Curious about how circuits work, how robots are built, or how electrical systems power the world around you? An electrical engineering summer camp can be a great way to start building real technical skills while still in high school. These programs go beyond textbook concepts, giving you direct access to lab tools, circuit components, and software environments, where you can design, test, and iterate on your own builds. You’ll also practice structured problem-solving, learn how electrical systems behave in real conditions, and work with mentors who can help you understand the engineering process from prototype to final output.
Why choose a summer camp over a program?
Electrical engineering is a deeply hands-on field, and many summer camps are designed to mirror that reality. As a participant, you’ll work with microcontrollers, breadboards, sensors, and oscilloscopes while exploring topics like signal processing, digital logic, embedded systems, and energy systems—subject areas that aren’t always covered in high school physics or math classes. These camps often attract students who want structured training, exposure to real engineering workflows, and experience that can strengthen future college applications or research opportunities.
You can also explore how engineering-focused programs compare by checking out this blog.
15 Electrical Engineering Summer Camps for High School Students
1. TryEngineering Summer Institute: Electrical Engineering Module
Location: Various university campuses across the U.S.
Cost: $4,095 – $4,295; Limited need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Varies by location
Application Deadline: Rolling until filled
Eligibility: High school students interested in engineering; Residential program with an age minimum (varies by campus)
The TryEngineering Summer Institute’s Electrical Engineering Module introduces you to core concepts in circuits, analog electronics, embedded systems, and applied robotics through structured, hands-on engineering challenges. You will work with common lab tools, including breadboards, soldering equipment, microcontrollers, and sensors, to build functional systems such as an AM radio, a programmable drone, and an Arduino-driven smart car. Each project emphasizes iterative testing, debugging, and data-driven performance refinement, mirroring early undergraduate engineering workflows. You will also learn how electrical engineering principles interact with mechanical and aerospace concepts across the program’s multi-module structure. The program concludes with team-based design reviews, where you present your builds and reflect on technical decisions.
2. Semiconductor Design, Fabrication & Application Camp
Location: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Cost: Varies by format; Need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not mentioned
Dates: July 6 – July 9 (commuter)
Application Deadline: February 23 – June 1 (or until filled)
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders and recently graduated seniors interested in engineering
The Semiconductor Design, Fabrication & Application camp introduces you to the fundamentals of semiconductor materials, device architecture, and basic fabrication workflows. You will work through guided projects that cover circuit layout, the physics of semiconductor behavior, and the role of chips in computing, communication, and renewable energy systems. Using tools and demonstrations commonly found in undergraduate engineering labs, you’ll experiment with basic circuit design and examine how semiconductors transition from raw materials to functional electronic components. The session concludes with a field trip to a semiconductor industry partner, where you can observe real fabrication environments and connect the week’s coursework to industry-scale engineering.
3. LLRISE – Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA; MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 12 – 25
Application Deadline: January 5 – March 11
Eligibility: U.S. high school students completing their junior year; Must have a strong interest in math, science, and engineering
LLRISE is a two-week, fully funded engineering workshop where you will build and test small Doppler and range radar systems under the guidance of MIT scientists and engineers. The program immerses you in circuit assembly, signal generation, RF hardware fundamentals, and radar data interpretation, which are concepts typically introduced only in early undergraduate engineering courses. You’ll work through structured milestones that involve soldering, debugging microwave-frequency circuits, and evaluating radar performance through controlled experiments. The program concludes with system testing and analysis, giving you a complete view of how small-scale radar systems are engineered.
4. Learning Electronics, AI, and Programming (LEAP) Camp
Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Cost/Stipend: Residential $1,000 + $25 deposit; Commuter $600 + $25 deposit; Scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not stated
Dates: June 22 – June 28
Application Deadline: February – March
Eligibility: 10th-12th graders; Emphasis on supporting traditionally excluded groups in STEM
LEAP Camp introduces you to embedded systems, electronics, and introductory artificial intelligence through a project-based curriculum centered on designing a portable weather-monitoring device. You will work with microcontrollers, sensors, and basic circuit components to assemble and program a functioning weather station capable of collecting atmospheric data. The camp emphasizes the full data pipeline: soldering and PCB handling, sensor integration, microcontroller logic, wireless communication, and cloud-based data processing for AI-driven analysis. By the end of the program, you will have constructed and deployed your own weather station and gained experience across electrical engineering, embedded computing, and applied AI.
