Top 15 Summer Programs for High School Students in California
Summer programs are an excellent way for high school students to gain hands-on experience in a field that they are interested in, to get a taste of college life, and to expand their horizons. California has a wealth of summer programs available for high school students, from science and engineering to the arts and humanities. We have compiled a list of the top 15 summer programs for high school students in California that offer a wide range of opportunities.
15 Summer Programs for High School Students in California
1. California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS)
Limited to California high school students, COSMOS offers high schoolers the opportunity to work with renowned faculty, researchers, and scientists in state-of-the-art facilities while exploring advanced STEM topics far beyond the courses usually offered in California high schools. Students apply to one of the four University of California’s COSMOS campuses — UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz. While each campus employs the best practices in STEM education, each program's curriculum builds on its faculty and host campus's unique teaching and research expertise.
The AI Scholars program at Inspirit AI emphasizes thoughtful application of artificial intelligence to interdisciplinary projects through project-based learning and mentorship by AI professionals and university affiliates. Instructors hail from a wide range of top-flight universities including Stanford, Harvard, and MIT, and possess strong teaching backgrounds as well as experience in specialized fields like business, medicine, engineering and the arts. The program includes 25 hours of synchronous online instruction with a large selection of program dates/times to accommodate students with busy schedules. Participants in the scholars program enjoy the benefits of a 5:1 student-to-instructor ratio, collaborative work environment, access to top university researchers, and plenty of continuing education opportunities.
3. California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA)
The California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) is a rigorous pre-professional training program in the visual and performing arts, creative writing, animation, music, theater and film for talented artists of high school age. CSSSA provides a supportive environment in which students hone acquired skills and explore new techniques and ideas for an intense and exciting learning experience. Students may receive 3 units of California State University elective credit for successful participation. Visit the link above for more information on the individual programs offered by CSSSA.
4. UC Berkeley Pre-College Scholars
To accommodate students all across the state of California, UC Berkeley offers residential, commuter, and virtual programs. Pre-College Scholars participants will get the opportunity to earn college credit while experiencing university life to the fullest with other students from across the United States and around the world. During the summer, students will take two courses offered through Berkeley Summer Sessions and have the option to participate in extracurricular activities, excursions, and an exploratory workshop series delivered by skilled admissions professionals.
For high school students who want to take college courses and experience college life, Stanford University offers a four-week program with residential and commuter options with over 100 course topics from which to select. Disciplines covered include anthropology, art, chemistry, engineering, computer science, and many more. Besides the opportunity to learn from world-renowned faculty, the program also allows students to explore their academic interests and earn college credit in the process.
6. UC Davis Young Scholars Program
The UC Davis Young Scholars Program is a summer residential research program designed to expose approximately 40 high achieving high school students to the world of original research within the fields of the biological, agricultural, environmental and natural sciences. Participants in the UC Davis Young Scholars Program will work one-on-one with research faculty and research groups in state of the art laboratories for six weeks. Each student will work on an individual project and prepare a journal quality paper and symposium presentation about their work. In addition to scientific research, the UC Davis Young Scholars Program strives to introduce participants to the climate and culture of living and learning on a university campus. Staff make every effort to model the experiences that participants will have during their first years of college.
7. Camp SEA Lab
A partner of California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), the Science, Education, and Adventure (SEA) Lab seeks to foster lifelong excitement, scientific understanding, and stewardship of the coasts and ocean by providing quality marine oriented programs. One of these programs allows high schoolers to embark on week-long boating expeditions in which they will participate in studies of plankton and marine mammal studies, oceanography sampling, and marine debris and conservation topics, among other activities. During these 5-day sea-going adventures, under the guidance of a professional captain and crew, students will be challenged to become a team by learning to sail a traditional ship on a voyage to the sea.
8. USC Summer Programs for High School Students
USC Summer Programs’ courses are taught by USC faculty and experienced professionals of the USC academic community. Participating faculty create an engaging academic experience by combining lectures, hands-on workshops and labs, and guest speakers. Each course is designed to be more interactive, engaging and challenging than accelerated high school classes or the broad introductory courses offered by other summer pre-collegiate programs. As a “Summer Trojan,” high schoolers balance academic and campus life as they prepare for college—and earn college credit. Areas of study include business, engineering, journalism and pre-health.
