15 Computer Science Summer Programs for High School Students in Illinois
As a high school student, exploring structured learning opportunities over the summer can help you build new technical skills and get a clearer sense of your interests. If you are curious about computing, coding, or emerging tech, computer science programs give you opportunities to work with real tools, explore lab spaces, and engage in project-based coursework that is hard to find in a standard school curriculum. Some programs focus on technologies like AI, while others center on fundamentals that help you understand the logic behind how systems work.
Why should you attend a program in Illinois?
Illinois is home to credible universities and organizations that offer a variety of computer science summer programs, from coding intensives to interdisciplinary tracks that connect technology with fields like design, engineering, or communication. You may take part in coding projects, explore algorithm design, and collaborate with mentors and peers on applied computing challenges. Whether you’re from Illinois or visiting from another state, these programs offer a chance to engage with diverse learning environments and perspectives.
To help you get started, we have compiled a list of 15 computer science summer programs for high school students in Illinois.
If you are looking for internships in Illinois, check out our blog here.
1. UIUC’s Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research
Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Stipend: Fellowship payment available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~30 students/year
Dates: June 20 – August 1
Application deadline: TBA; applications open in February
Eligibility: Rising 10th to 12th graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, or Wisconsin
This computer science summer program for high school students in Illinois places you directly within active research groups across engineering, computing, and medicine. You will spend six weeks working alongside faculty, graduate students, and researchers as you contribute to ongoing projects in areas like AI, neuroscience, bioengineering, physics, and more. Throughout the program, you will also take part in weekly seminars that walk you through scientific communication, poster preparation, and other practical academic skills. The structure is research-first, so most of your time is spent inside a lab or project group, gaining technical exposure. You will complete the program by creating and presenting a research poster at a symposium, which will offer you a formal way to articulate your results.
2. Veritas AI Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round, including in the summer
Application deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students; those applying to the AI Fellowship program need to have completed the AI Scholars program or have experience with Python
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 and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. Fermilab Program for Research, Innovation, and STEM Mentorship (PRISM)
Location: Fermilab, Batavia, IL
Stipend: $500/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 13 – August 7
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Illinois high school seniors who are U.S. citizens
PRISM is a four-week program where each week introduces you to a distinct area of STEM, ranging from particle physics and quantum science to engineering design and artificial intelligence. The program combines lectures, hands-on activities, and guided exploration of Fermilab facilities, offering you a look at how large-scale research environments operate. You will work closely with mentors and STEM professionals who will help you interpret STEM topics and connect them to current scientific questions. In the process, you will produce a research abstract, poster, and final presentation, gaining experience in communicating technical information. When it comes to computer science summer programs for high school students in Illinois, PRISM is among the few programs that combine a multi-theme structure with direct exposure to national lab research settings.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Computer Science Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round, including in the summer
Application deadline: Varies by cohort. You can find more details about the application here.
Eligibility: Academically strong high school students
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 computer science, data science, and engineering, and more.
5. Argonne National Laboratory’s Big Data Camp
Location: Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 students
Dates: July 21 – 25
Application deadline: April 21
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors with basic coding experience
Big Data Camp introduces you to data science by allowing you to work directly with real research datasets from Argonne National Laboratory. The program is designed to help those with basic coding experience gain hands-on exposure to how data science drives scientific research. The camp guides you through the full data visualization workflow: forming investigable questions, writing code to analyze data, and creating visualizations that reveal underlying patterns. You will learn from Argonne scientists who demonstrate how large-scale computing resources are used to study complex problems. Over the course of five days, you will practice analytical techniques that link computer science with real scientific inquiry.
6. Discovery Partners Institute’s (DPI) Digital Scholars
Location: 565 W. Adams Street, Chicago, IL
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 students/class
Dates: June 23 – August 1
Application deadline: May 2
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-graders as well as graduating students in Chicago
Digital Scholars gives you the chance to enroll in a focused tech course, with options ranging from data science and electrical engineering to app development or foundational computer science. Each track is project-based, so you will spend your time applying concepts through coding, hardware experimentation, or interface design, depending on what you select. Outside of the technical coursework, you will meet Chicago tech professionals through talks, panels, and networking sessions that show you how different roles function in the industry. Weekly workshops will introduce topics like AI, entrepreneurship, and data-driven problem-solving. The program can help you explore computer science through a mix of coursework, industry exposure, and practical skill-building opportunities.
7. Lewis University’s Girls Create with Technology Summer Camp
Location: Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 students/year
Dates: June 23 – 26
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Girls in grades 6 – 10
Girls Create with Technology is a series of hands-on classes for girls who want to experiment with coding, robotics, and digital design in a supportive environment. Each session focuses on a specific tech creation, whether that’s programming robots, building interactive projects, or exploring new tools in Lewis University’s virtual reality lab. Led by Lewis University’s faculty and students, the program offers structured exposure to core computer science concepts while helping you build technical skills through project work. The program is designed to be beginner-friendly, so no prior experience is needed, and you can register for as many sessions as you want. The program also offers small class sizes and one-on-one support.
8. Illinois Tech’s Elevate College Prep Summer Programs
Location: Virtual or at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
Cost: Varies by program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Sessions over June and July; dates vary by program
Application deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Middle and high school students
Elevate College Prep’s summer offerings allow you to access virtual sessions or attend programs on a university campus to explore STEM topics like coding, robotics, sustainability, and applied research through short-format courses and projects. Instead of following one fixed track, you can choose from a set of programs that highlight different parts of the tech and engineering world. The structure combines hands-on work with exposure to how current Illinois Tech students approach projects and problem-solving, giving you a clearer sense of what college-level STEM looks like. Mentorship is built into the experience, so you will have access to guidance while you test out skills in computing, design, or engineering labs. This computer science summer program for high school students in Illinois offers a broad, exploratory approach across multiple tech-driven fields.
