High school is the perfect time to dive deeper into subjects you’re passionate about, sometimes beyond what your regular classes can offer. That’s where educational camps come in. They give you the chance to step away from your usual routine and spend focused time exploring a single topic in depth.
At these camps, you immerse yourself in a subject from start to finish. You might tackle scientific questions, solve challenging math problems, explore concepts in physics, practice creative writing, or even learn the ins and outs of a specialized field like energy, technology, or music. The best part? You get dedicated time to think, experiment, ask questions, and really explore a topic in a way that’s hard to do during the school year.
Beyond the learning itself, attending an educational camp also looks great on college applications and resumes. It shows that you’re curious, motivated, and willing to apply your knowledge in a real-world setting, qualities that colleges and future employers love to see.
To help you look at the possibilities, we have gathered 13 educational camps for high school students!
13 Educational Camps for High School Students
1. Harvard’s Data Science in Action Program
Location: Harvard University, Boston, MA
Cost: $50 registration fee. No tuition fees. Stipends are available for students from low-income backgrounds.
Program dates: Part 1 from July 21 – August 1, Part 2 from August 4 – 15
Application deadline: May 1
Eligibility: All high school students who have a basic understanding of algebra. Students from low-income backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Harvard University’s Data Science in Action program is a STEM summer camp for high school students interested in programming, statistics, and machine learning. This is a project-based program during which you will learn by creating a self-driving toy car. In the process, you will learn about coding, image classification, algorithms, neural networks, and other concepts of artificial intelligence. The program begins with a virtual self-paced component and is followed by an in-person component.
2. Stanford University’s Summer Health AI Bootcamp
Location: Virtual
Cost: $40 application fee, $850 participation fee. Financial aid is available.
Program dates: June 16-27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents and at least 14 years of age
Stanford University’s Summer Health AI Bootcamp, run by the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging, is a virtual program that introduces you to how AI and machine learning are used in healthcare. The program covers core concepts, common metrics, basic strategies, and the main challenges of applying machine learning in medical settings. You take part in online lectures, hear from guest speakers, join group discussions, and participate in social activities. By the end of the program, you will have gained a clear understanding of the fundamentals of both healthcare and machine learning.
3. U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Advanced Space Academy
Location: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
Cost: $1,999
Program dates: Multiple sessions throughout the summer
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 15-18
The Advanced Space Academy is a week-long program that immerses high school students in the fields of aerospace engineering and space travel. The program focuses on hands-on experience, and as a participant, you will have the chance to engage in astronaut training exercises. This includes exercises with a gravity chair, multi-axis trainer, and even scuba diving. You will also build and launch a rocket, construct a heat shield, fly jet aircraft simulators, build a rover, and go to Mars through a simulated mission. Graduates of the program will be eligible for the UAH Space Camp Scholarship.
4. Rosetta Institute’s Medicine Workshops
Location: UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, Columbia University, and University College London (residential, commuter, and online options are available)
Cost: $3,680 for the summer residential program and $2,280 for the summer commuter program. You can go through the full list of workshop fees over here.
Program dates: Various sessions are available
Application deadline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: All students between the ages of 14-18
The Rosetta Institute offers several medical workshops for middle and high school students that dive into the fields of cellular and molecular biology. While all tracks of the program cover the basic concepts of these areas, you can further choose from specialities like molecular neuroscience, molecular biology of cancer, molecular biology of aging, and bioinformatics. The program will also focus on experimental design, modern drug development, and the era of personalized medicine. You can expect lectures, hands-on experiences, and a final research project on a gene or molecular process of your choice.
5. Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA (online options are also available)
Cost: $8,575 for the residential track, $3,580 for the online track. Need-based financial aid is available.
Program dates: Residential: Session 1 from June 22 – July 18; Online: Session 1 from June 16 – July 4, Session 2 from July 7 – July 25
Application deadline: February 3
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors with certain academic prerequisites (depending on the chosen track)
The Stanford University Mathematics Camp is a pre-college program that allows high school students to learn advanced mathematics through lectures, research, and group problem solving. You can either learn about compass constructions, classification of patterns, cryptography, and analysis of symmetry through the Abstract Algebra & Number Theory track. Or you can opt for the Algebraic Topology track, through which you will analyze the topological properties of shape and study concepts like group theory. Both tracks will include college-level curricula, lectures, problem set sessions, and a final research project.
6. Asian American Journalists Association’s JCAMP
Location: Seattle, Washington
Cost: Free
Program dates: July 26 – August 1
Application deadline: January 31
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
JCamp is a six-day journalism camp during which high school students learn about the field from veteran journalists and media executives. During the program, you will develop multiplatform news packages and engage with formats like broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, photojournalism, and online media. Additionally, you will attend interactive workshops, field trips, and hands-on training sessions. By the end of the program, you will also develop soft skills in the areas of networking, communication, and leadership.
