Data science is becoming an essential skill across fields like healthcare, business, cybersecurity, and public policy. As a high school student, participating in data science programs for high school students can help you explore programming, statistics, and machine learning while working with real datasets. Many data science programs for high school students introduce tools like Python, SQL, and data visualization platforms, allowing you to build practical technical skills early.
If you’re specifically looking for data science programs for high school students in Maryland, you’ll find a strong mix of university-based courses, government-funded internships, and research programs. You might clean datasets, perform exploratory analysis, build predictive models, and interpret results. Some data science programs for high school students in Maryland also introduce machine learning concepts, statistical inference, and data storytelling. These experiences help you understand how data is used to solve real-world problems while building technical fluency.
Why should you choose a program in Maryland?
Maryland offers access to universities, federal research labs, and healthcare institutions that actively use data science. You may find opportunities with organizations such as NIH, NIST, and major universities. Many data science programs for high school students in Maryland also emphasize applied learning. You might work with datasets related to public health, cybersecurity, climate science, or social science research. These experiences can help you understand how data science is applied in professional environments.
Below is a curated list of 15 data science programs for high school students in Maryland. If you’re looking for online data science summer programs for high school students, you can find them here. You can also check out our guide on the best summer programs for high school students in Maryland here.
15 Data Science Programs for High School Students in Maryland
1. Johns Hopkins University Pre-College On-Campus Summer Programs — Big Data and Advertising
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Cost: $6,140 (Residential) | $4,660 (Commuter) | A non-refundable $85 application fee | Scholarships are available
Dates: Residential Sessions: June 20–July 1; July 5–16; July 19–30 | Commuter Sessions: June 21–July 1; July 6–16; July 20–30
Application Deadline: February 3 (early) | March 10 (regular) | July 6 (rolling)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 with a minimum GPA of 3.0 can apply | International applicants should review the admissions guide before applying
Johns Hopkins University’s Pre-College Summer Programs allow students to take college-level courses for credit. The on-campus experience includes lectures, activities, guest speakers, access to campus resources, and opportunities to interact with peers and mentors. If you are interested in data science, the Big Data and Advertising course explores how large datasets shape modern advertising, from personalized ads to predictive analytics. You’ll examine ideas from psychology, economics, computer science, and marketing to understand how data influences decisions. The course covers consumer behavior, data collection methods, and the ethical issues associated with the use of personal information. Using Python programming, you’ll analyze large datasets to find patterns behind ad campaigns. You’ll also build skills in data analysis and critical thinking, and explore how technology, ethics, and business connect in data-driven advertising.
2. National Library of Medicine (NLM) Data Science and Informatics (DSI) Scholars Program
Location: NIH Campus, Bethesda, MD
Cost | Stipend: Free | High school students earn $2,530 before graduation and $2,840 after graduation
Dates: The program runs for 8 to 12 weeks starting in June, with flexible start dates and durations to fit interns’ schedules
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: Students enrolled at least half-time as high school seniors who have completed coursework in computer science, data science, informatics, mathematics, or related fields can apply | Applicants must be at least 18 by the internship start date, or 17 by June 1 if their permanent address is within 40 miles of an NIH campus, and must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents | A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is preferred
The NLM Data Science and Informatics Scholars Program is a full-time summer internship for high school seniors interested in computational health and biological research. Over 8 to 12 weeks, you’ll spend about 40 hours each week working on real data science projects in the biological sciences. You’ll work with a research mentor and participate in a collaborative research environment, with seminars and workshops that will help you build scientific communication skills. You’ll gain experience using tools for computational health, including bioinformatics methods and working with complex biological datasets. You can explore ongoing projects or discuss ideas with a principal investigator. The program ends with a poster presentation at NLM Summer Poster Day, with possible opportunities to present your findings at the NIH-wide event.
