If you’re a high school student interested in art, you should consider applying for a pre-college program in the field. These programs can improve your knowledge of the arts, such as learning the history of art or diving into a specialization like painting or graphic design! Of course, not everyone has the time and capacity to travel for in-person programs. This is why we have compiled a list of online art programs for high school students looking for flexible alternatives.
Online programs can be just as beneficial as in-person ones, helping you develop a better understanding of the subject you want to pursue. Most online art programs will teach you through a combination of online lectures, group discussions, and virtual modules with practical exercises you can complete at home. You also get the chance to network with professors and professional artists or designers. Here are 10 online art programs for high school students:
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Subject area: Art History
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The Spring Cohort application deadline is February 9
Eligibility:
- You must be currently enrolled in high school
- Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note: students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
- No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
Program dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, Spring from March to June
Financial assistance: You can check out the Lumiere Foundation, a non-profit research program, which offers assistance to low-income students
If you’re interested in art history or conducting research in the field of art, you should consider the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. The research program gives you the opportunity to develop an independent project under personalized guidance from a mentor. In the process, you will receive 1-on-1 support and gain in-depth knowledge about the field. Previous students have also received the chance to have their work published. Here are some more details about the application.
2. UCLA’s Summer Art Institute
Subject area: Drawing, Painting, Visual Art and Experimental Animation
Application deadline: June 13
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 15 years old and have a cumulative GPA of 3.2. International students can apply as well
Program dates: June 23 – July 5.
Cost: You can calculate an estimate here
Financial assistance: Limited full and partial scholarships are available
The University of California, Los Angeles’s Summer Art Institute offers high school students a college-level art program as well as the opportunity to earn college credit. The curriculum covers group discussions, 1-on-1 meetings with UCLA faculty, and hands-on work. The virtual track of the program offers sessions in drawing, painting, visual art, and experimental animation. Your daily schedule will run from 9 am to 4 pm, including lectures, demos, Q&A sessions with guest speakers, and virtual museum tours. The program culminates in a virtual final exhibition on Zoom where you will present your work.
3. SAIC’S Early College Program Online Summer Institute
Subject area: Drawing, Painting, Architecture, Graphic Design and more
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students who have completed their sophomore year and between the ages of 15-18
Program dates: June 16 – 27
Cost: $1,848 for the half-day course, $3,696 for the full-day course
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Early College Program Online Summer Institute is a summer program for high school students interested in art and design. As a participant, you will attend college-level courses led by undergraduate professors, build your portfolio, and earn college credit. You can choose from courses like drawing, painting, animation, architectural design, fashion design, graphic design, and more. The program encourages exploring different media and even offers 1-on-1 mentorship.
4. Horizon’s Academic Research Program (HARP)
Subject area: Multiple areas available
Application Date: May 21 for the summer cohort, and September 25 for the fall cohort
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Program Dates:
- Summer seminar – June 24 – September 2
- Fall seminar – October 23 – February 19
- Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Cost: $5,950. Need-based financial aid is available.
The Horizon Academic Research Program is a trimester-long program for high school students who want to develop a research project in a specialized field. The program offers courses in a number of areas and you can choose an art-related project in courses like Ancient Greco-Roman History. After selecting a subject track, you will be paired with a mentor who will offer 1-on-1 guidance throughout the program. At the end, you will have written a 20-page, university-level research paper and significantly improved your knowledge in and understanding of that field. You can apply for the program here!
5. RISD’s Advanced Program Online
Subject area: Drawing, Design, Illustration, Mixed Media, and More
Application deadline:
- Spring Session 1: February 27
- Spring Session 2: April 10
- Summer Session 1: June 12
- Summer Session 2: July 10
Eligibility: Students in grades 10-12 who are at least 15-18 years old
Program dates:
- Spring Session 1: March 1 – 30
- Spring Session 2: April 12 – May 11
- Summer Session 1: June 14 – July 12
- Summer Session 2: July 13 – August 10
Cost: $5,520 for the full program. You can also enroll for specific courses, as detailed here.
