Boston, and go on group outings.
10. Harvard Summer School Pre-College Program for High School Students
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open Enrolment
Application Deadline: April 9 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: Session 1: June 22 – July 3 | Session 2: July 6 – 18 | Session 3: July 20 – August 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors, who are at least 16 years old by June 22 and will not turn 19 years old before July 31
Cost/Stipend: $5,800 + $75 application fee
In this two-week on-campus program, you’ll take one college course with around 15 students. Classes run for three hours daily, with 2–4 hours of homework. Instead of grades, you’ll receive a written evaluation and a transcript. Courses include options like Quantum Information and Computation for students interested in computer science. Outside class, you’ll join structured activities, college admissions and financial aid workshops, and group outings around Boston. The program gives you a realistic preview of college academics and campus life.
11. Smith College Summer Science & Engineering
Location: Smith College, Northampton, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective, about 100 students are selected each year
Application Deadline: TBD
Dates: Session 1: July 5 – 18 | Session 2: July 20 – August 2
Eligibility: Students entering 9th–12th grade in the fall (college credits not offered)
Cost/Stipend: Per session (2 weeks): $4,864, both sessions (4 weeks): $9,728 Deposit: per session (2 weeks): $1,216, both sessions (4 weeks): $2,432
The Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP) is a two-week residential program for high school students. You’ll choose one lab-based STEM course—Designing Intelligent Robots or Microcontrollers and You—and work in small groups of up to 17 students. You’ll do lab and fieldwork, solve problems in teams, and get guidance from Smith faculty and undergraduate mentors. By the end, you’ll return to school with a better sense of what college science and engineering might look like.
12. Broad Summer Scholars Program
Location: Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, 17 students in BSSP 2024
Application Deadline: January 22 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Eligibility: Must be a rising senior attending a high school in MA within commuting distance to the Broad, with a grade of B or better in science and math, and be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or non-citizen with work authorization.
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded; $3,600 stipend and partial reimbursement for transportation costs provided
In this six-week research program at the Broad Institute — a biomedical research center affiliated with MIT and Harvard — you’ll work on a scientific project in areas like cancer, infectious disease, or computational biology. You’ll be matched with a Broad researcher who’ll guide you through the entire process, from reviewing literature to designing experiments and analyzing data. Some projects, especially in computational biology, may involve coding, modeling, or data analysis. Outside the lab, you’ll attend talks by scientists, join workshops on presenting your findings, and receive weekly support from an on-staff instructor to bridge the gap between your high school learning and your research project. Finally, you’ll present your work at a scientific poster session and connect with peers through social activities.
13. MITES Summer
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, 53 enrolled out of 2,678 applications in 2023
Application Deadline: February 1 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: Late June through early August
Eligibility: Must be enrolled in 11th grade in any school setting (public, private, or homeschool) and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Cost/Stipend: Free
MITES Summer is a fully funded, six-week residential program at MIT for rising seniors from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds. You’ll take five courses—math, physics, life sciences, humanities, and an elective like Genomics or Machine Learning—exploring topics rarely covered in high school. Alongside classes, you’ll tour MIT labs and attend STEM seminars and college fairs while living in dorms and experiencing campus life. Evenings include homework, social events, and mentorship from MIT undergrads. You’ll also get personalized admissions and financial aid guidance. The program ends with a final symposium where you present your project and receive detailed instructor evaluations—something many students include in college applications.
14. Coding Academy at Tufts
Location: Tufts University, Medford/Somerville Campus, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: The acceptance rate for this program is not available
Application Deadline: May 1 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: July 20 – August 1
Eligibility: Entering grades 10-12 or a Spring high school graduate
Cost/Stipend: Commuter: $4,225 | Residential: $5,750
In this two-week summer program at Tufts University, you’ll develop practical coding skills through daily lectures, group sessions, and projects. The curriculum centers on Python, a language used widely in data science, web development, and software engineering. You’ll be placed in one of three tracks—beginner to advanced—and explore topics like machine learning and data visualization. Beyond the classroom, you’ll attend faculty talks on AI, robotics, and cybersecurity, and join “Tech Treks” to companies like Google, Hubspot, and Ginkgo Bioworks. The program also includes coding challenges, skill-building workshops, and social events with peers. It culminates in a final project showcase, where you’ll present your work to instructors, friends, and family. You’ll also earn 2 Tufts credits (pass/fail), with an official transcript available on request.
15. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Application Deadline: March 31 (tentative, based on previous years)
Dates: July 7 – August 3
Eligibility: Must be a U.S. high school student, reside in the U.S. during the program, and be no higher than a junior (11th grade)
Cost/Stipend: $2,350 for families with an income above $150,000; otherwise, free
The Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) is a fully funded, four-week summer program hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT’s School of Engineering. During the program, you’ll take one project-based course in areas ranging from AI technologies to Radars and Satellites. You will work in teams to solve problems, helping you build advanced STEM skills in a workshop-style setting. After BWSI, you may be eligible for internship opportunities with sponsoring organizations such as MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Draper, Raytheon RTX, etc. You’ll also be encouraged to apply your skills through innovation challenges like NASA TechRise, MIT’s Lemelson InvenTeams, and SOLVE(ED).
Image source - Research Science Institute