15 College Programs for High School Students in Georgia
If you’re a high school student looking to explore your academic interests, pre-college programs offer a focused way to explore them. You step into college classrooms, labs, studios, and research spaces while working on projects that go beyond typical schoolwork. Depending on your interests, you might build engineering prototypes, work with medical simulations, analyze environmental data, or develop a design portfolio. These programs are hosted by established colleges, so you also see how faculty teach, how students collaborate, and how academic work is structured at the university level. Subjects range from medicine, neuroscience, and public health to architecture, computer science, art, and environmental studies.
Why should you attend a program in Georgia?
Georgia gives you access to a strong network of universities running pre-college programs for high school students. Many emphasize applied work, so you might contribute to research, take part in lab experiments, design models using professional tools, or work through real-world case studies. Others focus on simulations, teaching practice, or field-based learning tied to industry and community settings. These programs offer rigorous coursework, faculty mentorship, and exposure to campus life, and help you understand what college-level work actually looks like before applying.
To help you evaluate your options more efficiently, we’ve selected 15 college programs for high school students in Georgia.
If you’re looking for programs in Georgia, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
Several programs are free or paid, including UGA CAES Young Scholars (paid internship), Georgia Tech STEP and TryEngineering (free), Georgia State AFT ($200 stipend), Oxford College Summer Experience (free), and Augusta University Summer Research Experiences (free), making Georgia a strong state for no-cost pre-college opportunities.
Programs span a wide range of fields including biomedical and cancer research (Augusta University, MSM STEAM Academy), engineering and construction (Georgia Tech STEP, TryEngineering, Building Construction Camp), art and design (SCAD Rising Star, Architecture Summer Academy), marine science (Savannah State Coast Camp), neuroscience (Georgia State Neuroscience School), and emergency medicine (Georgia Tech Emergency Medicine).
Several programs are hosted on flagship Georgia institutions including Georgia Tech, UGA, Georgia State University, Emory's Oxford College, and Morehouse School of Medicine, giving students direct access to university faculty, labs, and campus environments.
Students looking for mentored research experiences with a formal presentation component can apply to UGA CAES Young Scholars, Augusta University Summer Research Experiences, and MSM STEAM Academy, all of which culminate in a poster or research presentation.
Most competitive programs have deadlines between January and March, so students should begin identifying programs of interest in the fall and prepare applications well in advance.
1. UGA CAES Young Scholars Internship Program
Location: University of Georgia, Athens, Griffin, or Tifton, GA
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 - July 7: Internship Program | July 8 - 10: Young Scholars Pre-Collegiate Research Conference
Application Deadline: January 23
Eligibility: High school students who have completed sophomore year, are first-time participants, will be at least 16 by the start of the program, have completed at least one high school science course with a lab, and one semester of algebra
The UGA CAES Young Scholars Internship Program places you in a research setting connected to agricultural, food, and environmental sciences. You work under the guidance of a faculty mentor, contributing to a project that may involve lab work, field observations, literature review, data collection, or analysis. The structure gives you a stronger understanding of how scientific research connects to food systems, sustainability, environmental challenges, and agricultural industries. Workshops and site visits add context by showing how these fields operate beyond the classroom. The experience concludes with a poster presentation at a pre-collegiate research conference, allowing you to communicate your findings in a formal academic setting.
2. Art History and Curatorial Studies Early College Program
Location: Spelman College, the Atlanta University Center, and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 20 – July 17
Application deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
The Art History and Curatorial Studies Early College Program introduces you to college-level art history, museum studies, and curatorial practice through a credit-bearing course. You’ll study African American and Western art while learning how museums, archives, and libraries shape public understanding of visual culture. Classes, workshops, discussions, and site visits help you examine art not just as an object, but as something interpreted through history, identity, audience, and institutional context. A major part of the program involves exhibition-focused work, where you use research, primary sources, and curatorial thinking to analyze how collections are presented. You also build public speaking, writing, visual analysis, and technology skills that are useful across humanities and arts pathways.
