If you’re a high school student serious about a career in data science, then you probably understand the importance of learning the fundamentals of programming, statistical reasoning, data collection, analysis, and visualization. The good news is that there are several structured data science programs that teach you to write code in Python, R, or other languages and work through machine learning algorithms. You’ll even get to analyze real-world datasets and contribute to faculty-led research in fields like biomedical informatics, computer science, or artificial intelligence. The strongest programs go beyond classroom learning to include mentorship, scientific communication training, and presentations of your findings to an academic audience.
Why should you choose a program in New York?
New York is home to institutions like Columbia University, NYU, Rockefeller University, Cornell Tech, and Stony Brook University, all of which run programs that will place you directly in research environments alongside faculty and graduate students. Many of these programs will include site visits or panels featuring professionals from sectors such as healthcare, finance, and technology, all industries where large-scale data science is central to operations. For New York residents in particular, many of these programs are fully funded. Some even offer stipends, meaning financial cost is not necessarily a barrier to accessing rigorous research training.
With that, here are 15 data science programs for high school students in New York. Many of these programs cover data science, machine learning, AI, bioinformatics, health data science, and computational methods.
You could also check out this guide if you’re an NYC high schooler looking for a paid internship, whether in data science or some other field.
15 Data Science Programs for High School Students in New York
1. Columbia DBMI Summer Research Program
Location: New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Manhattan, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 29 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and recent high school graduates (17+) located in the NYC metropolitan area
In this seven-week program at Columbia’s Department of Biomedical Informatics, you will work on a health data science research project led by a DBMI faculty member and their graduate research team. Your work will involve hands-on engagement with real-world electronic health record (EHR) datasets and exposure to methods including machine learning, natural language processing, causal inference, and large-scale observational data science. Program components include a mini-course on biomedical informatics and healthcare, weekly lab meetings, and journal club sessions where you will present and discuss recent peer-reviewed publications. You will also receive a structured introduction to the OHDSI framework, a clinical data warehouse containing over 800 million patient records, through which you will design your own proposed study.
2. Stony Brook CSIRE: Computer Science and Informatics Summer Research Experience
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: $3,900; Financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate: Highly competitive
Dates: June 29 – August 8
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: U.S. residents (14+) with demonstrated programming skills and understanding of computer science fundamentals
CSIRE, run jointly by Stony Brook’s Departments of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, places you in an active faculty research lab for six weeks, where you will contribute to an original research project under the daily guidance of a faculty member or PhD student mentor. Research areas include machine learning and AI, biomedical informatics, medical imaging, natural language processing, algorithms and data science, computer vision, human-computer interaction, security, and IoT systems. You will frame research questions, write and test code for real-world problems, design and interpret experiments, and produce a research paper or technical report. In addition to lab work, you will attend research seminars led by Stony Brook faculty and career seminars delivered by CSIRE alumni. The program concludes with a research symposium co-located with the IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BIBM), where you will present your findings.
3. Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; $2,000 stipend
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 1 – 25 (remote workshops); July 6 – August 14 (lab experience)
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: NYC residents currently in 10th or 11th grade
In ARISE, you will spend six weeks full-time in an NYU faculty research lab, working on a project in a field such as computer science, machine learning, biomedical engineering, civil engineering, or chemical engineering. Available lab placements have previously included projects in data-driven cyberattack analysis, computational biology, protein engineering, and urban data systems. In the four-week remote phase, you will cover the scientific method, data collection and analysis techniques, research ethics, and lab safety through structured workshops. Once embedded in your lab, you will be mentored by a graduate or postdoctoral student and contribute meaningfully to the lab’s active research. You will also get to develop skills in scientific writing and data interpretation relevant to your specific project, and your presentation and public speaking skills through a collaboration with the Irondale Ensemble Project. The program concludes with a poster symposium at the American Museum of Natural History.
4. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Location: Rockefeller University, Manhattan, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Extremely selective; 32 students per cohort
Dates: June 22 – August 6
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors (16+)
In SSRP, you will work as part of a structured research team led by mentors from Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Weill Cornell Medicine, contributing to an original, open-ended science project for approximately 35 hours per week. While research areas skew toward biomedical sciences, there are teams focusing on applying machine learning and AI methods to scientific problems in the natural sciences. Across all research tracks, you will develop skills in experimental design, data analysis, primary literature reading, and scientific communication. The program is specifically designed to be accessible to students without prior research experience, with skills developed progressively through the program structure.
