As a high school student interested in artificial intelligence, the field can feel both exciting and difficult to navigate. You might wonder what AI actually involves beyond chatbots and headlines. In reality, artificial intelligence combines programming, mathematics, data analysis, and problem-solving to build systems that can recognise patterns, make predictions, and automate tasks, which is why AI Summer Programs for High School Students in 2026 can be a useful way to explore the subject in depth.

Picture yourself building machine learning models, analysing datasets, learning Python from university instructors, or working on AI projects alongside students from around the world. By spending your summer studying AI, you’ll gain hands-on experience with coding, data science, and emerging technologies while getting a taste of university-level academics.

AI summer programmes in 2026 can act as a foundation for your college journey, giving you a direct look at what studying computer science, artificial intelligence, or data science is like in a university setting.

Why choose to do an AI summer program in 2026?

In 2026, artificial intelligence has officially shifted from a futuristic novelty to a baseline expectation across almost every career path, from medicine and finance to art and engineering, meaning an AI summer program isn’t just for hardcore coders anymore. 

Stepping into a quality program now gives you hands-on experience with the exact tools professionals use to build real, portfolio-ready products. You’ll move past casual prompting to learn advanced system design, ethical problem-solving, and how to actually leverage models to tackle real-world issues. 

To help you choose, we’ve drawn up a list of the 15 best AI summer programs for high school students in 2026. They’ve been selected for their academic depth, hands-on learning opportunities, and strong reputations.

For related opportunities, consider the online AI program.

Key Takeaways

• Costs range from free, as with Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars and the UChicago Data Science Institute Summer Lab, to $9,800 for Stanford AI4ALL’s residential session.
• Several free programs are restricted to specific US regions, including Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars and Meta Summer Academy, which only accepts residents of specific California communities.
• Program length ranges from one week, as with Georgetown’s Artificial Intelligence Academy, to eight weeks, as with MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute and the UChicago Data Science Institute Summer Lab.
• Several programs award transferable college credit, including NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program and Cornell Tech’s Summer Innovation Intensives.
• Stanford AI4ALL stands out for its accessibility to younger students, admitting 9th graders and keeping admission open globally regardless of prior AI experience.
• Most paid university programs welcome international students, while some free, US-funded options, including Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars and Meta Summer Academy, are restricted to US residents.
• Immerse Education’s Artificial Intelligence Summer School is one of the few options open to students worldwide aged 13 to 18, combining university-style lectures with 1:1 tutor sessions and a personal project.

15 AI Summer Programs for High School Students in 2026

1. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)

Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: $2,400 for families with income > $200,001; no tuition cost for qualifying families (< $200,000 income; verification required after acceptance); housing not provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; limited seats per course
Dates: July 6th – August 2nd
Application Deadline: March 30th
Eligibility: U.S. residents attending high school in the United States; Entering 9th-11th grade (not open to current seniors or college students); Must reside in the U.S. during the program; open to international students

In this program, you can choose from rigorous tracks such as Autonomous RACECAR, Autonomous Air Vehicle Racing, Serious Games and Artificial Intelligence, CogWorks (Natural Language Processing), and Medlytics, depending on your interests and preparation. You spend much of the program building systems, writing code, testing algorithms, and solving technical challenges in teams. The curriculum is designed to connect concepts from mathematics, computer science, machine learning, and engineering with real-world applications.

You also complete intensive prerequisite coursework before the summer begins, helping you arrive with the foundational knowledge needed for project-based learning. By the end of the program, you gain firsthand experience with the pace, expectations, and collaborative problem-solving approach commonly found in MIT-level STEM education.

Why it stands out: You work on advanced AI and autonomous systems projects in a fully funded, highly selective program that closely mirrors the technical rigor of university engineering and computer science coursework.

2. Immerse Education’s Artificial Intelligence Summer School

Location: Oxford
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Application Deadline: Multiple cohorts with rolling admissions.
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students worldwide aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school; open to international students

The Academic Insights Program provides school students with an opportunity to take undergraduate-level classes at universities around the world. Participants work with academics from universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard in classes of 4-10 students. They attend university-style lectures and 1:1 weekly sessions with their tutor.

