If you are a high school student interested in technology and want to move beyond textbooks and tutorials, consider a tech pre-college program. These programs offer a chance to build skills in areas like programming, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analysis.
Unlike regular tech camps or online courses, pre-college programs are hosted by universities and closely follow college-level academics. These programs usually take place in the summer and are designed to give you a structured, academic experience. You attend lectures, work on research-based projects, and sometimes even get to use university labs or software.
To help you figure out where to start, here’s a list of 15 tech pre-college programs for high school students to check out!
15 Tech Pre-College Programs for High School Students
1. UCSD Research Experience for High School Students – SDSC StudentTech
Location: UC San Diego campus (San Diego, CA)
Cost: Program with a research project– $1,500. Program without research project– free.
Application Deadline: February 15 – March 15
Program Dates: June 16 – August 8
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 10, 11, and 12. May have course-specific eligibility requirements.
The UCSD Research Experience for High School Students (REHS) is a summer research program where you get to join research projects led by university faculty. It focuses on computational science, so it helps if you already know some programming.
You’ll work with mentors and get hands-on experience in areas like machine learning, data analysis, and high performance computing. This is a good way to build your technical and research skills if you’re thinking about studying STEM in college or working in science and tech later.
2. Berkeley Summer Computer Science Academy | Pre-College Programs
Location: University of Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
Cost: $5,160
Application Deadline: February 3 – March 10
Program Dates: June 23 – July 4
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school students who are 16-17 years old by June, and have good academic standing. For detailed eligibility criteria, please visit here.
This two-week program introduces you to computer science through daily coding challenges using Snap, a visual programming language. You’ll be placed in a group based on your skill level, so whether you’re new or have some experience, you’ll learn at the right pace.
You’ll follow structured lessons and build your own programming project by the end, using what you’ve learned in a hands-on way. The program is created by UC Berkeley professor Dan Garcia and taught by trained instructors.
3. Illinois Tech’s Summer College Programs for High School Students
Location: Illinois Tech University campus, Chicago, IL
Cost: $650 to $6,500, depending on the program (Both residential and commuter options are available)
Application Deadline: May
Program Dates: Vary depending on the program between June and August
Eligibility: High schoolers at least 14 years old can apply
Illinois Tech’s summer program lets you explore tech and engineering through hands-on courses taught by university faculty. You can pick a subject like robotics, cybersecurity, or Python coding and apply your skills to real-world challenges.
Courses include projects like building a robot with Arduino, simulating cyberattacks, or designing drug delivery systems in biomedical engineering. Each one helps you build technical skills and prepare for college or internships.
4. Cosmos | UCSC
Location: UC Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA)
Cost: $5,256. Financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: January 8 – February 7
Program Dates: July 6 – August 2
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 through 12, California residents.
The California State School for Mathematics and Science at UC Santa Cruz offers a four-week residential research program that combines STEM coursework with hands-on research. You’ll choose a cluster like Quantum Information Science, Artificial Intelligence, or Video Game Design and attend daily lectures and labs focused on that topic. You’ll work with UC Santa Cruz faculty, complete a research project, and present your findings at a final symposium.
5. Texas Tech University – Anson L. Clark Scholar Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Honors College (Lubbock, TX)
Cost: $25 application fee; stipend provided
Application Deadline: February 24
Program Dates: June 22 – August 7
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 17 years old at the start of the program are eligible to apply.
The Anson L. Clark Scholar Program is a seven-week summer research experience at Texas Tech University for twelve high school juniors and seniors. You’ll work one-on-one with faculty on advanced topics like AI, data science, cybersecurity, or software engineering.
Alongside research, you’ll join workshops, solve technical problems, and build skills in computational thinking. The program ends with a research presentation.
6. Research Experience | UCSB Summer Sessions
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)
Fee/Stipend: Commuter: $5,175 | Residential: $12,474
Application Deadline: December 15 – March 17
Program Dates: June 16 – August 1
Eligibility: High School Sophomores and Juniors
This six-week program lets you explore computer science research alongside a mentor, who may be a grad student, postdoc, or professor. You’ll join a real project and may even earn university credit for your work. Topics change each year. Past projects have included building open-source pH sensors for ocean research and designing low-rank neural networks for sentiment analysis.
7. UCLA Computer Science Summer Institute – Introductory Track
Location: University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Cost: $3,291. Scholarships are available for students in California.
Application Deadline: June 13
Program Dates: June 23 – July 11
Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in a high school as of Spring and be at least 15 years old before the start of the program
UCLA’s Computer Science Summer Institute – Introductory Track is a three-week program for high school students in grades 9 to 12 who want to start learning Python. You’ll study on campus and earn 4 UCLA credits while building a strong foundation in computer science.
The course follows CS 30: Principles and Practices of Computing. You’ll learn how to write programs using data types like integers, strings, and lists, work with control structures like loops and conditionals, and break down problems into functions. Every week includes project work, and you’ll get support from UCLA instructors, PhD students, and undergrad mentors.
8. Harvard’s Pre-College Summer Programs for High School Students
Location: Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
Cost: $5,800 + $75 application fee
Application Deadline: February 12
Program Dates: Session I: June 22 – July 3; Session II: July 6 – 18; Session III: July 20 – August 1
Eligibility: Applicants must be expected to graduate from high school and enter college in next two years and be at least 16 years old by June 21 and must not turn 19 years old before July 31
Harvard’s Pre-College Summer Program is a two-week, non-credit experience for high school students in grades 10 to 12. You’ll study on campus and explore technical subjects like data science, logic, or quantum computing in college-style seminars.
