If you’re a high school student with an interest in history, a summer camp can be one of the most accessible and rewarding ways to explore the subject outside the classroom.
What are camps? Why should I consider a summer camp for high school students?
Camps are usually shorter than full academic programs. They cost less, run for just a few weeks, and let you focus on one subject in depth. They are also designed to be more engaging, which makes the experience more fun and rewarding. You might spend a week analyzing primary sources, learning how to interpret artifacts, or even engaging in debates about historical events.
This kind of experience also strengthens your CV, since it shows that you have taken the initiative to explore your subject outside of school. It can set you apart when applying for college, especially if you want to study History, Political Science, Law, or related fields.
With that, here’s our list of 13 history summer camps for high school students!
11 History Summer Camps for High School Students
1. Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)
Location: Cornell University (NY) and University of Maryland (MD)
Cost: Free (includes tuition, books, room and board, field trips; travel assistance available)
Dates: June 21 – July 25
Application Deadline: October 15 – December 3
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors (ages 15–18 at program start); both U.S. and international students welcome
The Telluride Association Summer Seminar immerses you in a rigorous, discussion-driven exploration of history, politics, literature, and culture, with themes centered on power, privilege, and social transformation. You’ll choose between Critical Black Studies, focusing on the historical and cultural contributions of people of African descent, or Anti-Oppressive Studies, which examines systemic power structures and strategies for societal change. Daily three-hour seminars integrate intensive readings, film and art analysis, and essay writing with faculty guidance. Outside class, you’ll engage in democratic community governance, plan cultural activities, and participate in transformative justice practices.
2. Harvard Pre-College Summer School Program
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $5,800 + $75 application fee; includes tuition, room and board, and activities; limited need-based scholarships are available
Dates: Session I: June 22 – July 3; Session II: July 6 – 18; Session III: July 20 – August 1
Application Deadline: Early Application & Priority Financial Aid: January 8; Regular Application & Financial Aid: February 12; Late Application: April 9 (or earlier if courses fill)
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors (age 16 by June 21, not older than 18 before July 31)
The Harvard Pre-College Summer School Program is a two-week, residential summer experience for high school students aged 16–18. You live in Harvard dorms, attend daily college-level classes taught by Harvard faculty, and participate in structured activities outside the classroom. Like a camp, the program includes group projects, field trips to Boston landmarks, and workshops on college essays, financial aid, and admissions.
If you choose a history-focused course, you’ll study topics such as U.S. constitutional history, global revolutions, political ideologies, or historical methods. Classes emphasize primary source analysis, historiography, and academic writing. You’ll engage in seminar-style discussions with about 15 students per class and complete a final project or presentation.
3. National History Academy
Location: Middleburg, Virginia (with site visits in DC, VA, MD, WV, and PA)
Cost: $9,995; includes tuition, room and board, learning materials, transportation, and admission to historic sites; travel not included; scholarships are available
Dates: July 6 – August 2; four-week residential program
Application Deadline: Admissions typically open in December and close around March–April
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th grade students
The National History Academy is a four-week residential summer program for high school students in grades 10–12. You live on campus in Middleburg, Virginia, and spend three days each week visiting major historic sites like colonial settlements, Civil War battlefields, and civil rights landmarks. The other days are spent in classroom seminars, debates, and workshops led by historians and educators. The curriculum uses the Harvard Business School Case Method to explore American democracy. You’ll analyze primary sources, debate historical decisions, and study themes like liberty, slavery, industrialization, and civil rights. Activities include parliamentary-style debates, lectures, and collaborative projects that build public speaking and critical thinking skills.
4. Sotheby’s Summer Institute – Art History
Location: New York City, NY
Cost: $6,990 (residential) or $5,660 (day program) for a two-week course; additional fees apply
Dates: Term 1: July 6 – July 18; Term 2: July 20 – August 1
Application Deadline: Applications generally open in the fall and close in the spring
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th grade students and graduating seniors; must be at least 15 years old by program start
The Art History course at Sotheby’s Summer Institute places you in the cultural and historical heart of New York City to study the evolution of art across centuries. Led by art historians and industry professionals, you’ll explore movements from antiquity to modernism, analyzing works in their historical contexts while visiting world-class museums, galleries, and auction houses. Daily academic sessions are paired with behind-the-scenes access to collections and studios, giving you practical exposure to the art world’s operations.
5. Metropolitan Museum of Art – Summer High School Internship Program
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Cost: Free; participants are paid a stipend
Dates: Reception: June 21; Bootcamp: July 2; Departmental Placement: July 7 – August 8; Teen Fridays: July 18 & August 1; Career Labs: July 17 & July 31; Final Event: August 8
Application Deadline: March 7 (applications open February 3; interview notification by April 18)
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors or students two to three years from graduation; must reside in or attend school in NY, NJ, or CT
This is a week-long paid internship that connects you with museum professionals in curatorial, conservation, and other departments central to art and cultural history. Your placement involves 40+ hours of mentored work, engaging directly with collections, exhibitions, and archival materials to understand the historical and cultural contexts of artworks. Additional programming includes career labs with curators and historians, peer cohort meetings, public programming through Teen Fridays, and a final presentation sharing your historical insights and professional skills.
