20 Summer Programs in Texas for High Schoolers in 2024
What’s Covered:
You don’t mess with Texas is a popular saying in the Lone Star state, and certainly holds a kernel of truth when talking about its summer programs for high schoolers. Offerings include everything from STEM-focused courses at some of the largest universities in the U.S. to hands-on, high-tech-focused courses at colleges that are among the most prestigious in the nation.
Keep reading to learn about some great high school summer programs in Texas.
20 Summer Programs in Texas for High Schoolers
1. McCombs Six-Day Experiences
Dates: June 2 – 7; June 9 – 13; or June 23 – 28 (different focuses for each session)
Location: University of Texas at Austin
Application Deadline: February 14 or March 1 (depends on session)
Cost: Free
This excellent six-day residential summer program gives current high school sophomores and juniors a glimpse at college life—what it’s like living on campus, interacting with faculty, and meeting like-minded peers. There are three versions of the program: one focused on business, one on leadership, and one on accounting.
First-generation students and students who have overcome social or economic hardships are strongly encouraged to apply.
2. High School Research Academy (HSRA)
Dates: June 10 – July 17
Location: University of Texas at Austin
Application Deadline: March 24
Cost: $3,500
Participants in this science-based summer program will gain first-hand research experience by working in the University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences laboratories alongside faculty and current undergraduate students.
Research projects cover topics in a range of fields, including biochemistry, biology, environmental science, genetics, neuroscience, genome engineering, data analytics, and ecology. Participants are awarded course credit at the end of this five-week immersive non-residential experience.
3. Academy for Women
Dates: June 2 – 8
Location: University of Texas at Austin
Application Deadline: January 7
Cost: Free
This week-long program aimed at female students in grades 10 through 12 focuses on the contributions women make to the field of computer science. Participants will explore C++, learn about project management, work in teams, and develop a better understanding of the career paths available in tech. Participants will also experience a slice of college life, by living and learning on the University of Texas Austin campus.
4. Academy for All
Dates:
- Session 1: June 9 – 15
- Session 2 (Machine Learning): July 7 – 13
Location: University of Texas at Austin
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: Free
Participants in this week-long computer science program immerse themselves in the field through hands-on activities involving coding, project management, and teamwork, as well as the exploration of potential career paths. Students in the standard program will learn about C++ and those in the Machine Learning Edition will work in Python.
Both sessions provide students with a sneak peek of the college experience, as they tackle college-level coursework, live with students from across the globe, and gain invaluable insight into what life as an undergraduate looks like overall.
5. Health Sciences Summer Camps
Dates:
- Session 1: June 10 – 14
- Session 2: June 24 – 28
Location: University of Texas at Austin
Application Deadline: Open application is available April 1
Cost: $500
This week-long camp is open to Central Texas high schoolers in grades 9 through 11. Participants engage in hands-on experiments, interact with health professionals, and learn about professions in the healthcare field. Students will participate in simulations and learn about skills like administering IVs, drawing blood, and taking vital signs.
Note that, while there is also an open application, 75% of participants in this program are nominated by their school district. If you’re interested, you should speak to your school counselor or science teacher about how to secure a nomination, as the process varies from district to district and from school to school.
6. Camp SOAR (Summer Opportunities in Aerospace Research)
Dates: June 2 – 6
Location: Texas A&M
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: N/A
Rising high school juniors and seniors with an interest in aerospace engineering and research should look into this program. Over five days, students tackle hands-on projects and tour research facilities, all while building valuable skills like critical thinking and teamwork. Students work under the supervision of faculty and current aerospace engineering students while following one of three tracks—airplanes, helicopters, or space.
There are need-based scholarships available to cover the cost of this program.
7. Camp ARCH
Dates: July 8 – 13
Location: Texas A&M
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $1,500
This one-week residential program introduces potential students to life as an undergraduate at Texas A&M’s School of Architecture. Participants choose from three tracks—architecture, construction science, or landscape architecture and urban planning—so that they can focus on an area of particular interest while also sampling what college life is like.