In the data science course, you’ll use Python to collect and visualize data, then shift to JavaScript to create interactive visualizations. The logic course covers propositional and quantificational logic with links to computer science and philosophy.
If you choose quantum computing, you’ll study qubits, spin states, and the math behind quantum information processing. Each course includes daily discussions, assignments, and a final project.
9. NYU’s Summer Program in Automation, Robotics, and Coding (SPARC)
Location: NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering (New York)
Cost: $3,300
Application Deadline: May 15
Program Dates: Session I: June 16 – 27; Session II: July 7 – 18; Session III: July 28 – August 8
Eligibility: Students who are rising 9-12 graders
SPARC is a two-week summer program for high school students interested in robotics, programming, and mechatronics. You’ll work hands-on with microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators to build working robotic systems.
The curriculum covers circuit design, embedded systems, and core programming concepts like loops, conditionals, and data structures. You’ll apply what you learn in team-based projects that focus on real-world robotic design and integration.
10. NYU’s ARISE Program
Location: New York University campus, NY
Cost: None; $1,000 stipend provided
Application Deadline: January 12
Program Dates: June 2 – August 18
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are New York residents
ARISE is a free, seven-week summer research program at NYU Tandon for high school students who live in New York City. You’ll spend the first two weeks building a foundation in research methods, lab safety, ethics, and public speaking through college-style workshops.
After that, you’ll work full-time in an NYU lab for five weeks. You can explore areas like computer science, machine learning, robotics, biomedical engineering, or cybersecurity. You’ll be mentored by grad students and faculty while working on real research projects. The program ends with two presentations, one at NYU and another at the American Museum of Natural History.
11. Code Connects Summer Research Program with Columbia University
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,995 (tentatively, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Program Dates: To be announced
Eligibility: Open to rising 10th to 12th grade students
The Code Connects Summer Research Program is a five-week experience that introduces high school students to core concepts in data science through both instruction and hands-on research. During the first two weeks, you’ll receive intensive training in R programming, data visualization, data cleaning, and statistical analysis.
After building your foundational skills, you’ll spend the next three weeks serving as a research assistant on active projects led by faculty, PhD students, and researchers at Columbia University’s Data Science Institute.
You’ll also work on your own independent research project, gaining real-world experience in data science. At the end of the program, you’ll earn a certificate recognizing your achievement.
12. Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars Pre-College Program
Location: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Cost: None
Application Deadline: March 1
Program Dates: June 21 – July 19
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who are at least 16 years old before the start of the program
AI Scholars is a four-week residential program hosted by Carnegie Mellon University for high school seniors. You don’t need any coding background—before the in-person part starts, you’ll complete a self-paced online Python course to build your foundation.
Once on campus, you’ll join classes on core AI topics, attend workshops led by Carnegie Mellon faculty and industry experts, and work on a team capstone project that solves a real-world problem. The program also includes college prep sessions and guest talks from people working in tech and research.
13. The University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute Summer Lab
Location: University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Cost: None; $4,800 stipend provided
Application Deadline: January 12
Program Dates: June 16 – August 8
Eligibility: High school students who have familiarity in at least one programming language (Python, Java, C++, etc.) is preferred
The DSI Summer Lab at the University of Chicago is an eight-week paid research program for high school and undergraduate students in the Chicago area. You’ll be matched with a mentor and join a project that applies data science to problems in fields like public policy, medicine, social science, or climate research.
You’ll get hands-on training in coding, data analysis, and research methods while working with a team. Each week includes workshops, speaker sessions, and time to build your skills. The program ends with a video presentation of your work, giving you practice in communicating your research like a professional.
14. MIT PRIMES
Location: Virtual, with occasional travel to the MIT campus (Cambridge, MA)
Cost: None
Application Deadline: November 18
Program Dates: The program runs year-round and has different phases, learn more here
Eligibility: All high school students living within the Greater Boston area
MIT PRIMES is a year-long research program for high school students who are strong in math, computer science, or computational biology. You’ll work on a research project with an MIT mentor, often a graduate student or postdoc, and focus on areas like AI, robotics, cryptography, or bioinformatics.
The program includes a reading phase, guided research, independent study, and a final paper. Projects are done individually or in small teams, and past student work has led to academic publications and conference presentations.
15. CalTech’s Summer Tech Camp
Location: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
Cost: $2,500 per course (approximately, may vary based on selected course)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Typically between June and August
Eligibility: Applicants must be between 13 and 18 years of age.
The iD Tech Camp introduces you to computer science through hands-on courses in Python, C++, AI, game development, and robotics. With a 12:1 student-to-instructor ratio, you get personalized support in a collaborative setting, no matter your experience level. The camp takes place on college campuses and mixes technical learning with social activities, giving you a preview of campus life.
Bonus –
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June – August), Fall (September – December), Winter (December – February), and Spring (March – June).
Program Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
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)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program pairs you with a Ph.D. mentor 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 data science, computer science, engineering, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded by Harvard graduate students, offers AI programs for high school students. If you’re just starting out, the AI Scholars Program is a good way to learn the basics of AI, machine learning, and data science. In this 10-session boot camp, you’ll learn core concepts and work on real-world projects.
If you already have experience, you can apply for the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. In this program, you’ll work 1-on-1 with a mentor from a top university to build your own research project. You’ll also get support from Veritas’s publication team to help you submit your work to high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
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!
Images source – California Institute of Technology