3. UMBC’s Summer Enrichment Academy — AI Innovations In Sales/Marketing: An Introduction to AI-Powered Business Strategies
Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
Cost: $374
Dates: June 22–26
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders | Limited to 10–25 students per session
UMBC’s Summer Enrichment Academy (SEA) offers one-week courses for middle and high school students in STEAM fields. These courses are led by faculty, graduate students, and industry professionals. In the AI Innovations in Sales and Marketing course, you will learn how businesses use AI and data science to understand customers and make decisions. You’ll work in a group to design and present a marketing campaign for a fictional product using AI-driven insights and data analysis. You’ll also study how companies convert raw data into insights, predict trends, and identify high-value customers using simple models. Over five days, you’ll learn to analyze data, study customer behavior, and apply AI techniques to real scenarios.
4. Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens (BRBT)
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Cost | Stipend: Free | Paid
Dates: July 7–August 7
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th grade students
Biophysics Research for Baltimore Teens is a paid, five-week program at Johns Hopkins University for rising 10th- to 12th-grade students. During the program, you will work full-time in a teaching lab with other students, learn important scientific concepts, and apply them through hands-on research. Guided by instructors and researchers, you will prepare materials for biophysical studies and move into DNA, microbiology, and protein engineering. The work combines biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science, using tools such as X-ray crystallography and NMR. You will also learn about data science through data analysis, quantitative methods, and scientific writing, as well as develop problem-solving and research skills in a lab setting.
5. ASPIRE by the Johns Hopkins University
Location: Virtual or in person at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, MD
Cost: Free
Dates: Summer session: June 23–August 21 | Academic-year session: September 15–May; juniors must complete at least 80 hours, while seniors must complete at least 130 hours
Application Deadline: February 15 | Participation can continue during the school year with mentor approval, and no separate application is required
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors or seniors who are at least 15 by June 1, live in designated Maryland counties, and have a GPA of 2.8 or higher
Johns Hopkins University’s ASPIRE program gives local students a chance to explore STEM careers through hands-on projects with mentors from the Applied Physics Laboratory. When applying, you can list areas of interest and project types such as research, lab work, social impact, or public relations. Mentors and projects are assigned by the program. Projects may involve engineering, math, programming, AI, machine learning, and data analysis. If you’re interested in data science, you can work on projects such as analyzing disease trends, studying vaccine impact, or using machine learning to examine patterns in opioid overdoses. You may also work in areas such as programming, robotics, or app development, and build technical and communication skills through real research experience.
6. Maryland Data Science Apprenticeship Program
Location: Various organizations across Maryland
Cost: Free
Dates: 12-month program
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Local high school students
The Maryland Data Science Apprenticeship Program is a workforce development initiative for local high school students that helps them build data science skills through real projects with nonprofits, startups, and small businesses. You’ll train in a cohort setting, earn industry credentials, and work on AI and machine learning projects related to client needs. The 12-month program, developed to meet demand for data talent, includes pathways like business analysis and data science. You’ll gain hands-on experience collecting, cleaning, analyzing, and visualizing data, as well as building dashboards. Training may include tools and certifications from partners such as Microsoft and Google, as well as projects in areas like health, e-commerce, and digital marketing.
7. Girls Talk Math Camp at the University of Maryland
Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Cost: Free (with a $25 registration fee)
Dates: July 7–18
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th graders who attend a high school within commuting distance of the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland’s Girls Talk Math is a weekday summer camp for local high school students interested in exploring math beyond standard topics. The program helps connect math to real-world applications in computer science and data-driven problems. You will attend mini lectures, study advanced concepts, and create a podcast about a notable female mathematician, as well as participate in panels and conversations with women in math. Topics may include cryptography, knot theory, mathematical modeling, graph theory, and abstract algebra. You’ll tackle modules on topics like network science and cryptography, which often involve Python coding, data analysis, and mathematical modeling. You can check out past student work and previous podcasts for more information.