3. GTAE’s Science, Technology, and Engineering Pipeline (STEP) Summer Internship Program
Location: Georgia Tech main campus, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 and reside in Georgia
Georgia Tech’s STEP Summer Internship Program gives you a research-based introduction to engineering through a challenge inspired by active aerospace work on campus. Students work in a team to define the problem, test ideas, and build a solution without being handed a fixed answer. Faculty mentorship is central to the experience, helping you understand how engineers approach open-ended research questions. Along the way, you gain exposure to aerospace engineering concepts and the kind of persistence needed for advanced STEM work. The college program for high school students in Georgia concludes with a poster session in which your team presents its process and findings to faculty, educators, families, and industry representatives.
4. Georgia Tech’s TryEngineering Summer Institute
Location: Georgia Tech main campus, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 students
Dates: June 7 – 15
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-grade students who are Georgia residents
The TryEngineering Summer Institute at Georgia Tech is designed for students who want a broad, hands-on introduction to engineering and computer science. Students take part in experiments, workshops, field experiences, and design challenges that show how engineers solve practical problems. The residential format also gives you a closer look at campus life, including academic spaces, research facilities, and the rhythm of living and learning at a major engineering institution. Throughout the program, you interact with Georgia Tech faculty, students, and staff, which can help you better understand engineering pathways and college expectations. Sessions also introduce the admissions process, making the experience useful for students who are seriously thinking about engineering school.
5.SCAD Rising Star
Location: Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $4,680 | Application fee: $100 + Program fee: $250 + Housing and meals: $1,590
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 28 – July 24
Application Deadline: No fixed deadline; application opens on September 21.
Eligibility: Current high school juniors
SCAD’s pre-college program for high school students in Georgia gives you a college-level art and design experience while helping you build or strengthen your creative portfolio. You enroll in two SCAD courses taught by university faculty, with options spanning fashion, graphic design, film, illustration, architecture, interior design, sequential art, and foundation studies. Coursework takes place in university classrooms, studios, labs, and production spaces, giving you access to the tools and expectations of a design school environment. Depending on your classes, you may use professional software, including Adobe Creative Cloud, while developing projects that reflect your creative direction. The program also gives you a sense of how critiques, studio assignments, and faculty feedback function at the college level.
6. 21st Century Leaders – EarthCare
Location: Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 7 – 12
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Georgia
EarthCare combines environmental learning with leadership development in a residential college setting. Participants explore sustainability, clean energy, environmental responsibility, and problem-solving through workshops, team-building exercises, and professional sessions. The program is especially useful if you want to understand how companies, community organizations, and future leaders address environmental issues. Interactions with business professionals and peers across Georgia help you practice communication, collaboration, and career readiness. Living on campus also gives you a brief but meaningful sense of residential academic life.
7. Georgia State University Academy for Future Teachers (AFT)
Location: Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
Stipend: $200 stipend + transport provision
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.0
Georgia State University’s Academy for Future Teachers introduces you to teaching, STEM education, and sustainability-focused learning. Participants dive into how educators design lessons, support different learning styles, and communicate complex ideas to younger students. Workshops, field trips, and hands-on activities such as urban gardening and recycling help connect teaching practice to real-world environmental health topics. One of the most valuable aspects of this college program for high school students in Georgia is the opportunity to prepare and teach lessons to elementary or middle school students. You also work on collaborative projects that build presentation, leadership, and classroom communication skills.
8. Oxford College Summer Experience Program
Location: Emory University’s Oxford College campus, Oxford, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 students from each school system
Dates: June 1–5
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 10th and 11th graders from Newton and Putnam County School Systems
The Oxford College Summer Experience Program introduces local high school students to college academics, campus life, and college readiness. As a participant, you’ll take part in academic sessions taught by faculty in subjects such as political science, chemistry, and English. The experience also includes workshops on college applications, course selection, financial aid, study skills, essay writing, and building connections with faculty. Beyond academics, you participate in leadership activities, community service, field trips, wellness sessions, and team-building exercises. By the end, you have a clearer sense of how to prepare for college as well as how to make stronger academic choices during high school.