9. UChicago Pre-College Quantum Quickstart Course
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $50 application fee; free participation for students with household income below $120,000 | No program fee + travel costs covered for students with household incomes below $65,000 | $2,500 program fee otherwise
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 28 – August 2
Application deadline: March 5
Eligibility: 9th- and 10th-grade students who are at least 14 years old and enrolled in a U.S. high school
Quantum Quickstart at UChicago is a one-week course that focuses on introducing you to the science and engineering behind quantum technologies through lectures, theory discussions, lab tours, and interactive activities. This computer science summer program for high school students in Illinois dives into advanced physics and tech, offering an interdisciplinary introduction to quantum information and engineering. You will learn how qubits behave, how quantum computers differ from classical machines, and how quantum systems enable secure communication and ultra-precise measurements. Faculty at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering guide many of the sessions and offer you exposure to current research questions in the field. The program also includes career-oriented sessions and a meeting with UChicago admissions staff, which rounds out the academic experience.
10. DePaul University’s Game, Cinema, & Animation Summer Academy
Location: DePaul University Loop Campus, Chicago, IL
Cost: $850 (partial scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – 17
Application deadline: June 10
Eligibility: Students who have completed their freshman year of high school
This summer program for high school students in Illinois offers six creative tracks to students interested in animation, filmmaking, and game design. You can opt for the Game Development or 3D Modeling and Animation tracks to gain experience in designing and building a 3D computer game. You will work through the full production process from brainstorming concepts, creating assets, and programming gameplay to testing your build using contemporary game-development tools. As these tracks let you try out multiple roles, you will get a clearer sense of how coding, design, and art come together in a single project. Faculty from DePaul’s game program will lead the instruction, offering guidance on both technical steps and collaborative workflows.
11. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Learning Electronics, AI, and Programming (LEAP) Camp
Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Cost: $25 deposit + $1,000 (residential fee) | $600 (commuter fee); scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – 28
Application deadline: Applications open February 1
Eligibility: 10th- to 12th-grade students
LEAP Camp introduces you to embedded systems by allowing you to build a portable weather station from scratch, using sensors, microcontrollers, and basic circuitry. You will learn how each hardware component functions on its own before assembling them into a working device that can collect and transmit atmospheric data. The curriculum links hardware and software by showing you how embedded systems communicate with cloud-based computers that handle heavier computation. You will process your collected data, experimenting with introductory AI concepts to analyze patterns and make simple predictions in the process. This computer science summer program for high school students in Illinois offers a combined hardware–software-focused curriculum, connecting programming, electronics, and real-world data collection.
12. IMSA Summer Research and Internship Opportunities
Location: Sites include IMSA (Aurora), SIU (Carbondale and Edwardsville), and WIU (Macomb)
Cost: $1200/week; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by site
Application deadline: Typically in February
Eligibility: Students in grades 10–12
This program pairs you with mentors from Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy or partner universities, labs, and companies, placing you in a research setting that aligns with your interests. The projects cover a wide range of STEM fields, including options that intersect with computing, engineering, and data-driven research. Depending on the placement, you will work on-site, participate remotely, or follow a hybrid schedule, but all formats require substantial independent work and regular check-ins with your mentor. Over the course of at least 160 hours, you will produce a presentation, a poster, and a journal-style report that summarizes your findings.
13. Western Illinois University’s STEM CAMP
Location: Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL
Cost: $500 (residential), $350 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12–15 students
Dates: July 6 – 11
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: 9th to 12th-grade students
WIU’s STEM Camp gives high school students in Illinois a focused five-day introduction to a wide range of scientific and tech fields. The program covers everything from Astronomy and Physics to Forensic Chemistry and Nursing, with Computer Science and Engineering Technology anchoring the technical portion of the curriculum. You will find opportunities to explore coding, lab sciences, weather systems, or human health. You will spend the week rotating through disciplines, getting hands-on exposure to real tools, labs, and problem-solving methods used by professionals. The program is designed to help you stay academically engaged over the summer while allowing you to figure out which STEM paths actually spark your interest.
14. Columbia College Chicago’s Summer at Columbia
Location: Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $100 application fee + $5,820 (residential fee) | $3,650 (commuter fee)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: June 30 – July 25
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students, ages 15–18
Summer at Columbia offers high school students a four-week deep dive into the arts, media, and creative tech fields and the chance to tackle real college-level coursework. Several courses here tap into the computing side of the creative industry, including Introduction to Game Development and the tech-driven aspects of Sustainable Fashion Practice and Digital Music Production. Every class is taught by Columbia College Chicago’s working professionals, allowing you to get an inside look at how creative and technical disciplines overlap in today’s world. In addition, the credits you earn during the program can count toward a Columbia degree if you choose to enroll later. On campus, you will connect with Columbia’s community and get access to support services ranging from career resources to student employment.
15. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $40 application fee + $850; financial aid and fee waivers available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25 students/year
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years old; preference is given to those with strong math and/or computer programming skills and/or experience with a healthcare project.
This virtual internship introduces you to how artificial intelligence is being used to solve challenges in medicine through a mix of technical lectures, group project work, and mentorship from Stanford researchers. The schedule blends structured instruction with hands-on sessions where you and your team will tackle a practical AI-in-healthcare problem. During the project phase, you can expect to engage in activities involving math and programming to tackle challenges in healthcare. Additionally, career talks with people from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations will help you understand the range of work happening across the field.
Image source - University of Chicago