June 24, 2026

15 Yale Summer Programs for High School Students

Explore Yale summer programs for high school students, including academic courses, enrichment opportunities, and campus experiences in New Haven, Connecticut.

High school summer programs can give you the chance to explore academic subjects in greater depth than a typical school curriculum allows. Whether you are interested in STEM research, creative writing, politics, theater, psychology, or environmental studies, structured pre-college programs often combine subject-specific coursework with discussion-based learning, collaborative projects, and exposure to university-level academic environments. Among these options, programs connected to Yale University cover a wide range of disciplines and learning formats for high school students.

What do Yale Summer programs for high schoolers include?

Yale summer programs for high school students range from university-style courses and collaborative seminars to writing workshops, lab-based learning, and interdisciplinary discussions led by instructors and faculty. Depending on the program, you might spend time conducting research, analyzing case studies, participating in peer critiques, building technical skills, or examining real-world problems through different academic lenses. Some programs are designed around broad thematic exploration, while others focus on a specific discipline such as astronomy, programming, political science, or creative writing.

Below, we’ve put together 15 Yale summer programs for high school students across a range of academic and creative fields.

If you are interested in academic research experiences, you can explore our guide on research opportunities for high school students at Yale.

1. Yale Young Global Scholars: Innovations in Science & Technology

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $7,000 (financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Multiple sessions in the summer
Application Deadline: October 15 (early); January 7 (regular)
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors (ages 16-18); More info here

The Innovations in Science & Technology track introduces you to a broad range of STEM fields, from molecular biology and neuroscience to astronomy and engineering. You’ll examine how scientific ideas connect across disciplines and how they can be applied to real-world problems involving health, technology, and the environment. Lectures and seminars explore topics such as artificial intelligence, cancer biology, relativity, and bioengineering, encouraging you to think about science at multiple scales and from different perspectives. You’ll also engage with questions about sustainability, innovation, and scientific ethics as part of the broader STEM curriculum.

2. Yale Summer Session Journalism Program

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $10,705 + $100 program fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – July 31
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (16+)

The Yale Summer Session Journalism Program centers on nonfiction storytelling and the process behind reporting, researching, and shaping long-form narratives. Over five weeks, you’ll move through different stages of journalistic writing, including archival research, interviewing, observation, revision, and public presentation. The program combines classroom instruction with experiential learning through visits to museums, galleries, and other campus spaces that become sources for reporting and narrative development. You’ll also study storytelling techniques through podcasts, film screenings, and peer workshops while building your own portfolio of written work.

3. Yale Young Global Scholars: Politics of Law & Economics (PLE)

Politics, Law & Economics is a Yale summer program designed for high school students interested in how governments, legal systems, and economies shape societies. You’ll study topics such as constitutional interpretation, market regulation, public policy, human rights, and international relations through an interdisciplinary framework. Seminar discussions use case studies and theoretical debates to examine issues like political polarization, inequality, artificial intelligence policy, and antitrust regulation. The program encourages you to analyze contemporary problems using perspectives drawn from economics, political science, and legal theory rather than approaching them from a single discipline.

4. Yale Summer Session Acting Program

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $10,705 + $4,555 (optional housing and meals) + $80 application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – July 31
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors

The Yale Summer Session Acting Program introduces you to foundational acting techniques through an intensive conservatory-style format grounded in Stanislavski-based training. This Yale summer program focuses on experimentation, process, and skill development through scene work, voice training, text analysis, and movement-based exercises. You’ll work in small groups that allow for individualized feedback and close mentorship from theater and screen professionals. The curriculum also includes areas such as clowning and on-camera performance, giving you exposure to both stage and screen acting practices.

5. Yale Young Global Scholars: Solving Global Challenges (SGC)

Solving Global Challenges is a Yale summer program that examines major global issues through interdisciplinary study connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. You’ll explore topics such as climate change, public health, poverty reduction, sustainability, and the social impact of emerging technologies. Lectures and seminars encourage you to think about how technical knowledge, ethics, policy, and human behavior intersect when addressing complex global problems. For high school students interested in systems thinking, the program emphasizes analyzing how different factors interact across environmental, political, and economic contexts.

6. Yale Summer Session Politics Program

The Yale Summer Session Politics Program examines politics, democracy, and civic participation through a cohort-based academic structure designed for college and advanced high school students. You’ll take paired courses focused on political writing and the relationship between nationalism and democratic systems, allowing you to study both political theory and communication practices side by side. Coursework includes analyzing ideological movements, examining cultural and historical debates, and developing written pieces that engage with political ideas from different perspectives. Beyond seminars, the program incorporates guest speakers, screenings, and field experiences that connect classroom discussions to broader civic and political questions.

7. Yale Young Writers’ Workshop

Location: Virtual/Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $3,085 (on campus), $2,660 (without housing), $1,380 (online)
Cohort Size: 10-12 writers
Dates: June 21 – 26
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who are 16-18 years old (YYWW virtual allows rising high school juniors as well)

Yale Young Writers’ Workshop offers an intensive writing environment centered on peer workshops, revision, and experimentation across fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. You’ll participate in collaborative critique sessions where writers share drafts, discuss craft techniques, and practice giving constructive feedback on creative work. The workshop options cover a wide range of subjects, including dialogue, scene construction, identity in storytelling, creative nonfiction, speculative fiction, and graphic storytelling. Many sessions focus closely on process, encouraging you to analyze how writers develop voice, structure, and emotional impact through revision and discussion.

