15 Online English Courses for High School Students

TL;DR

This roundup features 15 online courses in reading, writing, and literary analysis that you can take as a high schooler, from credit-bearing university seminars to short creative writing workshops led by published authors. Some meet live each week while others are self-paced, and costs span from $295 at Iowa's Belin-Blank Center to over $4,000 at Harvard's Secondary School Program. Most welcome you whether you're in grade 8 or grade 12, including if you're applying from outside the US. Among the options is Immerse Education's English Online Research Programme, open to students aged 13 to 18 worldwide with bursary support for eligible applicants.

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If you love reading and writing, studying English online can open up more than your school syllabus allows. You can take apart a novel, build an argument, shape a poem, or learn how an essay earns a reader's trust. Online English courses for high school students let you do this from your own desk, at a pace that fits your week. 

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Picture yourself workshopping a short story with a published author, or trading feedback on a classmate's draft in a small virtual seminar. You get to test ideas, find your voice, and see how writers actually work. Along the way, you pick up skills that carry into college essays, research papers, and any subject that rewards clear thinking. Some courses even end with a finished piece you can be proud of.

What are some more advantages of online English courses for high school students?

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As mentioned before, the best part of learning online is the reach. You can study with faculty and mentors from leading universities and literary journals without leaving home, wherever you are in the world. Many programs welcome international students, and several offer scholarships or sliding-scale fees so cost does not have to hold you back. 

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Online English courses for high school students come in many shapes, from credit-bearing university seminars to poetry workshops and editing apprenticeships. Some are self-paced, and others meet live each week. If you’re considering studying english at university, you need to figure out if that is the right path for you.

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To help you find the right fit, we have gathered the top 15 online English courses for high school students, chosen for the quality of their teaching, mentorship, and the writing you walk away with.

15 Online English Courses for High School Students

1. Harvard Summer School: Secondary School Program (7-Week Online)

Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (online)
Cost: $4,180 (4 credits) or $8,160 (8 credits), plus a $75 application fee; financial aid is available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small cohorts
Dates: Seven-week online session, June 20th – August 8th
Application Deadline: April 1st
Eligibility: Students who will graduate and enter college within the next two to three years; must be at least 16 years old by June 20 and not turn 19 before July 31st; open to international students

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Harvard's Secondary School Program lets you take a Harvard college course online and earn credit for it. You choose from a wide catalog that includes expository writing, creative writing, and literature, then study alongside students logging in from around the world. 

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Classes are graded and taught at the college level, so you get an honest sense of the reading load and writing expectations at a top university. You also get access to Harvard's academic support services, including the Writing Center, throughout the term. It is one of the more demanding online English courses for high school students on this list.

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Why it stands out: You'll finish with an official Harvard transcript and a written instructor evaluation to include in college applications.

2. Immerse Education’s English Online Research Programme

Location: Fully remote
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; multiple dates throughout the year
Dates: Flexible; multiple cohorts in a year
Eligibility: Students around the world aged 13-18 (UCAS points require age 14+); open to international students

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The English Literature Online Research Programme gives high school students the chance to study literary genres in a genuine university context with tutors from Oxford, Cambridge, and other top institutions. You'll work one-to-one with your tutor to journey through literary classics, analyse poetic devices, and build critical thinking skills across a range of texts and time periods. 

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The program is offered in 1:1 and small group formats, and you can opt to earn UCAS points or receive US or UK college credit. No prior experience with English Literature is required, only curiosity about narrative analysis and a willingness to engage in literary discussion. At the end of the program, you'll receive a written evaluation from your tutor, an opportunity to publish your research, and an invitation to present at the Immerse Online Symposium. You can find examples of papers Immerse students have worked on here. You can find more details about the application here.

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Why it stands out: You experience genuine one-on-one literary tutorials online, learn from tutors at institutions like Cambridge and Oxford, and produce an assessed piece of literary analysis, with the option to earn UCAS points or US college credit if you are aged 14 or above.

3. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes: Creative Writing (Online)

Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA (online)
Cost: $3,200, plus a $65 application fee; financial aid is available to domestic and international students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small course sections
Dates: Two-week sessions, June 15–26 or July 6–17
Application Deadline: March 13th
Eligibility: Grades 8–11 at the time of application between the ages of 13 and 19; international students eligible

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Stanford's Summer Institutes offer an intensive creative writing course delivered live online. You read poems, essays, and short stories by established authors, then practice writing like a reader and reading like a writer. 

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Daily live classes are paired with workshops and independent exercises, and you build a portfolio of your own creative work by the close of the program. The course covers creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, so you get to move between genres rather than commit to just one. You come away with a clearer sense of your own process and a supportive community of writers your age.

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Why it stands out: You'll rank up to three courses when you apply and be placed in the one that best fits your background.

4. Columbia Pre-College: Creative Writing Workshop, Multi-Genre (Online)

Location: Columbia University, New York, NY (online)
Cost: $4,018 for the two-week online session, plus an $80 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 15 students per cohort
Dates: Two-week online session, July 6–17
Application Deadline: March 24th
Eligibility: Rising 9th through current 12th-grade students; international students welcome

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Columbia's Creative Writing Workshop introduces you to writing across genres, from free-verse poetry and short prose to drama, fiction, and creative nonfiction. You move through the full writing process, generating ideas, drafting, revising, and editing toward a final portfolio of polished work. 

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Classes are small and discussion-based, and you give and receive candid critique on your own writing and your peers'. You read and respond to excerpts from outstanding works of literature, using them as models for your own experiments. Individual conferences with your instructor supplement the group sessions.

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Why it stands out: You'll test your voice in several genres in a single course, rather than committing to only poetry or only fiction.

5. Iowa Young Writers' Studio: 6-Week Online Courses

Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (online)
Cost: $475 per course; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Summer Cohort: June 14th – July 26th; Winter Cohort: Mid-January through late February
Application Deadline: Summer: April 20th; Winter: September/October
Eligibility: Grades 9–12 (incoming 9th graders welcome for summer); cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; international applicants welcome

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The Iowa Young Writers' Studio, run out of the university that houses the famed Iowa Writers' Workshop, offers online courses in genres like poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and speculative writing. Everything is asynchronous, so you complete assignments, read, and respond to classmates on your own schedule while meeting weekly deadlines. 

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Each course is taught by a graduate of one of Iowa's renowned writing programs. You spend the six weeks generating new work and workshopping it closely with your instructor and a small group of peers. The focus is on commitment rather than polished ability, so it welcomes developing writers.

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Why it stands out: You'll earn a Letter of Completion from the Studio, having written entirely on your own schedule across time zones.

6. The Kenyon Review: Young Writers Summer Online Workshops

Location: Kenyon College, Gambier, OH (online)
Cost: $995, no application fee; need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; workshops of 12–14 students
Dates: One week, June 14–19
Application Deadline: April 13th
Eligibility: Ages 16–18, rising juniors and seniors or recent graduates; international students welcome

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The Kenyon Review's Young Writers Summer Online Workshops give you a week of intensive, multi-genre creative writing taught over Zoom. Each day mixes live workshops with solo writing time and one-on-one conferences with your instructor. 

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You experiment across short stories, poems, and essays, and you share and discuss work with a close group of fellow writers. Evening events include readings by visiting writers, craft talks, and open mics you can join from anywhere. Instructors are writers and teachers with a long association with the Review and its young writers program.

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Why it stands out: You'll choose an afternoon or evening session, so the daily schedule can flex around your time zone.

7. Sarah Lawrence College: Writers Week (Virtual)

Location: Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY (online)
Cost: $1,195 for the virtual session ($250 deposit); limited scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited to 18 students
Dates: One week (virtual), July 6–10
Application Deadline: Rolling registration until the session fills
Eligibility: Entering grades 9–12 in the upcoming fall, age 14 or older; open to international students

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Writers Week at Sarah Lawrence, a college long known for its writing program, pairs creative writing with performance arts in a weeklong virtual session. Each day opens with a writing workshop led by MFA graduate students, built around generative prompts, sharing work in progress, and collaborative exercises. 