5. Building Electrical Circuits and Computers
Location: University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
Cost: $3,800; Discounts available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not stated
Dates: Session 1: June 1 – 11; Session 2: June 16 – 26
Application Deadline: Rolling until filled
Eligibility: High school students interested in electrical and computer engineering
This two-week course introduces you to foundational electrical and computer engineering concepts through a combination of theory, simulation, and intensive lab work. You will build and analyze circuits using resistors, capacitors, inductors, and operational amplifiers, and explore core topics such as filters, resonant circuits, magnetism, and basic motor design. The curriculum also covers digital logic, where you will construct AND, NAND, and NOR gates and use Boolean algebra to design simple computing circuits. Alongside hardware experimentation, you will work with engineering software tools like MATLAB and PSPICE for mathematical modeling and circuit simulation. The program concludes with a team-based project that integrates analog circuits, digital logic, motors, and solar power systems.
6. Drexel University: ECE Virtual Summer Institute
Location: Virtual
Cost: $300 registration fee (hardware kit included)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not stated
Dates: July 21 – 24
Application Deadline: June 15
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors with no prior programming or electronics experience
This four-day virtual institute introduces you to embedded systems and core electrical and computer engineering concepts using the ESP32 microcontroller platform. You will learn how to program the ESP32 in a structured environment, working through exercises that link basic coding constructs to real hardware behavior, including sensor input, output control, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Along the way, instructors connect your projects to broader ECE disciplines such as signal processing, circuits, algorithms, and computer hardware. By the end of the camp, you’ll have built and programmed multiple small systems that illustrate how embedded devices power technologies like smartphones and autonomous systems, giving you an early, practical look at ECE as a potential college major.
7. Engineering Exploration High School Summer Camps
Location: University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
Cost/Stipend: None
Cohort Size: Limited to 30 students per camp
Dates: College of Engineering STEM Summer Camp: June 9 – 13; College of Engineering Robotics Summer Camp: June 16 – 20
Application Deadline: Rolling until spots are filled
Eligibility: Local high school students entering grades 10-12; Students should apply to only one camp
Notre Dame’s Engineering Exploration camps introduce you to core engineering concepts through full-day, hands-on design projects in a university makerspace setting. In the STEM Summer Camp, you’ll sample multiple engineering disciplines by working with lab equipment, simple mechanical builds, and problem-solving challenges that connect physics and math to real engineering systems. In the Robotics Summer Camp, you’ll focus more deeply on robotics by constructing and programming robots to perform tasks in dynamic environments. You will experiment with autonomous and remote-controlled modes, attachments, and manipulation, while iterating on your designs to meet a series of mini-challenges. Across both camps, you’ll strengthen practical skills in teamwork, prototyping, and basic coding while interacting with Notre Dame engineering faculty, staff, and students.
8. Electrify Tech Camp
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Cost: Varies by program
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Vary by program; Multiple sessions throughout the summer
Application Deadline: February/March (tentative)
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least one year of high school; International students
Electrify Tech Camp introduces you to multiple subfields within electrical and computer engineering through hands-on, lab-based sessions taught by U-M faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate mentors. Across the available tracks, you will explore concepts such as embedded systems, circuits, signal processing, wireless communication, computer hardware, and introductory algorithms. Daily activities combine technical instruction, guided experimentation, and structured problem-solving projects that expose you to the tools and workflows used in early engineering coursework. All participants rank five program tracks during the application process, and each admitted student is placed into one track to ensure individualized attention and lab access.
9. Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Summer Workshop
Location: UT San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Cost: Varies by format; Limited tuition assistance offered
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not stated
Dates: June 16 – 20
Application Deadline: Not stated
Eligibility: High school students interested in mechanical, electrical, or related engineering fields; Must have a 3.0 GPA or more
This workshop introduces you to core concepts in both mechanical and electrical engineering through demonstrations, labs, and project-based exploration led by faculty and graduate students. You will study piezoelectric energy harvesting, gaining experience with materials that convert mechanical stress into electrical output, and learn how these systems are modeled and characterized. The electronics fabrication component covers digital design fundamentals and hands-on work with circuit-building tools used in academic labs. You will also investigate corrosion science and control methods, examining how electrochemistry impacts real-world engineering systems. Across the week, you will work with instrumentation, fabrication equipment, and simulation tools that provide a practical introduction to multidisciplinary engineering research.
10. Engineering Experience Summer Camp
Location: University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $500 per week; 10% discount for UIC system employees; Optional after-care $32/day
Cohort Size: ~30 students per subgroup
Dates: July 21 – July 25
Application Deadline: Rolling until filled
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders
UIC’s Engineering Experience Camp exposes you to multiple engineering disciplines through project-based modules developed by university faculty and graduate students. Over the five-day program, you will complete more than a dozen hands-on engineering challenges covering areas such as robotics, biomechanics, CAD and 3D printing, software prototyping, environmental systems, and materials processes. The curriculum is structured so that you rotate across engineering topics, giving you practical exposure to mechanical, industrial, biomedical, chemical, software, and sustainability-focused engineering tasks. You’ll also receive additional programming that includes campus tours and introductory college-preparation guidance. Through consistent engagement with tools, instrumentation, and collaborative design, you’ll gain an early understanding of how engineers approach analysis, modeling, and system-level problem solving.
