For high school students, online history programs provide an easy way to explore the subject at their own pace. You’ll have the flexibility to explore topics not covered in your school curriculum, learn from experts, and develop skills valuable in fields like law, politics, and education. Plus, with online programs, you can learn from anywhere, making it easier to fit into your schedule and access resources from top institutions.
Here’s a list of 14 online history programs for high school students in 2025 to help you get started.
14 Online History Programs for High School Students
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as history, data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and more!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. Apply here!
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Spring 2025: February 16, 2025; Summer 2025: February 16 (early), March 23 (priority), April 20 (regular-I), May 18 (regular-II).
Program Dates: Spring 2025: March 3, 2025; Summer 2025: June 16, 2025! Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
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.
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: December 29, 2024, for the upcoming Winter II Cohort
Program Dates: Jan 20, 2025, Winter II Cohort - Individual Research (12 weeks), Premium Research (16-20 weeks), Research Fellowship (6-12 months), Professor Premium (16-20 weeks)
Eligibility: Open to high school students anywhere in the world
Cost: Individual Research Program ($2,990), Premium Research & Publication Program ($5,900), the Research Fellowship ($8,900), Professor Premium Publication Program ($8,900). Financial aid available
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program offers high school students the chance to work closely with PhD mentors from top universities on independent research projects. This mentorship provides personalized guidance, allowing you to focus on your interests in areas like history, education, sociology, or law. By participating, you take full responsibility for your academic work, gaining valuable experience in conducting research and developing critical thinking skills.
Throughout the program, you will build essential research skills, such as framing research questions, conducting literature reviews, and creating evidence-based arguments. This hands-on experience prepares you for future academic endeavors and provides a solid foundation for various career paths. You can find more details about the application here.
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Varies as per course but the dates usually fall in July and August
Deadlines: Not mentioned. Return to this website in April 2025 to learn more about Summer 2025 courses.
Location: Online
Subject Areas: American Political History, Constitutional History, History of Immigration
Eligibility: All applicants must be high school students
The Gilder Lehrman History School gives you the chance to study American history through live, interactive courses taught by experienced educators. Run by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, this program focuses on helping high school students understand key events, themes, and ideas in history.
You’ll explore topics like the Cold War, immigration, Black lives during the Founding Era, and the nation’s foundational documents. The courses help you build skills in critical thinking, historical analysis, and research, preparing you for academic challenges and future studies.
Cost: Total tuition is calculated on a per-course basis and will depend on the specific classes your student chooses to take at Fusion
Program Dates: Available on request
Deadlines: Not mentioned
Location: Online
Subject Areas: History, US History, Legal History, Modern World History
Eligibility: High School Students
Fusion Global Academy offers high school students personalized, one-on-one virtual history classes that are tailored to their learning style. As an accredited private school, Fusion provides real-time, interactive sessions with expert teachers. You can choose from courses like Ancient Civilization, Modern World History, or the History of Economics in America.
These classes are flexible, allowing you to complete courses in as little as four weeks through either a fully online or hybrid format. The program helps you build critical thinking, research, and analytical skills while exploring history topics that align with your interests. The course catalog can be checked out here.
Cost: $4,454
Program Dates: June 24 - July 12
Deadlines: Applications open on January 15, 2025, and the deadline is May 9, 2025
Location: Online - Asynchronous
Subject Areas: Ancient History, Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome
Eligibility: All applicants must be high school students with a strong command of the English language
Myths have been a part of human storytelling for centuries, reflecting the beliefs and values of ancient civilizations. Brown University’s Pre-College Program in Mythology introduces high school students to myths from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and other cultures, focusing on themes like creation, the afterlife, and societal roles.
You will study primary texts and explore ideas from thinkers like Freud and Jung while developing skills in analysis and persuasive writing. This program helps you connect ancient stories to modern society and prepares you for a career in the humanities
Cost: $3,218
Program Dates: July 15 - July 26
Deadlines: Applications open on January 15, 2025, and the deadline is May 9, 2025
Location: Online - Asynchronous
Subject Areas: World History, Political History
Eligibility: All applicants must be high school students with a strong command of the English language
Brown University’s Pre-College Program, Kings and Criminals: How Power Works Across Cultures, helps high school students explore power and its role in everyday life through an anthropological perspective. You’ll study how power is gained, maintained, resisted, and reshaped in different cultures, going beyond formal politics.
The course covers topics like peasant resistance in Malaysia, corruption in India, and surveillance in Romania while introducing ideas from Marxism, feminism, and post-colonialism. Through reading, writing, and critical analysis, you’ll learn about key political concepts such as sovereignty, coercion, and agency.
Cost: $3,218
Program Dates:1 week course: June 24 - June 28; 2-week course: June 24 - July 05
Deadlines: Applications open on January 15, 2025, and the deadline is May 9, 2025
Location: Online - Asynchronous
Subject Areas: History, cultural studies, ethnic studies, memory studies, and museum studies
Eligibility: All applicants must be high school students
Brown University’s online Pre-College Program, Power and the Production of History, focuses on how history is shaped by power dynamics like colonialism, slavery, and genocide. You’ll explore archives, public memory, and representation in museums and monuments to understand how narratives are influenced by factors like race, gender, and class. Through readings, discussions, and hands-on projects, you’ll analyze primary sources, curate exhibitions, and critically assess historical narratives.
