15 Computer Science Summer Research Programs for High School Students in Texas
If you’re a high school student in Texas with a curiosity for coding, problem-solving, and building tech projects, summer research programs can be a great opportunity to consider. They let you explore computer science beyond your school curriculum, apply what you’ve learned to challenges, and get a taste of what it’s like to work alongside researchers and industry professionals.
Many reputable universities and organisations in Texas offer such programs, which prioritise learning and the chance to develop technical and problem-solving skills. These local programs allow you to save on long-distance travel. You’ll also get opportunities to collaborate with peers, present your work, and build a portfolio that can stand out to colleges.
In this list, we’ve put together 15 computer science summer research programs for high school students in Texas.
15 Computer Science Summer Research Programs for High School Students in Texas
1. Summer High School Research Academy (HSRA)
Location: University of Texas, Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: $4,000 (need-based scholarships available); None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited cohort
Dates: June 9 – July 16
Application Deadline: March 23
Eligibility: Texas residents, rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors, 15+
HSRA is a five‑week summer research experience for high school students at UT Austin’s College of Natural Sciences. As a participant, you will work in college research laboratories across fields such as engineering and data analytics, learning techniques alongside university students and faculty. Weekly seminars and team‑building sessions complement the lab work. The program culminates in a poster session where you will present your research to peers and mentors.
2. Veritas AI Scholars Program
Location: Virtual (100% need-based financial aid available)
Cost/Stipend: $2,490 - AI Scholars program | $5,900 - AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase | $7,900 for both; None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15 week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, winter
Application Deadline: Rolling. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November). The fall application deadline is August 31
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
Veritas AI offers a structured remote program where small groups of high‑schoolers learn Python and data science fundamentals during the first two weeks, then dive into topics such as regression, neural networks, and natural language processing. Each week includes a 90-minute lecture and a one-hour small-group session with a mentor (5:1 student-to-mentor ratio). During weeks six through ten, you will work on advanced projects like image classification, deep learning, and sentiment analysis, culminating in a team research project. The program gives you the opportunity to showcase your projects in a final presentation. A more advanced AI Fellowship is available for students who complete the Scholars program and want to publish or present their research.
3. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee; a $750 stipend upon completing a research project
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, twelve highly qualified high school students
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: Typically in February
Eligibility: Graduating high school students aged 17 or older who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Clark Scholars Program is a seven‑week residential research experience hosted by Texas Tech University. As a selected scholar, you will work closely with faculty mentors on intensive research projects in areas ranging from computer science and electrical engineering to mathematics and natural sciences, depending on your interests. You will live in residence halls, receive free meals, and join weekend activities funded by the program.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Fees vary by program option, with need‑based scholarships available; None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: Cohorts run year‑round; summer sessions typically last 12 weeks
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November)
Eligibility: High‑school students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
Lumiere pairs high‑school students with PhD mentors to carry out independent research in computer science and other disciplines. Over about twelve weeks, you will meet weekly with your mentor via video call to review literature, design a study, and draft a research paper. The program offers two options: a standard Research Scholar program and a Premium Research & Publication track that includes guidance on publication or competitions. Students can choose topics such as machine learning, human‑computer interaction, or data science, and culminate their work by writing a research paper or producing a poster.
5. PATHS‑UP Young Scholars Program
Location: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX (hybrid)
Cost/Stipend: None; $2000 upon completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 9 – July 27
Application Deadline: Typically spring
Eligibility: High‑school students aged at least 16 and U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The PATHS‑UP Young Scholars program immerses students in biomedical engineering research at Texas A&M, where you’ll spend three weeks living on campus, conducting experiments in PATHS‑UP laboratories, and receiving mentorship from undergraduate and graduate students. The program emphasises how engineering and computer science can create medical devices and monitoring systems for underserved communities and culminates in a student symposium where scholars present 10‑minute talks on their projects. This is not a typical computer science summer research program, but is more niche to students interested in computer science and health.
6. Digital Health Young Scholars
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 9 – June 26
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Houston‑area 10th and 11th graders
Rice University’s Digital Health Young Scholars program introduces high‑school students to digital circuitry, computer science, and engineering research in healthcare. During this three‑week program, you will learn to use sensors such as pulse oximeters, GPS devices, speakers, and microphones to collect data and build a portable device. You will attend lectures, lab sessions, and mentoring events with faculty and develop both technical and communication skills. The program highlights networking with current researchers and culminates in presentations of student‑built devices.
7. STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES)
Location: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX (hybrid)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: On‑site internship July 6 – 19 with virtual symposium July 21 – 22
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High‑school sophomores and juniors who will be 16 years old by program start and U.S. citizens
SEES is a competitive NASA‑funded program hosted by UT Austin’s Center for Space Research. After completing remote modules, you will spend two weeks working with scientists on projects that use satellite data to study Earth’s environment. Interns analyze geoscience and atmospheric data, develop coding and data‑visualization skills, and collaborate with peers and mentors. The program concludes with a virtual science symposium where participants present their research. SEES covers housing, meals, and activities; only transportation to and from Austin is at students’ expense. This is another niche computer science summer research program for high school students in Texas that focuses on space research.
