Updated October 2026
TL;DR
This guide covers 15 math and science summer programs for high school students, including their costs, dates, deadlines, cohort sizes, and eligibility requirements. You can jump to fully funded math and science programs, university research programs, college-style summer courses, or online research and AI programs to find options that fit your interests and budget. At least five programs offer full funding or a stipend, and most application deadlines fall between late November and March. All program details were checked against official websites in October 2026. If you’re not sure you’ll get into the most selective programs or you’re looking for a place to start, explore the Horizon Academic Research Program.
If you’re interested in math or science, high school is a good time to find out what the work looks like beyond homework and tests. A summer program lets you dig into topics your school may not offer, and along the way you build skills like problem-solving, data analysis, lab work, and explaining your ideas clearly. With so many options out there, it can be hard to know where to start. We compared programs on academic rigor, selectivity, mentorship, cost and funding, and format, and narrowed the list down to 15 you can consider. For more research-focused options, see our list of math research programs for high school students.
What kinds of math and science summer programs can you do in high school?
There are five main types on this list, and each one asks for a different kind of summer.
University research programs: You join a faculty lab or research group and work on a real project. Examples include RSI, the Simons Summer Research Program, NYU GSTEM, UCSB’s Research Mentorship Program, ASSIP, and Hofstra’s Summer Research Program. For more options like these, see our list of math research programs for high school students.
Lab internships: You work alongside scientists and engineers at a government or applied research lab. SEAP places you at a Navy lab with a stipend. ASPIRE is an unpaid internship at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
College-style courses: You take one focused course taught by university faculty, like at MMSS, Columbia’s SHAPE, and COSMOS in California.
Fully funded academies: You get a full course load plus college prep, and the program covers your costs. Carnegie Mellon’s SAMS and MITES Summer both work this way.
Online mentored programs: You work one-on-one or in small groups from home. The Lumiere Research Scholar Program and Veritas AI both run online.
Which math and science summer program fits what you want?
| If you want | Look at |
|---|---|
| A free, intense research summer at a university | RSI, Simons Summer Research Program |
| A paid lab internship | SEAP |
| A two- to four-week course on one topic | MMSS, SHAPE, COSMOS |
| A fully funded program with college prep built in | SAMS, MITES Summer |
| Research that earns college credit | UCSB RMP, ASSIP |
| Research you can do from home | Lumiere Research Scholar Program, Veritas AI, ASSIP (remote projects with some mentors) |
| A lab placement near Washington, D.C. | ASPIRE |
| Research in the New York area | NYU GSTEM, Hofstra HUSRP, Simons |
When should you apply for summer 2027?
Start now. Three deadlines fall before winter break: SEAP on November 30, 2026, RSI on December 11, 2026, and the SHAPE priority and scholarship deadline on December 16, 2026.
Most of the rest close in early 2027:
- SAMS and MITES Summer on February 1
- COSMOS and Simons on February 5
- ASSIP on February 12
A few programs haven’t posted 2027 deadlines yet, so plan around what they did last time:
- ASPIRE applications have run from January 1 to February 15 in recent cycles.
- NYU GSTEM had a one-month window that closed March 1, 2026.
- UCSB RMP opens applications December 15, 2026. It closed March 9 last cycle.
- MMSS admits on a rolling basis once its application opens, usually in mid-January.
Fully Funded Math and Science Programs
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA, plus a new Stanford University site
Cost: Free. There’s a non-refundable $75 application fee, with waivers for financial need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 100 at MIT and 50 at Stanford
Program Dates: MIT: June 20 to July 31. Stanford: June 27 to August 7
Application Deadline: December 11
Eligibility: Juniors who are about to enter their last year of high school. Seniors and sophomores aren’t eligible. U.S. applicants apply directly to the Center for Excellence in Education, and international applicants apply through participating country agencies.
RSI starts with a week of intensive STEM classes taught by professors. Then you spend five weeks on an individual research project with an experienced scientist or researcher as your mentor. You read the current literature in your field, carry out a detailed research plan, and present your findings in written and oral reports. The Center for Excellence in Education recommends PSAT scores of 740 or higher in math and 700 or higher in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Strong recommendations and science activities can offset lower scores.
Who is it right for? Juniors with deep math or science preparation who want a full research cycle in six weeks.
2. MITES Summer
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA (residential; you must live in the dorms)
Cost: Free. Funders cover all program costs, including housing and food. You only pay for travel to and from MIT.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: June 20 to July 31)
Application Deadline: February 1. The application usually opens in November, and recommenders have until February 15.
Eligibility: 11th graders at public, private, or home schools who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. There’s no minimum GPA.
MITES Summer is a semester of college packed into six weeks. You take five courses, including electives with real-world applications like machine learning, architecture, and genomics. Classes run from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with midterms in week 3 and finals in week 6. You also tour MIT labs and local companies, get admissions and financial aid advice, and meet with an undergraduate mentor.