Rhode Island School of Design’s Advanced Program Online helps high school students develop the practice of art-making. The curriculum involves an Essential Fundamentals course which covers the basics of drawing and design, a Featured Topic course which highlights a specific medium like illustration or print, and a final course on Visual and Critical Language. There is a strong focus on constructive criticism and analysis throughout all of the coursework, which uses a combination of synchronous and asynchronous events.
6. NYU’s Online High School Filmmakers Workshop
Subject area: Filmmaking
Application deadline: April 18
Eligibility: All high school students
Program dates: July 6 – August 2
Cost: $7,664
Financial assistance: Limited need-based scholarships are available
New York University’s Online High School Filmmakers Workshops is an online program for high school students interested in the art of filmmaking. The workshop covers all the basic elements involved in filmmaking, such as writing, directing, shooting, and editing. You will learn through asynchronous lessons, synchronous 1-on-1 meetings with a Tisch instructor, and regular assignments. By the end of the program, your portfolio will include a documentary, a music video, 3 technical assignments, and 1 final narrative film.
7. School of Visual Arts’s Pre-College Program
Subject area: 3D Animation, Cartooning, Drawing, Sculpture, and more
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18
Program dates: July 7 – 25
Cost: $2,500
Financial assistance: Scholarships are available
The School of Visual Arts’ Pre-College Program gives high school students the opportunity to attend a college-level program in arts and design, taught by undergraduate professors. The program offers an online track with course options including 3D animation, comics, and a portfolio workshop. In each course, you will learn basic concepts and how to use relevant software and tools. The program culminates in a final project such as an animated short or a completed comic book. You will also even receive college credit on completing the program.
8. Cornell’s Art Summer Program for High School Students
Subject area: Sculpture, Photography, Drawing, and more
Application deadline: May 5
Eligibility: High school students
Program dates: Varies with each course but the program generally takes place between June and August
Cost: $1,840 per credit
Cornell’s Art Summer Program offers high school students the chance to learn about a specific topic within the arts under instruction from Cornell instructors. The online track includes options like sculpture, photography, drawing, and digital art. Whichever course you pick, you can expect to learn about the basic principles and technical aspects of the field and then apply them to your own projects. Through this program, you will also have the chance to earn college credit.
9. UPenn Summer’s Pre-College Online Program
Subject area: Impressionism and/or Film History
Application deadline: March 30 for Session 1 and April 27 for Session 2. However, applications are accepted on a rolling basis and the program tends to fill up well in advance of the deadline
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors. International students can apply as well
Program dates:
- Session 1 from May 27 – July 2
- Session 2 from July 3 – August 8
Cost: $8,248 – $13,448 for the online program, depending on number of credits.
Financial assistance: Philadelphia residents who attend a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school are eligible for a scholarship
The University of Pennsylvania’s summer pre-college program offers high school students the opportunity to. Take up an online undergraduate course and earn 1-2 college credits for your work. There are a number of courses available and a few of these fall within the realm of art. For 2025, you can consider choosing the “Impressionism” course which covers the titular field of art and its proponents like Monet, Cezanne, and Gauguin. Another option is the “World Film History” course, which looks at cinematic movements over the years from German Expressionism to the Korean New Wave.
10. MoMA’s free Massive Open Online Courses
Subject area: Art, Painting, Fashion, Photography and more
Application deadline: You can enroll at any time
Eligibility: Anyone can sign up
Program dates: All courses are self-paced
Cost: Free
The Museum of Modern Art offers a set of free, online courses for high school students who want to learn about art at their own pace. The catalog includes courses like “Reimagining Blackness and Architecture”, “Modern Art and Ideas”, “In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting”, “Seeing Through Photographs”, “Fashion as Design” and “What is Contemporary Art”. The programs are taught by museum curators, artists, and designers and also include virtual tours of the museum’s collections. You will also receive access to readings, resources, quizzes, and discussion forums.
