In high school, summer is often seen as a break from classes, homework, and exams. But summers can also be a chance to do something far more meaningful; you can explore academic interests in depth, experience college life firsthand, and challenge yourself outside the classroom. University summer camps for high school students offer one of the most impactful ways to do this.

Imagine spending a few weeks on a real university campus, learning from professors, working in research labs, debating ideas in seminars, or collaborating with students from around the world. Whether you’re coding your first app, exploring neuroscience, writing creatively, or studying business and leadership, university summer camps give you a taste of how learning works at the college level. University Summer Camps are not just absorbing information; you’re asking questions, solving problems, and thinking independently.

Even if you already have a strong idea of what you want to study in college, a university summer camp can help you test that interest in a real academic setting. And if you’re still undecided, these programs are a great way to explore different fields, discover new passions, and gain clarity about your future.

What kinds of university summer camps for high school students are there?

Finding the right university summer camp can feel overwhelming. Some programs are purely recreational, while others may be overly rigid or lack real academic depth. That’s why it’s important to understand the different types of camps available, so you can choose one that genuinely aligns with your interests and goals.

Universities around the world offer a wide range of summer camps for high school students across disciplines such as STEM, medicine, engineering, humanities, social sciences, business, arts, and leadership. Some programs focus on hands-on research and lab work, while others emphasize seminars, group projects, or creative exploration. You might attend lectures by university faculty, work on capstone projects, tour campus facilities, and interact closely with current college students.

To make your search easier, we’ve put together a curated list of 15 University Summer Camps for High School Students. Each program on this list stands out for its academic rigor, quality of instruction, campus experience, and the value it adds to a student’s personal and academic growth.

15 University Summer Camps for High School Students

1. Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)

Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA; virtual option also available
Cost/Stipend: $3750 (online); $8950 (residential)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Residential serves 40 students; online serves 64 students
Dates: 4-week session for residential; 3-week sessions for virtual
Application Deadline: February 2nd
Eligibility: Rising 10th and 11th-grade students from around the world

At Stanford University Mathematics Camp, you’ll immerse yourself in university-level mathematical study alongside peers who share your enthusiasm for challenging concepts. The program emphasizes deep engagement with advanced topics like abstract algebra, number theory, and algebraic topology through lectures, guided research, and collaborative problem solving. This experience is built around rigorous academic inquiry, so you’ll tackle proof-based work and explore mathematical ideas.

In the residential session, you also get a taste of life on Stanford’s campus with structured social activities, field trips, and community building with participants from diverse backgrounds. Regardless of the format you choose, you’ll develop both your analytical skills and your confidence in approaching complex mathematical questions. Here’s the application link.

Why it stands out: You’ll join an intimate, competitive cohort to study advanced mathematics at a level most high school programs don’t cover.

2. Immerse Education’s Pre-University Summer School

Location: Boston, Cambridge, London, Oxford, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto
Cost/Stipend: Varies; summer school scholarship available through their bursary programme
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Average class size of 7 participants
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students worldwide aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school

Academic Insights from Immerse Education is one of the most immersive university summer camps for high school students, offering a rigorous two-week residential experience where you dive into undergraduate-level study in your chosen subject while living in a vibrant university city. You’ll attend small, interactive classes led by expert tutors drawn from top-ranked institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and others, allowing you to deepen subject knowledge through a mix of lectures, hands-on work, and seminars.

You can choose from over 20 subjects, including architecture, artificial intelligence, business management, computer science, economics, medicine, philosophy, and more. Class sizes are kept deliberately small so that you get personalised attention, one-on-one tutorials, and detailed written feedback on your performance, helping you build confidence and sharpen your academic skills. By the end of the program, you will complete a personal project and receive written feedback and a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.

Why it stands out: You’ll study advanced, university-style coursework in small groups at globally respected university locations with personalised feedback and cultural immersion. 

3. Camp Business

Location: Drexel University, LeBow College of Business, Philadelphia, PA
Cost/Stipend: $3750 (residential); $1000 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 25th – August 3rd
Application Deadline: Priority deadline May 1st
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from around the world

At Camp Business, you’ll spend a week exploring key realms of business in a lively, college-level setting that introduces you to accounting, marketing, finance, management, leadership, and teamwork through interactive sessions and experiential learning. Instructors include faculty and business professionals who blend theoretical knowledge with practical applications.

