10 Data Science Summer Programs for High School Students
Data science summer programs allow you to explore how data, technology, and decision-making come together across different fields. They help you build skills in areas such as statistics, programming, and data analysis by working through structured activities and guided projects. You gain exposure to research, mentorship, and collaborative learning, which help you understand your interests and how data science is applied across different contexts.
What can you expect from a data science summer program?
These programs are often offered by universities and organizations, giving you access to structured learning experiences in data science. Depending on the program, you analyze datasets, explore machine learning concepts, or study how data is used to solve problems across different industries. These opportunities are worth considering, whether you are a beginner looking to build foundational skills or a student interested in exploring more advanced topics.
To help with your search, here are 10 Data Science Summer Programs for High School Students.
If you’re looking for data science programs and internships, check out our blog here.
Top picks:
UChicago for funded research
Veritas AI for flexible virtual learning
Horizon for mentored research.
1. Young Scholars Program (Florida State University)
The Young Scholars Program at Florida State University is a six-week residential program where high school students explore advanced topics in science, mathematics, and computer science through structured coursework and research. Students take specialized classes designed specifically for the program while also working on independent research projects under the guidance of faculty mentors. Participants spend part of each week conducting research in areas such as physics, biology, or computing, gaining hands-on experience in real lab environments. The program concludes with a research presentation, giving students the opportunity to communicate their findings and reflect on their work in a collaborative academic setting.
Cost/Stipend: Free (tuition, housing, and meals fully covered; additional stipend available for students with financial need)
Location: Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Application Deadline: February 15
Program dates: June 7 – July 18
Eligibility: Florida high school students who have completed 11th grade, with strong math performance and coursework through pre-calculus
2. Veritas AI
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.
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Location: Virtual
Application deadline: Rolling admissions; You can apply to the program here.
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
3. The University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute Summer Lab
This program is a 10-week, paid research opportunity focused on applied, interdisciplinary data science. This opportunity is open to high school and undergraduate students. High school and undergraduate students are paired with a data science mentor (usually a professor) to help develop their research skills and data science methodologies. They will gain exposure to topics in various domains, including: computer science, data science, social science, climate and energy policy, public policy, and more. Participants learn from their mentor, honing their skills in research methodologies, data science practices, and collaboration exercises. The program ends with a presentation of final videos outlining each student’s research findings throughout the summer.
Alumni and project details can be found here. Some example projects include “Using Social Robots to Reduce Reading Anxiety,” “Self-Driving Telescopes,” “Shape-Changing Assistive Goalkeeper Gloves for Training Hand Positions,” and more.
Cost: Free, with a $5,600 stipend given
Location: University of Chicago
Application deadline: January 12
Program dates: June 15 – August 7
Eligibility: High School students & undergraduates. High school applicants must be located in the Chicago area.
4. Horizon Academic Research Program
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more. Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Financial aid available.
Location: Virtual
Application deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts.
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th- or 11th-graders. Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites; more details can be found here.
5. Statistics & Data Science Camp for High School Students (Carnegie Mellon University)
The Statistics & Data Science Camp at Carnegie Mellon introduces high school students to the fundamentals of data science through structured lessons and hands-on computing activities. Students learn how data is collected, analyzed, and modeled, working with tools like R in guided computer labs to explore real datasets. The program covers key topics such as regression, text analysis, and data-driven decision-making, helping students understand how algorithms and models are applied in practice. Through daily sessions and a field visit to a data-focused company, participants gain a clear view of how data science is used in real-world environments and potential career pathways in the field.
Cost: Free
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, PA
Application deadline: March 15
Program dates: July 22 to July 26
Eligibility: High school students from Pittsburgh-area schools with a strong interest in statistics and data science
6. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies: Data Science
Stanford University offers a data science summer program in its Pre-Collegiate Studies program focused on data analysis, visualization, and machine learning. Using Stanford’s research facilities and resources, students will have the opportunity to learn from instructors and dive into advanced content not typically found in the high school curriculum. Students may rank up to 3 courses in their application and choose 1 if admitted, with data science among the courses offered. The data science course introduces students to computer algorithms and models, using real datasets to answer real-world questions. Participants will develop a strong technical skill set, with R programming exercises and more. More information on the application process can be found here.
Cost: $3,050
Location: Stanford University
Application deadline: March 13
Program dates: Session 1: June 15 - June 26 | Session Two: July 06 - July 17
Eligibility: Students in Grades 9-11 | Participants should have prior exposure to a computer programming language and working knowledge of statistics.
7. Harvard Pre-College Program: Data Science
Harvard’s Secondary School Program allows high school students to study data science through college-level courses in computer science, statistics, and applied mathematics. Students can choose subjects such as probability for engineering and data science, artificial intelligence with Python, and data structures, gaining exposure to how data is analyzed and applied in real-world systems. The program emphasizes both theoretical understanding and practical application, with coursework covering statistical modeling, computational methods, and algorithmic thinking. Through structured classes and independent assignments, students build foundational skills in data analysis and machine learning while experiencing the pace and expectations of university-level academics.
Cost: $6,100 + $75 application fee
Location: Harvard University, Massachusetts
Application deadline: April 1
Program dates: Session I: June 21 – July 2 | Session II: July 5 – July 17 | Session III: July 19 – July 31
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
8. Syracuse University’s Data Visualization and Analysis Course
This program focuses on converting raw data into visuals using programming languages such as Excel and Tableau. Students will learn to clean, capture, and explore data, perform basic statistical analysis to generate insights, and gain experience with Microsoft Excel, Tableau, and more. Participants will also gain valuable practice in presenting the data to stakeholders in a professional manner.
Cost: Residential: $2,795; Commuter: $2,309
Location: Syracuse University, New York
Application deadline: May 1
Program dates: July 19 – July 24
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors
9. Quinnipiac University’s Data Science Summer Camp
Quinnipiac offers a 2-week program to introduce students to data science. Students are given the opportunity to take courses in foundational science theory from Quinnipiac faculty, learning the fundamentals of big data. The aim of this program is to give students an understanding of data science theory and methodology, the skills to analyze datasets, and exposure to career options in the field. At the end of the program, students are given the chance to apply what they’ve learned by working on a hands-on data science project.
Note: The program provides you with a laptop for use during the program.
Cost: $3,600 (Residential); $2,400 (Commuter)
Location: Quinnipiac University, Connecticut
Application deadline: June 1
Program dates: July 6 - July 17
Eligibility: High School Students
10. Wharton Global Youth’s Data Science Academy
Wharton’s Data Science Academy is a summer program that gives high school students the opportunity to learn from Wharton professors and design their own data science projects. Students will explore data science techniques, including data visualization, data wrangling, and machine learning. These concepts are applied to your final project, which you present to peers at the end of the program. Here’s what you'll learn as part of the program
- Acquiring, preparing, exploring, understanding, and visualizing data
- Foundations of probabilities and statistics
- Model-based modeling
- Machine learning
Cost: $10,599
Location: University of Pennsylvania
Application deadline: March 18
Program dates: Session 1: June 21 - July 11 | Session 2: July 12 - August 1
Eligibility: Students in Grades 10-11 with a minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA and a background in math and coding.
Key Takeaways
For students looking to compare options quickly, UChicago’s Data Science Institute Summer Lab is the strongest pick for funded research, with a paid in-person format and a clear research focus. Veritas AI stands out as the most flexible virtual option, especially for students choosing between a structured boot camp and a longer mentored track. Horizon Academic Research Program is best suited to students who want a longer-form research experience with mentorship and a stronger publication-oriented outcome.