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You also choose a theatre track, where storytelling is explored through improvisation, sketch, playwriting, or songwriting. Workshops draw on contemporary and classic texts, guest author talks, and even pop culture to spark new writing. You end the week with a host of new ideas, fresh craft techniques, and encouragement for your own style.

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Why it stands out: You'll close the week by reading your work at a public celebration of what the whole group has made.

8. Georgetown University: Pre-College Online Creative Writing

Location: Georgetown University, Washington, DC (online)
Cost: $1,895 (enrichment) or $3,995 (college credit); need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; unlimited cohort sizes
Dates: Self-paced; 1- to 12-week courses offered year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; enroll year-round
Eligibility: Ages 13 and older; international students eligible

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Georgetown's Pre-College Online Program offers a self-paced Creative Writing course, "The Power of Storytelling," taught through video lessons by Georgetown faculty. You explore how strong stories are built and develop your own craft across the length of the course. Because it is fully asynchronous, you fit the coursework around school and study from anywhere. 

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Every course ends with a capstone project you present, giving you something concrete to show for the work. It is one of the more flexible online English courses for high school students, letting you take more than one subject across the year.

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Why it stands out: You'll apply with no transcripts or recommendation letters, just a short note on why you want to take the course.

9. Sewanee Young Writers' Conference: Winterim (Online)

Location: Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, TN (online)
Cost: $500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; capping at 10–12 students
Dates: January 11th – February 19th
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions till late November
Eligibility: Current high school students, from freshman through senior; open to international students

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The Sewanee Young Writers' Conference, hosted by the University of the South, runs an online creative writing workshop it calls Winterim. Over six weeks, you develop a new project or push existing work forward in fiction or poetry. The faculty guide you through mini video lectures, writing prompts, feedback, and workshop-style exchanges with your group. 

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A few Zoom meet-ups with your instructor and coursemates add a live connection to an otherwise flexible, mostly asynchronous schedule. It is one of the few online English courses for high school students that runs through the quiet of winter.

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Why it stands out: You'll get accountability and a writing community during the winter months, when few programs are running.

10. University of Massachusetts Amherst – Writing With Pictures: A Multimodal Introduction to Writing for College

Location: Online

Cost: $1,985 program fee + $45 application fee; limited partial need-based scholarships are availalbe

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not stated

Dates: July 13–24

Application Deadline: May 15th; rolling admissions thereafter until programs fill

Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores to seniors; Spring graduates also eligible; international students eligible with English proficiency

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In this course, you explore college-level writing as a blend of words, images, sound, layout, and digital design. You practice rhetorical analysis, brainstorming, outlining, and short-form writing while examining how audience, purpose, genre, and tone shape communication. You use Canva to develop multimodal compositions and work through drafting and revision in guided workshops. 

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You also complete two peer-review workshops, analyze multimodal texts, and present a final project. The course combines live online instruction with asynchronous assignments and independent studio work. You finish with a polished Canva project and a written reflection explaining your writing and design choices.

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Why it stands out: It combines college-writing preparation with multimodal composition, culminating in a polished Canva project and reflective explanation of your rhetorical and design choices.

11. Tufts University – ENG 0005 Creative Writing: Fiction

Location: Online

Cost: $3,420 tuition for credit or $1,300 to audit; limited need-based financial aid is available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not stated

Dates: Summer Session A: May 20th – July 1st; Summer Session B: July 7th – August 13th

Application Deadline: Summer Pre-College Priority: May 1st; Summer 1: May 6th; Summer 2: June 22nd

Eligibility: Students entering 11th or 12th grade; open to international students

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In this course, you will participate in an intensive, generative workshop that bridges high school and college-level literary analysis. You will develop critical reading skills by examining contemporary fiction, analyzing how established authors utilize structure, tone, and point of view. 