5. AMNH Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP)
Location: American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; $2,500 stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; 60 students per cohort
Dates: 10 months; Summer institute: August 4 – 28; Academic year research: September – June
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: NYC 10th-11th graders; Must have completed or be currently attending one of SRMP’s affiliated programs or high schools, as detailed here
SRMP is a year-long paid research internship split into two components. The four-week Summer Institute is designed specifically around data science skills, fieldwork at Black Rock Forest, and an equity and justice framework for interpreting scientific data. During the academic year, you will work in a team of two to three students alongside a Museum research scientist for a minimum of four hours per week, on a project in astrophysics, anthropology, or biology. Research areas involve data-intensive methods, with past projects on phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis using DNA barcode data, GIS mapping, spectral analysis of exoplanet data from the James Webb Space Telescope, and bioinformatics-based evolutionary biology. Monthly advisory sessions covering STEM career pathways and presentation skills are required. The program concludes with a public symposium in June, where you will present your research findings.
6. NYU Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Science of Smart Cities (ieSoSC)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 6 – August 7; July 13 – August 7
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Current 9th to rising 12th graders (15+) who are NYC residents
ieSoSC is a fully funded program at NYU Tandon that teaches you how data, sensors, and connected systems are used to build smarter cities. On the technical side, you will work with microcontrollers, deploy circuitry and electronics, write code, and integrate IoT sensors to collect and respond to real-world data, skills directly applicable to data science and systems engineering. The second half of the program shifts to applying those technical skills to an original smart city design challenge, where you will work in a small team to ideate, prototype, and pitch a product or app that uses the tools and data you have built. You will also learn the entrepreneurial dimensions of product development, covering economics, project management, intellectual property, and business pitching. The program culminates in a public final presentation to engineers, urban planners, faculty, and community members.
7. NYU GSTEM
Location: NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Manhattan, NY
Cost: $5,750 + $3,840 housing costs (optional); Need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; 40 students per year
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current 11th graders
GSTEM places you with a STEM professor or researcher at NYU or an affiliated institution for six weeks, where you will carry out an individual research project in a field of your choosing, including biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, or physics. If you apply for and receive the Winston Data Scholarship, which covers the full cost of tuition, you will additionally participate in a weekly data science class taught by NYU faculty. This class will cover concepts like data interpretation, visualization, mathematical modeling, and Python-based data analysis using Jupyter notebooks. You will also produce a dedicated data science class project alongside your primary research work. This program gives you the chance to develop scientific writing and public speaking skills through structured workshops, attend weekly field trips to STEM organizations across New York City, and present your research at a final symposium. Upon completion, you will receive an official NYU transcript reflecting your grade.
8. Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: <5%
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: Current 11th graders (16+) who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
In the Simons Summer Research Program, you will be matched with a Stony Brook University faculty mentor and embedded in their research group for six weeks. You will take on responsibility for a defined project across research areas, including Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Computer Science, Biomedical Informatics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and more than a dozen other fields. You will spend a minimum of four hours per day on your research project, developing practical skills specific to your placement. This can include data science-adjacent placements in areas like computational modeling, statistical analysis, algorithmic work, or bioinformatics techniques. You will attend weekly faculty research talks and participate in workshops and campus events organized by the program throughout the summer. The program concludes with a poster symposium at which you will present your research abstract. Past participants have gone on to publish findings at academic conferences and earn recognition in competitions like the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
9. NYU GSTEM Online Data Science Course
Location: Online
Cost: $2,500; Financial aid available
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: February 3 – May 5
Application Deadline: November 14 – December 14
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors with a strong STEM background
In this 12-week online data science course, you will learn how to work with real datasets using Python and Jupyter notebooks, building skills in data interpretation, visualization, and mathematical modeling. The curriculum is structured around understanding what models are, how they are built from data, how their accuracy is assessed, and how they are used to generate predictions. You will develop practical programming skills specifically oriented toward data analysis tasks, including working with data tables, producing visualizations, and applying statistical reasoning to evaluate model validity. The course is designed to be accessible to students at varying levels of prior experience. By the end, you will be prepared to apply data science methods to future research opportunities.