9. Savannah State University – Coast Camp
Location: Savannah State University Marine Biology Building, Savannah, GA
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1–26
Application Deadline: Opens March 14
Eligibility: Students ages 7–18; For high schoolers, the relevant cohort is ages 14–18
Savannah State University’s Coast Camp gives you a hands-on introduction to marine science through classroom learning and field-based exploration. You study ocean literacy, coastal ecosystems, marine habitats, beach processes, and environmental sustainability using science, math, and writing skills. The program’s applied structure helps you connect concepts to real coastal environments rather than learning them only through lectures. Outdoor fieldwork is a key part of the experience, allowing you to observe marine science in action and practice basic scientific inquiry. Working with university faculty, staff, and students also gives you a clearer view of what marine science can look like in an academic setting.
10. Augusta University's Summer Research Experiences
Location: Georgia Cancer Center (GCC) at Augusta University, Augusta, GA
Cost: Not specified, but program alumni mention free participation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 6 weeks starting in June
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: For bench research projects in labs, high school students who are at least 16 years old and demonstrate an interest in biological sciences, especially cancer research; For bioinformatics or community-based research projects, high school students under 16 years old (priority is given to students from Columbia, Richmond, and Aiken Counties)
Augusta University’s Summer Research Experiences introduce you to cancer research through mentored work at the Georgia Cancer Center. You may contribute to projects in areas such as molecular biology, immunology, bioinformatics, population health, computational biology, or clinical outcomes. The program helps you understand how researchers study cancer from multiple angles, including lab-based science, data-driven analysis, and public health approaches. Daily mentorship gives you exposure to research methods, professional expectations, and scientific problem-solving. You also participate in skill-building sessions and interact with researchers, students, and staff across the cancer center community.
11. Georgia Tech Pre-College – Building Construction Summer Camp
Location: College of Design, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.
Cost: $3,500 Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; Limited spots
Dates: June 14 – 26 and July 5 – 17
Application Deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
This college program for high school students in Georgia introduces you to the technical, design, and management sides of the construction industry. You explore how tools such as drones, robotics, laser scanning, AR/VR, 3D printing, and digital modeling are changing how construction projects are planned and executed. Hands-on projects allow you to move from concept to model while learning how technology supports design and project management. You also visit construction sites, which helps you understand how classroom concepts translate into real built environments. Faculty and current students provide insight into what it is like to study building construction within a college of design. The final 3D-printed project provides a tangible outcome of the work you complete during the program.
12. Architecture Summer Academy
Location: Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA
Cost: $1,050Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Allhigh school students
Kennesaw State University’s Architecture Summer Academy gives you a studio-based introduction to architecture and design. Students get to see and learn how architects approach space, form, function, materials, and the built environment through exercises and hands-on projects. The program also introduces design theory, architectural history, and the creative process behind developing an architectural idea. Working in a studio setting helps you understand how critique, iteration, and collaboration shape design work at the college level. You also build skills in observation, visual thinking, communication, and team-based problem-solving.
13. The Neuroscience School @ Georgia State University
Location: Online or Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $275 – $350, depending on the course you choose; fee assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple one-week options in June – July
Application Deadline: Open until full; Applications typically open in December
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least the 9th grade; for in-person courses, applicants must be at least 16 years old.
The Neuroscience School at Georgia State University gives you access to short, focused courses in brain science taught by neuroscience and psychology faculty. Depending on the course, you may study neurons, neurotransmission, brain anatomy, learning and memory, sensory systems, neurological disorders, or human brain imaging. Some options include lab-based work, where you explore experimental design, research equipment, and models used to study conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or stress-related disorders. Case studies and research reports help you connect biological mechanisms to symptoms, treatment approaches, and scientific questions.
