15 Free Virtual Summer Programs for High School Students
Summer programs are an excellent way for high school students to explore new subjects, build skills, and get a head start on college or career goals. Free virtual summer programs, in particular, are accessible ways to explore your interests. They offer high-quality learning experiences without the financial or geographic barriers of traditional programs.
Whether you’re interested in coding, creative writing, business, science, or social justice, a remote opportunity will likely fit your interests. These programs often include live sessions, mentorship, and project-based learning, all accessible from home. Here’s a list of 15 free virtual programs for high school students. Each program is either free or offers full financial aid.
1. John Hopkins University - Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective; 25 students.
Dates: July - August.
Application Deadline: December 1 - March 1.
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors are eligible to apply.
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences is a five-week virtual summer research program for high school students across the United States. Designed to introduce you to the field of neurological sciences, it offers early exposure to research and professional pathways in STEM. You will engage in a structured virtual experience with educational lectures, professional development sessions, foundational lab techniques, and mentorship training. The program aims to support academically capable students in exploring long-term careers as researchers or clinician scientists. A certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the program.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including summer.
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis. May.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Founded by Harvard graduate students, Veritas AI offers specialized online programs for high school students interested in artificial intelligence and machine learning. The AI Scholars program introduces you to foundational concepts over ten sessions, combining theory with hands-on projects. For more advanced learners, the AI Fellowship offers 1:1 mentorship with researchers from top universities, culminating in an independent research project. You will also receive guidance on publishing your research in high school research journals.
3. Stanford University - Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics (SPINWIP)
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate: Less than 5%.
Dates: July 7 - 25.
Application Deadline: May 1.
Eligibility: High school students between 9th and 11th grade at the time of application are eligible to apply.
The Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics (SPINWIP) is a three-week virtual summer program organized by the Stanford Physics Department and the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology. It introduces you to advanced topics in physics, including quantum physics, quantum computing, astrophysics, and cosmology. You will learn to code in Python and apply your skills to physics-based projects. The program features lectures from Stanford faculty, collaborative group work with undergraduate mentors, and college preparation and career development workshops.
4. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: The program is fully funded!
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort. Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility:You must be enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall and must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In the flagship program, talented high-school students are paired with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. This program is a solid option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper. You can apply here!
5. Girls Who Code - Summer Immersion Program
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free! $300 needs-based grant is available for eligible students in the United States.
Cohort size: 20 students.
Dates: July 28 - August 8.
Application Deadline: April 11.
Eligibility: Current 9-11 grade high school girls and non-binary students can apply.
The Summer Immersion Program is a two-week virtual learning experience that introduces high school students to game design and foundational concepts in computer science. Through live online classes led by industry professionals, you will explore topics such as the game design process, user experience (UX) design, and coding skills at beginner to intermediate levels. In addition to technical instruction, the summer program offers insights into college and career pathways in the tech sector.
6. Kode With Klossy - Coding Summer Camps
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free!
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: No information available.
Dates: June 2 - 13 | July 7 - 18 | July 21 - August 1 | August 4 - 15.
Application Deadline: March 31.
Eligibility: High school girls and gender-expansive teens aged 13-18 are eligible to apply.
Kode With Klossy offers free, two-week virtual summer coding camps for high school students from traditionally underrepresented genders in STEM. The program is designed to teach core programming skills while fostering long-term interest in technology. You will follow one of four specialized tracks—Web Development, Mobile App Development, Machine Learning, or Data Science—through structured curricula covering technical content and practical applications. You will gain experience with languages and tools such as JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Swift, Python, SQL, and data visualization.
7. Stanford University - AIMI Summer Health AI Bootcamp
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $850 tuition and $40 application fee. Full need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective; 50 students.
Dates: June 16 - 27.
Application Deadline: December 9 - February 28.
Eligibility: High school students entering 9-12 in the fall, and can apply. Applicants must be over 14 by the start of the program.
This virtual two-week summer bootcamp provides a structured introduction to machine learning in healthcare, tailored for high school students across all technical backgrounds. You will explore key themes in the field through a combination of online modules, interactive discussions, collaborative activities, and virtual sessions with professionals from academia, industry, and government. The curriculum includes foundational concepts of machine learning in healthcare, approaches to evaluation and metrics, current challenges and strategies, team dynamics and implementation practices, and an overview of foundation models and generative AI applications in healthcare.
8. Stanford University - Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $850 tuition and $40 application fee. Full need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective; 25 students.
Dates: June 16 - 27.
Application Deadline: December 9 - February 28.
Eligibility: High school students entering 9-12 in the fall, and can apply. Applicants must be over 14 by the start of the program.
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging offers a two-week virtual Summer Research Internship for high school students interested in the intersection of AI and healthcare. The program introduces you to foundational and technical concepts in medical AI through lectures, guided group research sessions, and mentorship from Stanford students and researchers. Activities also include career talks with professionals from various sectors and opportunities for peer interaction. You will receive a Certificate of Completion, and some students may be considered for extended research internships.
