20 Computer Science Summer Programs for High Schoolers in 2023
What’s Covered:
- Computer Science Summer Programs for High School Students
- How Impressive are Computer Science Programs in High School Admissions?
- Other Ways to Spend Your Summer
Computer science summer programs allow you to build your skills and meet like-minded peers. You may even get to travel somewhere new, or experience life on the campus of a top college.
Here’s a list of computer science summer programs for high schoolers, where and when they take place, and guidance on which ones will boost your college applications the most.
20 Computer Science Summer Programs for High School Students
1. Tandon NYU Summer Programs: Automation, Robotics, and Coding (SPARC)
Dates:
- Session One: June 20-June 30, 2023
- Session Two: July 10-July 21, 2023
- Session Three: July 31-August 11, 2023
Location: New York University (NYU)
Application deadline: April 20, 2023
Cost: $2,500 plus ~$360 for the meal plan and $610 for optional housing
Tandon NYU offers two-week, full-day programs for high school students in grades 9-12 that teach the basics of robotics, mechatronics, and programming. Participants learn about concepts and practices in computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering and build a foundation for careers in fields like IoT, machine learning, and augmented reality.
Applicants must be 14 years of age or older and a minimum of 15 years old for housing.
2. iDTech Tech Camps
Dates: Varies
Location: In-person (based on state of residence)
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Cost: $1,049 to $4,599
iDTech offers two-week coding and artificial intelligence camps for high school students, covering topics like machine learning, deep neural networks, cryptocurrency, and even encryption in 25 states and Washington, D.C.
iDTech camps can be day or overnight programs, and they’re hosted at universities, providing students with the opportunity to sample college life while gaining hands-on STEM experience. Programs offer participants a mix of group and one-on-one sessions with certified coding instructors.
3. Code Connects: Artificial Intelligence & Big Data
Dates: July 10-14, 2023
Location: Online
Application deadline: N/A
Cost: $395 before April 15, $495 after
The Coding School is a California-based nonprofit that works with UCLA, Villanova University, and Brown University. They run four-year programs in high schools throughout the state of California as well as virtual summer camps and online programming for middle and high schoolers called Code Connects.
In the week-long Artificial Intelligence & Big Data program, participants develop a deeper understanding of machine learning while working on hands-on projects and building programming skills in Python.
4. Kode With Klossy
Dates:
- Session 1: June 5-June 16, 2023
- Session 2: June 20-June 30, 2023
- Session 3: July 10-July 21, 2023
- Session 4: July 24-Aug 4, 2023
- Session 5: Aug 7-Aug 18, 2023
Location: In-person and online
Application deadline: N/A
Cost: free
Kode with Klossy is a two-week summer coding camp specifically designed for girls, gender-nonconforming, and trans students ages 13-18. Program participants will focus on one of four topics: web development, mobile app, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and data science. Kode with Klossy is being held both online and in person; there are 21 host cities planned for 2023, ranging from Atlanta to Washington, D.C.
Students who enroll in the Kode with Klossy summer coding camp are given the accolade of “scholars,” since they receive a scholarship, which means there is no cost of attendance.
5. NextGen Bootcamp
Dates: Vary based on class
Location: In-person and online
Application deadline: Rolling basis
Cost: $1,995 to $4,495
NextGen Bootcamp offers online and in-person computer education summer programs for high school students—in-person courses are held in New York City. Programs cover a variety of computer-related subjects, including coding in Python and Java, web design and development, and data science.
There are no prerequisites for joining NextGen Bootcamp’s programs, and they do not require any prior coding knowledge.
6. Penn Summer Coding Academy
Dates: July 9-July 29, 2023
Location: University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
Application deadline: N/A
Cost: Students who attend a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school may be eligible to attend the academy for free.
This three-week residential program at UPenn for high schoolers in grades 9-11 introduces students to front-end web development. Participants learn about Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript (JS), along with how to use them to create web pages for desktop and mobile devices. The program provides a strong foundation for students hoping to pursue careers in technical fields.
7. Girls Who Code Summer Programs
Dates: N/A
Location: Online
Application deadline: March 29, 2023
Cost: free
Girls Who Code offers two summer programs for girls and nonbinary students: the Summer Immersion Program and the Self-Paced Program. The Summer Immersion Program is open to high schoolers in grades 9-11. The two-week-long virtual course focuses on beginner to intermediate computer science concepts, the iterative design process, and UX design basics.