8. Aerospace & Aviation Academy
Dates: July 25 – August 5
Location: Rice University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $6,745
This summer program is aimed at students with their heads in the clouds. More concretely, those with an interest in aviation and aerospace. Over the program’s 12 days, participants stay on Rice University’s campus and experience college life while hearing from the school’s renowned faculty, government space scientists, representatives from NASA, and a former NASA astronaut. Another highlight of the program is the chance to design, prototype, revise, and launch a satellite that will collect information that participants will analyze.
9. Rice ELITE Tech Camp
Dates:
- Session 1: June 30 – July 5
- Session 2: July 7 – 12
- Session 3: July 14 – 19
- Session 4: July 21 – 26
Location: Rice University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $1,695 for commuters; $3,795 for residents
These week-long summer camps are tailored to teach college-level engineering curriculum to high school students, while also improving their college readiness and building leadership skills. Participants engage in a variety of STEM-based activities and learn to solve real-world problems using the engineering design process. Topics covered include machine learning, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, data science, 3D printing, deep learning, and data analytics. ELITE Tech Camps are offered in residential and commuter formats.
10. Tapia STEM Camps
Dates:
- Session 1: June 30 – July 5
- Session 2: July 7 – 12
- Session 3: July 14 – 19
- Session 4: July 21 – 26
Location: Rice University
Application Deadline: Application opens March 1
Cost: $2,500
Students interested in STEM and social equity will want to check out this six-day, five-night summer program, which uniquely blends concepts from both areas of study. Students live and learn at Rice University while interacting with Rice students, researchers, STEM professionals, and professors, including Richard Tapia, a recipient of the National Medal of Science. Participants build valuable skills like communication, public speaking, and teamwork while learning about subjects ranging from carbon storage to college admissions.
Limited scholarships are available for these camps.
11. Closer Looks
Dates: June 17 – July 19
Location: University of Houston
Application Deadline: June 1
Cost: $1,000
This summer program is ideal for all art lovers, whether you have no prior experience in the field or have already taken AP Art History. Participants will explore all types of artworks, from the dawn of civilization to today. Don’t expect to just stare at slides in this course, though! Rather, participants visit numerous local galleries and museums, including:
- The Menil Collection
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- The Kimbell Art Museum
- The Amon Carter Museum of American Art
- The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
- The Blanton Museum of Art
- The Harry Ransom Center of the University of Texas
Art historians and curators will guide students during their visits, share their knowledge and enthusiasm, and ultimately help cultivate the next generation of art lovers.
12. Schieffer Summer Journalism Camp
Dates: July 2 – 14
Location: Texas Christian University (TCU)
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $2,000
This two-week residential program is designed to teach participants the fundamentals of digital reporting—including how to generate story ideas, develop them, and turn them into content for newscasts and websites. Over the course of the program, students will build their critical thinking and writing skills and meet professionals working in the Dallas/Fort Worth media to learn about careers in the field.
13. TCU Neeley Analytics Academy
Dates: July 7 – 12
Location: Texas Christian University (TCU)
Application Deadline: April 19
Cost: $1,500
This program helps participants understand how companies like Amazon know what they want to buy and why their social media features products they’re genuinely interested in purchasing. During this one-week residential experience, students will hone their data analytics and market research skills, and discover how businesses use these tools to improve profitability. Students will live on TCU’s campus while learning from its esteemed business school faculty, to gain valuable insight into what college life is like academically and socially.
14. TCU Band Camp
Dates: June 9 – 13
Location: Texas Christian University (TCU)
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $375 (for commuters or All State residents); $650 (regular residential rate); free for All State commuters
TCU Band Camp offers a few tracks for high school musicians, including:
- Music and leadership: combines playing in large ensembles and masterclasses with leadership training
- Color guard: focused on all aspects of color guard, from technique to performance skills
- Drum major: designed to build drum major-specific skills like conducting and vocal commands; also contains a leadership component
These summer camps leave participants prepared for success in marching band, concert band, solo, and chamber music. The camp is open to residential and commuter students.