9. The Wharton School UPenn - Future of the Business World
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $4,099. Full need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: 17-20%.
Dates: Session 1: June 16 – 27 | Session 2: July 7 – 18 | Session 3: July 21 – August 1.
Application Deadline: Priority deadline: April 2 | Final deadline: May 1.
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–12
Future of the Business World is a two-week virtual summer program offered by the Wharton Global Youth Program for high school students. It introduces you to key areas of business research led by Wharton faculty and encourages critical thinking about the evolving global business landscape. Through daily live sessions, independent work, and interactive simulations, you will engage with design thinking, scenario planning, and team-based problem-solving. You will examine current business challenges, collaborate on group projects, and present forecasts about future developments in the field. A certificate of completion is awarded to students who fulfill all program requirements.
10. Babson College - Summer Study: Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $6,295 tuition and $95 application fee. Full need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: July 7 - 28.
Application Deadline: December 5 - March 14.
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who will be at least 16 years old by the program's start date.
Babson Summer Study is a three-week virtual pre-college program for high school students that focuses on cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. You will explore how to identify opportunities, solve problems, and create value across sectors. The program emphasizes the application of leadership, marketing, finance, and business communication skills, all framed around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. You will engage in collaborative projects, receive mentorship from Babson students, and interact with faculty and global peers. Those who complete the program earn four college credits from Babson College.
11. NYU Tisch School Of The Arts - Online High School Filmmakers Workshop
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $7,664. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective; 28 students.
Dates: July 6 - August 2.
Application Deadline: April 18.
Eligibility: High school first-years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors can apply.
The Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at NYU Tisch offers a summer online filmmaking workshop for high school students, providing an introduction to digital film production. This for-credit course guides you through the core components of filmmaking—writing, directing, shooting, and editing—via a combination of self-paced assignments, collaborative projects, and one-on-one feedback sessions. You will work in online crews to complete technical exercises, a documentary, a music video, and a final narrative film. The program emphasizes visual storytelling, screenwriting fundamentals, and thematic development.
12. University of Massachusetts Amherst - Juniper Young Writers Online
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $1,300. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 50 students.
Dates: July 7–11.
Application Deadline: April 7.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply.
Juniper Young Writers Online offers high school students a week-long virtual writing experience centered on creativity, experimentation, and skill-building. You will engage in workshops, craft sessions, and write-alongs led by writers from the UMass Amherst Master of Fine Arts program, alongside a community of peers worldwide. The program provides an opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and develop your work in a supportive environment. Activities include writing labs, faculty talks, and participant readings.
13. Wake Forest University - Understand How Criminal Law Works
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $1495. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: Open enrolment.
Dates: Multiple 1-, 2-, and 4-week sessions between July through August.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the session. The upcoming deadline is June 29.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply.
This virtual summer program offers high school students an introduction to the fundamentals of criminal law through an examination of how criminal cases unfold. You will study the legal process from both prosecution and defense perspectives, covering key topics such as search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment, the role of pretrial motions, distinctions between hearings and trials, and the responsibilities of judges and jurors. The program emphasizes analytical reasoning, evidence evaluation, and legal argumentation. It concludes with a final project where you will act as appellate judges, issuing a written opinion on a previously tried case. A Certificate of Completion is awarded upon successful participation.
14. NYU Tisch School Of The Arts - Online High School Screenwriters Workshop
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $7,664. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: July 6 - August 2.
Application Deadline: April 18.
Eligibility: High school first-years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors can apply.
The Tisch School of the Arts offers a virtual summer screenwriting workshop for high school students, providing college credit and an introduction to writing for film and television. Through pre-recorded modules, weekly assignments, and one-on-one meetings with a Tisch instructor, you will learn the fundamentals of screenwriting, including story development, character creation, script structure, and visual storytelling. The program includes film analysis sessions and collaborative workshops where you will present and revise your work. By the end of the program, you will submit a short screenplay, selected scenes, and a synopsis for both a feature film and a television series.
15. Georgetown University - Medical Research: Clinical Trials Resulting in Medical Discoveries
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $1,795. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: Open enrolment.
Dates: Multiple 1-week intensives, 2-week sessions, and 4-week sessions available between June through August.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the sessions.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply.
This virtual summer program introduces high school students to the foundational principles of medical research, focusing on how clinical evidence informs treatments and therapies. You will explore evidence-based medicine, research ethics, clinical trials, and key concepts in biostatistics and epidemiology. The program culminates in a capstone project, where you will analyze cancer-related research and present your understanding of the scientific method as applied to clinical studies. Throughout the course, you will receive mentorship and structured feedback to support your learning and assess your interest in pursuing medical research or related fields in the future.
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