Cost: $5,800 + $75 application fee
Program Dates:
- Summer 2025 Session I - June 22–July 3, 2025
- Summer 2025 Session II - July 6–July 18, 2025
- Summer 2025 Session III - July 20–August 1, 2025
Deadlines: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, is the general deadline for applications and for financial aid. Wednesday, April 9, 202,5 is the final deadline.
Location: Online
Subject Areas: History
Eligibility: All applicants must be high school students who Will graduate from high school and enter college in 2026 or 2027: Are at least 16 years old by June 21, 2025, and will not turn 19 years old before July 31, 2025.
Harvard’s Pre-College Program gives you the chance to experience college-level courses while living on campus for two weeks. If you’re interested in history, you can choose courses that help you understand historical events and develop critical thinking skills, all while experiencing the academic rigor of an Ivy League school.
Courses like History of Financial Crises: 1637 to Present, The History of the Cold War, and Pyramid Schemes: What Can Ancient Egyptian Civilization Teach Us? let you analyze history from different perspectives. You can also explore topics like Res Publica: A History of Representative Government and Britain and the Beatles: 1960s British Culture and Society through History, Music, and Film.
Cost: £995
Program Dates: June - August (see our booking form for the latest availability)
Deadlines: Not mentioned. Applications are open now, apply here!
Location: Online (live, not pre-recorded)
Subject Areas: World History, Ancient History, Medieval History, Modern History, Religious History
Eligibility: Applicants should be between the ages of 15-18
If you’re interested in history and philosophy, Oxford Summer School 2025 gives you the chance to explore ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece. You’ll learn about key events and the ideas of philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
The program also covers the Middle Ages and the Enlightenment, focusing on their influence on modern governance and culture. With a hands-on research project, you’ll build critical thinking and research skills that will help you in your future studies and careers.
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Self-paced recorded lectures
Deadlines: No deadline mentioned
Location: Online
Subject Areas: American History, Economic History of the 19th century, Slavery and Reconstruction
Eligibility: No eligibility criteria mentioned
Yale University’s Open Yale Course, The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845–1877, gives you the chance to study one of the most significant periods in American history. In this course, you’ll explore the causes, events, and outcomes of the Civil War, focusing on themes like union and disunion, slavery and emancipation, and the challenges of Reconstruction.
By examining these topics, you’ll gain a better understanding of the social, political, and moral issues that shaped the nation. The course helps you develop skills in historical analysis and interpretation, which will prepare you for future studies in history and related fields.
Cost: $1,792
Program Dates: Jan 21 - Apr 13
Deadlines: Not mentioned
Location: Online
Subject Areas: American History
Eligibility: All applicants must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs.
The History and Social Science online courses at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) offer high school students the chance to explore U.S. history, world history, government, and psychology. These courses are designed to help you develop critical reading and writing skills, ranging from introductory college-level material for older students to foundational studies in world history and geography for younger learners.
With expert instructors guiding you through virtual meetings and interactive workshops, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of global civilizations, governance, and psychology. Courses like Preparation for AP World History and Geography will help you build analytical and discussion skills, preparing you for advanced coursework and historical analysis.
Cost: Free
Program Dates: No specific dates, week-long online program
Deadlines: Not mentioned
Location: Online
Subject Areas: US History
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply
The National History Academy Online (NHAO) offers a summer program for high school students and recent graduates focused on U.S. history, civics, and civil discourse. This year, the theme explores voting, with a close look at the Electoral College and case studies from Harvard Business School’s Case Method Institute.
As a participant, you will examine key moments in American history through case studies like The Right of Revolution for the Disenfranchised and How Voting Methods Impact Democracy. The program also covers current issues such as redistricting, and connecting past events to modern challenges. With small, interactive classes led by top history educators and Braver Angels debates you will develop critical thinking skills while preparing for college. The program runs one week at a time, Monday through Thursday evenings.
Cost: Free
Program Dates: No dates mentioned, self-paced
Deadlines: NA
Location: Online
Subject Areas: US History, World History, Asian History, Chinese History
Eligibility: High School Students
Michigan University's online history courses offer high school students a chance to explore a variety of historical topics, including world history, U.S. history, the Vietnam War, Indigenous-European encounters, and digital history. These courses, available globally during summer sessions, help you develop critical thinking and research skills while introducing historical methods and perspectives.
Whether you are new to history or want to explore advanced topics, this program provides the analytical tools you need to better understand the past and its connections to today's issues.
Cost: $25 + $400
Program Dates: 8 weeks beginning Jan. 14, 2025, to mid-March 2025
Deadlines: Not mentioned
Location: Online
Subject Areas: US History
Eligibility: High School Students
Arizona State University's Online American History course provides high school students with an in-depth look at the events, people, and ideas that shaped the British North American colonies and the early United States. The course covers various perspectives, including Indigenous cultures, the Atlantic slave trade, and the colonial and Revolutionary roots of the nation.
Under the guidance of expert instructors, you will develop critical skills in analyzing history, evaluating evidence, and understanding the political, economic, and cultural changes leading up to the Civil War. This program offers a solid foundation in American history while strengthening your analytical and critical thinking abilities.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.