15 Online Math Programs for Middle School Students
Structured online math programs can be a great option if you are a middle school student who wants to explore math beyond what you learn in class. Through guided lessons, interactive activities, and support from experienced instructors, you can strengthen your problem-solving skills, improve your logical thinking, and feel more confident tackling challenging questions. Since these programs are online, you can learn from home, access resources from universities and organizations, and save time and money on travel.
What are the benefits of a math program?
Online math programs help you explore advanced math concepts with the help of study materials, such as live lectures, worksheets, games, and quizzes. Hosted by universities and reputable organizations, these programs are often led by expert instructors and mathematicians who offer support to help you build problem-solving, analytical reasoning, and critical thinking skills. While some programs focus on competitive math, others focus on enrichment, enhancing your understanding of math topics and preparing you for future math coursework.
To make your search easier, we have narrowed down 15 online math programs for middle school students.
If you’re looking for online STEM programs, check out our blog here.
1. Stanford Middle School Scholars Program: Real-Life Applications to Mathematics
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~12 students/year
Dates: Summer component: July 6 – 24 + weekly sessions in fall: August 26 – December 9
Application deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 and 7 from low-income backgrounds who reside and attend school in the U.S.
Stanford’s Middle School Scholars Program offers middle schoolers the opportunity to prepare for advanced high school courses through summer and fall virtual sessions. As a participant, you will choose from various advanced courses, including options in math. In the Real-Life Applications to Mathematics course, you will learn about topics like cryptography, modular arithmetic, and financial math. You will also learn how to apply math concepts to understand problems and analyze real scenarios. The live online classes will offer opportunities for interactive discussion and collaborative problem-solving. Beyond academics, the program offers research guidance and support for applying to selective high schools and enrichment opportunities, helping you plan your academic path.
2. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small groups of 5:1 student-to-teacher ratio
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring | 25 hours over two weeks (on weekdays) during the summer
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines. You can check details and apply to the program here.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
This online program offers middle school students the opportunity to explore the foundational concepts in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over the course of 25 hours, you will attend lectures and group sessions with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. You will dive into topics such as data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics while also developing a basic understanding of Python and working on a project. Previous middle school participants worked on projects focused on building a machine learning model to classify music genres or developing a machine learning algorithm to generate a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
3. South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics SPARK!
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25 students/session
Dates: February – April (various one-day workshops available within the specified window)
Application deadline: Varies by workshop
Eligibility: 6th to 8th graders
Organized by the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, SPARK! is an afterschool program that allows you to explore different STEM subjects, including mathematics, through workshops. Each workshop runs for an hour and covers a niche topic or various concepts within a field. Sessions may also use simulations, real-world case studies, team exercises, and discussions to introduce you to math topics. As a participant, you will get to connect with GSSM’s residential students who serve as instructors and role models.
4. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Various cohorts every year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Middle school students with strong academic backgrounds
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a research-based experience for middle school students interested in delving into a subject in depth. During the program, you will work with Ph.D.-level mentors from leading universities to develop research projects based on your interests. You can choose from STEM fields, social sciences, business, and various other disciplines and pick a topic for your project, which could be a research report, presentation, or anything else that reflects your skills and knowledge. This experience can help you refine your critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and research skills and prepare for academic competitions and research opportunities.
5. University of South Florida’s Virtual Summer Bridge Math Program
Location: Online
Cost: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Three- and six-week options available in the summer; course materials available till August 31
Application deadline: Not specified; you can contact the University of South Florida’s Office of Youth Experiences for details.
Eligibility: Students in grades 1 – 8
USF’s Virtual Summer Bridge Math Program is an opportunity for elementary and middle school students to continue engaging in math coursework and prepare for future mathematics academics. You will learn through live classes, pre-recorded sessions, and supplementary online exercises to practice what you learn. You will spend your time reviewing and practicing sums from the previous grade and then learning all the important topics from the next grade’s syllabus. The program is led by experienced instructors and structured to offer a virtual classroom experience, allowing you to write on class slides and manipulate objects on the screen during sessions.
6. Arizona State University’s Accelerated Math Pathways
Location: Online
Cost: Free for Arizona students; others must contact ASU Prep Digital’s admission officer for details
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Various options, including summer and academic-year enrollment
Application deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Middle school students
Part of Arizona State University’s ASU Prep Digital, the Accelerated Math Pathways is a flexible opportunity for middle school students to explore high school-level math concepts. In the summer, the program takes a fast-track approach to teaching, while during the academic year, it allows you to spread the course content across eight or nine weeks. All course options are structured to ensure you cover your middle school syllabus before moving on to more advanced topics. The program offers personalized support, allowing you to create and follow a tailored academic plan.
7. Stanford Math Circle
Location: Virtual
Cost: $500/quarter
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Sessions run in Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters; dates vary by year
Application deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students in grades 1 – 12
Stanford University runs virtual and in-person math circles for students at all grade levels. As a participant, you will learn about complex mathematical topics and build skills to prepare for advanced math academics. Sessions are led by mathematicians, educators, and scholars. The program is designed to help you refine your problem-solving and abstract reasoning skills while working on challenging math questions. Each session runs for a whole quarter, allowing you to explore a variety of topics with peers.
8. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes: Logic and Problem Solving
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,200; financial aid available
Cohort size: Not specified; 16 students/class
Dates: July 6 – 17
Application deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 – 11 who have completed an Algebra course
Stanford’s Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes offer middle and high school students access to a wide range of virtual college-level courses. The Logic and Problem Solving course is a two-week opportunity to dive into probability, number theory, combinatorics, inequalities, logic, geometry, algorithms, and puzzles through live classes. Here, you will practice techniques and adopt problem-solving strategies to refine creative and logical thinking skills. You will spend time working on math problems and puzzles, discussing problem-solving with peers, and presenting your solutions. Assignments and projects are also part of the experience.
9. Northwestern CTD Online Programs
Location: Online
Cost: Varies by course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Cohorts available across fall, winter, spring, and summer
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: 4th to 12th graders; course-specific grade-level requirements vary.
Northwestern CTD (Center for Talent Development) offers online and in-person courses in a wide range of subjects to students of various grade levels. As a middle school student, you can choose specialized courses in areas like algebra, trigonometry, mathematical modeling, and pre-calculus. Each course will have a different difficulty level, schedule, and duration, so make sure to check all details before signing up. Classes typically follow an asynchronous schedule and may offer credits upon completion. Hands-on exercises, assignments, and problem-solving are part of the experience.
10. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth’s Online Classes
Location: Online
Cost: Varies by course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Various sessions available throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students in grades 2 – 12; course-specific requirements may apply.
Johns Hopkins offers year-round online courses, allowing elementary, middle, and high school students to explore subjects beyond the school curriculum. You can choose math courses to dive into advanced topics and engage in puzzle-solving and pattern-seeking sessions. Some of these courses will also prepare you for competition-level math. The classes typically have a flexible schedule, allowing you to attend sessions any time and anywhere.
11. Stanford Online High School: Middle School Track
Location: Online
Cost: $6,195 for a single course; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Year-round program (August – June)
Application deadline: January 8
Eligibility: 7th and 8th graders
Aimed at middle and high school students who demonstrate a high level of academic caliber, this Stanford program covers course material taught in high school and beyond. You can enroll in a single course or participate in the program as a part-time or full-time participant. The program offers lessons in various subjects, including mathematics, where you will learn pre-algebra, beginning algebra, and computational thinking, among other core and advanced topics. With the program’s curriculum structured to be rigorous, you will have the opportunity to build a strong foundation for the upcoming grade levels.
12. MATHCOUNTS National Math Club
Location: Online
Cost: Free registration
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: MATHCOUNTS starts emailing its club kit from mid-August, allowing your group to start from then on
Application deadline: Rolling admissions until June; registrations open on August 15.
Eligibility: 6th to 8th graders in the U.S.; students need to participate as a group (of a minimum of four members)
MATHCOUNTS National Math Club allows you to engage in math-based problem-solving in a non-competitive environment. During the program, you will gain access to free math resources, games that are designed to make you understand math concepts, and math problem sets. You will also participate in exploration sessions, where you will develop an in-depth understanding of different topics in the subject. The program also offers a monthly challenge throughout the year, consisting of five problems to help you refine your critical thinking skills.
13. Johns Hopkins University’s Algebra: Elementary to Advanced Specialization Course
Location: Online via Coursera
Cost: Covered with a Coursera Plus subscription; free to audit without a certificate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Self-paced; commitment of four weeks/course and ~10 hours/week required
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all
This three-course specialization offered by Johns Hopkins University covers algebra in detail, from core concepts to its advanced applications. You will explore linear, quadratic, polynomial, and exponential equations along with functions, inequalities, and their graphs. The program focuses on quantitative reasoning and mathematical modeling, helping you connect algebraic theory to real-world problem-solving. Additionally, you will complete various projects and work on various problems to strengthen your logical thinking skills.
14. MIT's Online Math Courses
Location: Online via edX
Cost: Free; optional cost of $50 – $100 to earn a verified certificate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Sessions available throughout the year
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all
MIT offers various mathematics courses through the edX platform. Each course follows a synchronous curriculum led by an instructor. You will attend virtual sessions, complete online modules, and complete graded assignments to explore various math concepts and track your progress. Courses span various math and related domains, including statistics, probability, data analysis, and computational science. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to seek support from MIT teaching assistants using the discussion forum.
15. University of North Texas’s Math Prep: College & Work Ready Course
Location: Online via Coursera
Cost: Part of Coursera Plus subscription; free audit option without certificate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Self-paced; commitment of four weeks at ~10 hours/week required
Application deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Open to all
This four-module course is designed to help you boost your readiness for college-level math and workplace problem-solving. You will explore topics in geometry, number sense, elementary and intermediate algebra, and statistics, and engage in practice exercises to reinforce what you learn. A key focus of the program is preparation for assessments such as the Texas Success Initiative (TSI2), but the overall course content also offers insights relevant to standardized tests and college math. The course comes with 14 assignments and a shareable certificate from the University of North Texas.