25 Summer Programs in Missouri for High Schoolers in 2025
What’s Covered:
- 25 Summer Programs in Missouri for High Schoolers
- How Do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
Missouri is a charming state with much to offer a college-minded high school student. With great universities like Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Missouri, Drury University, and more, high schoolers looking to gain exposure to college-level curricula only look within their community to find a great program that suits their interests and needs.
Interested in Missouri-based summer programs? Read on.
25 Summer Programs in Missouri For High Schoolers
1. Drury Leadership Academy | Game of DLA Thrones
Dates: July 13 – 20
Location: Drury University
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $425 room and board, and $135 per class
The Drury Leadership Academy offers a unique program called “Game of DLA Thrones,” which explores historical power struggles, notable kings and queens, and the characteristics that made some rulers more successful. The program is open to rising seniors and is designed to prepare students for college curricula, helping them build their logic, reasoning, communication, and critical thinking skills.
2. Drury Leadership Academy | Protest Movements and Social Change
Dates: July 13 – 20
Location: Drury University
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $425 room and board and $135 per class
Rising seniors can live and learn like undergraduates at Drury University while exploring protest movements and how they contribute to social change in this week-long summer program. Participants will examine past protest movements, the role social media plays in social change, and what drives individuals to engage in group action while developing valuable skills like critical thinking, communication, and responsibility.
3. Drury Leadership Academy | The Swift Effect
Dates: July 13 – 20
Location: Drury University
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $425 room and board and $135 per class
Calling all Swifties who are rising high school seniors. This unique summer course dives into the best-selling musician and uber-celebrity, Taylor Swift. Participants will learn about Taylor Swift’s music and career while exploring how she has shaped the music industry, the effect her tours have had on the economy, and her influence on popular culture. Participants will also develop their leadership skills and prepare for college coursework.
4. Kansas City Institute of Art Pre-College Summer ArtLab
Dates:
- Session 1: June 15 – June 27
- Session 2: July 13 – July 25
Location: Kansas City Institute of Art
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $2,500
If you’re a burgeoning artist, this is the program for you. The Kansas City Institute of Art offers this program for high school students to get a feel for what it is like to be a student at KCAI. By enrolling in this program, students will have the opportunity to take a wide range of college-level courses put together by KCAI’s expert faculty, including animation, illustration, and painting. Participants earn three college-level credits for the successful completion of the program.
5. Missouri Science & Technology Summer Programs | CyberMiner Camp
Dates: July 20 – 24
Location: Missouri University of Science & Technology
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $600
This competitive computer science program is worth looking into. Through this five-day camp, students will learn about big data and information visualization, participate in an AI challenge, build and program robots, and much more. The program is open to rising 11th and 12th graders and only accepts 60 students.
6. Missouri Science & Technology Summer Programs | Explosives Camp
Dates:
- Session 2: June 22 – 27
Location: Missouri University of Science & Technology
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $1,500
This competitive, one-of-a-kind, five-day camp experience is exploding with fun. The Explosives Camp gives students a safe, hands-on learning experience with explosives, from detonators to demolition. At the end of the camp, students will get to put together their very own fireworks display.
7. Missouri Science & Technology Summer Programs | Discovering Chemistry
Dates: July 7 – 10, 2025
Location: Missouri University of Science & Technology
Application Deadline: Rolling
Cost: $750
This five-day program for rising 11th and 12th graders introduces them to a variety of chemistry concepts and experiences. Students will take part in a number of hands-on activities, including synthesizing pleasant-smelling molecules; seeing chemistry “happen” with electricity, light, and heat; and learning how things can burn both fast and slow. Participants will also tour real-world chemistry labs and meet like-minded peers.
8. Mini Medical School
Dates:
- Session 1: June 1 – 5
- Session 2: June 8 – 12
Location: University of Missouri
Application Deadline: Closed
Cost: $650
The University of Missouri School of Medicine provides this program to rising seniors with an interest in a career in medicine. The program allows participants to preview what life in medical school is like—living in residence halls, eating in dining halls, and getting hands-on experience in fields like anatomy and microbiology. Students will also engage in workshops focused on applying to medical school and unwind with social activities like pool parties and trivia nights.
