Why Participate in Summer Camp over a Summer Program?
Summer camps differ from traditional programs in several key ways. They tend to run for a shorter time period, are structured around daily workshops or projects, and focused on a specific theme or discipline. Camps provide you with the opportunity to develop your skill set intensively and gain in-depth experience in your chosen field. Whether your interests lie in STEM, writing, or the arts, summer camps offer an immersive learning environment.
Ohio is home to numerous universities and institutions that offer summer camps for high school students. This gives you access to high-quality facilities, faculty, and peer networks close to home. Attending a local camp can reduce travel and lodging costs while allowing you to benefit from a familiar ecosystem.
In this blog, we’ve covered 13 summer camps in Ohio for high school students that you should check out.
13 Summer Camps in Ohio for High School Students
1. University of Cincinnati: Biology Meets Engineering Program (BME)
Location: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 2 – 18
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: High school students living in the Cincinnati metropolitan area
The Biology Meets Engineering Program is a free interdisciplinary camp connecting robotics and biology. During the program, you will engage in practical scientific investigations to explore how biological species perceive and respond to their environments. You will then work on biomimetic projects inspired by animal sensory systems, integrating biological insights with engineering design. The program focuses on hands-on collaborative research and prototype development.
2. MD Camp at Ohio State
Location: Ohio State University – College of Medicine, Columbus, OH
Cost: $325; Financial aid available
Dates: June 9 – 27 (tentatively)
Application Deadline: March 21 (tentatively)
Eligibility: Ohio rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.0+ and a math and science GPA of 3.3+
MD Camp offers a three-week, intensive summer experience for high school students to explore medical school-level work and health-care careers. At Ohio State’s College of Medicine, you’ll attend lectures covering anatomy, pathology, and ethics and participate in clinical skills workshops on suturing, phlebotomy, and patient history taking. You’ll also shadow physicians in hospital settings, analyze biomedical research papers, and complete a service-learning community project. The program strengthens your clinical reasoning, research literacy, and professional communication skills, and provides early exposure to medicine.
3. Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshops
Location: Kenyon College, Gambier, OH
Cost: $2,575 (summer residential); $995 (summer online); Financial aid available
Dates: June 14 – 19 (summer online); June 21 – July 4, July 12 – 25 (summer residential)
Application Deadline: March 1 (summer residential); April 13 (summer online)
Eligibility: High school rising juniors and seniors, aged 16-18
The Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshops is a prestigious two-week residential camp dedicated to serious young writers. The program emphasizes voice, critical reading, and disciplined daily writing, which are all skills essential for strong college essays and future writing careers. You’ll explore various genres like creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry through workshops, lectures, and peer review. You can attend the program on campus or virtually in the summer.
4. Lindner Business Immersion Camp
Location: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Cost: $400
Dates: June 7 – 10
Application Deadline: March 13 – April 17
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (limited spots for rising juniors) interested in math and college preparation
This four-day, three-night residential camp at UC’s Lindner College of Business introduces you to key business disciplines and the university experience. You’ll attend interactive sessions on topics like marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, and AI in business, work in teams to craft elevator pitches and business cases, and explore campus life in dorms and classrooms. The program builds skills in public communication, group problem-solving, and business-mindset reflection, offering you a practical preview of business studies while strengthening your college-application efforts.
5. Camp CAR
Location: Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Cost: Free
Dates: July 15 – 19
Application Deadline: February (tentatively)
Eligibility: Students aged 14-18
Camp CAR is a one-week, fully funded camp at Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research that gives you hands-on experience in automotive engineering and mobility technology. You’ll rotate through labs and workshops to learn about aerodynamics, simulation, high-voltage electronics, autonomous systems (e.g., “Game of Drones”), and manufacturing techniques (welding, machining). If you’re interested in engineering, vehicles, mobility tech, or mechanical systems, Camp CAR offers a chance to explore those fields in a high-intensity, no-cost setting.
6. Ohio Supercomputer Center: STEM Institute
Location: Ohio Supercomputer Center, Columbus, OH
Cost: $600
Dates: May 31 – June 12
Application Deadline: January 14 – March 23
Eligibility: Ohio high school students entering their sophomore, junior, or senior years
The STEM Institute program offers project-based, hands-on experiences during which you will work in teams to tackle scientific and engineering problems using supercomputing resources. You will attend lectures on Python, Unix, network forensics, and data analysis, and go on educational field trips to places like the Byrd Polar Research Center, the Museum of Biological Diversity, the State of Ohio Computer Center, and so on. This camp emphasizes computational techniques and programming in a research-focused environment.
