14 COMPUTER SCIENCE PROGRAMS FOR INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
If you are an international high school student interested in coding, app development, or computer science, a structured computer program might be a good option to explore. The computer programs usually fit around your school schedule and offer opportunities for hands-on learning.
Computer science programs for international high school students offer early exposure to key concepts of computers, such as programming, coding, software development, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Typically hosted by universities, independent organizations, and research institutions, these computer science programs are an excellent way for international high school students to get started with their passion in computer science without being super expensive.
You can learn practical skills through hands-on projects, learning cutting-edge technologies, hone critical thinking skills, foster collaboration with peers, and community involvement to build key skill sets for college applications in the future.
To help you find the right fit, we have curated the 15 best computer science programs for international high school students that can shape high school course choices or future career paths!
1. UC Santa Barbara’s Research Mentorship program:
Cost: $5,175 (Commuter option), $12,474 (residential option)
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Virtual (Online)
Application Deadline: March 17
Program Dates: June 16 - June 20 (virtual) and June 21- August 1 (on-campus)
Eligibility: Open to international high school students
The Research Mentorship Program at the University of California is designed for international high school students interested in deep research. If you are interested in Computer Science, you can explore machine learning, natural language processing, cybersecurity, computer vision, human-computer interaction, and distributed systems.
Throughout the program, you will be paired with mentors, postdoctoral researchers, or faculty members to work on projects that may include developing AI models, analyzing large datasets, and designing interactive systems. This experience provides insight into cutting-edge research and potential career paths. By working closely with experts and other students, you will better understand computer science and its use in real-life applications.
2. Veritas AI Scholar program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $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 is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions about the student's background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest.
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. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
3. Girls Who Code Summer Program:
Location: Virtual (Online)
Cost: None
Program Dates: Varies as per sessions
Application Deadline: April 16
Eligibility: Open to high school students
Girls Who Code is a two-week program for international high school students interested in computer science and technology. You will be introduced to the basics of computer science, with a focus on game design using p5.js, a JavaScript library. The program covers beginner to intermediate coding concepts, the design process, and an introduction to user experience (UX) design. The program combines live, instructor-led lessons with independent work and collaboration, helping students build technical and creative problem-solving skills.
Along with coding, you will learn about user experience (UX) design and how to approach problem-solving through the design thinking process. The program ends with a project where you create simple interactive games using the skills you have learned.
4. Lumiere Research scholar program
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school
Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4). No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June).
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. If you are interested in computer science, you will learn to design and implement research projects using coding languages like Python, apply computational thinking to solve real-world problems, and analyze data through machine learning or statistical methods.
You will also gain experience in technical writing, presenting research findings, and working with mentors from top CS departments, which will prepare you for advanced study or competitive college applications in the field.
You can find more details about the application here
5. Columbia’s Pre College Summer Program
Cost: $11,566 per session + 80$ Application fee
Location: Columbia University, New York
Program Dates: Session A: June 30-July 18 | Session B: July 22-August 8
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: Open to high school students
Columbia University’s Pre-College Summer program is designed for international high school students who have a keen interest in diverse fields such as computer science, art, science, technology, humanities, and business. The CS course covers a variety of fundamentals such as coding, artificial intelligence, data science, and cybersecurity.
You will have an opportunity to have hands-on experience on real-world applications of computer science by exploring elements such as JAVA, C, Python, as well as courses on cyber threat intelligence, machine learning, and Big Data.
Throughout the program, you will explore how it is used to provide hands-on experience, fostering critical thinking and technical skills essential for future academic and professional pursuits in the technology sector.
6. Stanford Summer Session
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Students can choose to live on campus or commute, with tuition starting at $8,091 for commuters and $18,443 for residential students
Program Dates: June 21-August 17
Application Deadline: Applications will open in November
Eligibility: Open to high school students
The University of Stanford’s Summer session program is an eight-week research-oriented program curated for international high school students interested in various subjects, including computer science. You can explore college-level computer science academics such as Introduction to Computer Science, Programming Abstractions, Principles of Computer Systems, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning. These provide you with hands-on experience, mentorship from Stanford faculty, and exposure to cutting-edge research in computer science.
7. Brown Pre College Program- Introduction to AI and ML with Python
Cost: $5,682 (commuter) | $7,452 (residential)
Location: Brown University campus
Program Dates: July 8 - July 26
Application Deadline: Applications will open in November
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have a good understanding of math
The program guides you through learning and practicing big data analytics and AI methods.
Throughout the sessions, you will gain a basic understanding of AI and learn how big data science is used in different fields. As part of the program, you will learn machine learning techniques and how to apply algorithms to solve research problems rooted in real-world challenges. The program concludes by giving you a comprehensive understanding of how data science influences various industries.