The program includes exploring machine learning, neural networks, and AI ethics through hands-on coding projects, team challenges, and simulations led by Oxford and Cambridge tutors. 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: It gives you structured, project-based AI training with expert mentorship, helping you build real machine learning and ethical AI understanding early.

3. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship

Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400 + $45 application fee; limited need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~50 students per year
Dates: Session A: June 15-26; Session B: July 6-17
Application Deadline: February 20th
Eligibility: Applicants must be current U.S. high school students entering grades 9-12 in Fall; reside in the U.S. for the duration of the program; at least 14 years old by the start date; not be open to international students

The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship gives this list of AI summer programs for high school students in 2026 a strong healthcare-focused option, with a two-week virtual format centred on artificial intelligence in medicine and medical imaging. You attend technical sessions on how AI is developed, evaluated, and applied to healthcare problems, with an emphasis on responsible and ethical use.

You work in small project teams, receive guidance from Stanford AIMI mentors, and may meet outside scheduled hours to collaborate on your research project. Students who meet attendance and participation requirements receive a Certificate of Completion from Stanford AIMI.

Why it stands out: You explore medical AI through a structured Stanford program that combines technical instruction, research mentorship, and health-focused project work.

4. NYU Tandon Machine Learning Summer Program

Location: New York University (NYU), New York City, New York (in-person) and Online
Cost: $3,180 + $50 materials fee; optional housing and meal plans are an additional cost
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; maximum of 24 students per class
Dates: Session 1: June 15-27; Session 2: July 6-17; Session 3: July 20-31
Application Deadline: Session 1: April 17th; Sessions 2 & 3: May 1st
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9, 10, or 11. Applicants must be at least 14 years old (15 for housing), have completed Algebra 2 or equivalent, and have some prior programming experience; open to international students

In this program, you learn how machine learning systems identify patterns in data, make predictions, and improve performance through experience, while exploring the mathematical and computational foundations behind these methods. The course introduces concepts such as supervised learning, model evaluation, classification, regression, and algorithmic decision-making through university-level coursework and assignments.

You attend classes alongside other pre-college students and are expected to complete coursework, projects, and assessments that reflect college academic standards. Students who complete the course earn transferable college credit, which can support future study in AI, data science, or computer science.

Why it stands out: You study machine learning as an actual NYU undergraduate course, earning college credit while experiencing university-level AI coursework before applying to college.

5. Carnegie Mellon University AI Scholars

Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; small, selective group
Dates: June 20th – July 18th
Application Deadline: February 1st
Eligibility: Students must be in 11th grade at the time of application; at least 16 years old by the program start date; U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a current green card; not open to international students

In this program, you study core AI and computing concepts through college-level coursework taught by CMU faculty, staff, and researchers. The program includes a virtual pre-program Python course, so prior coding experience is not required, though you should have a strong interest in exploring AI.

You also work on group research projects, attend faculty lectures, participate in college preparation seminars, and visit technology companies through program-related field trips. The residential format also gives you exposure to campus life, mentoring, and the expectations of studying technology at a leading university.

Why it stands out: You gain fully funded AI learning, mentorship, research exposure, and residential college experience at Carnegie Mellon, one of the strongest universities for computer science and AI.

6. Georgetown University – Artificial Intelligence Academy

Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost: Residential tuition and meals: $3,725; commuter tuition: $3,095; limited need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly available
Dates: June 7-13
Application Deadline: May 15th; rolling admissions until seats are filled
Eligibility: Current 8th – 12th grade students in good academic standing (minimum 2.0 GPA); open to international students

Among the more policy-aware AI summer programs for high school students in 2026, Georgetown’s Artificial Intelligence Academy introduces you to AI through both technical and social perspectives. You explore the science of AI, ethical AI, global regulation, and the geopolitics of artificial intelligence through lectures, guest speakers, guided discussions, and experiential learning activities.

You also examine issues such as bias, transparency, privacy, security, accountability, and responsible innovation. By the end of the program, you will have developed a clearer understanding of how AI is used across professional contexts and how it is shaped by governance and ethical decision-making.

