Artificial Intelligence is shaping the future of industries ranging from healthcare to entertainment and gaming. If you’re interested in AI, high school is a great time to start exploring the field. Today, there are several AI courses designed for young students, which help you learn the basics of the field and introduce you to exciting topics such as machine learning, neural networks, and large language models. Whether you want to understand the technology behind AI tools or are considering a future in computer science, data science or engineering, an AI course can give you a strong head start.
What do Online AI courses for high schoolers include?
One of the biggest advantages of online AI courses is flexibility. Since they can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, you can learn at your own pace and balance coursework with other commitments, whether school or personal. These courses generally consist of a combination of videos, live lessons, case studies, and hands-on work with AI tools.
Here are 15 online AI courses for high school students:
1. Harvard University’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python
Location: Online
Cost: $3,980
Program dates: June 22 – August 7
Application deadline: June 15
Eligibility: Students who will graduate from high school and enter college in 2026, 2027, or 2028, and have at least one year of experience with Python
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python is part of the Harvard University’s Secondary School Program. This 7-week course introduces high school students to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning, including concepts such as algorithms, optimization, classification, and reinforcement learning. During the course, you’ll develop your own Python programs and understand how technologies such as game-playing engines, handwriting recognition, and machine translation work. This course is delivered asynchronously, giving you the flexibility in how you complete the coursework. Upon completion of the program, you will even earn 4 college credits.
2. Stanford Pre-College Summer Institute – Artificial Intelligence
Location: Online
Cost: $3,200
Program dates: Session 1 from June 15 – 26, Session 2 from July 6 – 17
Application deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Students in grades 10-11
Stanford Pre-College Summer Institutes Artificial Intelligence Course gives high school students the opportunity to explore advanced topics in Artificial Intelligence through an in-depth academic program.The course introduces you to AI concepts, including supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning algorithms. You will also learn to use Python and fundamental mathematical concepts such as statistics and calculus. By the end of the program, you will be able to develop and apply machine learning algorithms to build safe and ethical AI systems. This course largely consists of live online sessions and asynchronous homework time for assignments.
3. Harvard Online – AI and Digital Health
Location: Online
Cost: $1,600
Program dates: May 13 – June 20
Application deadline: May 7
Eligibility: Anyone can sign up
In addition to its pre-college programs, Harvard University offers online courses that allow students and professionals to dive into specialized topics and learn from Harvard faculty. One of these options is the “Digital Health: AI and Emerging Technologies in Health Care” course, which explores how AI-driven technologies are applied in healthcare. Through readings and case studies, you will analyze the use of health data, evaluate the pros and cons of AI tools, and learn how to design and implement digital solutions. You will also participate in a fictional hackathon to understand the process of product development in the healthcare technology space.
4. Stanford University’s AIMI Summer Health AI Bootcamp
Location: Online
Cost: $2,000
Program dates: Session A from June 15 – 26, Session B from July 6 – 17
Application deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9–12 who are US residents and at least 14 years of age
Stanford University’s AIMI Summer Health AI Bootcamp gives high school students an introduction to the use of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. The 2-week online program uses lectures, discussions, case studies, guest lectures, and mini projects to explore how AI can be evaluated and implemented in clinical and research environments. You will learn about the principles of machine learning, medical imaging applications, model evaluation, responsible AI considerations, and the growing role of generative AI in medicine. At the end of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion from Stanford University.
5. Columbia University’s Data Science and Machine Learning Course
Location: Online
Cost: $80 application fee, $4,018 program fee
Program dates: Session A from July 6 – 17, Session B from July 20 – 21
Application deadline: May 18 for Session A, June 1 for Session B
Eligibility: Rising 9th through current 12th grade students, international students can apply as well
Columbia University’s Pre-college Program – Data Science and Machine Learning Program gives high school students the opportunity to explore the intersection between data science and machine learning through structured coursework. The course begins with the fundamental concepts of both fields and then moves on to study how they work in sync to create a real-world impact. You will learn how to use Python, develop machine learning algorithms, and analyze and present data in an effective manner. The program also introduces you to career opportunities within these fields. If you’re looking for more advanced coursework, you can consider this course.
6. UCLA’s Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence Course
Location: Online
Cost: $881. Scholarships are available for California high school students
Program dates: July 13 – 31
Application deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 15 years of age
This online AI course is one of UCLA’s Summer Session offerings that allow high school students to attend college courses alongside undergraduate students, either online or in person. Through this course, you will study the modern techniques of generative AI and explore how machine learning principles allow generative systems to study data and produce content. In the process, you will learn about neural networks, representation learning, language generation, mathematical reasoning, and multimodal generation. You will also gain hands-on experience by building and experimenting with generative models.
7. Brown University’s Unraveling the “Magic” of AI
Location: Online
Cost: $3,364
Program dates: July 13 – 24
Application deadline: May 8. However, admissions are accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9-12 who are between the ages of 14 and 18 by June 14
This Brown University course is designed to help high school students better understand artificial intelligence by breaking down complex ideas through easy technical explanations, science fiction representations, assigned readings, and critical discussions. During the two-week program, you will learn about large language models, understand the beliefs around AI, and examine the benefits and drawbacks of AI tools. By the end of the course, you will be able to make an informed decision on your own about when and how AI can and should be used.
