15 NYU Summer Programs for High School Students

Key Takeaways

• These 15 programs span a wide range of NYU schools and disciplines, from engineering and computer science at Tandon to filmmaking and songwriting at Tisch, as well as research opportunities such as ARISE and the Simons NYU Science Exploration Program.
• Program formats vary considerably, from single-week intensives like Design, Invent & Innovate to six-week residential experiences like NYU Pre-College, so you can choose based on how much time you want to commit.
• Costs range widely, with a few programs like the Urban Journalism Workshop and Simons NYU Science Exploration Program completely free, while others, like I-SITE and the Tisch Summer High School Residential Program, run into five figures, often with financial aid available.
• Several programs, including ARISE, pair you directly with NYU faculty and researchers on active projects and even provide a stipend, giving you genuine hands-on research experience rather than just coursework.
• If you want a longer, mentored research experience that results in an independent paper rather than a structured course, Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs offer a mentored path toward a formal academic paper across 600+ specializations, including data science, political theory, and the humanities.

15 NYU Summer Programs for High School Students

If you’re a New York high school student looking to challenge yourself academically, explore potential career paths, or develop specialized skills over the summer, consider participating in a New York University summer program. They often run for a few weeks to several months in the summer and combine rigorous academics, mentorship, and hands-on work in a focused area of study. Unlike traditional internships that emphasize workplace contribution, NYU summer programs prioritize your learning and exploration with formal curricula and structured application processes. They also often offer certificates, academic credits, or stipends. 

What do NYU summer programs for high schoolers include?

When you enroll in New York University’s summer programs, you’ll gain access to instruction from faculty experts and industry professionals, participate in real-world projects, and develop tangible skills in your chosen field. The curriculum goes beyond general concepts to teach you specific tools, technologies, and methodologies used in real-world professional and academic settings. You’ll also work collaboratively with peers from around the world and participate in field trips to leading organizations and cultural institutions throughout New York City. Many NYU summer programs also provide access to NYU’s campus facilities, residential housing in the heart of Manhattan or Brooklyn, and curated social and cultural activities that enhance your overall summer experience. 

With that, here are 15 NYU summer programs for high school students worth checking out. 

You can also check out these guides on free summer programs or paid internships for high school students in NYC!

1. Career Edge

Career Edge offers flexible, one-week courses designed for you to explore different career paths before committing to a college major. You’ll engage in industry-focused learning that combines classroom instruction with field trips to real companies and organizations, allowing you to see how your coursework applies to actual professional settings. The courses cover diverse fields ranging from real estate and pre-law to photography, digital storytelling, entrepreneurship, and creative writing. You’ll work on projects and short assignments that provide takeaways directly applicable to college coursework while demonstrating newly acquired skills.

2. High School Summer Art Intensive: Curating Fashion

The High School Summer Art Intensive: Curating Fashion is a three-week program where you’ll explore the creative process of staging a fashion exhibition by researching fashion history, examining garments as cultural artifacts, and designing exhibition spaces with original narratives. You’ll work directly with faculty from Steinhardt’s renowned MA program in Costume Studies to train specialists in interpreting and managing clothing and accessory collections. You’ll develop skills in analyzing textiles, design, and construction within historical, cultural, and ethical contexts, ultimately curating a group exhibition from the Costume Studies collection that will be displayed in NYU’s galleries. The program includes studio workshops, guest speakers from the museum and fashion industries, curators and exhibition designers, and field visits to museums across the New York City region. 

3. Tisch Summer High School Residential Program

The Tisch Summer High School Residential Program is an intensive pre-college experience where you’ll receive professional-level training in one of nine artistic tracks: Animation, Dance, Drama, Production & Design, Dramatic Writing, Filmmaking, Game Design, Photography and Imaging, or Recorded Music. You’ll study with the same faculty who teach in Tisch’s acclaimed BFA program, participating in 28 hours of studio conservatory training per week alongside academic seminars and professional development workshops. The program culminates in final presentations, performances, or exhibitions. The rigorous curriculum provides four to six college credits that may apply toward future degrees and demonstrates your commitment to arts training at a collegiate level. 

4. Computer Engineering for Good (CE4G)

Computer Engineering for Good teaches you how to use internet-connected technology to solve real-world global challenges through a hands-on, project-based curriculum. During this program, you’ll work with embedded systems, microcontrollers, sensors, and programming while learning how technology can be applied to pressing problems in areas like healthcare, environmental sustainability, and social justice. You’ll gain practical experience building and programming hardware, understanding electrical circuits, and developing solutions that integrate software and hardware components. The program emphasizes both the technical skills and the ethical considerations involved in engineering solutions for social good. You’ll collaborate with peers, receive mentorship from NYU engineering faculty and professionals, and present your final projects to the NYU community. 