Daily workshops cover professional skills like strategy, professional image, etiquette, stock market basics, and how to read financial documents, giving you a solid foundation for future study or careers in business. By the end of the week, you’ll have a clearer view of business pathways and a certificate of completion that reflects your commitment and growth.

Why it stands out: You’ll dive into a comprehensive business curriculum on an urban university campus, gaining both academic insights and real-world skills that go beyond typical high school classes.

4. LYNX National Arts & Media Camps: University of Colorado Denver

Location: University of Colorado Denver, College of Arts & Media, Denver, CO
Cost/Stipend: Depends on program type (whether it’s commuter or residential) and on duration
Acceptance rate/cohort size:  Not specified
Dates: Varies by course
Application Deadline: Priority deadline March 15th; final deadline May 15th
Eligibility: Domestic and international high school students

LYNX National Arts & Media Camps offer you a creative summer immersed in media arts, design, and performance at CU Denver’s College of Arts & Media. You’ll choose from focused camps like 2D Animation/Illustration, Audio Production with industry tools, Comic Book Character Design, Photography, Filmmaking, Music Industry, and Visual Immersive Art.

Each track blends hands-on studio practice with instruction from faculty, guest artists, and experienced practitioners, so you grow both technically and creatively. The residential option gives you a full living-on-campus experience with meals and evening programming, while commuter options let you dive into daily instruction and creative collaboration without overnight housing. 

Why it stands out: You can explore creative and engaging tracks in arts and media with professional tools and mentorship. 

5. Penn State Architecture and Landscape Architecture Summer Camp

Location: Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Cost/Stipend: $1,100 (includes instruction, materials, housing, meals, and tours)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 12-16; July 19th – July 23rd
Application Deadline: June 16th
Eligibility: Students from all nationalities entering grade 9, as well as just-graduated seniors

At Penn State’s Architecture and Landscape Architecture Summer Camp, you’ll immerse yourself in the fundamentals of design thinking and hands-on studio practice in a supportive university environment. Over the course of a week, faculty from the Stuckeman School will guide you through activities such as freehand drawing, model making, and introductory design exercises.

You’ll tackle creative challenges that encourage spatial reasoning and critical thinking, with the chance to explore digital and traditional tools used by professionals in the built environment. Site visits and tours add context to your design learning, showing you how concepts apply in tangible, real-world settings. By the end of the week, you’ll have a stronger sense of what studying design at the college level looks and feels like.

Why it stands out: You’ll experience an authentic design studio culture with hands-on projects and mentorship from Penn State architecture faculty.

6. UIC Engineering Summer Camp

Location: University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: Cost of ~$500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Maximum of 30 students per group
Dates: July 27-31
Application Deadline: TBD; registration opens in January
Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th-grade students all around the globe

At the UIC Engineering Summer Camp, you’ll spend a week diving into engineering challenges designed around real laboratory environments. The program focuses on different engineering domains, from biomedical devices to software, environmental sustainability planning, and mechanical design, so you get a taste of how engineers create solutions. Projects are team-based and guided by UIC faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, giving you both support and space to experiment together.

Beyond technical tasks, you’ll explore how fields like robotics, nanotechnology, and autonomous vehicles intersect with careers you might pursue. By the end of the week, you’ll understand more about what engineering involves and how it might fit into your future academic or career path.

Why it stands out: You’ll get an immersive exposure to explore diverse engineering fields in small teams.

7. COSMOS — California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (UC Davis)

Location: University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Cost/Stipend: ~$5,518
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: July 5th – August 1st
Application Deadline: February 6th
Eligibility: Rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders from California

At COSMOS, one of the most intensive university summer camps for high school students in STEM, you’ll join a four-week residential experience aimed at motivated learners who want to go beyond high school coursework. The program is built around themed study tracks in areas like robotics, biomedical sciences, computer science, environmental science, and mathematics, each designed to challenge you.

You’ll live on UC Davis’ campus, attend daily academic sessions, and participate in evening events and weekend field trips that help you build friendships and broaden your perspectives on science and math. In addition to formal coursework, you’ll hone communication skills and scientific reasoning in smaller seminar-style components and work on research projects or experiments that push you to think like a scientist or engineer. 

