12 Math Programs for High School Students in Los Angeles, California (LA)
If you are a high school student looking for an opportunity to refine your mathematics skills beyond the classroom, a structured math program is worth considering. Math programs cover advanced topics, from number theory to math modelling, allowing you to sharpen your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As a participant, you will learn from professors and mathematicians, prepare for higher education or competitive math, and work on puzzles, problem sets, and other exercises.
Why should you attend a program in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles, California, is a strong option for students seeking math programs, thanks to its concentration of universities and STEM organizations that offer focused learning opportunities. As a participant, you can attend lectures, join problem-solving sessions, contribute to research projects, and engage with mentors who work in math and related fields. Whether you are a local or out-of-city student, Los Angeles provides opportunities to study mathematics in an established academic environment.
To help you find the right opportunity, here is a list of 12 math programs for high school students in Los Angeles, California.
If you’re looking for summer programs in Los Angeles, check out our blog here.
1. UCLA Olga Radko Endowed Math Circle (ORMC)
Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer session and academic-year session available
Application deadline: May for summer sessions; academic-year application details not specified
Eligibility: K–12 students in the greater Los Angeles area
The ORMC is a free math enrichment program for students in the greater Los Angeles area. It offers two tracks—academic-year sessions and summer sessions. While the academic-year track has limited to no new spots for new participants, the summer track is open to all eligible students. In each track, you will attend meetings to engage in problem-solving sessions and attend talks covering pure and applied math topics. ORMC will also help you prepare for competitions, such as Math Kangaroo, Bay Area Math Olympiad, and American Mathematical Competitions. The curriculum spans various math topics, fractals, combinatorics, game theory, advanced plane geometry, elementary number theory, and logic.
2. Veritas AI’s AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; Financial aid offered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Program dates: Multiple cohorts in a year (dates vary by cohort)
Application deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students who have coding/AI experience or have completed the Veritas AI Scholars Program
Veritas AI runs various virtual programs designed to help middle and high school students explore artificial intelligence through collaborative learning, project development, and one-on-one mentorship. The AI Fellowship program offers you the opportunity to conduct independent AI research projects under the mentorship of an AI researcher or practitioner. Over the course of 12 to 15 weeks, you will work one-on-one with your mentor and develop an AI-focused interdisciplinary project. You can choose to explore the intersection of math and AI for your project. The program offers support to help you submit your work to journals. You can check out examples of previous projects here and read about a student's experience in the program here.
3. USC Viterbi’s MASTERMIND
Location: University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 16 – July 11
Application deadline: May 30
Eligibility: High school seniors affiliated with select CA-based programs
USC’s MASTERMIND (Mathematics Applying Science, Technology, Engineering's Relationships, Materials, Instruction, Numeracy, Delivery) helps high schoolers build a strong math foundation to prepare for future engineering and STEM coursework. The program is designed to help you connect mathematical theory to scientific contexts that you may encounter in future studies. As a participant, you will explore algebraic and precalculus concepts through hands-on problem-solving. Tools such as ALEKS and MATLAB will help you explore how math ideas translate into real-world applications.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Math Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial assistance offered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Program dates: Multiple sessions, including summer, spring, fall, and winter cohorts, are scheduled each year
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 psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more.
5. UCLA COSMOS
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $5,518 + application fee of $46; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 – 28 students/cluster
Dates: July 5 – August 1
Application deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Students entering grades 8 – 11 in California
COSMOS is a STEM-focused program conducted at University of California campuses, including UCLA. The program allows you to learn through focused clusters, each centered on a specific topic within math, engineering, or science. Within your assigned cluster, you will engage with a specialized curriculum designed by UCLA faculty that combines lectures, labs, and field-based learning covering various areas, including math. A key feature of the program is a research project that emphasizes technical writing, data interpretation, and scientific communication. You will work in a small team to develop this project tied to your cluster’s subject matter and document your work through a research abstract and posters. The program culminates in a formal poster presentation where you will share your work and findings with peers and faculty.
6. USC Young Researchers Program
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Program dates: June 15 – July 24
Application deadline: April 5
Eligibility: High school juniors/rising seniors living in Southern California
The Young Researchers Program places you in USC’s research environment to work on a STEM research project. You will be paired with a graduate student mentor and contribute to a research project aligned with their specialization, gaining experience with research methods and scientific inquiry. You can indicate your preference for math-focused placement. You will also attend weekly seminars that cover topics such as college preparation and pathways in science and engineering. The program concludes with a poster presentation at a public symposium, where you will present your findings.