Who is it right for? Juniors who want a fully funded MIT summer with a heavy course load.
3. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: Department of the Navy laboratories across the country (more than 25 participate)
Cost: Free. The stipend is $4,000 for first-year interns and $4,500 for returning interns
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Eight weeks in summer (each lab sets its own dates)
Application Deadline: November 30
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who have completed at least 9th grade (graduating seniors can apply). Some labs require a security clearance. The minimum age varies by lab: several list 16, and a few consider 15-year-olds depending on the project.
SEAP places you at a Navy lab for eight weeks as an apprentice to working scientists and engineers, who act as your mentors. You get a look at science and engineering work you won’t see in school, and the stipend makes it a real summer job. Selection is based on your grades, the science and math courses you’ve taken, standardized test scores, your interests, teacher recommendations, and a personal statement.
Who is it right for? U.S. citizens who want a paid summer in a defense research lab.
4. Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) at Carnegie Mellon
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA (residential, with a short virtual Jumpstart)
Cost: Fully funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Virtual Jumpstart on June 21 and 22; in person from June 26 to August 7
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: 11th graders at the time of application who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and at least 16 by the program start date. Financial documentation is required.
SAMS mixes classes, labs, and a research project over six weeks. In the most recent cohort, the math seminars included Introduction to Graph Theory and Problem-Solving With Modern Algebra, alongside lab techniques courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. You also work on a team research project advised by faculty or graduate students. One 2026 project was titled “From Benchtop to the Dinner Table: Engineered Meat.” Weekly writing workshops help you draft your college essay, and you earn credit through a course called Student to Scholar.
Who is it right for? Juniors who want a fully funded, six-week college STEM experience with built-in college prep.
University Research Programs
5. NYU GSTEM
Location: NYU Courant Institute, New York, NY (optional on-campus housing)
Cost: TBA. Need-based aid can cover all or part of tuition; the merit-based Winston Data Scholarship covers tuition in full, and there is a $50 application fee.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 40 per summer
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: June 29 to August 7)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: February 1 to March 1)
Eligibility: Current 11th graders. You must be a U.S. citizen (living anywhere) or a non-citizen already in the U.S. on an F-1 visa.
At GSTEM, you’re paired with a STEM professor or researcher and work on your own project in a field you choose. The first week is orientation, with guest lectures and social events. After that, workshops build your scientific writing and public speaking skills. Weekly field trips take you to local STEM institutions to meet women working in science. The summer ends on Symposium Day, when you present your project to family and friends.
Who is it right for? Juniors who want a six-week research project in New York City.
6. Research Mentorship Program (RMP) at UC Santa Barbara
Location: UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA (residential or commuter, plus a virtual start)
Cost: $5,675 for commuters and $13,274 for residential, including the $75 application fee. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available, with priority for California residents.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: June 14 to late July, starting with a virtual component June 14 to 17
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: March 9)
Eligibility: 10th or 11th graders with a minimum 3.80 weighted GPA. Outstanding 9th graders are considered case by case, and international applicants don’t need TOEFL scores.
At RMP, you pick a project and work with a mentor who is a graduate student, postdoc, or faculty member. Research areas include mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry, computer science, neuroscience, and earth science. Depending on your project, you’ll spend 35 to 50 hours a week on research and attend GRIT talks by UCSB researchers. You finish with a technical research paper and a talk at a formal symposium, and you earn 8 university credits through two research courses.
Who is it right for? Sophomores and juniors with top grades who want a six-week university research project with college credit.
7. Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY (residential or commuter)
Cost: None.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Fewer than 5% of applicants are admitted. In 2026, the program received 1,864 applications and selected 60 Fellows.
Program Dates: June 28 to August 6
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: 11th graders who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, at least 16 by the start date, and nominated by their high school (up to three per school)
At Simons, you rank your top three mentors or research areas from a published list, then join an active faculty research group for six weeks. Mentors come from chemistry, computer science, geosciences, marine science, neurobiology, and more than a dozen other departments. Plan on at least four hours a day with your research group, plus weekly faculty research talks. You finish by writing a research abstract and presenting a poster, and the program presents a stipend award at the closing symposium.
Who is it right for? Juniors with a strong science record who want to work inside a university lab.
8. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) at George Mason University
Location: George Mason University’s Fairfax campus, Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, or Potomac Science Center, VA. Remote, hybrid, or in person, depending on your mentor.
Cost: A $25 application fee, plus $1,299 tuition for 3 college credits if you accept an offer (2026). Both can be waived with demonstrated financial need.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: June 18 to August 12)
Application Deadline: February 12 (applications open December 7)
Eligibility: At least 15 by the start date for remote and computer lab internships, and 16 for in-person or hybrid wet-lab internships. Open to high school and undergraduate applicants.