5. Design, Invent & Innovate (DII)

Design, Invent & Innovate introduces you to the fundamental principles of innovation in science and engineering using contemporary examples and case studies relevant to your world. During this one-week program, you’ll learn how to design solutions using the engineering design process, engage in hands-on problem-solving activities, and develop critical thinking skills applicable across STEM disciplines. The curriculum emphasizes practical application, teaching you how to identify problems, brainstorm solutions, prototype, test, and iterate on designs. You’ll work in collaborative teams, develop presentations, and learn from NYU Tandon faculty and visiting professionals. 

6. I-SITE (Immersive Summer Interacting with Technology & Engineering)

I-SITE offers an intensive hands-on technology experience designed to improve your understanding of cutting-edge engineering applications and innovation. The program combines classroom instruction with extensive lab work, allowing you to gain practical experience with advanced technologies, software tools, and engineering practices used in industry. You’ll work on semester-long projects alongside NYU students, participate in team challenges that simulate real-world engineering problems, and learn from faculty researchers and industry professionals. You’ll develop both technical competencies and professional skills, including collaboration, project management, and technical communication. The program culminates in a showcase where you’ll present your work to the NYU community.

7. Urban Journalism Workshop

The Urban Journalism Workshop teaches you essential journalistic skills through a one-week intensive boot camp. You’ll receive hands-on instruction from NYU faculty and visiting journalists and learn how to report, interview, write, shoot video, and produce multimedia stories with professional standards. You’ll also visit prestigious New York newsrooms, meet with top journalists working at major publications, and understand how news organizations operate in the digital age. You’ll produce stories that are published on the program’s website, called The Spectrum, creating a portfolio piece that demonstrates your journalism abilities to college admissions officers. The program also includes sessions on the college admissions process led by NYU admissions counselors.

8. ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering)

ARISE is a summer research program that offers hands-on experience working alongside NYU faculty and researchers on real scientific and engineering projects. The program combines four weeks of foundational training – including safety certification, research skills development, and college writing workshops – with six weeks of direct participation in one of over 80 active research laboratories across NYU. You’ll gain approximately 150 hours of valuable lab experience, develop public speaking skills, and contribute meaningfully to cutting-edge research in fields ranging from biomedical engineering to physics, computer science, and environmental studies. You’ll present your research findings at a colloquium for the NYU community and showcase your work at the prestigious American Museum of Natural History Poster Symposium. The program also includes group and one-on-one college application support, mentorship opportunities, and access to an alumni network with career and internship connections. 

9. Tisch Online High School Filmmakers Workshop

The Tisch Online High School Filmmakers Workshop introduces you to digital film production and storytelling through online creative projects. You’ll learn the theory and techniques of developing, shooting, and editing short films, starting with foundational concepts and progressing to more advanced narrative structures. The curriculum emphasizes visual storytelling, screenwriting fundamentals, and the technical aspects of production, including cinematography, sound design, and post-production editing. You’ll produce four major works – a documentary, a music video, three technical assignments, and a final narrative film that you write and direct – all developed through streaming lectures, video meetings with instructors, and collaborative crew-based projects. You’ll receive one-on-one video feedback from Tisch faculty, access to the Smashcut platform for project sharing and collaboration, and earn four college credits upon completion. 

10. Summer Songwriters Workshop

The Summer Songwriters Workshop is a world-renowned two-week intensive dedicated to the art and craft of songwriting and music composition, led by GRAMMY-nominated songwriters and faculty experts across multiple musical genres. You’ll participate in targeted songwriting assignments, assigned collaborations with peers, and detailed analysis of techniques used by master songwriters across genres including pop, rock, hip-hop, country, and more. Daily sessions include professional and peer-to-peer critiques of work-in-progress songs, business education about music creators’ rights, and essential information about careers in songwriting and music publishing. The workshop accepts a maximum of 54 participants divided into three groups, each led by at least two faculty members, ensuring personalized feedback and mentorship. You’ll develop a portfolio of songs created during the two weeks and participate in “SongShare,” a performance celebration where you’ll showcase work created during the workshop. 

11. Coding for Game Design

Coding for Game Design teaches you the fundamentals of game development through hands-on creation of custom video games using industry-standard tools and programming languages. You’ll learn game design principles, understand how to structure code for interactive experiences, and develop problem-solving skills applicable to various programming and engineering contexts. The two-week program emphasizes both the creative and technical aspects of game development, from conceptualization and prototyping to implementation and testing. You’ll work individually and collaboratively to build playable games, gaining experience with game engines and development platforms used by professional game studios. By the end of the program, you’ll have completed game projects that demonstrate your understanding of game mechanics, user experience, and programming fundamentals.

12. Simons NYU Science Exploration Program

The Simons NYU Science Exploration Program is a three-week intensive where you’ll explore core science topics including physics, chemistry, biology, and psychology or neuroscience through lectures and laboratory work led by world-leading NYU scientists. Each day consists of morning lectures followed by hands-on laboratory sessions where you’ll participate in real scientific experiments, from DNA extraction and gel electrophoresis to observations of standing waves and light refraction. You’ll gain exposure to diverse scientific fields and emerging research areas like black holes, quantum computing, protein synthesis, and laser technology. 