Why it stands out: You get a month of immersive, college-level STEM study alongside other talented students, guided by university faculty in labs and discussions. 

8. University of Arizona Summer Engineering Academy (SEA) Camps

Location: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Cost/Stipend: Residential camps are $750, while commuter camps are $350
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple week-long sessions during the summer; four-day and full-week options available
Application Deadline: Registration open from March 2nd through June 30th, or until space is filled
Eligibility: Rising 9th through 12th graders from around the world

At the University of Arizona’s Summer Engineering Academy, you’ll be exploring engineering topics through hands-on design projects, teamwork challenges, and immersive lab activities guided by faculty and current engineering students. Options focus on specific themes such as energy systems, semiconductors, or environmental engineering.

You’ll tackle real problems with creative tools, whether that’s designing circuits, planning sustainable systems, or working with optics and electronics. The program emphasizes not just technical skills but also communication, leadership, and collaboration, helping you grow as a thinker and a future engineer. With the flexibility to join themed weeks that align with your interests, you can customize your summer experience while discovering potential career paths. 

Why it stands out: You can mix and match themed sessions or a full residential experience to explore multiple engineering fields while experiencing college life. 

9. Entrepreneurship Summer Camp

Location: Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Cost/Stipend: $100 (includes lunches, field trips, guest entrepreneur talks, and a camp t-shirt)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 8th – June 12th
Application Deadline: Applications will open mid-February; deadline typically in early May
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors worldwide

At the Entrepreneurship Summer Camp hosted by Florida State University’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, you’ll spend a week learning how business ideas become real ventures alongside other aspiring young innovators. The program throws open the doors to entrepreneurial thinking by mixing classroom sessions with real-world experiences like field trips to the FSU Innovation Hub and conversations with local business founders.

Each day includes interactive teamwork, guided brainstorming, and hands-on sessions where you and your peers build and refine business concepts. You’ll get the chance to pitch your own startup idea at the end of the week, helping you polish your communication skills and confidence in public presentations. By the time the week wraps up, you’ll have a clearer understanding of what it takes to launch a business and how entrepreneurs think through challenges and opportunities.

Why it stands out: You’ll gain practical entrepreneurship experience and insight from real founders while developing and pitching your own business idea in a supportive setting.

10. SDSU Robotics Camp

Location: San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free for participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 14-21
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Students worldwide entering 8th through 12th grade

At the SDSU Robotics Camp, you’ll dive into hands-on STEM learning focused on robotics, coding, and cutting-edge technologies. This experience introduces you to programming with languages like Scratch and Python, offers practice with MBot Mega robots, and lets you explore drone flying and programming in a structured yet fun environment.

You’ll work in teams on real design challenges, visit university engineering labs, and hear from guest speakers who bring industry and research perspectives into the classroom. The camp blends technical instruction with creative problem-solving, helping you level up in robotics while also developing teamwork and presentation skills. 

Why it stands out: You get a fully funded robotics and coding experience on a university campus that builds both practical skills and confidence in STEM exploration.

11. Architecture in the City: University of Colorado Denver

Location: University of Colorado Denver, College of Architecture and Planning, Denver, CO
Cost/Stipend: Varies for One-Day Workshop, Day Camp, and Overnight Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size:
Dates: One-Day Workshop: January 10th; Day Camp: June 8th – June 12th; Overnight Camp: June 20th – June 27th
Application Deadline: Scholarship deadline February 1; general admission timelines vary
Eligibility: All students entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school during the fall of the program year

In Architecture in the City, you get to explore the built environment through hands-on design projects that mix technical skill with creative thinking. This summer experience starts with sketching and model building, then expands into digital design and collaborative studio work that reflects real architectural practice. Faculty members, licensed architects, and teaching assistants guide you as you tackle interdisciplinary challenges in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and planning.

The day camp gives you a focused taste of design fundamentals, while the overnight option adds more engaging workshops, social excursions, and a residential campus experience. You’ll also visit local firms and project sites, which helps you see how professionals think through problems in real cities. 

Why it stands out: You’ll experience both design fundamentals and real-world architectural practice with multiple duration options.

