11 Online Summer Psychology Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in psychology, a summer program can be a good way to explore the subject in depth. These programs offer a chance to learn how the field works, develop practical skills, and connect with people who share your interests. It’s a useful way to get exposure to psychology before college.
Many colleges and organizations run summer programs, and if you prefer to study from home, online options are worth considering. They make it easier to attend classes, workshops, and discussions without leaving your city. For students thinking about studying psychology in college or choosing a related career, these programs can help you understand what the subject involves and whether it’s the right path for you.
To make your search easier, we’ve listed 11 online psychology programs for high school students!
1. Stanford’s Pre-Collegiate Institutes-Topics in Psychology
Location: Online
Cost: $3,080. Need based financial aid available
Program Dates: July 7-July 18
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Open to High school students
Topics in Psychology is an online summer research program for high school students who want to explore how the human mind works. You’ll learn about major areas in psychology like memory, perception, learning, social behavior, and mental health. You’ll also look at how psychologists do research - how they ask questions, collect data, and study human behavior. The program includes live sessions, group discussions, and hands-on activities. You might work on small research projects, do simulations, and study real-life cases.
2. Lumiere Research Scholar Program—Psychology track
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.
3. Columbia University’s Pre-College Program-The Science of Psychology
Location: Online
Cost: $3,080. Need based financial aid available
Program Dates: August 11-August 15
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: Open to High school students entering grades 9-12
Columbia University’s Pre-College Program in Psychology gives high school students a clear introduction to how the human mind works. You’ll study topics like memory, perception, personality, behavior, and mental health. You’ll also learn how psychologists design research, collect data, and analyze behavior. As part of the course, you might work on basic projects like running a simple survey, observing how people behave, or studying sample data. These activities help you see how psychology works as a science, not just theory. You’ll leave with stronger skills in research, critical thinking, and analysis.
4. Clinical Neuroscience Virtual Experience (CNV-X) Stanford University
Location: Online
Cost: $1,595. Need based financial aid available
Program Dates: June 16-June 27
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Open to High school students
CNV‑X is a ten-day summer research program for high school students who want to explore neuroscience, psychiatry, or psychology. The program is hosted by Stanford and includes daily interactive seminars led by faculty and researchers. You’ll learn about topics like brain imaging, mental health, trauma, sleep, and brain stimulation. You’ll also explore how neuroscience connects to public health, and how researchers and doctors make decisions in real-world clinical settings.
One key part of the program is the capstone project. You’ll work with a small group to pick a real problem in mental health or neuroscience, study it, and come up with a new solution. You’ll then present your project at the end of the program.
5. Harvard’s Secondary School Program in Psychology and Neuroscience
Location: Online and on campus
Cost: $4,050 for 4 credits or $7,900 for 8 credits.
Program Dates: June-August
Application Deadline: April 9
Eligibility: Open to High school juniors and seniors
This is a seven-week summer program where you take two college-level courses in psychology and neuroscience. You choose from topics like Psychology of Eating, Close Relationships, Neuroinvesting, Emotional Intelligence, Ethics and AI, decision-making, and how the brain works. You take part in lectures, assignments, and exams. The goal is to help you handle college-style work and think more clearly about how psychology applies to everyday life. If you finish the program, you get 4 or 8 undergraduate credits and an official Harvard transcript.
6. Developmental Psychology (PSY 103) - Duke University Summer College
Location: Online
Cost: $2,970
Program Dates: May-June
Application Deadline: June 16
Eligibility: Open to High school juniors and seniors
This summer course is for high school students who want to learn how people develop from infancy to adulthood. You study brain growth, emotions, language, social behavior, moral reasoning, and the role of family and culture in shaping development. You also look at how psychologists study these topics through research. You read case studies, review classic and recent findings, and learn how to analyze data. The course helps you build skills in writing, discussion, and critical thinking.
7. PSY100H1: Introduction to Psychology - University of Toronto
Location: Online
Cost: $250 for enrollment
Program Dates: Not specified
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Eligibility: Open to High school juniors and seniors
University of Toronto’s Introduction to Psychology is a summer program for high school students interested in psychology and mental health research. You’ll explore core areas of psychology through lectures, live demos, group discussions, and hands-on activities that reflect what students do in college. You’ll work in a small team with guidance from a university student mentor. Together, you’ll design a research proposal by learning how to ask research questions, create methods, interpret data, and present your project to peers. The program also includes online workshops on career paths in psychology, university life, and research ethics.
8. The Science Of Psychology- Columbia University
Location: Online
Cost: $3,965 per course
Program Dates: Summer A: July 07 to July 18; Summer B: July 21 to August 01
Application Deadline: Applications remain open on a space-available basis
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The Science of Psychology (PSYH0102) is for high school students who want to learn how psychologists study the mind and behavior. You get an introduction to key topics in psychology and how research is used to understand people. You study the brain and behavior, how people learn and remember, how we sense and perceive the world, how personality develops, how we think, and how culture and environment affect behavior. The course gives you a full view of how psychology works as a science.
9. Cornell University Summer Session
Location: Online
Cost: $1,840 per credit
Program Dates: 3-6 weeks
Application Deadline: Deadline varies by session
Eligibility: Open to High school juniors and seniors
Cornell University’s Summer Session lets high school students take online college courses in subjects like psychology, cognitive science, and human development. You’ll study with Cornell faculty and experience what Ivy League academics are like. You’ll complete weekly assignments like essays, quizzes, problem sets, and short research papers. These tasks are designed to help you build critical thinking, academic writing, and time management skills. You’ll also take part in discussions and lectures that follow real college expectations.
10. MIT OpenCourseWare
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to High school students
MIT’s Introduction to Psychology is a free online course through OpenCourseWare. It gives you a full introduction to how people think, feel, learn, and behave. You’ll study topics like memory, emotions, personality, mental health, and how the brain works. The course includes lecture videos by MIT professors, so you can follow along like you’re in a real classroom. You’ll also find interactive activities, such as memory tests and visual illusions, to help you understand the ideas through practice.
11. Introduction to Neuroscience (NEURO 101) - Coursera (Johns Hopkins University)
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Flexible
Application Deadline: None (Self-paced)
Eligibility: All high school students
Introduction to Neuroscience (NEURO 101) is a free online course by Johns Hopkins University on Coursera. It gives you a solid start in understanding how the brain works. You’ll learn how the nervous system supports memory, attention, emotions, and decision-making. The course includes video lectures, readings, quizzes, and activities. You might build a digital brain model or try simple thought experiments. You’ll also learn how real brain research is done, using tools like brain scans, eye-tracking, and biometric sensors.
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
With Veritas AI, which was founded by Harvard graduate students, you can work 1-on-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. You can apply here!
Image source - Duke University