8. NIST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Location: NIST laboratory at Gaithersburg, MD, or Boulder, CO
Cost: Free
Dates: June 22–August 7
Application Deadline: January 26 | You can find the application guide here
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and live within 50 miles of their host campus
NIST’s Summer High School Intern Program allows students to explore science and engineering through hands-on research with scientists and engineers. You’ll work on a project and learn how different labs operate. You can indicate lab preferences when applying. If you are interested in data science, labs such as the Information Technology Laboratory and the Communications Technology Laboratory focus on areas including data mining, machine learning, visualization, and bioinformatics. You’ll use tools like Python and SQL while collecting, processing, and analyzing real-world data. Projects may include deep learning, anomaly detection, cybersecurity data analysis, and AI applications, giving you practical experience in data science and related fields.
9. Johns Hopkins University Pre-College Online Summer Programs — Data Analytics Workshop
Location: Online
Cost: $1,950 + a non-refundable $85 application fee | Scholarships are available
Dates: June 22–July 3 | July 6–17 | July 20–31
Application Deadline: July 13
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 with a minimum GPA of 3.0 can apply | International applicants should review the admissions guide before applying
Johns Hopkins University’s Pre-College Summer Programs allow students to take college-level courses for credit in areas like AI, data science, neuroscience, psychology, and more. The self-paced online option includes recorded lectures and live sessions, with about 15 hours of work each week. If you are interested in data science, the Data Analytics Workshop is a solid option. In this two-week course, you’ll build your practical skills through a group project. You’ll collect, clean, organize, and visualize a dataset of your choice and learn exploratory data analysis, probability, regression, and hypothesis testing. You’ll mainly use Excel, be introduced to tools like Octave and Octoparse, and gain hands-on experience with real data.
10. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: Several lab locations across the country, including Bethesda, Patuxent River, Silver Spring, and Annapolis, MD
Cost | Stipend: Free | New participants get a $4,000 stipend, and returning participants receive $4,500
Dates: 8-week summer internship, with optional 2-week extension
Application Deadline: November 1
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 or older, are U.S. citizens, and have completed at least ninth grade, including graduating seniors, can apply | Some labs may have extra requirements
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program allows high schoolers to work on real research with Navy scientists and engineers at Department of the Navy labs. Projects span fields like computer science, engineering, physics, math, statistics, and more. You can list up to three preferred labs. Placement depends on your interests, grades, recommendations, and application. If you are interested in data science, sites like NSWC Carderock in Bethesda offer opportunities to work with large datasets, conduct computational modeling, and work with advanced systems. Many projects in areas like ship design and materials science use data analysis, machine learning, and programming tools such as Python and MATLAB. You’ll also gain mentorship and learn how data science is applied in real engineering work.
11. University of Maryland’s Terp Young Scholars — The Fault in Our Data: What Counts and Who’s Counting
Location: Online or in person at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Cost: $1,791 (on-campus) | $1,420 (online) | $75 application fee | A limited number of partial financial scholarships are available
Dates: July 13–31
Application Deadline: June 1
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduating seniors who are at least 13 years old and have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0 | For the Fault in Our Data course, applicants must have completed or be currently enrolled in Algebra I and Algebra II, with expected successful completion
The Terp Young Scholars program is a three-week summer program at the University of Maryland, where you can earn up to three college credits as a non-degree student. You can attend in person as a commuter or online, and take one course in areas such as Architecture, Data Science, Social Psychology, Business, Engineering, Neuroscience, International Relations, and more. If you are interested in data science, the Fault in Our Data course will teach you how to uncover insights from numbers. You’ll learn to analyze, visualize, and model real-world data, working with both small samples and large datasets. Using coding and computational tools, you’ll explore questions and apply data-driven thinking to meaningful problems. The course also includes an independent project where you’ll investigate a topic and draw conclusions from data. You will also build practical skills in data analysis, problem solving, and working with technology, gaining a solid introduction to data science.