9. Missouri Scholars Academy
Dates: June 8 – 28
Location: University of Missouri
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: Free
This three-week residential academy brings more than 300 exceptional rising high school juniors from across Missouri together every June. Participants engage in a specially designed curriculum featuring interdisciplinary courses and exciting extracurricular activities. Students choose a major from four academic offerings—math, science, social studies, and humanities—spending three hours a day, six days a week in its pursuit.
Program participants build valuable skills, like critical thinking and problem-solving, while enjoying an immersive academic experience and meeting other high-achieving students.
10. Missouri University Journalism Workshop
Dates: June 22 – 27
Location: University of Missouri
Application Deadline: Closed
Cost: $715
Students interested in a journalism career will want to check out this summer program from the Missouri School of Journalism. Participants in this week-long workshop will hone their writing, interviewing, and storytelling skills while learning the tools and techniques used by investigative reporters.
Students will gain hands-on experience developing their story ideas, building a portfolio of work, and becoming better journalists.
11. Advertising and Public Relations Workshop
Dates: June 22 – 27
Location: University of Missouri
Application Deadline: Closed
Cost: $715
This summer program immerses students in the world of modern advertising agencies and explores fields like copywriting, design, public relations, and project management. Participants will tackle hands-on projects while building valuable skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
By the end of the program, students will have a better understanding of the process of creating campaigns and a knowledge of the variety of roles within a modern advertising agency.
12. Hacker Tracker Cyber Security Camp
Dates: July 14 – 16
Location: University of Missouri
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $299
This action-packed summer program challenges students to conduct a network forensic investigation to capture cybercriminals. Along the way, participants learn about cybersecurity, cloud computing, and computer programming. They’ll also gain real-world experience with cyber attacks and defense through learning exercises and build skills like teamwork and public speaking.
This program is open to students in grades 6 through 12.
13. High School Summer Institutes | Creative Immersion
Dates: July 15 – 28
Location: Washington University in St. Louis
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $3,785
Washington University in St. Louis offers a creative writing and storytelling program for current high school sophomores and juniors who are passionate about their work and are looking to improve in a supportive and collaborative environment filled with peers and experts. During this two-week program, students will explore different writing genres, learn key writing techniques, and hone their skills through discussion-based activities, free writing time with innovative prompts, and sharing their work with their classmates.
14. High School Summer Institutes | Environmental Studies
Dates: July 13 – 26
Location: Washington University in St. Louis
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $3,785
Washington University in St. Louis also offers a summer program for current high school sophomores and juniors who are passionate about Environmental Science and how we can preserve our ecosystem for future generations. During this two-week program, students will discover the ecological principles that are the basis of environmental studies and sustainability.
15. High School Summer Institute | Research Development
Dates: July 6 – 19
Location: Washington University in St. Louis
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $3,785
Students in this two-week summer program will research a topic of their choice and work on and build a foundation for advanced research and writing in college. Over the course of the program, students learn about research methods, work with primary and secondary sources, and explore how to analyze, evaluate, incorporate, and document the work of others, building both research and critical thinking skills.
This program is open to current high school juniors and seniors.
16. Summer Dance Intensive
Dates: July 21 – 25
Location: Webster University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $450 (housing extra)
Webster University’s Department of Dance presents exciting on-campus summer dance intensives for intermediate and advanced dancers each summer. Our offerings include a five-day senior program for high school dancers. Students can expect to be challenged technically and artistically through a wide variety of classes taught by Webster Dance faculty and professional artists from the region.
17. Phage Camp
Dates: July 28 – August 1
Location: Webster University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $400
High schoolers in grades 9 through 12 can learn about the invisible world of phage viruses and gain hands-on research experience in this week-long summer program. Participants study phage viruses used in medicine, use a transmission electron microscope to visualize molecular structures, work alongside professors, and maybe even discover new viral species.
18. Missouri Military Academy Leadership Camp
Dates: June 29 – July 11
Location: Missouri Military Academy
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $2,600
This program is aimed at young men and seeks to help them build confidence, develop leadership skills, and unlock their full potential. Participants will take part in daily physical training, receive first-aid training, and engage in activities like rock climbing, map reading, and marksmanship while learning to work as a team and making life-long friends.