7. FinDS Summer Program
Location: Virtual or in person at the UCLA campus, Los Angeles, CA, or UC San Diego, CA
Cost: $100 application fee + Beginner Program fee: $750 (three weeks) or $500 (two weeks) | Advanced Program fee: $800
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~25 students for the in-person program | 50 students for the virtual program
Program dates: Beginner Program (UCLA/online): July 27 – August 14 | Advanced Program (UCSD/online): June 15 – 29
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10 –12; those who have participated in FinDS beginners or equivalent programs can apply for the Advanced track, and students who have taken high school algebra can apply for the Beginner track.
The FinDS Summer Program focuses on the mathematical principles associated with data science and computer science. It offers two tracks—the Beginner and the Advanced—to cater to different levels of math experience. Both tracks cover math and data science concepts, including graph theory, calculus, linear algebra, and probability, which also play a role in machine learning, cryptography, and search algorithms. You will attend lectures, guided problem-solving exercises, and projects designed to help you develop conceptual understanding and practical skills in math. The program is led by professors who have research experience.
8. UCLA Summer Institute: Discovering College Math
Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $3,218; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – 31
Application deadline: June 12
Eligibility: High school students with a 3.2 GPA who have taken at least Algebra II and are 15 or older
This UCLA program allows you to explore college-level mathematics, with a focus on discrete math. You will spend three weeks engaging in creative, rigorous problem-solving and exploring the math behind genetics, computer science, and game theory. Additionally, you will cover the curriculum for UCLA’s undergraduate course, Math 61, and delve into topics such as logic, combinatorics, and graph theory. In the mornings, you will participate in Math Circle-style collaborative sessions to learn how to tackle complex problems. Afternoons will consist of college-style lectures followed by independent work on problem sets. At the end, you will earn college credit for your participation.
9. UCLA Summer Sessions: Math Courses
Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (online courses also available)
Cost: Registration Fee: $350 + Course Fees: $385/unit + additional fees may apply
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple 3-, 6-, 8-, 9-, and 10-week sessions in the summer; dates vary by course
Application deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: High school students, UCLA students, and visiting college students
UCLA offers students the opportunity to enroll in its wide range of courses over the summer. As a high school student, you can enroll in one or two courses, including math. Based on the course you choose, you will explore topics like precalculus, linear algebra and its applications, differential equations, differential and integral calculus, integration and infinite series, calculus of several variables, or discrete structures at the collegiate level. You will attend daily lectures on campus or online, work on in-class and independent assignments, and engage in group problem-solving. You may also earn college credits upon completing the course.
10. MIT PRIMES USA
Location: Virtual
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Program dates: Year-round: January 1 – December 31
Application deadline: December 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and sophomores (including home-schooled students) residing in the U.S.
PRIMES-USA is a free year-long mathematics research program designed for high school students. You will be paired with graduate students and faculty mentors from leading universities, including MIT, who will guide you through an in-depth research experience. The program is split into four stages over the course of a year. You will begin by building background knowledge through advanced reading, then move on to guided research with your mentor. Then, you will continue with independent study before completing your project and preparing a final presentation. The program ends with the Fall PRIMES conference in mid-October, where you will present your work. You will also write a research paper summarizing your results, which can be submitted to academic journals or research competitions for publication.
11. University of Maryland’s MathQuantum Fellowships
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10 high school students/year
Program dates: July 14 – 25
Application deadline: February 13
Eligibility: High school students interested in computer science, mathematics, physics, and quantum information science
This virtual program is centered around the intersection of mathematics and quantum information science. As a MathQuantum Fellow, you will learn key concepts in areas such as cryptography, quantum mechanics, and linear algebra through seminars, lectures, coding labs, and professional development workshops designed to mirror a real research environment. Guided by mentors, you will complete mini-projects that apply quantum ideas to practical problems and take part in discussions on emerging technologies and ethics. The program also offers the opportunity to attend the Qubit by Qubit High School Summer Camp for hands-on exposure to quantum computing.
12. Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)
Location: Online
Cost: $3,750; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 64 students/year
Program dates: Session 1: June 15 – July 3 | Session 2: July 6 – 24
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
SUMac is a rigorous program designed for students passionate about exploring advanced mathematics. Here, you will explore mathematical topics like abstract algebra and number theory through lectures, group problem-solving, and guided research. You will choose one of two courses: one centered around algebra and number theory, and the other focused on algebraic topology, both of which connect classical math to modern applications. The workload mirrors college-level expectations. The program also exposes you to ongoing areas of mathematical inquiry, the evolution of major mathematical theories, and applications across scientific fields.