12. Aggie STEM Summer Camp (Texas A&M University)

Location: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Cost/Stipend: Tuition for high school camp is $1699
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple one-week sessions throughout late May to late June
Application Deadline: Registration closes April 25th
Eligibility: Students around the world entering 6th through 12th grade in the fall of the program year

At Aggie STEM Summer Camp, you’ll spend a full week on the Texas A&M campus immersed in project-based STEM learning that blends creativity and collaboration with real problem-solving. The curriculum varies each session but always centers on authentic engineering design challenges, advanced technology exploration, and scientific applications guided by college faculty and experienced STEM professionals.

You’ll live in residence halls, share meals, and connect with peers who are equally curious and motivated, giving you a taste of what university life feels like when learning extends beyond classrooms. Beyond academics, the camp encourages leadership, communication skills, and long-term thinking about future courses and careers in science and engineering.

Why it stands out: One-week STEM experience tailored to your age group, with rich project-based learning and a true feel of college life.

13. Summer Marine Biology Camp: Roger Williams University

Location:  Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI
Cost/Stipend: $2,195
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited to about 18 students per session
Dates: Multiple one-week sessions
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors worldwide

If you’re fascinated by the ocean and coastal science, Roger Williams University’s Summer Marine Biology Camp puts you right into the field and lab where marine ecosystems come alive. Over a week on Rhode Island’s scenic coast, you’ll dive into hands-on studies of coastal food webs, plant and animal ecology, and the productivity of marine environments.

Guided by faculty, resident assistants, and expert guest scientists, you’ll learn oceanographic sampling techniques, explore bay habitats by kayak, snorkel tidal pools, and even go whale watching off Cape Cod. Guest seminars introduce current topics, ranging from marine conservation to aquaculture, broadening your understanding of the discipline beyond the basics. 

Why it stands out: This program is an exciting opportunity if you’re interested in studying marine science in college and enjoy being in the water and discovering what’s in it. 

14. STEM Academy High School Summer Camps (Oregon State University)

Location:  Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost/Stipend: Varies by camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple week-long sessions in June and July
Application Deadline: Registration opens March 2nd at noon; individual camp deadlines vary
Eligibility: Domestic and international high school students

At Oregon State University’s STEM Academy High School Summer Camps, you choose from a diverse menu of week-long camps. These project-oriented courses allow you to explore science, technology, engineering, and creative design in settings that range from computer graphics to cybersecurity and environmental science.

Options include hands-on “Blender” animation and 3D modeling, toxicology labs, a color innovation workshop tying design, and a cybersecurity camp that introduces you to digital forensics and network defense skills. Sessions include expert instruction, small group work, and opportunities to collaborate with peers who share your interests. Whether you’re just curious or considering a future STEM major, these camps help turn abstract ideas into practical experience.

Why it stands out: You get a flexible, low-barrier way to explore cutting-edge topics in STEM with hands-on projects and supportive instructors.

15. Exploring Your Options (EYO) Camp: WYSE Grainger Engineering Summer Camps

Location: Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL
Cost/Stipend: $1500 (residential); $750 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates:  One-week sessions during the summer
Application Deadline: TBA; rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students from around the globe

Exploring Your Options (EYO) invites you to spend a week sampling the options of engineering disciplines at one of the nation’s top engineering schools. The camp weaves together hands-on activities designed by the faculty, interactive lab tours, and teamwork projects. The camps will introduce you to fields like aerospace, bioengineering, computer science, and nuclear engineering.

You’ll work alongside other students who are curious about how engineers solve big problems and design the technologies that shape our world. Instruction balances theory with real making: you might build prototypes one day and analyze data the next, all while faculty and current engineering students guide your learning. EYO is both exploratory and inspiring, making it ideal for anyone who isn’t yet sure which branch of engineering excites them most.

Why it stands out: You’ll explore a wide array of engineering fields in one week with faculty-led hands-on projects.

How Summer Camps Shape University Readiness

Preparing for university involves more than grades; it means understanding independent study, academic expectations, and campus culture before applications, interviews, and course choices begin early.

Experiencing university-style learning early helps you practise time management, collaboration, critical thinking, and self-direction while testing interests in realistic academic environments on campus.

Through these university summer camps for high school students, you attend lectures, work in labs, engage in seminars, and learn how universities expect students to participate.

To continue preparing with clarity, explore our University Preparation blogs for guidance, planning strategies, and insights that support confident applications and a smoother transition ahead.