7. Ohio State University: Summer Engineering Institute for High School Students
Location: Ohio State University, Marion Campus, Marion, OH
Cost: $100
Dates: June 9 – 13 (tentatively)
Application Deadline: May 31 (tentatively)
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
The Summer Engineering Institute for High School Students is a five-day camp that provides a hands-on introduction to multiple engineering disciplines. You’ll explore topics such as mechanical design, robotics, and electrical circuitry using Arduino microcontrollers and sensors. The program’s small-group structure helps you collaborate on engineering challenges, tour professional manufacturing facilities, and learn applied problem-solving techniques relevant to engineering majors.
8. Ohio University: Summer STEM Camp for High School Students
Location: Ohio State University, Marion Campus, Marion, OH
Cost: $150
Dates: June 9 – 13 (tentatively)
Application Deadline: May 31 (tentatively)
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors
This STEM-intensive camp introduces you to real-world research methods through lab-based projects. As a participant, you will engage in experiments ranging from molecular biology to chemistry and robotics, guided by Ohio University professors. You’ll also participate in design challenges and tours of industrial engineering sites. The program helps you develop a working understanding of how data, experimentation, and creativity drive modern science and technology.
9. Xavier University: STEAM@XU
Location: Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH
Cost: $1,095
Dates: July 19 – 24
Application Deadline: Limited spots; Register early
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders
The STEAM@XU is an interdisciplinary research camp that bridges science, technology, and creative problem-solving. You’ll collaborate with Xavier faculty on hands-on research projects in biology, chemistry, or computer-aided design with a creative arts component. Some of these projects will involve exploring proteins through virtual reality, studying bioluminescent jellyfish proteins, water bears, The Lord of the Rings, and other topics. You’ll also participate in labs that emphasize experimentation and data-driven analysis, culminating in a final showcase.
10. Ohio University: High School Journalism Workshop
Location: Ohio University, Athens, OH
Cost: $450
Dates: July 13 – 17 (tentatively)
Application Deadline: June 20 (tentatively)
Eligibility: High school rising sophomores to graduating seniors (15+)
The High School Journalism Workshop will teach you to report, write, and edit like professional journalists. You’ll join newsroom simulations that cover digital, print, and broadcast platforms and attend sessions that focus on interviewing, deadline writing, and ethical reporting. You’ll also be mentored by Scripps College faculty. By the end of the workshop, you’ll produce published-quality work and gain firsthand insight into journalism’s evolving role in society.
11. Ohio University: Summer Arts Programs for High School
Location: Ohio University, Athens, OH
Cost: $375 – $1,440; Need and merit-based financial aid is available
Dates: Multiple sessions in June; Dates vary by program
Application Deadline: Opens February 1
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12; Specific requirements vary by program
Ohio University’s Summer Arts Programs for High School lets you explore creative disciplines in a college studio environment. Some programs you can participate in include Art + Design, Dance, Film, Music, and Theater. You will learn portfolio-building skills, receive critiques from university art faculty, and collaborate with peers on creative projects. This program provides an opportunity to focus on a specific area of study within the arts and offers valuable insight into college life in this field.
12. Ohio University: Summer Law & Trial Institute
Location: Ohio University, Athens, OH
Cost: Free
Dates: July 7 – 18 (tentatively)
Application Deadline: May 31 (tentatively)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.0+; Preference is given to students from Appalachian Ohio
The Summer Law & Trial Institute is a selective, no-cost program that provides an intensive introduction to the U.S. legal system and careers in law. You’ll study legal theory, trial advocacy, and ethics through interactive lessons taught by attorneys, law professors, and judges. During mock trials, you’ll take on roles as attorneys and witnesses, crafting arguments and having a chance to improve your public speaking skills under real courtroom conditions. The experience improves your analytical reasoning and persuasive writing skills, which are particularly useful if you’re planning to major in Political Science, Pre-Law, or related fields in college.
13. Ohio Northern University: Summer Music Camp
Location: Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH
Cost/Stipend: Residential Fees: $550; Day Camper (with Meals): $350; Day Camper (No Meals): $200
Dates: June 15 – 20 (tentatively)
Application Deadline: June 5 (tentatively)
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-12
This immersive camp combines music performance, theory, and ensemble work in a supportive campus environment. You’ll take daily classes in conducting, sight-reading, and jazz improvisation, rehearsing with peers under professional instructors. You can choose from instrumental or vocal tracks and refine both technique and interpretation. The week ends with a full concert showcasing student ensembles—a chance to sharpen performance skills while experiencing the structure of a college-level music program.
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 – Ohio University