15 Data Science Programs for High School Students in Maryland

Data science is shaping everything from healthcare and finance to sports, entertainment, and social media, making it one of the fastest-growing and most versatile career fields today. If you are a high school student interested in technology, problem-solving, math, or uncovering patterns in data, participating in a data science program can give you an early introduction to the skills and tools used by professionals in the field. These programs often combine coding, statistics, artificial intelligence, and research projects, helping you build both technical knowledge and practical experience before college.

Why should you attend a data science program in Maryland?

Maryland has close connections to leading research institutions, government agencies, and technology companies. With organizations like the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and major universities located throughout the state, you can access data science programs that emphasize research, mentorship, and exposure to applications of data science. Whether you are interested in machine learning, cybersecurity, healthcare analytics, or environmental data, Maryland programs can help you develop valuable skills while also strengthening your college applications and future career opportunities.

To help you find the right opportunity, here are 15 data science programs for high school students in Maryland.

If you’re looking for programs in Maryland, check out our blog here.

Key takeaways

• These 15 programs span biomedical informatics, machine learning, bioinformatics, healthcare analytics, marketing data science, AI ethics, computational biology, and data visualization, so students with a wide range of data science interests can find a relevant option in Maryland or online.

• Several programs are free or provide stipends, including NLM DSI Scholars ($2,530 per month), JHU SARE ($3,000), JHU APL ASPIRE (free), NIST SHIP (free), IGS Bioinformatics Program (free), and Maryland Data Science Apprenticeship (free), making professional data science experiences accessible without financial barriers.

• Many programs specifically prioritize Maryland residents or students within commuting distance, including JHU APL ASPIRE (select Maryland and Virginia counties), NIST SHIP (within 50 miles of Gaithersburg), IGS Bioinformatics (Maryland, Northern Virginia, and D.C. residents), and JHU SARE (Baltimore area students from low-income backgrounds).

• Programs vary significantly in length and format, from one-week introductory camps, such as UMBC Summer Enrichment Academy courses, to 12-month workforce placements, such as the Maryland Data Science Apprenticeship, so students can choose based on their availability and the depth of their interest.

• Application deadlines for the most competitive programs fall early, including NIST SHIP (January 26), JHU APL ASPIRE (February 15), NLM DSI Scholars (February 18), and JHU SARE (March 1), so students should begin preparing materials in the fall.

1. NLM Data Science and Informatics (DSI) Scholars Program

Location: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Campus, Bethesda, MD

Stipend: $2,530 - $2,530/month for high schoolers; more info here

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective

Dates: 8 – 12 weeks starting in June

Application Deadline: February 18

Eligibility: Current or recently graduated high school seniors who are 18+ (17+ by June 1 if their home address is within 40 miles of an NIH campus), U.S. citizens/permanent residents, and have completed coursework relevant to computer science, math, informatics, or related subjects

This data science program in Maryland embeds students directly into the National Library of Medicine to work on complex data-driven health projects. You engage in hands-on mathematical modeling, biomedical data extraction, and computational research analysis under the guidance of principal investigators. You’ll attend professional development workshops alongside academic seminars to build scientific communication skills. The curriculum emphasizes informatics methodologies, data cleansing procedures, and statistical validation strategies. The program concludes with a research symposium where you present your final technical data posters.

2. Veritas AI

Location: Virtual

Cost: Varies by program (financial aid available)

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: Several cohorts year-round

Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply to the program here.

Eligibility: High school students. The AI Fellowship requires prior experience with Python or completion of the AI Scholars program

Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students looking to get started in 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 have the opportunity to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students have the opportunity 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. Johns Hopkins APL ASPIRE Program

Location: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: <10%

Dates: Minimum 190 hours between June 23 and August 21

Application Deadline: February 15

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors (15+) who are U.S. citizens with a minimum 2.8 GPA and live in these counties

ASPIRE matches high school students with Johns Hopkins APL staff mentors to work on active scientific problems. You select specialized areas of placement, including engineering, data analysis, and artificial intelligence/machine learning. You’ll learn to navigate professional developer environments, using tools such as Git, Python, and relational databases to process complex technical datasets. The workflow may consist of independent software tasks, algorithmic troubleshooting, and collaborative team debugging sessions. In addition to project execution, you attend corporate laboratory tours and industry panel discussions. The experience culminates in a poster presentation detailing your findings.

4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Location: Virtual

Cost: Varies by program (financial aid available)

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: Several cohorts year-round

Application Deadline: Varies by cohort

Eligibility: 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. 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 data science, physics, economics, computer science, engineering, chemistry, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here. 