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Applying these insights, you will complete generative writing exercises and draft original short stories in an interactive online setting. Through guided peer review and oral critiques, you will learn to evaluate texts and revise your own work effectively. At the end of the term, you will compile a comprehensive portfolio representing your overall growth and versatility as a fiction writer.

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Why it stands out: It immerses high school students in a legitimate undergraduate English curriculum, allowing them to earn university credit while workshopping original stories alongside matriculated college students.

12. University of Vermont – English: Written Expression (ENGL 1001 OL2)

Location: Online

Cost: $1,038 Vermont-resident tuition or $2,790 out-of-state tuition + $30 comprehensive fee; eligible Vermont juniors/seniors may use a dual-enrollment voucher for tuition

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-competitive; cohort size not stated

Dates: June 15th – July 10th

Application Deadline: June 8th; enrollment subject to space availability

Eligibility: Grades 10–12 or summer after high school graduation; guidance counselor endorsement required; no course prerequisites stated; open to international students

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In this course, you build college-level writing, reading, research, and information-literacy skills through an intensive four-week online course. You read model nonfiction, draft a social narrative from personal experience, and develop researchable questions connected to that story. You then research sources, create an annotated bibliography, and substantially revise your narrative into a researched feature article for a broad audience. 

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You use Eli Review for peer feedback and revision while completing discussions and writing exercises in Brightspace. You earn three UVM credits while completing work comparable to a standard fourteen-week semester in four weeks. The course strengthens rhetorical awareness, critical reading, source evaluation, documentation, and substantive revision.

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Why it stands out: It condenses a full semester’s college writing workload into four asynchronous weeks while awarding three UVM credits.

13. University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center – Summer Writing Online (SWO)

Location: Online

Cost: $295 tuition; financial aid is available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not stated

Dates: July 6–24

Application Deadline: Rolling basis until places are filled

Eligibility: Students in grades 9–11; open to international students

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In this program, you will spend three weeks engaged in an intensive online residency focused on multiple genres, including fiction, poetry, and screenwriting. You will participate in synchronous seminar discussions and daily writing workshops to critique peers' writing and receive feedback. 

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You will also attend special events featuring industry experts and guest authors. Utilizing platforms like Zoom and the University of Iowa's ICON digital learning system, you will analyze structural approaches to writing and connect with a global community of young writers. You will work with world-class faculty and graduates of the renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop to refine your craft.

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Why it stands out: It provides direct access to faculty from the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop through an entirely synchronous and highly interactive virtual residency.

14. University of Massachusetts Amherst – Juniper Young Writers Online

Location: Online

Cost: $1,325; full scholarships are available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; an average of 50 total participants, and small-group Writing Labs are capped at 10 students per class

Dates: August 3–7

Application Deadline: April 6th

Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders and high school class of; open to international students

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In this program, you spend an intensive virtual week developing your creative writing in a community of peers and UMass Amherst Creative Writing Instructors. You take part in daily Writing Labs, respond to generative prompts, discuss published work, and exchange feedback on new poetry and prose. 

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You also choose Craft Sessions focused on techniques such as voice, form, iteration, imagery, dialogue, and narrative turns. Participant Readings, Writer’s Life talks, and Write-ins give you additional practice sharing work and building a sustainable writing process. Writing Labs are capped at 10 students, allowing for small-group discussion and feedback. You finish with written feedback from your instructor to guide your continued development.

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Why it stands out: It combines small Writing Labs capped at 10 students with intensive creative-writing practice, peer feedback, and individualized written feedback from an instructor.

15. Wesleyan University: Creative Writing Specialization (Coursera)

Location: Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (online via Coursera)
Cost: Coursera subscription (Coursera Plus is $399 per year); financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; no cohort sizes
Dates: Self-paced; enroll and start year-round
Application Deadline: No application; enroll at any time
Eligibility: Anyone who is at least 13 years old; open to international students

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Wesleyan University's Creative Writing Specialization, offered online through Coursera, walks you through the craft of the short story, the narrative essay, and the memoir. Five linked courses cover plot, character, setting and description, and style, before a capstone in which you draft and complete an original story. 