The Self-Paced Program is open to high schoolers in grades 9-12, including graduating high school seniors. This course dives into intermediate applications of Python, with a focus on cybersecurity and data science. Students in the self-paced program have six weeks to complete course projects, and support is available through weekly live advisory sessions and activities.
8. Wolfram High School Summer Research Program
Dates: June 28-July 15, 2023
Location: Bentley University
Application deadline: N/A
Cost: $3,800
The Wolfram High School Summer Research Program is a two-week intensive training that aims to introduce high schoolers to programming, computational thinking, and technology. Students participate in lectures and activities led by Wolfram instructors and build hands-on experience developing a project from ideation to completed product.
Approximately 50 students are admitted to the program annually.
9. Emagination STEM Camp
Dates: Varies
Location: Varies
Application deadline: N/A
Cost: Varies; ~$1,900 for day camps and $3,400 for residential
Emagination STEM Camp offers several technology courses that will interest high schoolers with an interest in computer science, most notably coding basics, coding in C#, coding in Java, and Roblox studio. Each course is two weeks long and meets for three hours a day.
Camps are offered on college campuses in six states—Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—and provide participants with a college-like experience.
10. Terp Young Scholars
Dates: July 10-28, 2023
Location: In-person and online
Application deadline: May 1, 2023
Cost: $1,500 online, $2,500 in-person
This program for rising 10th graders to graduating high school seniors is provided by the University of Maryland. The three-week-long, immersive experience gives students the opportunity to undertake college-level work, earn college credit, and, in the case of in-person students, learn on a college campus.
Participants in the Terp Young Scholars program choose one course to explore—students interested in computer science will want to check out the in-person course, Introduction to Computing, or the online course, Creative Coding for Digital Media.
11. Naval Academy Summer STEM Program
Dates:
- Rising 9th graders: June 5-10, 2023
- Rising 10th graders: June 12-17, 2023
- Rising 11th graders: June 19-23, 2023
Location: U.S. Naval Academy
Application deadline: April 15, 2023
Cost: $800
High schoolers in grades 9-11 interested in careers as coders, game developers, designers, and robotics engineers should check out the Naval Academy Summer STEM program. The week-long residential program tests participants’ problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration skills while exploring the world-class labs and facilities at one of the top engineering programs in the nation.
12. WPI Frontiers Program
Dates:
- Session 1: July 9-July 21, 2023
- Session 2: July 23-August 4, 2023
Location: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Application deadline: April 30, 2023
Cost: $3,595
This two-week, residential program at WPI allows students in grades 10-12 to explore a STEM major with a humanities minor—providing a preview of college life at WPI. Students interested in compsci may want to pursue the major Computer Science: Possibilities in Programming, Electrical & Computer Engineering, or Interactive Media & Game Development.
In addition to coursework, students participate in a variety of recreational activities and college preparatory programming.
13. National High School Game Academy
Dates: July 1-August 11, 2023
Location: Carnegie Mellon University
Application deadline: March 15, 2023
Cost: $11,313
This six-week residential program for current high school sophomores and juniors is hosted by Carnegie Mellon and provides students with hands-on experience designing video games. The course is a great opportunity for students with an interest in software development, taking students through the process of creating a video game from ideation to pitch to final ship.
14. UT Computer Science Summer Academy for All
Dates:
- Session 1: June 4-10, 2023
- Session 2: June 11-17, 2023
Location: University of Texas, Austin (UT Austin)
Application deadline: N/A
Cost: free
This week-long residential summer program offered by UT Austin aims to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in computer science. The program is open to students of all skill levels in grades 10-12.
Academy for All participants will learn about C++, project management, and careers in tech. They will also gain firsthand experience living and learning on a college campus, including sharing a room in a residence hall with a roommate, eating in the dining hall, and tackling college-level coursework.
15. Berkeley Summer Computer Science Academy
Dates: June 18-June 30, 2023
Location: University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
Application deadline: March 14, 2023
Cost: $5,060
The Berkeley Summer Computer Science Academy allows students ages 16 and 17 to immerse themselves in computer science and coding for two weeks in the summer. The program is based on the introductory computer science course taken by UC Berkeley undergrads. The academy culminates with the Code Celebration, an event where participants show off the coding project they worked on during the program.
This is a residential program and provides students with an excellent understanding of college life. The program costs $5,060.
