Science camps give high school students the chance to apply classroom concepts through experiments, field research, and data analysis. These programs focus on practical learning, like collecting samples, running lab experiments, or working on group projects guided by experienced mentors. You will develop technical and analytical skills, strengthen teamwork and communication, and gain confidence using the scientific method to solve real-world problems.
What are camps for high school students? How are they different from science programs?
Unlike longer research or pre-college programs, science camps are shorter, highly structured, and focused on hands-on learning in focused areas of science. Instead of covering an entire discipline, these camps explore a specific theme like environmental science, robotics, biomedical engineering, or modelling. Most camps run for one to three weeks and emphasize active participation through lab experiments, fieldwork, and group projects, rather than extended coursework or independent research.
This format gives you the chance to explore different branches of science in depth, build foundational technical and analytical skills using tools such as Python, R, Arduino, and basic lab equipment, and gain practical experience that can enhance both your academic development and college applications.
If you are interested in more advanced pre-college science programs, you can explore our guide here.
To help you find the right fit, we’ve rounded up 12 science camps for high school students.
12 Science Camps for High School Students
1. Science Camps of America Overnight Summer Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Rolling admission
Location: Pahala Plantation Cottages, located in Pahala, Hawaiʻi.
Cost/Stipend: $2,895 per ten-day session (scholarship available)
Dates: Session 1: July 1 – 10 | July 11 – 20
Application Deadline: Deadline unspecified
Eligibility: Students ages 13 to 17 entering grades 8-12
Located on Hawai‘i Island, Science Camps of America offers two ten-day residential programs – Land, Sea, Air & Space and Volcanoes in the Sea – for students ages 13-17 who love science and the outdoors. Each session takes you out of the classroom and into the field, where you’ll explore Geology, Marine Science, Oceanography, Ecology, and Astronomy through field trips to volcanoes, forests, coral reefs, and coastlines. You’ll collect and analyze field data, identify reef fish, build and launch rockets, and solder circuits. You’ll also meet scientists and conservationists working on real-world environmental challenges.
2. MIT’s MITES Summer Program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge MA
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Dates: Late June through early August
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February
Eligibility: High school juniors (U.S. citizens or permanent residents)
The MITES Summer Program at MIT is a six-week residential experience that allows you to study and live like real college students. You’ll take five college-level courses in math, science, and the humanities. You’ll strengthen your foundation in STEM through classes, lab work, and mentorship from MIT faculty and graduate students. The program also includes lab tours, research projects, and college preparation workshops to help you build both academic and practical skills. You’ll explore how science and technology address real-world challenges, while experiencing life on MIT’s vibrant campus.
3. Camp Integem
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 6–8 students per instructor
Location: Multiple locations across the Bay Area. Check details here
Cost/Stipend: Ranges from $699 to $1,299 per week, depending on program type, location, and age group. Discounts and scholarships may be available.
Dates: Multiple one and two-week sessions running between July 14 and August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to kids and teens ages 5 through 18 (K-12)
Camp Integem is a STEM summer camp designed to spark creativity and curiosity among students aged 5-18 through technology. With over 40 courses in subjects such as AI, Robotics, Holographic Augmented Reality (AR), and more. What makes Camp Integem truly unique is its Holographic AR platform, which lets you step into your own digital creations – from exploring virtual worlds, interacting with 3D animations, to piloting space drones. No prior experience is required, as students learn at their own pace with guidance and encouragement from instructors. With multiple locations across the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California, Camp Integem offers a fun, collaborative, and inspiring environment.
4. Santa Clara Summer Engineering Seminar (SES)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Location: Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Dates: SES Introduction (Year-One): Session One: July 13 – 17, Session Two: July 20 – 24 | SES Advanced (Year-Two) Returning Participants: July 27 – 31
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Current 10th and 11th graders, but priority is given to sophomores who have limited prior exposure to engineering
The Summer Engineering Seminar (SES) at Santa Clara University is a five-day summer science camp for high school students eager to explore the exciting world of engineering. Through hands-on workshops led by the university faculty, you’ll dive into different branches of engineering such as Bioengineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The program blends lectures, lab activities, and team projects to help you understand how engineering principles apply to real-world challenges. You’ll also get a taste of campus life by staying in dorms, connecting with current students and professors, and participating in group activities. SES offers two introductory sessions for first-time participants, and a third advanced session for returning students who want to deepen their skills and build on their previous experience.
5. Missouri University of Science and Technology’s CyberMiner Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 60 students
Location: Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO
Cost: $600
Dates: July 20 – 24
Application deadline: Rolling admissions until full
Eligibility: Students, ages 16-18
Missouri S&T’s CyberMiner Camp is a weeklong, hands-on tech experience for high school students (ages 16-18) who love computing, robotics, and creative problem-solving. Through guided instruction and lab work, you’ll dive into Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Science and Technology. You will get to build and program robots, take apart and assemble computers, and experiment with microcontrollers. You’ll also participate in an AI forum to learn how algorithms and systems solve real-world problems. Guided by Missouri S&T faculty mentors, you’ll develop workshops that strengthen your understanding of hardware, software, and systems design, along with teamwork and analytical skills.