8. Tandon NYU Summer Program: Automation, Robotics, Coding (SPARC)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn, New York
Cost: $3,300
Program Dates: Varies as per sessions
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Open to high school students
Tandon NYU’s Automation, Robotics, Coding (SPARC) is a summer program for international high school students passionate about learning robotics, mechatronics, and programming fundamentals. Over two weeks, you can build and program interactive robot devices using microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators. You will also have hands-on experience in electrical and mechanical engineering, working with circuitry, electronic components, and automation systems.
You will work with researchers and engineers throughout the program and participate in robotics competitions and challenges. These include activities like the Mobile Manipulator Challenge and Sensor Integration Projects. You will apply your skills in tasks designed to simulate real-world robotics situations.
The program fosters creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration among students, encouraging them to think critically and work effectively in teams.
9. Research in Science and Engineering (RISE)
Location: Boston University campus, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost: $9,521-$9,845
Program dates: June-August
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: Open to high school students aged 15 and above
The Research and Science Engineering (RISE) at Boston University is a six-week summer program for international high school students passionate about STEM disciplines. You will be able to engage in cutting-edge research through an intensive lab-based internship or a structured computational practice, gaining firsthand experience in scientific inquiry and professional development. The program curriculum will focus on Computational Neurobiology and Data Science.
During the program, you will collaborate with Boston University faculty, postdoctoral fellows, or graduate students on active research projects. Throughout several skill-building weekly workshops, the program will culminate in a Poster Symposium where students showcase their research findings.
10. Columbia University Introduction to Programming with Java
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,965
Program dates: July 7 - July 18
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9-12
The Introduction to Programming with Java program at Columbia University’s pre-college program offers international high school students an immersive experience in computer science fundamentals, mainly focusing on Java programming.
The program is designed for students eager to explore object-oriented programming, algorithm development, and software design principles. You will work on hands-on labs and collaborative projects, developing your coding and problem-solving abilities. The curriculum is designed to build a strong foundation in programming, preparing students for advanced studies in computer science.
11. Upenn’s Coding Academy:
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Cost: $9,700
Program Dates: June 2 – July 25
Application Deadline: January 27
University of Pennsylvania’s coding academy is a program for international high school students interested in front-end web development. Over three weeks, you will learn to build interactive and easy-to-use websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
The program focuses on teamwork on coding projects using GitHub, learning by doing practical exercises, and following clear, step-by-step lessons to understand coding fundamentals.
You will also learn about CSS animations, JavaScript, and website making that works on different devices. The program ends with a final project where you work with your peers to create and present the website you have built.
12. AI4ALL @ University of Washington
Location: Remote-only (online)
Cost: None
Program dates: 20 weeks
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors
The AI4ALL @ University of Washington is an introductory workshop in data science and machine learning designed for international high school students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. The program focuses on addressing bias in AI and promoting fairness. This program not only builds technical skills but also fosters awareness of the broader societal impact of technology.
Over 20 weeks, you will engage in foundational lessons, hands-on exercises, and small-group discussions led by University of Washington faculty and researchers. The program equips you with practical coding and analytical skills, nurtures critical thinking, and encourages you to envision a future with future college opportunities.
13. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
Cost: None | $5,000 (housing charges to international students)
Program Dates: July-August
Application Deadline: March 11
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors
The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) is a four-week STEM program hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT’s School of Engineering, designed for international high school students to have hands-on, project-based courses that challenge them to solve real-world problems in areas like robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more. You may explore hands-on programming in areas such as autonomous robotics, where you work with MIT-designed RACECARs to implement algorithms in computer vision and path planning.
Throughout the program, you will work in small, diverse teams to tackle complex, project-based challenges that mimic real-world engineering and computer science problems. The program will help you build practical coding skills while choosing a specialized track to focus on through hands-on, project-based learning.
14. Berkeley Summer Computer Science Academy
Location: University of California, Berkeley
Cost: $5,160 and a $25 application fee
Program dates: June 23-July 4
Application Deadline: March 10
Eligibility: Open to high school students
The Berkeley Summer Computer Science Academy is a two-week residential program for international high school students who are new to coding and want to learn about coding and different computer science fundamentals. The program follows a specific curriculum and has daily coding activities using a visual programming language called “Snap.”
The program lets you focus on challenging projects that will help you explore important computer science ideas like abstraction, functions, algorithms, recursion, and the social impact of computing.
Throughout the program, you will collaborate with peers on projects that put your learning into practice by addressing real-world challenges. It also includes orientation sessions, a pre-arrival webinar, and chances to connect with peers and staff, giving you a feel for college life on campus. The program culminates with your presentation of a final project during a “Code Celebration” event with UC Berkeley faculty.
Image source - Brown University