5. JHU Summer Academic Research Experience (SARE)

Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Stipend: $3,000

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: June 22 – August 13

Application Deadline: March 1

Eligibility: High school students from the greater Baltimore area whose family incomes don’t  exceed 200% of the federal poverty limit and are first-generation college-bound students, attend a low-income high school, or have any other extenuating circumstances

The Summer Academic Research Experience by JHU pairs Baltimore high schoolers with biomedical researchers to develop laboratory skills and computational data literacy. You divide your hours between completing science labs, studying for academic benchmarks, and working on specific departmental data projects. Within the biomedical and genomics tracks, you learn to clean experimental data, map cell behaviors, and track clinical trends using software, spreadsheets, and scripts. You’ll receive personalized academic tutoring and professional mentorship from medical school faculty throughout the summer. The program concludes with a presentation where you show your findings to the university science board.

6. IGS High School Summer Bioinformatics Program

Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15-20 students

Dates: July 7 – 31

Application Deadline: March 2

Eligibility: Maryland, Northern VA, and Washington, D.C. residents

This hybrid program introduces high school students in Maryland to computational 

biology pipelines and genomic data extraction techniques. You spend mornings in structured virtual lectures covering omics data structures, transcriptomics, and computational file formats. You’ll learn to operate command-line tools within the Linux operating system to clean and parse large biological sequences. Afternoons are dedicated to independent software exercises, database queries via NCBI, and script debugging. The program features structured laboratory visits, campus tours, and career panels focusing on computational health professions. You’ll complete the session by delivering a 10-to-15-minute presentation on an independent bioinformatics data topic.

7. NIST Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP)

Location: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg/Boulder, MD

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective

Dates: June 22 – August 7

Application Deadline: January 26

Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens with a minimum 3.0 GPA and live within a 50-mile radius of their host campus

SHIP pairs high school students in Maryland with professional scientists to conduct research in physical sciences and information technology. You choose projects within specialized departments, including the Information Technology Laboratory, where you can focus on automation and statistical data analysis. You’ll leverage languages like Python or R to clean raw experimental data, track algorithmic metrics, and optimize data visualization. The daily routine may require tracking laboratory iterations, performing data transformations, and checking software configurations. You’ll interface with advanced computing infrastructure and contribute directly to ongoing federal measurement standards. The program concludes with a research symposium where you present your technical data findings to NIST staff.

8. Maryland Data Science Apprenticeship Program

Location: Several locations across Maryland

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: 12 months

Application Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility: Maryland high school students

This workforce development program places high school students in Maryland directly into corporate teams to learn entry-level data management. The program offers two pathways: business analysis and data science. In the data science pathway, you’ll work on real enterprise data pipelines for nonprofits, startups, and small businesses. You’ll gain practical experience with tools such as SQL, Excel Data Models, and corporate dashboard software like Tableau or Power BI. You’ll also get the chance to gain industry credentials while you work on AI and machine learning research projects. 

9. JHU Pre-College: Foundational Mathematics of Artificial Intelligence

Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Cost: $6,140 (residential); $4,660 (commuter)

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 22 – July 1; July 6 – 16; July 20 – 30

Application Deadline: February 3 (early);  March 10 (regular);  July 6 (rolling)

Eligibility: 10th to 12th graders with a 3.0+ GPA who have completed Algebra I

This academic course introduces students to the mathematical foundations and statistical principles driving modern machine learning models. You study the core linear algebra, calculus, and probability theories required to understand classification and prediction systems. You’ll also learn how to write Python code to implement these concepts directly into operational scripts. Working with real-world datasets, you’ll design and train baseline models, including linear regressions, classification trees, and K-nearest neighbors. The curriculum focuses on identifying model limits, tuning hyperparameters, and testing model accuracy metrics. 

10. UMBC Summer Enrichment Academy: AI Innovators: Learn How Machines Think

Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD

Cost: $374

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 22 – 26

Application Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th graders

This data science program in Maryland introduces high schoolers to the mechanics, code logic, and functional structures of artificial intelligence. You look at how machine learning models consume raw data to make classifications, predict outcomes, and recognize visual patterns. The classroom curriculum uses Python scripts and interactive platforms to dissect basic algorithmic frameworks, such as decision trees and linear networks. You’ll write scripts to adjust data parameters, modify hyperparameter values, and evaluate model output accuracy. The technical modules focus on step-by-step problem-solving, programmatic troubleshooting, and real-world system modeling. 

11. JHU Pre-College: Big Data and Advertising

Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Cost: $6,140 (residential); $4,660 (commuter)

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: July 6 – 16; July 20 – 30

Application Deadline: February 3 (early);  March 10 (regular);  July 6 (rolling)

Eligibility: 10th to 12th graders with a 3.0+ GPA

This business analytics and data science course explains how large data streams drive predictive analytics and market decisions. You study backend tracking mechanisms, data extraction pipelines, and predictive analytics tools used to analyze consumer behavior. Through structured lab sessions using Python, you write code to load, clean, and manipulate massive corporate marketing datasets. The syllabus maps out target demographic clusters, calculates statistical conversion metrics, and trains pattern-recognition frameworks. You’ll actively audit consumer profiles and critique data-collection architectures from an ethical and legal perspective. 

