15 Free Computer Science Camps for High School Students
Computer science camps can be a useful way for you to build technical skills and explore coding in a structured setting. These camps often focus on areas like programming, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data science through guided projects and collaborative activities. Many are free or offer financial aid, making them more accessible while still giving you exposure to different areas of computer science.
How are computer science camps different from other programs in high school?
Computer science camps are usually shorter and more focused than long-term academic programs, allowing you to concentrate on specific technical skills over a few days or weeks. Depending on the camp, activities can include coding projects, cybersecurity challenges, app development, or machine learning exercises, while helping you develop problem-solving and analytical skills. These experiences can help you explore computer science in a structured format without committing to a longer program.
To help with your search, we've narrowed this list down to 15 free computer science camps for high school students.
1. Argonne Coding for Science Camp
Location: Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Extremely selective, only 30 students admitted
Dates: June 15 – June 19
Application Deadline: April 29
Eligibility: Rising 10th and 11th-grade high school students
Argonne's Coding for Science Camp is a free, five-day workshop at one of the U.S. Department of Energy's flagship national laboratories. You'll learn Python from Argonne computer scientists and use it to explore how computing is applied to real scientific problems like high-performance computing simulations and data analysis. Daily sessions include hands-on coding exercises, group problem-solving challenges, and interactions with Argonne staff working at the frontier of computing and visualization. The camp is intentionally designed for students with little or no coding background and gives you direct access to the tools and workflows used by professional researchers.
2. Veritas AI: AI Scholars & AI Fellowship
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students; AI Fellowship typically accepts previous AI Scholar participants or those with some experience working with AI or Python.
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, you 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, you get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that you have access to the in-house publication team to help you 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. Argonne Big Data Camp
Location: Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Extremely selective, only 30 students admitted
Dates: July 20 – 24
Application Deadline: April 29
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors with basic coding experience in Python, C, Java, or a similar language
Big Data Camp is a free, five-day data science workshop at Argonne National Laboratory for students with some coding experience who want to further explore the field. You'll work with professional Argonne research data, learning how data scientists ask questions, clean datasets, and build visualizations that reveal patterns in complex information. The camp is led by scientists from Argonne's Leadership Computing Facility, and you'll use real investigative methods to work through data from active research projects. The program teaches you how to move from raw data to meaningful insight and is specifically designed as a bridge between high school coding skills and college-level data science work.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial assistance offered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Sessions run throughout the year, including in the summer
Application deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply here.
Eligibility: High school students; accepted students typically have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0
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 physics, data science, computer science, engineering, and more.
5. Kode With Klossy Summer Camp
Location: Virtual and in-person in multiple locations
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Competitive, limited seats per session and location
Dates: June 1–12, July 6–17, July 20–31, or August 3–14
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Young women and gender-expansive students ages 13–18
Kode With Klossy runs free two-week coding camps for young women and gender-expansive teens, with sessions available virtually and at in-person locations across several U.S. cities. You'll be placed in one of three curriculum tracks: AI/ML, Data Science, or Web Development, based on availability and prior experience. The AI/ML track covers machine learning fundamentals and natural language processing using Python, Data Science uses SQL and Python to build data visualizations on a topic you care about, and Web Development teaches JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Each camp is led by two experienced educators and at least two instructor assistants who are program alumni. A speaker series brings women working in tech into the classroom over the two weeks to discuss their career paths and share their experiences. The camp ends with a demo day where you'll present your finished project to the group.
6. NYU Tandon CS4CS (Computer Science for Cyber Security)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Extremely selective
Dates: July 13 – August 7
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Current 10th or 11th graders residing in Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Kings County, specific Suffolk County LIRR lines, Staten Island, or select New Jersey counties
CS4CS is a four-week, full-day program at NYU Tandon covering the fundamentals of cybersecurity and computer science. Topics include cryptography, steganography, white-hat hacking, digital forensics, privacy, and data protection, alongside coding practice and real-world security analysis exercises. Theater-based communication workshops also run alongside the technical content to build your presentation and professional skills. Classes are taught by NYU faculty and graduate students, and the program specifically targets students from communities underrepresented in STEM. With limited seats and the prestige of NYU Tandon, this is one of the most sought-after programs on the list for NYC area high schoolers.
7. Girls Who Code Pathways
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Open enrolment
Dates: June 29 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 25 for early, April 10 for general
Eligibility: Girls and non-binary students in grades 9–12, including rising 9th graders and graduating seniors
Pathways is a seven-week, self-paced virtual program from Girls Who Code with five curriculum tracks: Data Science + AI, Game Design, Web Development, Cybersecurity, and AI + Society. You'll work through project scenarios at your own pace and have the option to attend optional live Student Hours sessions each week for mentorship and peer collaboration. Corporate partner events and career panels from major tech companies run throughout the summer, and you'll gain access to a private Discord community to connect with participants nationwide. While this is technically one of the longer programs on this list, its completely self-paced nature makes it a solid option nonetheless, fully allowing you to balance your schedule with other commitments.
8. UT Austin Academy for All
Location: University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Cost: Free; students can even receive a $500 travel scholarship
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 7–13 for the Standard Edition, June 14–19 for the Machine Learning Edition
Application Deadline: December 22
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
Academy for All is a one-week residential CS program at UT Austin with two track options. In the Standard Edition, you'll program an Arduino microcontroller in C++ to create an LED light display project. In the Machine Learning Edition, you'll write Python code to train your own ML model and study the societal impacts of machine learning. Both tracks include faculty-led workshops, meetings with industry representatives, a session with UT admissions staff, and a campus field trip. The program runs a 10:1 student-to-mentor ratio throughout, with program assistants supervising lab work during the day and resident assistants overseeing the dorms overnight. This high-exposure environment, coupled with the program’s cost-free model, makes it a compelling option.
9. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA, or virtual
Cost: Free for families earning under $200,000/year
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Highly competitive
Dates: Four-week summer programs
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who live or attend high school in the U.S.
BWSI is run jointly by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT's School of Engineering, offering a four-week project-based summer program across 14+ course tracks. Options include Autonomous RACECAR, AI Game Design, Cybersecurity in Software Intensive Systems, Quantum Software, CubeSat Design, Embedded Security and Hardware Hacking, Medlytics, Machine Learning, and more. Before applying to the summer program, you must complete a self-paced online prerequisite course covering fundamentals such as Python, robotics, operating systems, or other track-specific foundations. Both virtual and on-campus programs are available, combining lectures, labs, and team project time, culminating in a final event where teams present and compete with their completed builds. This is a somewhat longer program than most camps, but its association with MIT makes it a strong contender.
10. PNW Lilly/GenCyber Cybersecurity Camp
Location: Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, IN
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Highly competitive
Dates: One week in June
Application Deadline: Keep an eye on the website for details
Eligibility: High school students
This one-week camp run by Purdue University Northwest introduces high school students to cybersecurity through a hands-on, gamified curriculum. You'll work through labs and game-based activities covering cybersecurity awareness, wireless network security with a Raspberry Pi, robot game programming with Arduino, ethical hacking and digital forensics, and Python programming. Daily sessions run from 9 AM to 4 PM and alternate between classroom-style instruction and hands-on lab work. The camp is funded through the NSA/NSF GenCyber initiative, so there's no cost to attend, and all materials are provided. A completion certificate is awarded at the end of the week.
11. GenCyber
Location: 100+ locations across 45 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Varies by host institution
Dates: Typically one week, running June through August, with dates varying by location
Application Deadline: Varies by host location
Eligibility: High school students
GenCyber is a national cybersecurity education initiative funded jointly by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), operating through over 100 camps hosted by colleges and universities across the country. Each one-week camp covers cybersecurity principles, including defense in depth, confidentiality, integrity, availability, adversarial thinking, and online safety, delivered through hands-on activities, simulations, and case studies. Individual host institutions design their own curriculum within NSA/NSF guidelines, so the specific projects and tools vary by location. Some camps incorporate Capture-the-Flag challenges, while others focus on penetration testing, network security, or digital forensics. Its national scale makes it a highly accessible introduction to the cybersecurity domain of computer science.
12. UIUC Digital Scholars Program
Location: Discovery Partners Institute, Chicago, IL
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 22 – July 31
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-graders from Chicago Public Schools and Chicago-area districts
The Digital Scholars Program is a free, six-week summer program run by the University of Illinois system. You'll enroll in one of five daily computing courses: Data Science Discovery, Exploring Electrical and Computer Engineering, Foundations of CS and Coding (in Java or Kotlin), iOS App Design (using Swift and Xcode), or Programming in Swift. Alongside the core course, daily talks bring in tech entrepreneurs, engineers, and civic leaders from Chicago's tech community, and weekly workshops dive into topics like AI, machine learning, and entrepreneurship. The program also includes college and career readiness sessions covering professional networking, branding, and technical interview skills. Despite being a longer-term program, it deserves a spot on this list due to its rigorous curriculum and high degree of exposure.
13. MIT Women's Technology Program (WTP)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free for families earning under $120,000/year
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Extremely selective
Dates: June 27 – July 25
Application Deadline: Usually in early spring
Eligibility: Female-identifying students who have completed 11th grade
WTP is a four-week residential program at MIT introducing female-identifying rising seniors to electrical engineering and computer science through hands-on classes, labs, and team-based projects. You'll work with programming languages including Python and MATLAB, use tools like CAD software, microcontrollers, and soldering equipment, and build small projects that combine hardware and software. The program is taught by MIT graduate and undergraduate students, and daily sessions span labs, problem sets, and team collaboration. You'll live on MIT's campus and have access to MIT facilities throughout the month. With roughly 20 students accepted annually from a highly competitive pool, WTP is one of the most selective free technical programs in the country for high school women.
14. Princeton AI4ALL
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: The previous cycle was from July 9 – 30. Keep an eye on the website for details
Application Deadline: The previous deadline was April 9. Keep an eye on the program website
Eligibility: Rising 11th graders living in the U.S. or Puerto Rico who either have a household income under $60,000, or are eligible for free/reduced price lunch in high school
Princeton AI4ALL is a three-week residential program at Princeton University focused on artificial intelligence and its societal impacts. You'll attend lectures by Princeton AI faculty, work in small groups on hands-on research projects applying machine learning to real-world problems, and receive mentorship from Princeton graduate students. Past cohorts have built NLP systems to detect fake news and used computer vision for medical imaging analysis, indicating a strong focus on the practical application of programming principles. The program includes a two-day field trip to Washington D.C., where you'll meet with policymakers and visit organizations working at the intersection of AI and public policy. Career development workshops and social events are built into the schedule alongside the academic content. The program is strictly merit and need-based, designed for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in AI.
15. MIT Beaver Works Saturday Programs
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA, or virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Open registration
Dates: Spring or fall sessions, each running for 10 Saturdays. The spring session is from March 7 to April 25
Application Deadline: February 20 for the spring session
Eligibility: U.S. high school students in grades 9–11
BWSI's Saturday Programs are the year-round, lower-barrier entry points to the same MIT-affiliated ecosystem as the flagship summer institute. Track options include Python Programming, Computational Problem Solving, Digital Logic and Computer Design, and Drone Racing Simulation. Sessions meet once a week on Saturdays and are free with no GPA cutoff or recommendation letters required. Completing a Saturday Program also builds the foundational skills and track record that strengthen a future application to BWSI's competitive four-week summer institute.