Why it stands out: You study AI as both a technical and policy issue, combining hands-on AI activities with ethics, governance, and real-world case discussions.

7. Oxford AI and Machine Learning Pioneers Summer School

Location: Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Cost: £8,995
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small cohort sizes
Dates: July 19th – August 1st
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 15-18; have B2-level English proficiency; open to international students

Oxford Saïd’s AI and Machine Learning Pioneers Summer School is a two-week residential programme for students interested in AI, machine learning, data, and innovation. You explore topics such as generative AI, machine learning, neural networks, data analysis, and the wider impact of AI across industries.

The programme combines academic sessions with applied activities, helping you understand both the technical and strategic sides of AI. Because it is hosted at Saïd Business School, the course also connects AI with leadership, entrepreneurship, and decision-making in real-world contexts. You study in Oxford while experiencing university-style learning and working with peers from different countries.

Why it stands out: You study AI and machine learning in an Oxford business school environment, connecting technical concepts with leadership, innovation, and industry applications.

8. UCLA CSSI – Generative AI Track 

Location: UCLA campus, Los Angeles, California (in-person)
Cost: $3,150 total for the Certificate of Completion program (domestic and international, plus health insurance for international students); Course Credit program totals $3,821 for domestic students and $4,846 for international students; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Session B3: July 13-31
Application Deadline: June 1st
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 through 12; minimum 3.5 GPA; minimum 15 years of age by June 22nd, with no exception; open to international students

This course has been adapted from UCLA CSSI’s CS146 Machine Learning and CS162 Natural Language Processing courses and extended to cover emerging topics in generative modeling. Each morning, you attend lectures on foundational algorithms, and each afternoon, you work through group discussions that reinforce the concepts.

You study neural networks, representation learning, and large language models, learning how generative systems train on large-scale data to produce coherent, structured outputs. Through homework assignments spanning theoretical foundations and practical applications, you build and experiment with your own generative models across tasks like language generation, mathematical reasoning, and multimodal generation.

Why it stands out: It lets high school students build real generative models on a top research campus before college.

9. Duke Pre-College Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Location: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Cost: Residential program fee: $6,050; limited scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly available
Dates: July 13-24
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until seats are filled
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 9-12; have completed at least one year of high school and are at least 14 years old by the session’s start date; open to international students

Duke Pre-College’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course introduces you to AI through university-style learning on Duke’s campus. You explore how AI systems are designed, trained, and applied while discussing the social and ethical questions that come with emerging technologies. The course combines lectures, discussions, and applied activities that help you understand AI beyond headlines and simple tools.

You also experience residential college life, interact with peers from different backgrounds, and study in a structured academic setting. Because the program is hosted through Duke Pre-College, it gives you a clearer sense of how computer science and AI topics are approached at the university level.

Why it stands out: You study AI on Duke’s campus while gaining exposure to university-style coursework and residential student life.

10. Stanford University – AI4ALL

Location: Online, or residential on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, California
Cost: $4,120 online tuition / $9,800 residential tuition; need-based financial aid available to both domestic and international participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited cohort sizes
Dates: Online: June 15-26; Residential: July 19-31
Application Deadline: February 6th
Eligibility: Students enrolled in grade 9 at the time of application submission; aged over 14 and under 16 during the program dates; open to international students

In this program, you attend lectures with Stanford faculty in computer science and AI, watch live demos from AI companies, and join a small-group research project in one of four areas: Computer Vision, Medical AI, Natural Language Processing, or Robotics.

Guided by graduate-student and postdoc mentors, you work through the lifecycle of an AI project, from preparing data to training and evaluating models. You also take part in career development workshops and mentorship aimed at building confidence to pursue STEM fields. Throughout, you collaborate with peers worldwide who share your interest in AI’s social impact.

Why it stands out: It places ninth-grade beginners alongside Stanford AI Lab researchers on hands-on research projects in fields like Computer Vision and Medical AI, while keeping admission open to students around the globe regardless of prior experience.

