10 Online Coding Programs for High School Students
Online coding programs for high school students have become a popular way to gain practical skills and exposure to computer science early on. These programs offer opportunities to learn programming, computer science, and related fields from top colleges and organizations.
One of the most significant advantages of virtual programs is the flexibility to learn at your own pace and connect with peers and mentors worldwide, broadening your network. If you’re interested in coding, programming, and computer science, participating in these programs can provide insight into future academic or career paths.
Recognizing the variety of options, we’ve carefully selected 10 online coding programs for high school students that balance quality and affordability.
1. Kode with Klossy Summer Camps
Cost: Free
Program dates: Multiple 2-week sessions available between June 2 and August 15
Application deadline: March
Eligibility: Girls and gender-expansive teens between the ages of 13 and 18
Kode with Klossy's free two-week coding camps allow you to explore programming through one of four structured modules. Depending on the track you're placed in, you might focus on web development using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build interactive, user-friendly websites, or explore artificial intelligence and machine learning through Python by training chatbots and studying algorithmic bias. Another track teaches mobile app development using Swift and Xcode to build fully functional iOS apps, while the data science curriculum centers on analyzing datasets with SQL, Python, and visualization tools to tell compelling stories with data. You'll collaborate with peers as you complete your final project.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program | $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase | $6,900 for both. Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
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.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with 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 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, students get a chance 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.
3. The UCLA Game Lab Summer Institute
Cost: $2,695
Program dates: July 7-18
Application deadline: June 13
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 in the spring with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
The UCLA Game Lab Summer Institute’s program introduces high school students to game development through a two-week, project-based curriculum that blends coding with visual storytelling and design. You’ll participate in four courses that guide you through core areas: building functional games through programming, creating characters using 2D animation in After Effects, designing game worlds in Unity, and understanding fundamental game design principles by constructing your own tabletop game. You can expect to engage with both analog and digital formats as you learn to code interactive elements, animate playable avatars, and develop game mechanics that reflect creative ideas. By the end of this online coding program for high school students, you’ll have produced original game content that can be added to a college or creative portfolio.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
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 that you can explore as a high schooler. 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. You can find more details about the application here.
5. Columbia’s Pre-College Programs - Online Summer
Cost: $2,815 (one week); $3,965 (two weeks). Find more details here.
Program dates: Session A: July 7–18; Session B: July 21–August 1; Session C: August 11– 15
Application deadline: April 20
Eligibility: Domestic and international students who will be in grades 9–12 in the fall and students currently enrolled in grade 12 are eligible to apply.
Columbia’s Pre-College Summer Sessions offer online courses where you can study programming and computer science topics in a structured and interactive environment. You can choose from coding-focused classes like Introduction to Programming with Python or Java or Data Science and Machine Learning, each designed to deepen your understanding of coding principles, algorithms, and tech applications. These courses are taught live by instructors and involve group discussions, projects, and simulations, so you’ll engage with peers and faculty. Depending on the course, you might work on coding assignments, data analysis problems, or case-based cybersecurity scenarios. Upon completion, you’ll earn a Columbia Certification of Participation and a performance evaluation.
6. Girls Who Code Summer Programs
Cost: Free (for the Summer Immersion Program, there is a $300 need-based grant for eligible students in the U.S.).
Program dates: Virtual Summer Immersion Program: Round One: July 7–18 | Round Two: July 28–August 8 | Pathways: June 30–August 8
Application deadline: April 11
Eligibility: 9th–11th-grade girls and non-binary students can apply for the Virtual Summer Immersion Program; 9th–12th-grade girls and non-binary students can apply for Pathways
Girls Who Code’s free virtual Summer Programs offer two structured paths, the Summer Immersion Program (SIP) and Pathways, to build your coding skills and explore tech fields. In SIP, you’ll spend two weeks in live online sessions working on projects in game design. You’ll learn the technical side, like programming logic and UX design, and the creative process behind building interactive experiences. If you prefer flexibility, the Pathways track lets you work through modules in web development, cybersecurity, AI, and data science at your own pace, using languages such as Python, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. In both tracks, you'll have opportunities to interact with professionals from major tech companies.
7. Harvard University's CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science
Cost: Free to audit; $219 for a verified certificate
Program dates: Self-paced
Application deadline: Open enrolment (rolling)
Eligibility: Open to all
Harvard University’s CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science is a rigorous, self-paced online course that guides you through foundational computer science concepts. You’ll work through nine intensive problem sets that challenge you to apply core topics like algorithms, data structures, memory management, abstraction, and security. You’ll use languages such as C, Python, SQL, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Assignments draw from finance, cryptography, and gaming. The course ends in a final project, where you're expected to design and build your own software. This online coding program for high school students offers discussion forums to troubleshoot and collaborate. To earn a certificate, you must complete all problem sets and the final project with a satisfactory score.
8. UC Berkeley - Introduction to Computers and Programming
Cost: $995
Program dates: Self-paced, but students must complete the course within 180 days upon enrolment
Application deadline: Open enrolment
Eligibility: Open to everyone
UC Berkeley’s Introduction to Computers and Programming walks you through the foundations of computing through theory and practical application using a Raspberry Pi. You’ll start by learning how computers represent data in binary, build basic circuits to understand logic gates, and explore how information flows through hardware. Python is the primary programming language, and you will create simple applications while learning core coding concepts and control circuits using the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO ports. The course covers a broad range of topics such as data representation, compression, operating systems, AI, robotics, and various computing systems. You’ll complete written assignments, quizzes, and a final proctored exam to test your understanding.
9. Stanford AI4ALL
Cost: $4,000
Program dates: June 18-July 2
Application deadline: December 9-January 24
Eligibility: Current 9th graders or rising 10th graders who will be over 14 by the start of the program can apply.
If you’re interested in exploring artificial intelligence, Stanford AI4ALL offers a two-week online program that combines lectures, coding projects, and mentorship from professionals at the Stanford AI Lab.
You’ll explore core AI topics like robotics, computer vision, natural language processing, and medical AI. You’ll work on research projects highlighting how AI can solve complex problems. The program discusses the ethical and societal implications of AI. Throughout the program, you’ll collaborate with peers who share your interests and receive guidance from AI researchers, gaining insights into career paths in the field.
10. Coursera’s Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose by Princeton University
Cost: Free
Program dates: Self-paced, requires approximately 88 hours to complete
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
As a motivated high school student who wants to build a strong foundation in programming, you should consider Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose by Princeton University on Coursera. This online coding program for high school students covers fundamental concepts such as variables, loops, conditionals, arrays, and input/output operations, helping you understand how to solve computational problems efficiently. You will also learn about functions, including recursion and modular programming, to understand how to write reusable and organized code. Object-oriented programming is introduced to help you manage more complex software projects.
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