6. Stanford AI4ALL
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,000 (financial aid available)
Dates: June 26 – July 14 (tentatively, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March
Eligibility: Current 9th graders (rising 10th graders during the summer of the program)
Stanford AI4ALL is a two-week online program that introduces high school students to artificial intelligence. Through a mix of lectures, personalized mentorship, and hands-on projects, you’ll learn about the working of AI and how it can be used to resolve real-world problems. In small teams guided by Stanford graduate students and postdocs, you’ll explore how AI addresses challenges in areas such as healthcare, computer vision, and disaster response. The program blends technical learning with social impact, helping you understand both the mechanics of AI and its ethical implications on society. Beyond the technical side, you’ll participate in career development workshops and discussions with AI professionals, gaining insight into cutting-edge research and future pathways in the field.
7. STEM Academy’s High School Summer Camps at Oregon State University
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Minimally selective
Location: Oregon State University
Cost/Stipend: The cost is based on the program
Dates: Depending on the course. You can check the details here.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in high school are eligible to apply
Oregon State University’s (OSU) STEM Academy hosts a variety of weeklong summer camps designed to engage high school students in hands-on learning across STEM disciplines such as Toxicology, Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, and Cybersecurity. Each camp blends interactive lectures, lab-based experiments, and team-based projects to help you apply scientific concepts to real-world problems. You’ll work alongside OSU faculty, graduate students, and researchers in university labs, using modern scientific tools and methods to explore how science works in action. The camps focus on inquiry-based learning, collaboration, and problem-solving – skills that are essential for anyone interested in science and engineering careers. Some programs also offer scholarships or free admission for students from underserved backgrounds, making these learning opportunities more accessible to all learners.
8. Missouri University of Science and Technology’s Innovations in STEM (iSTEM)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 students
Location: Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO
Cost: $700
Dates: July 20 – 23
Application deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: Students, ages 15-18
The Innovations in STEM (iSTEM) camp at Missouri S&T is a four-day residential experience for high school students (ages 15–18) who want to dive into science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on learning. You’ll work in teams to design, build, and test creative solutions to real-world problems, competing in engineering design challenges such as the camp’s signature “Mousetrap Car Tractor Pull.” Camp activities include 3D scanning and printing, construction projects, and departmental tours that show how classroom concepts translate into real-world STEM applications. Through faculty-led sessions and team-building activities, you’ll strengthen your collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills. Alongside technical learning, you’ll get a taste of campus life and gain insights into college pathways and career opportunities in the fast-growing field of STEM.
9. Webster University’s Phage Summer Research Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Webster University’s Browning Hall, Webster Groves, MO
Cost: $400
Dates: July 28 – August 1
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 9th-grade to graduated 12th-grade students, ages 14-18
The Phage Summer Research Camp at Webster University is a week-long, hands-on introduction to the fascinating world of microbiology and molecular biology. You’ll study Bacteriophages – viruses that infect bacteria – through both field collection and laboratory research, uncovering how these tiny organisms play a vital role in science and medicine. Working alongside Webster University professors, you’ll collect environmental samples, isolate and purify phages, and use transmission electron microscopy to visualize viral structures in incredible detail. As part of an ongoing research project, you may even discover new viral species while mastering essential microbiology techniques such as culturing, staining, and imaging. By the end of the program, you’ll build a strong foundation in experimental design and an appreciation of how microbiological research advances our understanding of health and disease.
10. Camp SEA Lab
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Location: Monterey Bay and Sausalito, CA
Cost/Stipend: $1,450
Dates: Multiple sessions in the summer
Application Deadline: Deadline unspecified
Eligibility: Applicants must be between the ages of 13 and 16
Camp SEA Lab, offered in partnership with California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), invites high school students to dive into marine science through a five-day sailing expedition aboard an 82-foot schooner. Guided by a professional captain and crew, you’ll learn to sail, navigate, and work as part of a team while studying Oceanography, Marine Ecology, and Seafaring traditions. Each day brings new adventures – studying plankton and marine mammals, conducting ocean sampling, dissecting squids, and even whale watching in the open sea. You’ll also discuss conservation issues and gain hands-on experience in data collection and field research. No prior sailing experience is needed—just a spirit of curiosity and a love for the ocean.
11. California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: The program is hosted by the University of California system and is offered at multiple campuses throughout the state
Cost: $5,518 (financial aid available)
Dates: July 5 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Students in grades 8-12. COSMOS is limited to California students only
The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) is a four-week residential program meant for high school students passionate about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Hosted across multiple University of California campuses, the program offers hands-on courses and research in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. You’ll work alongside UC faculty and researchers, conducting experiments in labs and exploring real-world applications of science and technology. COSMOS also includes field visits to research institutions and companies, helping you connect academic study with future career opportunities. Admission to COSMOS is competitive, with selection based on academic excellence and a proven enthusiasm for STEM fields.
12. The Connector Machine Learning & AI Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: In-person: 20 students | Virtual: 30 students
Location: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (in-person + virtual options)
Cost: $150 (in-person) | $100 (virtual)
Dates: Session 1: June 28 – 29 | Session 2: August 2 – 3
Application deadline: Early June
Eligibility: High school students; virtual camp is open to high schoolers, K-12 teachers, graduate students, and professionals
The Connector Machine Learning & AI Camp at the University of Missouri is a two-day program that introduces high school students to the exciting world of data science and artificial intelligence. Through a mix of guided lectures and hands-on coding sessions, you’ll learn how algorithms process and analyze data, make predictions, and support decision-making in fields such as healthcare, business, and finance. Using Python, you’ll work on small projects involving data visualization, model training, and basic machine learning techniques. The camp is ideal for students with an interest in computing—whether you’re just getting started or already have some programming experience.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like biotech, chemistry, physics, engineering, and more, 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 –