9. UC Santa Barbara Summer Research Academies
UC Santa Barbara's Summer Research Academies offer a dynamic summer experience that introduces qualified high school students to the research enterprise through project-based, directed research in STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences fields. Students will take a 4-unit university course in which they choose and develop a research topic specific to the track they select, under the direction of an instructor who is conducting active research in that field. Students will develop academic and professional skills by presenting their research findings in a capstone seminar, networking with peers, and experiencing university life in a challenging environment. The lecture series will connect students to some of the best minds among the UC Santa Barbara research community as they present on their ground-breaking research and innovative technology.
10. UCSB Research Mentorship Program
Students participating in the Research Mentorship Program are actively engaged in the pursuit of new knowledge alongside UC Santa Barbara researchers. Depending on the nature of their project, students will dedicate 30 to 40 hours a week to research. The program allows students to be exposed to a wide variety of interdisciplinary research topics, and then rank a selection of projects that they would prefer to work on. Students will be paired with a project and a research mentor (graduate student, postdoc, or faculty) to conduct hands-on, university-level research. Previous projects in 2022 included research on machine learning, blockchain, and neural networks.
11. California College of the Arts Pre-College Program
At CCA’s Pre-College Program, high schoolers join a diverse group of creative thinkers and makers who share their passion for art and design. The program is open to all interested participants, those with little art and design experience and those with advanced skills. High school students with an interest in the arts will have the opportunity to take studio-focused, college-level courses to help push beyond concepts to portfolio-ready pieces while earning 3 college credits. CCA offers residential and commuter options (4 weeks) as well as virtual instruction (5 weeks), with the in-person program taught at the CCA San Francisco campus.
12. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) - UC Santa Cruz & Loyola Marymount
Though run by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, CTY hosts residential programs on the campuses of UCSC in Santa Cruz and LMU in Los Angeles with expansive course catalogs. Chemistry, cognitive psychology, electrical engineering, marine ecology, and game theory are all available listings at one or both sites. Participants in CTY also benefit from a three-week experience of campus life including extracurricular exploration and deeper dives into course content.
13. Idyllwild Arts Summer Teen Programs
Idyllwild Arts High School Intensives and Workshops provide focused, practical, hands-on experiences for students interested in the arts. In a supportive and creative environment, students immerse themselves completely in their chosen craft (e.g. fiction, filmmaking, ballet, fashion design, ceramics). High School programs nurture passion and talent, and help channel the creative spirit into a foundation for continued study. Instructors successfully work with students of all levels of ability and experience while emphasizing educational values, personal values, and achievement. Students will be challenged to improve and build skill and confidence.
14. Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY)
Every year, 50 high-school students from around the globe spend two weeks learning at B-BAY, where they learn from Berkeley Haas Business School professors and corporate guest speakers and immerse themselves in the culture and life at Berkeley. This college prep business program is tailored to help students explore a variety of business subjects through an interactive curriculum and learn how to write a business plan and turn their ideas into a business. Course topics include accounting, game theory and negotiations, marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship.
15. UCLA Summer Programs for High School Students
UCLA hosts a wide range of residential programs for motivated high school students including the Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP) and Pre-College Summer Institutes. In the former, high schoolers take 1-2 UCLA courses alongside UCLA undergraduates and receive exclusive access to co-curricular enhancements that foster academic growth and college readiness. The Pre-college Summer Institutes provide motivated and driven high school students with the opportunity to earn college credit in one to three weeks while advancing their academic career and abilities in an area of study of their interest.
Summer programs offer high school students an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a field that they are interested in, to get a taste of college life, and to expand their horizons. California has a wealth of summer programs available for high school students, from science and engineering to the arts and humanities. We hope that this list of the top 15 summer programs for high school students in California has provided you with a starting point for your search for the perfect program to fit your interests and needs. Whether you are interested in STEM fields, the arts, business, or any other academic subject, there is a summer program out there for you!