At ASSIP, you work one-on-one with a George Mason faculty researcher for eight weeks. Mentor topics range from mathematical modeling, physics, and astronomy to machine learning, neuroscience, and exoplanet discovery. Mentors review applications in March and interview some candidates before sending offers. Many interns’ abstracts appear in the Mason Journal of Student Scientists Research. The summer ends with a required research symposium, and you earn three George Mason credits.
Who is it right for? You want a flexible research internship, including remote options, with college credit.
9. Hofstra University Summer Research Program (HUSRP)
Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Cost: $2,250 plus a $65 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 6 to 31)
Application Deadline: TBA. Applications for summer open in late November (previous cohort deadline: January 12)
Eligibility: 10th or 11th graders who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, at least 15 by the start date, and have completed at least one year of a high school research course
At HUSRP, you’re matched with a Hofstra faculty mentor in fields like mathematics, chemistry, biology, computer science, engineering, geology, or public health. You list three research areas in order of preference, and faculty interview applicants over Zoom. The four-week program usually runs Monday to Thursday, starting with orientation and lab safety training. You also attend a weekly Wednesday seminar and lunch, and the summer ends with a poster session in August.
Who is it right for? Long Island and New York City sophomores and juniors who already have some research coursework.
10. ASPIRE at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Location: Johns Hopkins APL, Laurel, MD (in person, with up to one remote day per week)
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Less than 10% of new applicants are accepted
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort began on June 23 to 25 and ran until school started)
Application Deadline: TBA (applications have run from January 1 to February 15 in recent cycles)
Eligibility: Rising juniors or seniors who are at least 15 by June 1, with a 2.8 minimum GPA. U.S. citizens only (green card holders aren’t eligible)
At ASPIRE, you’re paired with an APL staff mentor and work on real projects at the lab. You’re on site 30 to 40 hours a week during business hours and need to complete at least 190 hours over the summer. APL says it doesn’t pick applicants based on the highest GPA or the longest resume. Some interns and mentors agree to continue the internship into the school year.
Who is it right for? D.C.-area juniors and seniors who want full-time experience at an applied research lab.
College-Style Summer Courses
11. California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS)
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, or UC Santa Cruz (residential; you must live on campus)
Cost: $5,793 for 2027, plus a non-refundable application fee. Financial aid is available for both the application and program costs.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published. Each campus hosts about 160 to 200.
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort started July 5)
Application Deadline: February 5 (applications open January 6)
Eligibility: California students in grades 8 to 12. A typical admitted applicant has a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
COSMOS is a four-week residential program where you live on a UC campus and study one STEM topic in depth. You apply to one campus and pick a first-choice and second-choice cluster, and each campus builds its clusters around its own faculty’s work. The days are hands-on and lab-heavy, with mentoring from faculty, researchers, and scientists. COSMOS doesn’t consider SAT or ACT scores, and you can only attend once. Our guide on how to get into COSMOS walks through cluster choice and the application.
Who is it right for? California high schoolers who want a month of college-level STEM and dorm life on a UC campus.
12. Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers (SHAPE) at Columbia University
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY (commuter, or residential for Session 1 only)
Cost: $6,241 for commuter session and $11,492 for residential session. Need-based scholarships for domestic applicants cover the full cost.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: July 6 to 24 and July 27 to August 14)
Application Deadline: March 5
Eligibility: Any current high school student for the commuter option; 16 or older for the residential option
In each three-week session at SHAPE, you take one college-level, project-based engineering course taught by Columbia faculty. Past course areas include robotics, computer science, electrical engineering, and innovation and design. Electives, workshops, and lab and MakerSpace time are part of the program, and the lab fee covers your materials. If you apply after the priority deadline, a $50 application fee applies, with fee waivers available on request. For more hands-on options, see our list of engineering research opportunities for high school students.
Who is it right for? New York-area high schoolers who want hands-on engineering in a Columbia classroom.
13. Michigan Math and Science Scholars (MMSS)
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (residential or commuter)
Cost: $1,300 in tuition plus $1,100 to live on campus, with a $100 application fee. Financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Session 1: June 20 to July 2; Session 2: July 4 to 16; Session 3: July 18 to 30
Application Deadline: Rolling admission. The application usually opens in mid-January
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are at least 14. International applicants are welcome, and GPA and test scores aren’t required.
At MMSS, you pick one course per two-week session and can attend up to three sessions. Subjects include mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, psychology, and art and music. Most courses don’t require a deep background, so choose based on what you’re curious about. Applying early helps you get the course you want, though it doesn’t guarantee admission.
Who is it right for? You want a short, focused taste of a college math or science course.