14. Emergency Medicine at Georgia Tech
Location: Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
Cost: Residential: $5,798 | Commuter: $3,298 | Medicine course supplement: $250 + $99 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 14 – 26 (Session 1)
Application Deadline: November 30 for the lowest prices; Tuition increases on December 1
Eligibility: Pre-college high school students interested in medicine and healthcare
Emergency Medicine at Georgia Tech gives you a practical introduction to acute care, medical decision-making, and healthcare teamwork. Participants learn hands-on skills such as taking vital signs, performing CPR, splinting, suturing, and controlling bleeding in a simulation-based setting. The first part of the program builds foundational knowledge through medical scenarios, wilderness medicine activities, and guided practice with healthcare techniques. Later, you apply those skills during a mass-casualty incident simulation that requires triage, communication, and quick decision-making under pressure. Team-based exercises also help you understand how emergency professionals collaborate to assess symptoms and develop treatment plans.
15. MSM S.T.E.A.M. Academy: Authentic Research Experience
Location: Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) campus, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $1500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly available
Dates: June 2 – July 11
Application Deadline: March 21
Eligibility: Rising 10th – 12th-grade students with a minimum 3.0 GPA
This college program for high school students in Georgia gives you direct exposure to biomedical research in a mentored academic environment. You are paired with a research mentor and work alongside faculty, graduate students, or research staff on a project in a biomedical field. The program helps you build practical skills in laboratory methods, data analysis, scientific reasoning, and research communication. Additional sessions introduce topics such as health equity, healthcare disparities, critical thinking, and career pathways in medicine, public health, and science. You also gain experience with professional expectations in research settings, from asking stronger questions to interpreting results responsibly. By the end, you present or summarize your work, giving you a concrete research outcome to reflect on in future applications.
Frequently asked questions
What types of college programs are available for high school students in Georgia?
Options include paid research internships (UGA CAES Young Scholars), university pre-college intensives (Georgia Tech STEP, SCAD Rising Star, UNCSA-style programs), biomedical and cancer research programs (Augusta University, MSM STEAM Academy), art and design academies (SCAD, Kennesaw State Architecture), marine science camps (Savannah State Coast Camp), neuroscience courses (Georgia State), and leadership and environmental programs (21st Century Leaders EarthCare, Georgia State AFT).
Are there free college programs for high school students in Georgia?
Yes, several programs are free or paid. Georgia Tech STEP and TryEngineering are free to attend; UGA CAES Young Scholars is a paid internship; Georgia State AFT provides a $200 stipend; Oxford College Summer Experience is free; and Augusta University Summer Research Experiences are free to participate in. Programs like SCAD Rising Star and MSM STEAM Academy charge tuition but may offer fee assistance.
Which Georgia programs are best for students interested in medicine or biomedical research?
Augusta University Summer Research Experiences pairs students with mentors at the Georgia Cancer Center for six weeks of mentored research in molecular biology, bioinformatics, or population health. MSM STEAM Academy at Morehouse School of Medicine offers a similar mentored research experience focused on biomedical science and health equity. Emergency Medicine at Georgia Tech provides hands-on clinical skills training through simulations and mass-casualty exercises.
Are there college programs in Georgia specifically for students interested in art, design, or architecture?
SCAD Rising Star places students in two college-level courses across disciplines, including fashion, graphic design, film, illustration, and architecture. Kennesaw State's Architecture Summer Academy offers a studio-based introduction to architectural design and theory. The Art History and Curatorial Studies Early College Program at Spelman College introduces students to museum studies and curatorial practice through a credit-bearing course.
Which Georgia programs offer college credit or formal academic credentials?
The Art History and Curatorial Studies Early College Program at Spelman College is credit-bearing. SCAD Rising Star awards college-level course credit. Students should verify current credit policies directly with each program, as offerings may change by year.
When should I apply to college programs for high school students in Georgia?
Several programs have early deadlines. Augusta University closes January 15 and UGA CAES Young Scholars closes January 23. Georgia Tech STEP, TryEngineering, 21st Century Leaders EarthCare, and GSU AFT all have March deadlines. MSM STEAM Academy closes March 21, and Kennesaw State Architecture closes April 1. Students should begin researching in the fall and aim to apply by January or February for the most competitive options.
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