10. NYU Computer Science for Cyber Security (CS4CS)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 13 – August 7
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders who are NYC, New Jersey, and Nassau County residents; No prior experience in computer science or cybersecurity required; Students from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged
CS4CS is a three-week full-day program that teaches you the foundations of cybersecurity through a curriculum grounded in computer science and data-driven thinking. You will work through topics including digital forensics, cryptography, steganography, and ethical hacking. You will also participate in Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions, which are structured problem-solving challenges that require you to exploit or defend systems using technical knowledge. The program covers the behavioral and social dimensions of cybersecurity threats, including phishing, identity theft, and the psychology of online decision-making, which involves analyzing patterns in human and system behavior.
11. NYU Machine Learning (ML)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: $3,180
Cohort Size: Small class sizes
Dates: Session 1: June 15 – 27; Session 2: July 6 – 17; Session 3: July 20 – 31
Application Deadline: April 17 (session 1); May 1 (sessions 2 & 3)
Eligibility: Current 9th to graduating 12th graders
In this two-week program, you will receive direct instruction in computer science, data analysis, and mathematical foundations of machine learning and AI. The curriculum covers neural networks, data modeling, regression, and classification, with specific application areas, including image and video recognition, natural language processing for voice interfaces, autonomous vehicle systems, and diagnostic medical technologies. Sessions combine lectures with hands-on programming exercises. It’s a flexible option for students looking for more dedicated instruction and foundational knowledge.
12. Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP)
Location: Columbia University, Manhattan, NY
Cost: Varies; Financial aid offered
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: Academic year: September 20 – April 25
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: 10th-12th graders attending a high school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut within a 75-mile radius of Columbia’s campus
SHP is a Saturday academic-year program in which you will take one advanced course per semester taught by a Columbia researcher or mathematician. The program spans the physical, chemical, biological, behavioral, and computational sciences. Relevant past offerings have included courses in computer programming, machine learning-adjacent computing, chaos and fractals, statistical thinking, and computational approaches to scientific problems. Instructors connect course content to active research and real-world applications, and some courses involve project-based components such as writing programs or designing guided experiments. The curriculum is broadly comparable to early undergraduate coursework in rigor and depth.
13. Engineering the Next Generation (ENG) – CS3 Track
Location: Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Manhattan, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: July 6 – August 13
Application Deadline: December 2 – March 1 (CS3 Track)
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from the Harlem area who are interested in engineering and the social sciences
The ENG program’s CS3 (Center for Smart Streetscapes) track places you inside Columbia Engineering’s research group working on AI-driven urban infrastructure and data science. Over six weeks, you will work with faculty and graduate students on projects involving computer vision, coding, data science, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications applied to Harlem streetscapes and urban mobility systems. Specific project work has included applying AI tools to analyze pedestrian and vehicle behavior, building datasets from sensor-collected urban data, and developing data-driven solutions to public infrastructure challenges. Program components also include research skills seminars, scientific communication and college preparation workshops, and a final poster symposium.
14. Cornell Tech Summer Innovation Intensives
Location: Cornell Tech, New York, NY
Cost: $6,500
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: July 13 – 30
Application Deadline: Applications open in February; Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students aged 15-19 who have completed their sophomore year of high school by program start
Cornell Tech’s Summer Innovation Intensives is a three-week pre-college program at Cornell’s NYC campus that you can structure around a data science track. The course “Data Science and Decision-Making” focuses on algorithms, mathematical modeling, and data-driven reasoning, and can be selected as your primary technical track. Alternatively, the “Interacting with AI” and “Ethical Vibe Coding” courses address human-AI interaction and bias in AI systems, respectively, both of which involve significant data literacy and computational thinking. All three tracks feed into the “Future Builders Studio” component, where you will build an AI-powered product using tools and frameworks guided by Cornell Tech faculty who are active researchers in data science, human-robot interaction, and AI ethics. The program lets you earn college credit upon completion.
15. Columbia University Pre-College Program: Data Science and Machine Learning
Location: Columbia University, Manhattan, NY
Cost: Varies: Financial aid available
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Multiple 2-week sessions available between June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders or students entering their first year of college
In Data Science and Machine Learning 1 at Columbia’s Pre-College Program, you will be introduced to the foundations of both fields through daily instruction. The course is designed for students with little to no prior coding experience. It teaches you introductory Python programming and how to apply it to data analysis tasks, working through the logic of key machine learning algorithms and understanding how they process and learn from data. Coursework covers real-world applications of data science and machine learning, data ethics, and how to analyze and present data findings clearly and accurately. By the end of the course, you will have the tools to pursue more advanced study in either field.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, information and technology, and analytics, 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 – Columbia University