6. Stanford Summer Humanities Institute
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: $8,575; includes tuition, housing, meals, activities, field trips, and transportation between Stanford and SFO at designated times; financial aid is available for domestic and international students
Dates: Session I: June 22 – July 11; Session II: July 13 – August 1
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in the fall and close in early spring
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors from anywhere in the world
The Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a three-week residential program for high school juniors and seniors. You live on campus at Stanford University and join a small seminar led by Stanford faculty, focusing on major themes in the humanities and history. History-focused courses include topics like the American Enlightenment, global revolutions, and the ethics of repatriating museum artifacts. Weekdays are spent in college-level classes using primary sources and scholarly texts, while weekends include field trips to cultural and historical sites. You also take part in co-curricular activities that build collaboration, debate, and public speaking skills.
7. New-York Historical Society – Student Historian Internship Program (Summer)
Location: New-York Historical Society, New York, NY
Cost: Free; interns receive a stipend of $700 upon successful completion
Dates: July 8 – August 14 (meets Tuesday–Thursday, 10 am – 4 pm)
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in winter
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10–12 who live in and attend school in the NYC metro area (NYC, parts of NY State, NJ, and CT)
The New-York Historical Society Student Historian Internship Program (Summer) is a six-week, in-person history internship for high school students entering grades 10–12 who live in the New York City metro area. You’ll work with museum staff and peers to conduct original research using the museum’s collections and produce digital humanities projects for public audiences. The latest theme, Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America, focuses on the political, cultural, and social dynamics of 19th-century America. You’ll analyze archival materials, write interpretive content, and create media that explores historical narratives.
8. Suffolk University – Summer Public History Institute
Location: Suffolk University, Boston, MA
Cost: $4,500; includes housing, meals, evening programming, transportation, and entrance fees for site visits; excludes travel to/from campus
Dates: July 6 – 18
Application Deadline: Applications open in January
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors
The Suffolk University Summer Public History Institute is a two-week residential program for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. You’ll live on campus in Boston and explore the city’s colonial and Revolutionary history through daily site visits to places like the Paul Revere House, USS Constitution Museum, Black Heritage Trail, and Old North Church. Each day includes small group seminars with Suffolk faculty, behind-the-scenes museum tours, and digital history workshops. You’ll use archival research and curatorial skills to create your own virtual reality exhibit using a Meta Quest headset.
9. University of California, Santa Barbara – Research Mentorship Program
Cost: Not specified
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Program dates: June 16 – August 1 (includes virtual and on-campus components)
Application deadline: March 17
Eligibility: Open to high-achieving high school students from around the world. Applicants must demonstrate strong academic performance, readiness for advanced research, and the ability to commit to the full program schedule.
The Research Mentorship Program (RMP) at UC Santa Barbara is a long-standing, competitive summer program that immerses talented high school students in interdisciplinary, university-level research. Over seven weeks, you’ll be paired with a UCSB faculty member, postdoc, or graduate student mentor to work on a research project drawn from an extensive list of disciplines ranging from life sciences to social sciences and humanities. Alongside daily research activities, you’ll attend the GRIT Talks lecture series, where leading researchers present groundbreaking work and emerging technologies.
10. Georgetown University – Summer College
Cost: $2,207 per credit (most courses are 3 credits)
Location: Washington, D.C. (on-campus) and online options available
Program Dates: Session 1: June 1 – July 3; Session 2: July 6 – August 8; Session 3 (Online): June 1 – July 25
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
The Georgetown University Summer College is a five-week on-campus or eight-week online program where high school students earn college credit by taking real university courses alongside Georgetown undergraduates. History-focused options include courses in U.S. history, global history, political thought, and international relations, all taught by Georgetown faculty. Classes follow a college schedule and involve lectures, readings, research papers, and exams. Students in the Summer Honors Intensive can take two courses per session and earn up to 12 credits, with a certificate awarded upon completion.
11. Columbia University Pre-College NYC Residential Summer Program
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $12,764 per 3-week session (includes housing, dining, activities, health service, and technology fees; $80 application fee and course-specific fees not included)
Program dates: Session A: June 30–July 18; Session B: July 22–August 8; Session AB: June 30–August 8
Application deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: Open to high school students aged 15+ (must turn 16 by December 31 of the program year)
The Columbia University Pre-College NYC Residential Summer Program is a 3- or 6-week academic camp for high school students aged 16 and older. You’ll live on Columbia’s Morningside Campus in New York City and take one or more college-level courses from a selection of over 70 options, including history, politics, and the humanities. Outside of class, you’ll join co-curricular activities, workshops, and community events, with access to campus resources like libraries, dining halls, and health services. You’ll also explore New York City’s cultural and historic landmarks through organized outings. Upon successful completion, you’ll receive a Certification of Participation and an evaluation letter from Columbia University.
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 – Columbia University