11. Cornell Tech – Summer Innovation Intensives 

Location: Cornell Tech, New York, NY
Cost: $6,500 + $45 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 13-30
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students aged 15-19 years old and completed sophomore year of high school by July 13th; precalculus required for the Engineering Operations track; residence in the NYC metropolitan area; not open to international students

In this program, you spend three weeks on Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island campus exploring how artificial intelligence is built and how it shapes society. Each morning, you focus on one track, from Engineering Operations, Interacting with AI, or Ethical Vibe Coding, and each afternoon, you join the Future Builders Studio.

Depending on your track, you crunch datasets and study the algorithms behind tools like route-finding and ride-matching, examine how AI shapes human psychology and communication, or learn to “vibe code” working applications while testing them for bias. Guided by faculty and mentors, you move from research to prototyping and storytelling, then pitch an AI-powered solution at a final showcase. You earn two Cornell University credits on completion.

Why it stands out: It pairs an Ivy League campus and two transferable Cornell University credits with hands-on AI building across data science, human-AI interaction, and ethical coding, culminating in a faculty-guided project showcase open to students with no coding background.

12. University of Toronto DEEP Summer Academy

Location: University of Toronto St. George Campus, Toronto, Canada
Cost: Domestic students: CAD $732 per week; international students: CAD $1,111 per week + $50 application fee; discounts are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 400-500 students per summer
Dates: Session A: July 6-10; Session B: July 13-17; Session C: July 20-24; Session D: July 27-31; Session E: August 10-14
Application Deadline: Round 1: March 23rd; Round 2: April 13th
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12; grades 9/10: completed grade 9 math and science courses by June; grades 11/12: completed grade 11 math and science courses by June; open to international students

In this program, you choose from week-long courses that cover areas such as engineering design, robotics, biotechnology, computer science, artificial intelligence, and applied science, depending on the year’s offerings. The program emphasizes hands-on learning through lectures, labs, projects, and problem-solving activities. You also learn from university instructors and interact with peers who are interested in STEM pathways.

Because DEEP is hosted on U of T’s St. George campus, you gain exposure to university-style academics and the expectations of studying technical subjects at a leading research institution. This can help you understand whether engineering, AI, computer science, or another STEM field fits your future college plans.

Why it stands out: You can explore advanced STEM and engineering topics through hands-on, week-long courses at one of Canada’s leading universities.

13. UChicago Data Science Institute (DSI) Summer Lab

Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Cost/Stipend: No cost / $5,600 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~20-25 students total
Dates: June 15th – August 7th
Application Deadline: January 12th
Eligibility: Chicago-area high school students and undergraduate students; high school applicants must live and attend school in the Chicago area; international students may apply only if they can provide U.S. work authorization documentation

For students interested in research-based AI summer programs for high school students in 2026, the University of Chicago Data Science Institute Summer Lab offers eight weeks of paid work with data science mentors across applied research areas. You may contribute to projects in domains such as computer science, data science, biomedical research, climate and energy policy, public policy, materials science, or social science.

The program focuses on research methods, teamwork, data analysis, and communicating findings rather than classroom instruction alone. You receive specialized training related to your lab’s research area and present your work through a final video at an end-of-summer symposium. This program is a strong fit if you are interested in AI, machine learning, or data science pathways.

Why it stands out: You gain paid, mentored data science research experience while contributing to applied projects at the University of Chicago.

14. Meta Summer Academy

Location: Meta offices, Menlo Park, California
Cost/Stipend: No cost / Stipend paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; roughly 150 students annually
Dates: June 15th – July 24th
Application Deadline: February 14th
Eligibility: High school sophomores at the time of application who are full-year residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City and have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA; not open to international students

Meta Summer Academy is a six-week program that introduces you to technology careers through work experience inside Meta’s professional environment. You learn about the day-to-day operations of a major technology company while developing coding, career exploration, and workplace skills. The program is structured around 30 hours per week of participation, giving you sustained exposure to how teams operate in the tech industry.

You also build soft skills that are useful for future academic and career pathways, including communication, collaboration, and professional readiness. Because the program focuses on early career exploration in technology, it can help you understand whether computer science, AI-adjacent roles, software, or product-focused pathways fit your long-term interests.