12. UMBC’s Summer Enrichment Academy — Intro to AI Pipelines
Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
Cost: $374
Dates: July 13–17
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders | Limited to 10–25 students per session
UMBC’s Summer Enrichment Academy (SEA) offers one-week courses for middle and high school students in STEAM fields. These courses are led by faculty, graduate students, and industry professionals. The Introduction to AI Pipelines course gives you a beginner-friendly way to explore artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science. It will teach you to design, code, and deploy chatbots, as well as use prompt design, automation tools, and Git for version control. You’ll learn how AI systems process data, understand language, and respond to user input, and build your own chatbot from scratch. You’ll gain experience analyzing data and creating functional systems. You’ll also connect AI pipelines to databases and real-time data to improve performance. The program ends with a hackathon where you’ll apply your skills to a project and build a strong foundation for further study in AI and data science.
13. Johns Hopkins University Pre-College On-Campus Summer Programs — Digital Society: Big Data, Social Media, and Ethical Engagement
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Cost: $6,140 (Residential) | $4,660 (Commuter) | A non-refundable $85 application fee | Scholarships are available
Dates: Residential Sessions: June 20–July 1; July 5–16; July 19–30 | Commuter Sessions: June 21–July 1; July 6–16; July 20–30
Application Deadline: February 3 (early) | March 10 (regular) | July 6 (rolling)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 with a minimum GPA of 3.0 can apply | Specific prerequisites may vary by course
Johns Hopkins University’s Pre-College Summer Programs allow students to take college-level courses for credit in subjects like medicine, AI, neuroscience, data science, psychology, and more. The on-campus experience includes lectures, activities, guest speakers, access to campus resources, and opportunities to interact with peers and mentors. If you are interested in data science, the Digital Society course explores how algorithms and large-scale data systems shape behavior and public life. You’ll examine topics like privacy, misinformation, and data security, as well as work with real datasets using Python. The course focuses on analyzing patterns and trends and ends with a project on how data influences society and decision-making.
14. UMBC Concurrent Enrollment for High School Students (Summer Session) — Data Science Courses
Location: Hybrid, online, or in person at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
Cost: $50 non-refundable application fee
Dates: Session I: May 26–June 18; May 26–July 2; May 26–July 17; May 26–August 14 | Session II: July 6–31; July 6–August 14
Application Deadline: May 21 (Session I) | July 1 (Session II); you can check the other important dates here
Eligibility: Academically strong rising high school juniors or seniors who meet UMBC’s high school concurrent enrollment requirements
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, allows students to earn college credit while still in high school through concurrent enrollment, provided they meet the requirements and apply as non-degree students. You can take summer or part-time courses, and many credits transfer to other colleges. If you are interested in data science, the Introduction to Data Science course covers data manipulation, analysis, and presentation, as well as how large datasets are stored and used across organizations. You’ll also learn how data scientists turn ideas into insights. Another option is the Introduction to Database Design course, where you’ll study data modeling, database development, and SQL, and build a small project to gain practical skills in working with structured data.
15. Johns Hopkins University’s Summer Academic Research Experience (SARE)
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Cost | Stipend: Free | Students earn a $3,000 stipend
Dates: June 22–August 13
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students in the greater Baltimore area who come from low-income households (below 200 percent of the federal poverty line) and have limited educational resources
The Summer Academic Research Experience SARE Program allows local students to take part in biomedical research and build academic skills. You’ll work on real projects at Johns Hopkins, spending most of the program in research labs collecting and analyzing data. Alongside lab work, you’ll take courses in scientific writing, math, data analysis, and bioethics related to your research. The program will help you learn data science concepts through hands-on experience with real datasets and quantitative methods. You’ll learn lab techniques, complete assignments, and develop critical thinking skills. You’ll also create a scientific poster with your group and present it at a final event, as well as receive guidance on financial planning and the college application process.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a structured opportunity to conduct independent research in fields including data science, artificial intelligence, and computational science, 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!
Image source: University of Maryland