16. Summer Liberal Arts Institute (SLAI) Computer Science
Dates: July 9-28, 2023
Location: Carleton College
Application deadline: March 3, 2023
Cost: $4,300
This residential program is open to rising high school juniors and seniors. The SLAI Computer Science program takes a different approach to exploring the field—it looks at it through the lens of liberal arts. Participants will learn about finding computational solutions via classwork, hands-on labs, and working in small teams on projects. The program concludes with a symposium where students share the results of their work.
17. EXPLO Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Dates: June 25-July 14, 2023
Location: Wellesley College
Application deadline: N/A
Cost: $7,350
This three-week residential summer program at Wellesley College challenges students in grades 10-12 to dig into artificial intelligence and machine learning—and think about how these fields affect daily life. Participants will have discussions, explore case studies, undertake coding experiments, and work on creative projects while navigating some of the challenges facing the field, like bias, equity, and privacy.
To take full advantage of this program, it’s suggested that students have a basic understanding of Python.
18. Veritas AI Scholars
Dates:
- Session 1: May 8-May 19, 2023
- Session 2: June 12-June 23, 2023
- Session 3: July 3-July 14, 2023
- Session 4: July 17-July 28, 2023
- Session 5: August 7-August 18, 2023
- Session 6: August 21-September 1, 2023
Location: Online
Application deadline: May 14, 2023
Cost: $1,490
This program, founded and operated by Harvard graduate students, teaches students in grades 9 through 12 the fundamentals of Python and the key concepts of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Participants work in small teams under the guidance of an artificial intelligence expert in fields including gaming, sports, finance, and health care.
The structure of the summer program has participants completing 25 hours of work over the course of two weeks.
19. Columbia University Coding For Beginners: Coding in Java
Dates:
- Session 1: June 26-July 14, 2023
- Session 2: July 18-August 4, 2023
Location: Columbia University
Application deadline: N/A
Cost: $12,449
This three-week program is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the fundamentals of Java and build familiarity with object-oriented programming concepts, algorithms, and techniques. Students will also challenge their logical reasoning, systematic thinking, and problem-solving skills on programming projects and in labs. Students already knowledgeable in Java may want to check out this program’s counterpart course, Computer Programming for Beginners: Coding in Python.
Outside of the classroom and lab, students are offered a variety of college preparedness programs, including lectures, seminars, and workshops covering everything from the college application process to managing the rigors of college life.
This is a residential program that allows students to experience life at one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and one of the world’s great cities.
20. UCLA Computer Science Introductory Track
Dates: June 26-July 14, 2023
Location: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Application deadline: June 1, 2023
Cost: $2,600
This commuter program at UCLA combines a coding boot camp with college-level coursework and lab experiences to introduce students in grades 8-12 to computer science. Program participants will explore the design and implementation of computer programs, learn how to use computers as tools, and explore topics like integers, strings, lists, control structures, and functional decomposition.
No previous coding experience is necessary to participate in this program.
How Impressive Are Computer Science Programs in High School Admissions?
Computer science summer programs are a great way to show colleges that you are passionate about your academic interests, and attending a prestigious summer program can give your odds of college admission a significant boost.
The four tiers of extracurricular activities provide a good guideline for understanding the influence summer programs have on your chances of getting into college. Tiers 1 and 2 are reserved for the most impressive and rarest activities—and have the most impact on college admissions. Extracurriculars in Tiers 3 and 4 are more common and hold less weight with admissions offices.
Most summer programs are in Tiers 3 and 4, though a highly-selective and free one could be considered Tier 1 or 2.
CollegeVine can add clarity to the impact your participation in activities outside the classroom, including computer science summer programs, has on your chances of college acceptance. Our free chancing engine uses a number of data points—like academics, extracurriculars, and demographics—to estimate your odds of getting into over 1,600 colleges in the United States.
Other Ways to Spend Your Summer
Summer computer science programs are one approach to improving your college application, but you may also want to look into volunteer work, independent study, and internships. For example, internships are a challenging, and even more impressive, experience that can increase your chances of acceptance into college. See our list of computer science internships to find the best one for you.
Another option is self-guided extracurriculars, which, when compared to summer programs, have the advantage of generally being more affordable and easier to fit into busy schedules. Some computer science-related self-guided activities to consider include participating in an online hackathon, building a website or computer, or learning a new programming language on your own. If you want to give back to your community, you can also teach residents of a retirement home how to use a technological device, such as a smartphone or computer.
Overall, computer science summer programs are an excellent way to enhance your chances of acceptance, but they’re only one component of the whole application. For more approachable extracurricular opportunities, check out our list of online opportunities for high school students.