Why it stands out: You gain paid exposure to a major technology company while developing coding, professional, and career-readiness skills.

15. Syracuse Univrsity – Build Your Future with Generative AI Summer Institute

Location: Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
Cost: Residential: $4,995; commuter: $4,024; discounts and scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not publicly available
Dates: July 5-17
Application Deadline: May 1st
Eligibility: Non-credit: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors; Credit: Rising juniors or seniors; minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale; at least 15 years old by the program start date; open to international students

Syracuse University’s Build Your Future with Generative AI Summer Institute is an on-campus, noncredit pre-college course focused on generative AI. You study artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural networks, and generative models while learning how these systems create content such as stories, music, programs, websites, and games.

The course combines lectures, hands-on workshops, and team-based projects, helping you apply AI tools to creative and technical challenges. You also examine the ethical, social, and cultural implications of generative AI, including transparency, bias reduction, and responsible use. Students who complete the course receive a Certificate of Completion and may request a Syracuse University noncredit transcript.

Why it stands out: You explore generative AI through hands-on projects while experiencing an on-campus pre-college environment at Syracuse University.

Frequently Asked Questions: AI Summer Programs for High School Students in 2026

What is an AI summer program for high school students?

An AI summer program introduces students to how artificial intelligence systems are designed, trained, and applied across fields like healthcare, robotics, and natural language processing. Programs typically combine lectures, coding workshops, and group research projects, often hosted at universities such as MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon. Most run between one week and eight weeks. Many conclude with a capstone project, research paper, or final showcase.

Do I need coding experience to apply?

It depends on the program. NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program requires some prior programming experience, while Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars includes a pre-program Python course so no prior coding is required. Immerse Education’s Artificial Intelligence Summer School is similarly built to introduce machine learning and AI ethics concepts from the ground up, with no prior experience expected.

How much do AI programs cost in 2026?

Costs range from free to $9,800 for Stanford AI4ALL’s residential session. Free options include Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars and the UChicago Data Science Institute Summer Lab, both of which have regional eligibility restrictions. Immerse Education’s Artificial Intelligence Summer School offers bursary support that can help reduce costs for eligible students.

Can international students attend these programs?

Eligibility varies considerably. Programs like NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program, Oxford’s AI and Machine Learning Pioneers Summer School, and Stanford AI4ALL are open to international students. Several free, US-funded programs, including Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars and Meta Summer Academy, are restricted to US citizens or permanent residents. Immerse Education’s Artificial Intelligence Summer School is open to students worldwide aged 13 to 18.

What age do I need to be to apply?

Age requirements vary by program, generally falling between 13 and 19. Stanford AI4ALL specifically targets 9th graders aged 14 to 15, while Immerse Education’s Artificial Intelligence Summer School accepts a broader range of students aged 13 to 18 from anywhere in the world.

Will I earn college credit for completing an AI program?

Some programs offer real, transferable credit, though most do not. NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program and Cornell Tech’s Summer Innovation Intensives both award college credit upon completion. Programs like Immerse Education’s Artificial Intelligence Summer School instead provide a personal project, written feedback, and a certificate of completion.

How do AI programs help with college applications?

Participating in an AI summer program shows admissions officers initiative and engagement with a fast-growing field. Research-focused options like Stanford AI4ALL have students work through the full lifecycle of an AI project, giving them concrete technical experience to discuss. Immerse Education’s Artificial Intelligence Summer School provides a completed personal project and detailed written feedback that students can reference directly in personal statements and interviews.

How Emerging Tech Changes Student Learning

Emerging technology is changing how you learn, practise, and solve problems, especially in fields shaped by data, coding, automation, and design.

The 15 AI summer programs for high school students in 2026 featured here show you how machine learning, ethics, healthcare AI, robotics, and generative tools work in practice.

Through projects, simulations, research, and mentorship, you can move from simply using AI tools to understanding how they are built and applied.

Want sharper insight into the future of teaching, learning, and edtech? Explore our Educational Innovation blogs for trends, strategies, and ideas shaping education today.