13. NYU Pre-College

The NYU Pre-College program provides you with an immersive six-week college experience where you’ll take actual undergraduate-level courses for credit taught by NYU faculty across the university’s schools, including the College of Arts and Science, Steinhardt, Stern, and Tisch. You’ll earn college credits that may transfer to your future degree, live on campus, and gain exposure to the independence and responsibility required in college environments. The program emphasizes fundamental college skills including time management, self-advocacy, and developing academic relationships with faculty and peers. You’ll participate in over 150 social, cultural, and educational events throughout the summer, from Broadway shows to museum visits to on-campus activities like karaoke and movie nights. 

14. Future Business Leaders Webinar Series

The Future Business Leaders Webinar Series at NYU invites you to explore the verbs and competencies around business, like accounting, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and more, in online workshops. Through interactive workshops, you will gain early exposure to how different business disciplines connect to real-world decision-making and gain insight into college and career pathways in the business world. There are specific sessions on different businesses, including real estate, sports, and entertainment. 

15. AI+Art Summer High School Program

The AI+Art Summer High School Program is a two-week intensive where you’ll explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and creative expression, learning how to use AI tools for art-making while understanding the ethical and social implications of AI technology. You’ll engage in hands-on activities using generative AI models, learning how foundational AI systems work and how they can be applied in creative fields including visual art, music, animation, and interactive media. The curriculum includes Python programming exercises to help you understand and potentially customize AI algorithms for your artistic practice, with additional support provided for students new to programming. You’ll create creative robots, experiment with AI-generated artwork, and engage in policy design discussions about the responsible use of AI in creative industries. You’ll examine real-world applications of AI in game design, graphic design, music production, and other creative fields, helping you understand emerging career pathways. The program culminates in an art show where you’ll display and discuss your AI-co-created works with the NYU community.

One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program

If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like investigative journalism, media studies, political reporting, data journalism, and the ethics of news and information, 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!

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of NYU summer programs are available to high school students?
You’ll find a mix of formats, including hands-on research programs like ARISE and the Simons NYU Science Exploration Program, arts-focused intensives through Tisch like the Filmmaking Workshop and Songwriters Workshop, and engineering and technology programs at NYU Tandon like Computer Engineering for Good and Coding for Game Design. Career Edge stands out as a way to sample multiple fields in short, one-week courses before committing to a longer or more specialized program.

Do you need prior experience in a subject to apply?
It depends on the program. Some, like Computer Engineering for Good, prefer applicants who have completed PreCalc or Algebra 2, while others, like the Tisch Online High School Filmmakers Workshop, explicitly require no prior experience. Research-intensive programs like ARISE build in foundational training before the research portion begins, so you don’t need lab experience going in.

Are there free or low-cost options available?
Yes, a few programs on this list don’t charge tuition. The Urban Journalism Workshop, ARISE, and the Simons NYU Science Exploration Program are all free to attend, and ARISE even provides a $2,000 stipend. Most other NYU programs charge tuition ranging from around $1,900 to over $10,000, though many offer financial aid or scholarships.

Which programs offer college credit?
Several of these programs provide transcripted college credit. The Tisch Summer High School Residential Program offers four to six college credits, the Tisch Online High School Filmmakers Workshop provides four credits, and NYU Pre-College lets you take actual undergraduate courses for credit across multiple NYU schools. Shorter programs like Career Edge and Design, Invent & Innovate tend to focus on skill-building and exploration rather than credit.

Which programs focus specifically on research rather than coursework or skill-building?
If hands-on research is your priority, ARISE stands out for placing you in one of over 80 active NYU research labs for six weeks with faculty mentorship, culminating in a poster presentation at the American Museum of Natural History. The Simons NYU Science Exploration Program also includes real laboratory work across physics, chemistry, biology, and neuroscience, though it’s structured more around exploration than an independent research project.

Is there a way to pursue independent research beyond a structured summer course?
Yes. If you want to move from a structured program into an original research project, Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs pairs you with a professor or PhD scholar to develop a 20-page research paper you can submit for academic publication. The program also provides a letter of recommendation and detailed feedback, and covers over 600 research specializations. You can find the application here.

When should you apply?
Deadlines for these programs are spread throughout the year, so it helps to plan ahead. The Tisch Summer High School Residential Program has one of the earliest deadlines at December 1, while several others cluster between February and April, including ARISE (February 27), the Simons NYU Science Exploration Program (March 13, tentative), and the High School Summer Art Intensive (April 15). Career Edge has staggered deadlines depending on residency status, running from March 14 for international applicants through June 12 for commuter students. Horizon, by contrast, has multiple deadlines throughout the year across its Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts, giving you more flexibility if you miss an earlier cutoff

Image source: New York University