8. Camp SOAR (Summer Opportunities in Aerospace Research)
Location: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Cost/Stipend: Varies, includes room, board, and camp activities + non-refundable $35 application fee (need‑based scholarships available); None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: TBD (Bi-annual, summer)
Application Deadline: Varies by year
Eligibility: Rising high‑school juniors and seniors
Camp SOAR immerses students in aerospace engineering research through design projects and tours of Texas A&M’s research facilities. Participants design and build rockets, gliders, and other aerospace systems and visit laboratories such as the hypersonic wind tunnels of the National Aerothermochemistry and Hypersonics Laboratory and the Vehicle Systems & Controls Lab. Faculty and graduate students provide mentorship, and campers experience college life by living in residence halls. This is another computer science adjacent summer research program for high school students in Texas that lets you focus on a chosen niche from airplanes, helicopters, and space.
9. NextGen Data Leadership Camp
Location: University of North Texas, Frisco, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 7 – 11
Application Deadline: Rolling; open until spots are filled
Eligibility: Rising 9th graders through seniors with prior Python knowledge
The NextGen Data Leadership Camp exposes high‑school students to advanced data‑science topics such as machine learning, generative AI, and data stewardship. Over five days, you will work with real‑world datasets, learn how data science can solve industry problems, and explore career paths in data leadership. Sessions include coding workshops, guest lectures from data professionals, and hands-on group projects. The camp emphasizes emerging technologies, and it serves as a valuable introduction to computer science summer research programs for high school students in Texas who want to deepen their understanding of data science.
10. Digital Creators Institute
Location: University of North Texas, Frisco, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 28 – Aug 1
Application Deadline: Rolling; open until spots are filled
Eligibility: High‑school students
The Digital Creators Institute is a one‑week program that blends artificial intelligence and digital media. As a participant, you will use large language models and generative tools to plan and design websites, create digital art, and produce videos and podcasts. The curriculum emphasizes the ethical and creative use of AI in media production.
11. UT Computer Science Summer Academy for All
Location: UT Austin Campus, Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: None (housing and meals provided on campus; travel scholarships up to $500 available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Standard Academy Edition: July 6 – July 12 (tentative), Machine Learning Edition: July 27 – August 2
Application Deadline: Mid-January (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors (students entering 11th–12th grade in the fall)
At the UT Computer Science Summer Academy for All, you’ll spend a week on campus, where UT faculty instructors will lead you through either the Standard Edition (using C++ with Arduino microcontrollers) or the Machine Learning Edition (using Python), so you gain practical coding experience in hardware or AI fundamentals. You’ll work on team-based projects, for example, programming an Arduino light show or training your own machine learning model. Outside the lab, the program features guest talks from professors and industry professionals, a field trip to a local tech company, and even sessions with UT admissions officers on how to craft a standout college application.
12. Explore Engineering
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: $400; None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application Deadline: March 28
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10–12
Explore Engineering is a week‑long camp that introduces high‑school students to engineering and computer‑science concepts through lectures, lab tours, and hands‑on projects. You will build design projects with peers and stay in campus residence halls. The Whitacre College of Engineering subsidizes the camp; students pay $400 after receiving a $700 scholarship (the full cost per participant is $1100). With a combination of classroom learning and team‑based projects, the program will help you understand different engineering disciplines and prepare for college applications.
13. Research Program for High School Students
Location: The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
Cost: $1,000 - Intensive Research Internship; $700 (in‑person) or $600 (virtual) - Summer Research Workshops (scholarships available for low‑income families); None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 9 – August 1
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in spring (exact dates vary)
Eligibility: High‑school students (preferably finishing 10th–11th grade); lab interns must be 16 years or older for in‑person participation
UT Dallas’s computer‑science department offers two summer research experiences. The Intensive Research Internship places students in computer science laboratories, where they spend 20–40 hours per week on projects such as machine learning, algorithms, or software engineering under faculty mentorship. The Summer Research Workshops emulate college courses, where participants meet at least twice weekly (in‑person or virtually), attend lectures, and work on a project or paper; the program ends with presentations.
14. Stanford Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $40 application fee + $850 program participation fee, financial aid and fee waivers available; None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: February 28; scholarship/fee‑waiver deadline February 21
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12 who are at least 14 years old by program start
Stanford AIMI’s two‑week virtual internship introduces high‑school students to artificial intelligence in healthcare. Participants attend lectures on machine learning and medical imaging, join small‑group sessions led by Stanford mentors to work on AI research projects, and engage in career panels and social activities. Students who complete the program receive a certificate and may be considered for extended independent research opportunities.
15. National High School Research Program (NHSRP) - Data Science Track
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $3,995, full scholarships available; students who receive aid get a $750 completion stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: Data Science: July 7 – August 8
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: 9th–12th graders
The five‑week summer research program begins with two weeks of technical training in fields like AI, quantum computing, and Big Data, followed by three weeks of mentored research on real datasets. You will work in small cohorts, attend expert panels and college tours, and culminate your experience by presenting a research project. Upon completing the program, you’ll also receive a certificate and be able to showcase your research project on your college applications.