15. Accelerated Career Awareness Program
Dates: July 14 – 19
Location: Texas Christian University (TCU)
Application Deadline: April 15
Cost: Free
This free, residential program aims to inspire a diverse group of students to pursue careers in accounting, or related fields like finance and entrepreneurship. The program is open to students in grades 9 through 12. Over the course of the program, students will participate in interactive sessions and workshops, meet business leaders, and gain firsthand experience with careers in accounting through tours of local public and private firms.
16. Story Lines
Dates: June 17 – July 19
Location: University of Houston
Application Deadline: June 1
Cost: $1,000
Participants in this course, which is similar to a college seminar, dig into what makes a captivating story as they explore the content and meanings of short stories and films. Students will gain a better understanding of what makes fiction work—from a writer’s creative point of view—whether on the page or the screen. This summer program also seeks to inspire participants to pick up their pens and create themselves!
17. From The Ground Up
Dates: June 17 – July 19
Location: Rice University
Application Deadline: June 1
Cost: $1,500
This program is aimed at high schoolers entering grades 10, 11, and 12 who have an interest in architecture. The program goals are to provide insight into the pursuit of architecture in college, and help students build a lifetime appreciation of the field. Participants will learn about architectural history and study some of the world’s most interesting buildings from the past and the present, as well as visit a local architect’s office and buildings of special interest.
Participants will also work on their own design projects, so you are guaranteed to leave the program with a bolstered portfolio!
18. Arete: An Introduction to the Classics
Dates: June 16 – 29
Location: University of Dallas
Application Deadline: March 1
Cost: $895
This two-week residential program allows high schoolers to sample what college life is like while learning about some of the most essential texts of western civilization, from ancient Greek texts like Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Plato’s Republic, and Shakespeare’s Henry V to modern classics such as those from Keats and Faulkner. The course helps students develop valuable reading and writing skills—which are crucial to college success—and participants can earn three hours of college credit upon successful completion of the class.
19. Summer Art Academy
Dates: June 17 – 21
Location: University of Dallas
Application Deadline: March 1
Cost: $425
This week-long non-residential program immerses students in the process of making art. During the course, participants work in a variety of mediums—including ceramics, printmaking, and drawing—under the tutelage of university professors from the art department and staff members who have experience working with young artists. The program culminates with an art exhibit and reception that highlights students’ work.
20. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Location: Texas Tech University
Application Deadline: February 15
Cost: Free
This extremely competitive seven-week summer research program selects just 12 talented high school juniors and seniors to participate. Participants conduct research under the mentorship of experienced faculty in fields including:
- Biology
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Chemistry & Biochemistry
- Computer Science
- Economics/Business/Finance/Marketing
- Electrical Engineering & Computer Engineering
- History
- Microbiology
- Physics
In addition to research, students also take part in social activities and seminars. The program is free—tuition, on-campus meals, room and board, and weekend activities/programming are all provided at no cost—and participants receive a $750 stipend at its conclusion.
How do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
The benefit of participating in a summer program varies depending on a multitude of factors, such as the standing of the program itself and the value individual colleges place on extracurricular activities like summer programs.
The four tiers of extracurricular activities provide good guidance for understanding how colleges view your participation in summer programs. Tier-one and -two activities have the most influence on your chances of college admissions, as these activities are rare, impressive, and attention-grabbing.
Tier-three and -four activities are more common, less esteemed, and have less weight on college admissions. Lower-tiered extracurriculars still provide a benefit to participants, however. For example, they demonstrate your motivation for self-improvement and desire to explore fields of interest. Many summer programs also have a college readiness component, which can give you a leg up on other college applicants.
Are you interested to learn what colleges think of your participation in a summer program? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors including grades, standardized test scores, and extracurriculars like summer programs to estimate your chances of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.