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You learn from Wesleyan authors and professors through video lessons, readings, and peer-reviewed assignments. You can take the courses in any order, then bring everything together in the capstone with a substantial, polished piece in the genre of your choice. It is one of the few university-taught online English courses for high school students that anyone can join.

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Why it stands out: You'll give and receive peer review on every assignment, learning to critique writing as sharply as you produce it.

Frequently asked questions: Online English Courses for High School Students

Do online English courses for high school students offer college credit?

Several of these programs do award transcripted college credit. Harvard's Secondary School Program grants Harvard credit for $4,180 or $8,160 depending on course load, and the University of Vermont's Written Expression course earns three UVM credits for around $1,038 to $2,790 depending on residency. Immerse Education's English Online Research Programme lets you work 1:1 with Oxford or Cambridge tutors and opt into UCAS points or US and UK college credit if you're 14 or older. For a full list, you can have a look at online courses that offer college credit.

What is the difference between an online English workshop and an English course?

A workshop centers on peer critique and generating new creative writing, while a course usually follows a structured syllabus toward a grade or credit. The Kenyon Review and Sarah Lawrence Writers Week are workshop-style, mixing live sessions with one-on-one conferences and readings rather than tests or transcripts. Harvard's Secondary School Program and the University of Vermont's course, by contrast, assign grades, readings, and formal assessments similar to a college class. If you want feedback on your own writing, look for a workshop; if you want a grade for your transcript, look for a credit-bearing course.

Are there free or low-cost online English courses for high school students?

None of these programs are free, but several cost well under $1,000. The University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center's Summer Writing Online runs $295, and Wesleyan's Creative Writing Specialization on Coursera costs $399 a year for the whole subscription, not just one course. Most other programs, including Sarah Lawrence, Kenyon, and Georgetown, offer need-based scholarships or financial aid that can bring the price down further. If cost is your main concern, start with the programs above and check each one's financial aid page before applying.

Can international students enroll in online English courses for high school students?

Yes, nearly every program on this list explicitly welcomes international applicants. Columbia, Stanford, Sarah Lawrence, and Georgetown all list international students as eligible, and Immerse Education's English Online Research Programme accepts students aged 13 to 18 from anywhere in the world through rolling admissions. A few programs, like the University of Vermont's dual-enrollment course, offer reduced pricing only to state residents, so double check tuition tiers before applying if you're applying from outside the US. Application deadlines and eligibility windows vary by program, so check each one's specific requirements early.

Do online English courses help with college admissions essays?

These courses build the analytical and revision skills that make college essays stronger, even though most aren't essay-writing courses specifically. Programs like Columbia's Creative Writing Workshop and the University of Massachusetts's Writing With Pictures course teach drafting, peer review, and revision, all skills that transfer directly to personal statements. Harvard's program adds a written instructor evaluation you can include in your application, which carries more weight than a course listing alone. None of these substitute for dedicated essay coaching, but they strengthen the writing skills admissions readers notice.

What is the difference between live and self-paced online English courses?

Live courses meet on a set schedule over Zoom or video calls, while self-paced courses let you complete lessons on your own timeline. Georgetown's Pre-College Creative Writing course and Wesleyan's Coursera Specialization are both self-paced, so you can start anytime and work around your school schedule. Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia run live, scheduled sessions with set start and end dates that require you to be available at specific times. If your schedule is unpredictable, a self-paced option gives you more flexibility than a live cohort with fixed class times.

Why online English courses matter for university prep

Strong college applications often start with the writing habits you build years before you actually sit down to write that senior year essay.

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Exploring online english courses for high school students gives you a low-stakes way to practice the close reading skills professors expect on day one.

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Whether you choose a live seminar or a self-paced workshop, you leave with a portfolio piece admissions readers can actually evaluate.

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Start building that foundation today, and browse Immerse's university preparation resources to plan your next application steps with more confidence.