7. Carnegie Mellon University’s Statistics and Data Science Camp
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Free
Program dates: June 23-27
Application deadline: March 28
Eligibility: High school students in Pittsburgh and surrounding districts (preference is given to rising juniors and seniors) who have a good understanding of algebra
Carnegie Mellon University’s Statistics and Data Science Camp is a free, one-week summer camp for high school students to learn about statistics and data science. Through lectures, computer labs, field trips, and hands-on demonstrations, you will learn the fundamental concepts of the field, such as data modelling, linear regression, measuring objects and similarities, and the programming language R. You will learn how to extract, analyze, and interpret data while also exploring the various career pathways in the field.
8. CDC Museum’s Disease Detective Camp
Location: David J. Sencer CDC Museum, Atlanta, GA
Cost: Free
Program dates: Session 1 from June 23-27, Session 2 from July 21-25
Application deadline: March 7
Eligibility: Current sophomores or juniors who will be 16 years old on the first day of the camp
The CDC Museum Diseases Detective Camp is a selective, five-day program during which you can explore the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s work, which focuses on public health and epidemiology. As a participant, you will dive into topics like global health, infectious diseases, environmental health, outbreaks, disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, public health law, and more. You will learn from CDC scientists and also engage in practical exercises such as mock press conferences, re-created outbreaks, and laboratory sessions. However, you should keep in mind that this program does not focus on medical treatment.
9. GRAMMY Camp
Location: The camp is available in four locations: Nashville, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. More details on the website.
Cost: $2,000 for the Miami Camp, $3,000 for the other camps. Scholarships are available
Program dates: May 31 – June 6 in Nashville, June 23-27 in Miami, July 12-18 in Los Angeles, August 2-8 in New York
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 who are U.S. residents
GRAMMY Camp is an immersive program meant to encourage students interested in pursuing music careers. The camp takes place in four locations, with the Los Angeles program offering an advanced curriculum. Each camp offers several tracks, such as songwriting, music production, music business, musical theatre, and instrumental/vocal performance. During the program, you will learn practical skills, get real-world experience, and learn from a range of professionals, including Grammy nominees and winners.
10. UMKC’s GenCyber Camps for High School Students
Location: University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO
Cost: Free
Program dates: Camp 1 from July 22-26, Camp 2 from July 29 – August 2
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 9-12 graders
The University of Missouri’s GenCyber camp is a 1-week program that dives into the field of cybersecurity. As a participant, you will learn about concepts like ethical hacking, digital forensics, cryptography, steganography, network scanning, blockchain, deepfakes, Minecraft programming, and even game building. You will also explore the impact of cybersecurity beyond the digital world. The program involves a combination of online classes, hands-on lab sessions, group discussions, and a final competition.
11. UCLA’s NeuroCamp
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free
Program dates: This is a 7-day program that takes place on June 16-18 and June 23-27 (barring the 25th)
Application deadline: April 27
Eligibility: All high school students
UCLA’s NeuroCamp is a free, summer camp that introduces high school students to the fundamental concepts of neuroscience. During the program, you will dive into topics like molecular neurobiology, neurophysiology, and neuroanatomy. You will learn through a combination of lectures, research, hands-on activities, and even a wet lab experience. Previous students have engaged in brain and spinal cord dissections and conducted experiments on earthworms and mice. This is a selective program that accepts 15-20 students per cohort.
12. Kode With Klossy’s Summer Camps
Location: Online and in-person camps available in various cities
Cost: Free
Program dates: Session 1 from June 2 – June 13, Session 2 from July 7 – July 18, Session 3 from July 21 – August 1, Session 4 from August 4 – August 15
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Women and gender expansive teens between the ages of 13-18
Kode With Klossy’s flagship program is a free summer camp that focuses on computer science and coding. The program offers four tracks: web development, mobile app, machine learning, and data science. Aside from learning programming languages like Python and JavaScript, you will also engage in practical work such as designing a website, creating a mobile app from scratch, and training a chatbot. Additionally, the program also offers a series of talks led by successful women in the field.
13. Summer Physics Camp (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Location: New Mexico School for the Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Cost: Free. Students who complete the program will be offered a stipend
Program dates: June 2-13
Application deadline: April 1
Eligibility: High school students living in NM, NM tribal communities, or East Hawaii Island. Students must have completed Algebra I or a higher-level math course.
The Summer Physics Camp is a free summer camp that allows high school students to learn about STEM from scientists and professional researchers. The camp’s main focus is on energy and energy security, diving into how solar power, wind, geothermal, and nuclear power function. Additionally, the curriculum will also include a hands-on engineering project and touch upon STEM topics like physics, bioengineering, chemistry, programming, and cybersecurity. You can also expect guest lectures, practical demonstrations, and lab tours.
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!
Image source – University of California, Los Angeles