8. Yale Summer Session: Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Cell Biology

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $5,480/credit
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: May 25 – June 26
Application Deadline: April 3
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (16+)

This Yale summer program introduces you to molecular biology, cell biology, and membrane physiology through an intensive study of biological systems at the cellular and molecular level. You’ll examine topics such as protein structure, the human genome, antiviral drug design, cell signaling, membrane transport, and cell division. The course connects biological theory with research applications, including discussions of HIV/AIDS treatment development and the functional behavior of biological membranes. As you move through the curriculum, you’ll also study cellular structures like the cytoskeleton and endoplasmic reticulum to understand how cells organize and regulate biological processes.

9. Yale Summer Session: Galaxies and the Universe

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $5,480/credit
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – July 31
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (16+) who have completed algebra

Galaxies and the Universe explores astronomy and cosmology through a nontechnical introduction to the structure and evolution of galaxies and the expanding universe. You’ll study stellar populations, the formation and behavior of the Milky Way, and the characteristics of external galaxies, quasars, and radio galaxies. The course also examines major cosmological concepts related to the origins and development of the universe over time. You will engage with scientific models used to explain how galaxies evolve and how astronomers study distant objects in space.

10. Yale Summer Session: Classical Mythology

Classical Mythology examines myths from ancient Greek and Roman traditions and their influence on literature, art, and contemporary culture. You’ll read mythological narratives in forms such as epic poetry and drama while also studying visual representations found in material culture and artwork. The course explores how myths functioned within ancient societies and how their meanings changed across different historical periods. Discussions connect ancient texts to later adaptations and reinterpretations, tracing how classical mythology has shaped artistic and cultural traditions over time.

11. Yale Summer Session: Introduction to Programming

Introduction to Programming focuses on foundational programming concepts and computational problem-solving methods for students with little or no prior coding experience. You’ll learn how to approach problems logically while developing basic programming skills through practical computer-based exercises and applications. The course introduces ways to break down complex tasks into structured steps that can be translated into code. Alongside technical instruction, you’ll also practice analytical thinking and debugging strategies that are central to programming workflows.

Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,480/credit + $85 technology fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – July 31
Application Deadline: June 5
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (16+)

The Autism and Related Disorders course examines current research and treatment approaches related to autism across different stages of life, from infancy through adulthood. You’ll study topics including diagnosis, assessment methods, treatment practices, advocacy, and research in social neuroscience. The course also explores how scientific findings are translated into clinical and educational approaches used in real-world settings. Through discussions of etiology and behavioral research, you will analyze how understandings of autism have developed across psychology, neuroscience, and healthcare fields.

13. Yale Summer Session: Introduction to Sociology

Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,480/credit
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – July 31
Application Deadline: June 5
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (16+)

Introduction to Sociology explores how social structures, institutions, and cultural systems influence human behavior and everyday life. In this Yale summer program, you’ll study major sociological theories associated with thinkers such as Karl Marx, Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, and W.E.B. Du Bois while learning how sociologists analyze societies and social relationships. The course also introduces research methods, including interviews, ethnography, surveys, experiments, and social network analysis. Topics such as race, gender, family structures, deviance, socialization, and inequality are examined through both historical and contemporary examples.

14. Yale Summer Session: Green Energy Systems

Green Energy Systems examines how different forms of renewable and alternative energy are used to address environmental sustainability and climate-related challenges. You’ll study technologies such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal, biofuel, and nuclear energy systems. The course explores how these systems function individually and how they operate within larger energy infrastructures, with attention to efficiency, environmental impact, and long-term sustainability. You’ll also analyze the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and the transition toward alternative energy sources.

15. Yale Summer Session: Discrete Mathematics

Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,480/credit + $85 technology fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: May 25 – June 26
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (16+) who have completed AP Calculus BC with a score of 4 or 5

Discrete Mathematics introduces you to mathematical structures and concepts commonly used in computer science, combinatorics, and advanced mathematical reasoning. You’ll study topics such as graphs, trees, connectivity, enumeration, Ramsey theory, and finite set systems while learning how discrete systems differ from continuous mathematical models. The course also examines combinatorial methods involving binomial coefficients and Stirling numbers, which are used in counting and probability problems. Rather than emphasizing calculus-based approaches, this Yale summer program focuses on logical reasoning, abstraction, and proof-based thinking.

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!

Image Source: Yale University

Bridget Carl

Bridget is a Program Director at Horizon Academic. She holds a BS in Public Health and Economics from The George Washington University, where she earned special distinction from her research on the Affordable Care Act individual mandate and open healthcare markets in the US. She also holds a MS in Data Analytics and Policy from Johns Hopkins University where she continued her research focus on public policy and social services, fueled with data science, machine learning and modeling, and cloud computing.

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