8. Brown University’s AI, Data Science, and Machine Learning
Location: Online
Cost: $5,554
Program dates: June 22 – July 17
Application deadline: May 8. However, admissions are accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9-12 who are between the ages of 14 and 18 by June 14. Students must also have a basic understanding of programming, statistics, and probabilities
Another offering by Brown University’s pre-college program, this course gives high school students a closer look into the technical side of artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning. The syllabus covers topics such as diagnostic analytics, data visualization, text analytics, recommender systems, deep learning, computer vision, and predictive modeling using machine learning techniques. You will also explore how AI and data science are applied in fields such as business, healthcare, hospitality, and sports. The course additionally introduces you to potential academic and career pathways connected to these fields.
9. Harvard University’s Data Science and AI Principles
Location: Online
Cost: $1,200
Program dates: May 20 – June 24
Application deadline: May 14
Eligibility: Anyone can sign up
This 5-week Harvard Online course dives into data science and how it is used to power AI technologies such as machine learning models and large language models. Using case studies and real-world examples, the curriculum introduces you to topics such as prediction, visualization, data wrangling, privacy, causality, sources of bias, and ethics. You will also examine the advantages and limitations of predictive systems, AI-powered recommendations, and other algorithmic tools. This course might feel slightly more advanced for beginners since it is not just for high school students, but open to learners of all backgrounds.
10. Cornell University’s Introduction to Programming
Location: Online
Cost: $11,640. Limited financial aid is available
Program dates: June 22 – August 4
Application deadline: May 5
Eligibility: Students who have completed the 10th grade and are aged 15–19
One of Cornell University’s summer offerings, this course gives high school students an introduction to programming in Python, with a focus on practical code design skills and data processing. During the program, you will receive practical coding experience and learn concepts such as functions, conditionals, loops, and basic data structures. Most of these programming elements are building blocks of machine learning and generative AI systems. In addition to coding, you’ll develop skills such as writing specifications, reading code, and reflecting on design choices, all of which are useful for future work in AI and computer science. At the end of the program, you will earn 6 college credits!
11. Stanford AI4ALL
Location: Online
Cost: $4,120. Need-based financial aid is available
Program dates: June 15 – 26
Application deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Current 9th grade students
Stanford AI4ALL is an AI program for high school students that combines theoretical coursework with mentoring opportunities and research projects. The coursework introduces you to the basic concepts of AI, explores how AI is used across industries, and examines its societal impact. As part of the program, you’ll work on a research project in an area such as computer vision, medical AI, natural language processing, or robotics. Previous student projects have included building an NLP-based classification system to analyze communications during disaster scenarios. The online track of the program combines live lectures, asynchronous assignments, guest speaker panels, projects, and a final presentation.
12. Dartmouth University’s Artificial Intelligence Course
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895
Program dates: Multiple sessions available throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies with each session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and up
Dartmouth University’s “Artificial Intelligence: From Understanding to Innovation” program is an online course that introduces high school students to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and explores how AI is reshaping different industries. During the program, you will use no-code tools to build, train, and test your own AI model aimed at solving real world problems. Along the way, you’ll study concepts such as machine learning, large language models, hallucinations, biases, and AI applications in medical diagnosis, mental health support, and creative design. The program combines hands-on project work, mentoring, simulations, and assignments to help you better understand both the technical and practical sides of AI.
13. Northwestern University’s Artificial Intelligence Course
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895
Program dates: Multiple sessions available throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies with each session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and up
Northwestern University’s “Artificial Intelligence: Navigating the AI-Powered Future” is an online course that introduces high school students to the field of artificial intelligence and explores the functioning behind chatbots, games, machine learning, and large language models. You will learn concepts including prediction, generation, perceptrons, and neural networks, while also examining the ethical, social, and environmental impacts of AI. As part of the final capstone project, you will develop and present your own AI-powered prototype. You will receive a certificate of completion from Northwestern University at the end of the program.
14. Georgetown University’s Artificial Intelligence Program
Location: Online
Cost: Ranges from $1,895 – $3,995
Program dates: Multiple sessions available throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies with each session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and up
Georgetown University’s “Artificial Intelligence: Explore, Design, and Shape the Future” introduces high school students to the fundamentals of machine learning, large language models, neural networks, and algorithms. During the program, you’ll explore concepts such as classification, generation, prediction, hallucinations, and multimodal tools. You will also see how AI is affecting industries such as business, engineering, and digital design. Towards the end of the program, you will use no-code tools to design an AI-powered prototype that addresses a social cause.
15. USC’s Introduction to Cybersecurity
Location: Online
Cost: $35 application fee, $1,990 tuition fee
Program dates: Various start dates are available
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years of age
University of South Carolina (USC) ’s online courses allow high school students to attend college-level courses and learn directly from the USC faculty. While this course is not specifically focused on artificial intelligence, the cybersecurity syllabus does build a technical foundation that is highly useful for working with AI. You will learn about cybersecurity frameworks, risk assessments, ethical hacking, and the internet of things, all of which will help you understand how data-driven systems operate, interact, and remain secure; an important aspect of developing AI systems.
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: Cornell University