12. Terp Young Scholars: Introduction to Computing

Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Cost: $1,791 (partial scholarships available)

Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25 seats

Dates: July 13 – 31

Application Deadline: June 1

Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores or above who live within commuting distance of the University of Maryland

This foundational course teaches the basic principles of computer science, programmatic flow control, and data manipulation. You spend three weeks learning core object-oriented programming concepts using high-level languages like Python or Java. You’ll explore both the technical and creative sides of computer science, from building apps to working on projects in cybersecurity and AI. You’ll learn to debug syntax errors, optimize algorithmic speed, and document your source code following industry standards. You’ll also learn more about the different opportunities and technical roles that exist in the field. 

13. UMBC Summer Enrichment Academy: AI Innovations In Sales/Marketing

Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD

Cost: $374

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 22 – 26

Application Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th graders

This program explores the application of data science, predictive tracking, and generative AI models within commercial industries. You learn how corporate marketing teams scrape consumer behavioral data to optimize target demographic models and automate sales pitches. The curriculum guides students through setting up basic data inputs, calling APIs, and generating target consumer profiles using software tools. You’ll also examine data tracking methods like pixel tags and tracking cookies to map how customer touchpoints are converted into data arrays. The week concludes with students building a data-driven marketing plan for a fictional product using AI and presenting their metrics to the class.

14. JHU Pre-College: Data Analytics Workshop

Location: Virtual

Cost: $1,950

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 22 – July 3; July 6 – 17; July 20 – 31

Application Deadline: July 13

Eligibility: 10th to 12th graders with a 3.0+ GPA who have completed Precalculus

This data science program introduces students to the core pipelines of descriptive and inferential data analytics. You’ll engage with video lectures, data parsing assignments, and coding assessments. The instruction guides students through the fundamental phases of data collection, data manipulation, and visual chart formulation, alongside probability distributions, the basics of hypothesis testing, and regression modeling. You’ll learn how to transform unformatted tabular data into functional data frames to extract underlying statistical trends. The coursework utilizes software tools and programs like MATLAB and Octoparse to generate reproducible data visualizations and summary distributions. 

15. Terp Young Scholars: The Fault in Our Data: What Counts and Who’s Counting

Location: Virtual

Cost: $1,420 (partial scholarships available)

Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 seats

Dates: July 13 – 31

Application Deadline: June 1

Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores or above who have completed (or will complete) Algebra I and II

This data science program investigates the design, biases, and socio-political tracking mechanisms embedded within modern datasets. You’ll explore the technical lifecycle of big data, analyzing how variables are selected, measured, and formatted for database storage. The curriculum teaches basic programming techniques for auditing datasets, identifying missing attributes, and calculating errors in skewed population metrics. You also examine how algorithmic biases manifest in automatic recommendation engines and public policy models. The final project requires students to analyze a public dataset of their choice, catalog its systemic measurement limitations, and present their findings in a technical presentation.

Frequently asked questions

1. What data science programs are available for high school students in Maryland?

Options include federal research internships, such as NLM DSI Scholars and NIST SHIP, university-based research programs, such as JHU APL ASPIRE and JHU SARE, bioinformatics programs, such as IGS High School Summer Bioinformatics Program, AI and machine learning programs, such as Veritas AI, JHU Pre-College Foundational Mathematics of AI, and UMBC AI Innovators, data analytics programs, such as JHU Data Analytics Workshop and Terp Young Scholars, and workforce development programs, such as Maryland Data Science Apprenticeship.

2. Are there free or paid data science programs for high school students in Maryland?

Yes, NLM DSI Scholars pays $2,530 per month, JHU SARE provides a $3,000 stipend, JHU APL ASPIRE is free, NIST SHIP is free, IGS Bioinformatics Program is free, and Maryland Data Science Apprenticeship is free. JHU Pre-College programs and Terp Young Scholars offer partial scholarships, and Veritas AI and Lumiere provide need-based financial aid for virtual programs.

3. Which Maryland data science programs are best for students interested in healthcare or biomedical data?

Students interested in biomedical data science might consider NLM DSI Scholars for health informatics and biomedical data extraction at the NIH, JHU SARE for computational data literacy in a biomedical lab context, and IGS High School Summer Bioinformatics Program for genomics and transcriptomics using command-line tools and biological databases.

4. Which programs are open to students outside Maryland?

Veritas AI and Lumiere Research Scholar Program are fully virtual and open to students anywhere. JHU Pre-College programs and UMBC Summer Enrichment Academy also accept out-of-state applicants, and the Terp Young Scholars virtual course is open to rising high school sophomores and above regardless of location.

5. When should I apply to data science programs for high school students in Maryland?

NIST SHIP closes January 26, JHU APL ASPIRE closes February 15, NLM DSI Scholars closes February 18, and JHU SARE closes March 1. IGS Bioinformatics closes March 2 and Terp Young Scholars closes June 1. Programs, such as UMBC Summer Enrichment Academy, Maryland Data Science Apprenticeship, and Veritas AI, accept rolling applications, so students should begin researching options in the fall and apply as early as possible.