11. TCNJ Artificial Intelligence & Wireless Communications Camp
Location: The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ
Cost: $2,200 + $40 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not mentioned
Dates: July 5 – 10
Application Deadline: Rolling; May 30
Eligibility: High school students with an interest in science, math, engineering, AI, or wireless communications
This camp introduces you to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and wireless communications through lectures, demos, and lab-based experimentation in TCNJ’s Armstrong/STEM engineering facilities. You will study what AI is, how learning-based algorithms can be used in real-world systems, and how modern wireless technologies move data between devices and networks. Faculty in electrical and computer engineering guide you through conceptual frameworks that connect core disciplines such as signals, circuits, and computation to emerging “wireless AI” applications across sectors like engineering, finance, and medicine.
12. My Introduction to Engineering (MITE)
Location: University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Cost: $200
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; 50 students per session
Dates: Session 1: June 21 – 26; Session 2: July 12 – 16
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: U.S. current high school juniors; Students with limited engineering exposure or socio-economic hardship are strongly encouraged
MITE is a five-day engineering immersion program designed to introduce you to core engineering concepts through team-based design projects, structured labs, and interactive sessions with UT engineering faculty, staff, and students. You will explore foundational ideas in engineering problem-solving, experiment with tools used in early undergraduate coursework, and participate in hands-on activities that highlight how mathematical and scientific principles are implemented in real systems. Each session includes collaborative work, exposure to multiple engineering disciplines, and discussions that connect engineering to societal and technological challenges.
13. Longhorn Engineering Summer Camp
Location: UT Austin, Austin, TX; UT San Antonio, San Antonio, TX; UT Houston, Houston, TX
Cost: $75 commitment fee (Austin)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not stated
Dates: Varies by location and session
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: Rising 8th-9th graders; Students from schools with limited engineering courses or extracurriculars, and those facing socio-economic hardship, are especially encouraged
Longhorn Engineering Summer Camp introduces you to the breadth of engineering by connecting core concepts to areas like art, sports, medicine, and sustainability. Each day, you’ll attend a focused presentation and learn specific engineering fundamentals, then immediately apply those ideas in guided, hands-on activities. The camp is structured to show you how quantitative reasoning and design thinking translate into real systems and everyday applications, even if your school doesn’t currently offer engineering classes. Please note that participation in the Houston and San Antonio camps is by invitation only.
14. Summer Engineering Experiences
Location: Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Cost: $150 – $250; Scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not stated
Dates: July – August (specific program dates vary)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 10th graders and above; select programs require algebra experience
Marquette’s Summer Engineering Experiences offer discipline-specific, technical modules that immerse you in focused engineering topics through hands-on experimentation, coding, and lab-based design challenges. You will rotate through engineering spaces alongside faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate mentors while using tools such as microcontrollers, biomechanical sensors, structural test rigs, and Python-based data analysis workflows. Depending on the session, you might model structural responses to dynamic loads, prototype biomedical systems, analyze air quality using environmental datasets, program collaborative robots in an automation lab, modify adaptive ride-on vehicles through custom circuit design, or develop embedded systems with simple AI capabilities. Each module emphasizes measurement, iteration, and quantitative reasoning, giving you a practical introduction to engineering methods across fields such as civil, biomedical, mechanical, environmental, computer, and electrical engineering.
15. Engineering Summer Camps
Location: Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
Cost: Varies by program
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not stated
Dates: Vary by camp
Application Deadline: Not stated
Eligibility: Advanced Engineering: Rising 9th-10th graders with prior engineering exposure; Engineering Design Experience: Rising 11th-12th graders
SMU’s Engineering Summer Camps introduce you to the fundamentals of engineering through hands-on design challenges, lab-based exploration, and team-based problem solving using facilities and curriculum developed by the Lyle School of Engineering. The Introduction to Engineering camp builds foundational skills through guided activities in circuits, coding, mechanical systems, and basic design workflows suitable for beginners. The Advanced Engineering camp extends these concepts with more complex projects involving sensors, digital logic, structural analysis, and iterative prototyping. The Engineering Design Experience, a residential camp for upper high school students, exposes you to the five core engineering disciplines offered at SMU—electrical, mechanical, civil, environmental, and computer engineering—through discipline-specific modules, lab demonstrations, and multi-step design tasks. Across all camps, you will gain experience with engineering tools, collaborative problem solving, and early design thinking in a university environment.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
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