19. Rawlings Sport Business Management Summer Institute
Dates: June 9 – 14
Location: Maryville University
Application Deadline: TBA
Cost: $750
Learn to turn a passion for sports into a career in this residential summer program for students entering their junior or senior year of high school. While learning about various career paths in the field of athletics, participants will meet industry professionals from notable organizations like the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, and Rawlings Sporting Goods. They’ll also take classes and live on Maryville University’s campus, experiencing a slice of college life.
20. Earth, Wind, and Water Camp
Dates: July 6 – 10
Location: Saint Louis University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $600
Earth, Wind, and Water is a camp for high school students that focuses on learning some of the basics of Meteorology and Environmental Science! Campers will participate in numerous events and classes led by current SLU students and professors, as well as presentations and demonstrations from professionals in the National Weather Service and the WATER Institute.
No prior knowledge of any topics is required–this is a great opportunity for campers to have an introduction to Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and to learn more in-depth for those who already have some knowledge! Campers will take part in a multitude of activities, including but not limited to water analysis, weather forecasting, and environmental analysis tools.
21. Engineering Summer Academy
Dates: June 8 – 13
Location: Saint Louis University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $850
The Saint Louis University Engineering Summer Academy is a six-day, five-night residential camp where rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors can learn about the various fields and career paths in engineering. Faculty and student mentors guide academy participants through hands-on activities in aerospace and mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer and electrical engineering, and civil engineering.
Academy participants also attend off-campus excursions into the engineering industry, hear from guest speakers working in the field, and explore Saint Louis University.
22. Aviation Summer Academy
Dates: June 22 – 27
Location: Saint Louis University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $1,000
High school juniors and seniors can learn about the different careers in aviation in this six-day, five-night residential summer program. Participants engage in hands-on activities on subjects like aerial navigation, aircraft design, and air traffic control. They also take to the air, with flights in Saint Louis University airplanes with certified flight instructors.
23. Summer Scholars
Dates: June 2 – 27
Location: Saint Louis University
Application Deadline: March 21
Cost: $500
Over the course of this three-week, half-day summer program, high schoolers in grades 9 – 12 explore a variety of careers in healthcare and meet with professionals in fields including orthopedics, pediatrics, and pathology. Students will also participate in a cadaver demonstration, tour Saint Louis University’s campus, complete a research project, and perform community service.
24. BESt Healthcare Institute
Dates: June 23 – July 18
Location: Washington University in St. Louis
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: Free
Rising seniors who are underrepresented minorities living in the St. Louis region will want to check out the BESt Healthcare Institute. This four-week residential summer program aims to prepare students for careers in healthcare through lectures and site visits. Students also build their academic skills in the fields of mathematics and science, along with developing leadership skills and character.
Not only is this program free, but students can earn a stipend for their participation.
25. Audrey Walton Youth Leadership Program
Dates: June 17 – 18
Location: University of Missouri-Columbia
Application Deadline: May 1
Cost: Free
Just 30 rising high school juniors and seniors are chosen to participate in this summer program that promotes the importance of leadership, physical fitness, higher education, and a healthy lifestyle. Participants learn about leadership and how to use leadership tactics to excel in school, in extracurricular activities, and their communities.
How Do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
Some summer programs are more competitive than others, requiring letters of recommendation and standardized test scores, while other programs are open to all students within a particular grade level. Consequently, some summer programs are given more weight in college admissions than others.
The four tiers of extracurricular activities are a good way to understand how colleges value activities outside of the classroom, like summer programs. The most impressive, prestigious, rare, and influential activities are placed in the top two tiers.
Lower-tier extracurricular activities don’t hold the same sway with admissions offices, however, they are often still valuable. Less selective and esteemed programs still show off your interests to potential colleges while highlighting your desire to pursue your passions. Many field-specific activities also help build the skills you need to ace everything from the essays to interviews you’ll encounter in the college application process.
Curious how the summer program you participated in affects your odds of college admission? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors, including grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.