Online Research and AI Programs
14. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Online
Cost: Varies by program. Need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Cohorts run year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 to 12 anywhere in the world
In the 12-week Individual Research Program, you work one-on-one with a PhD fellow or postdoc on a question you pick. You get nine sessions with your mentor and two with a writing coach, and you finish with a college-level academic paper. Mathematics, physics, astrophysics, data science, chemistry, and engineering are all on the subject list, and you can build a custom topic if yours isn’t listed. Completing a program makes you eligible for 3 post-baccalaureate credits through UC San Diego Extended Studies.
Who is it right for? You want to research your own math or science question from home, at any time of year.
15. Veritas AI
Location: Online
Cost: Varies by program. Need-based financial aid of up to 100% is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published. AI Scholars classes run at a 5:1 ratio, and the AI Fellowship is one-on-one.
Program Dates: AI Scholars runs 25 hours, either over 10 weeks on Sundays or as a two-week summer or winter intensive. The AI Fellowship runs 15 weeks plus publication time.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12. AI Scholars needs no coding experience. The AI Fellowship needs Python basics or a completed AI Scholars course.
Veritas AI is a good pick if the math behind AI is what pulls you in. In AI Scholars, you start from Python basics and move through regression, neural networks, and natural language processing. You then build a group AI project with three or four peers. In the AI Fellowship, you work one-on-one with an AI researcher on your own project, and a publication team helps you submit it to a journal or competition. Completing a high school program also makes you eligible for 3 units of UC San Diego Extended Studies credit.
Who is it right for? You want to learn how machine learning actually works and build an AI project from home.
If cost matters most, start with RSI, SAMS, MITES Summer, and SEAP. As a junior, you could apply to SEAP and RSI this fall, then to SAMS and MITES Summer by February 1. Our list of free summer research programs for high school students has more no-cost options.
5 Tips to Strengthen Your Math and Science Summer Program Applications
1. Put every deadline on one calendar this week.
The fall deadlines sneak up fast. SEAP closes November 30, and RSI closes December 11, both well before most winter programs even open. Add the recommender deadlines too, since several programs set them a week or two after the main deadline.
2. Ask your recommenders early, and ask the right ones
Programs want different kinds of letters. MITES Summer needs three: a math or science teacher, a humanities teacher, and your counselor. SAMS wants one of its two letters from a current math teacher. Give your teachers at least a month, plus a short note on what you’d like them to mention.
3. Check the fine print on eligibility.
Some rules aren’t obvious until you read the full page:
- Simons only reviews applicants their high school nominates, with a limit of three per school.
- COSMOS is for California students only.
- ASPIRE is limited to certain counties near D.C.
Confirm you qualify before you spend hours on essays.
4. Write about one specific question you want to explore
Research programs want to see how you think. UCSB RMP asks you to propose a research question and explain how you’d investigate it. Simons asks you to rank three mentors, so read their research pages and explain why each one fits. A question like “How does a network’s shape change how fast information spreads?” sticks with a reader longer than “I love math.” Our guide to writing a research paper in 90 days shows how to narrow a big interest into a question you can answer.
5. Send your financial aid paperwork with your application
Aid deadlines often match or come before the main deadline:
- SAMS requires financial documentation before you can submit at all.
- The COSMOS aid form must be postmarked by February 6, 2027.
- The SHAPE scholarship priority deadline is December 16, 2026.
Gather tax forms with a parent or guardian early.
Where else can you find math and science programs?
If you live in or near New York City, our list of STEM summer programs for high school students in NYC adds lab programs at places like Rockefeller University and the American Museum of Natural History. If you’d like to stay home this summer, take a look at our list of online STEM summer research programs for high school students.
The programs above give you a lab, a course, or a team project for the summer. To pursue a question of your own in depth, the Horizon Academic Research Program is a selective online program that pairs you with a professor or PhD scholar.
What you might still be wondering about these math and science programs
Not for most of them. The two-week course programs say most classes don’t need a deep background, and the online AI course only expects high school math like algebra and geometry. The most selective research institute recommends a PSAT math score of 740 or higher, so strong math preparation helps there.
It could be either. Several research programs place you with mentors across mathematics, physics, neurobiology, marine science, and machine learning, and you usually rank the areas you want. If math is your main interest, look for mentors or clusters that list math, statistics, or modeling.
For most of them, you’ll need to be on site. One lab internship only accepts applicants from certain Maryland and Virginia counties and Washington, D.C. A couple of the university research programs let mentors offer remote or hybrid projects, so check each mentor’s format. For a fully online option, the Horizon Academic Research Program pairs you with a professor or PhD scholar to write a 20-page research paper from home.
Yes. A university research program on Long Island and a California research program both accept current 10th graders, and one course-based program takes rising sophomores. A Navy lab internship also accepts applicants who’ve finished 9th grade, though some labs set a minimum age of 16. For more options to plan around, see our list of math research programs for high school students.
Image source – University of California, Santa Barbara