Summertime during high school comes like a breather from all the academic stress that keeps you up at night. However, summers can also become a time to explore your interests, learn more about your favourite subjects, and develop skills that make you confident in pursuing a career of your choice through psychology summer camps for high school students.

Imagine you’re on a psychology adventure, decoding the patterns and reasoning behind human thoughts and behaviours, mapping your own brain through MRI techniques, and simulating clinical experiments with fellow psychology enthusiasts. These experiences allow you to attend lectures, take part in hands-on activities, and explore real-world applications of psychology through expert mentorship.

Many of these programmes do not require prior experience in psychology and give you the chance to work on interactive projects and take part in global discussions.

What kinds of psychology summer camps should high school students attend?

It’s not easy to find a good psychology summer camp from the broad range of options available for students. It’s important to identify which camps really provide academic depth and help in developing psychology-related skills. This is where careful selection is essential.

Many leading Universities offer psychology summer camps where you will get to explore concepts like cognition, neuroscience, resilience and many more. These camps not only offer theoretical knowledge, but also give you the chance to learn from faculty researchers, conduct experiments, work on case studies, and build your network with professionals and friends.

To make your search easier, we’ve created a list of 15 psychology summer camps for high school students. These camps have been chosen for their academic knowledge, focus on hands-on experiences, and proven success.

15 Psychology Summer Camps for High School Students 

1. Summer@Brown High School Psychology Summer Camp – Psychology of Willpower and Motivation

Location: Brown University campus, Providence, Rhode Island
Cost: Residential: $5,786; Commuter: $4,482
Dates: July 14-25
Application Deadline: May 8th
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors from over 70 countries aged 14-18

Psychology of Willpower and Motivation summer camp offers an in-depth understanding of the science of Willpower. You’ll engage in psychology research discussions on different topics, including self-control, motivation, and willpower. The camp will help you understand the impact of social and environmental factors on self-control.

You’ll conduct willpower experiments, learn strategies helpful in achieving goals, and engage in a real-world study of Willpower based on your own life and experiences. The camp will help you develop a range of skills, including critical thinking, emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and more. You do not need any prior experience to participate in the camp.

Why it stands out: It’s an introductory psychology course exploring human behaviour, cognition, and research methods through college-level coursework.

2. Immerse Education’s Psychology Summer School

Location: Toronto, Cambridge, Sydney, Boston, Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Oxford
Cost/Stipend: Varies; summer school scholarship available through their bursary programme
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions.
Eligibility: Students all over the world aged 13-18, currently enrolled in middle or high school

Immerse’s Psychology Summer School explores the study of the human mind. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the fundamental psychological concepts, including cognitive psychology and behavioural studies. You’ll receive guidance from experienced psychologists, participate in case studies, experiments, and interactive lectures.

Through working on real-world challenges, the program will help you develop problem-solving, research, analytical, and critical thinking skills. On the successful completion of the program, you’ll also earn a recognised certificate. If you’re a high school student interested in learning psychology for academic success, then this program can be a good option to consider. 

Why it stands out: It’s a university-style psychology programme introducing core topics like cognition, mental health, and behavioural science through seminars and projects.

3. Messiah University Psychology Summer Camp

Location: Messiah University, Mechanicsburg, PA
Cost: Residential Campers: $699; Commuting Campers: $599
Dates: June 22-27
Application Deadline: June 1st
Eligibility: Students worldwide entering 10th-12th grades

Messiah University Psychology Summer Camp introduces you to the world of psychology and explores its different branches. You’ll learn a range of topics, including stress and coping, developmental psychology, cognition, memory, problem solving, decision making, and more. The camp offers both residential and commuter options.

You’ll learn about clinical psychology, biopsychology, and abnormal psychology. You’ll gain knowledge through experiential learning, service learning and receive guidance from Messiah University Psychology faculty. The camp is also a great opportunity to sharpen your critical thinking and communication skills.

Why it stands out: It’s an interactive psychology camp exploring human behaviour, brain science, and careers through hands-on activities and faculty-led sessions.

4. Cedarville University Psychology Camp

Location: Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH
Cost: $500
Dates: June 29th – July 3rd
Application Deadline: June 15th
Eligibility: Christian students all over the world entering grades 10-12

Cedarville University Psychology Camp will introduce you to different areas in psychology and explore a career in the field. You’ll learn about the process of psychological counselling by observing a mock counselling session.

The camp is an interesting chance to watch real social psychology experiments, understand the relationship between psychology and physical health, and learn the standard behavioural techniques for the treatment of health problems. You’ll gain a close look at the major aspects of a profession in psychology and develop both academic and personal development skills.

Why it stands out: It’s a residential camp examining psychology from scientific and applied perspectives, including mental processes and behavioural analysis.

5. Adelphi University- Psychology and Pop Culture

Location: Adelphi University, Garden City, NY campus, NY
Cost: Residential: $4,540; Commuter: $3,540
Dates: July 12th – August 1st
Application Deadline: June 12th
Eligibility: Domestic and international rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors

Joining Adelphi University’s Psychology and Pop Culture Program will allow you to explore the creative and fascinating world of the human mind. You’ll engage in hands-on activities, experiments, and discussions on a range of topics, including human emotion, behaviour, and cognition. You’ll learn in-depth about brain and behaviour studies and their role in everyday life.

You’ll cover different psychological concepts, including mental health, memory, personality and social influence. You’ll understand research methods and develop communication, analysis, and observation skills. If you’re a high school student interested in pursuing a career in mental health, law, healthcare, business, social work, or education, then this program can be a good option to consider.

Why it stands out: It’s a credit-bearing psychology course covering foundational theories, research methods, and real-world applications.

6. Auburn University Brain Camp

Location: Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Cost: $750
Dates: July 13-17
Application Deadline: Typically, Early June
Eligibility: Rising 11th-12th grade students from all over the world

Auburn University Brain Camp offers a fun and interactive learning experience. You’ll learn about the concepts of neuroscience through hands-on exercises, enjoy the campus life, and participate in different recreational activities. The camp will be led by professionals, including two faculty members in the Department of Psychological Sciences and one High School Psychology teacher.

You’ll learn and practice many neuroscience techniques, including Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). You’ll also have a chance to get a brain scan of your own brain and then engage in brain mapping.

Why it stands out: It’s an immersive neuroscience and psychology camp focused on brain, behaviour, and cognitive science through labs and experiments.

7. Summer@Brown High School Psychology Summer Camp – Psychology of Resilience

Location: Brown University campus, Providence, Rhode Island
Cost: Residential: $3,748; Commuter: $3,096
Dates: July 14-18
Application Deadline: May 8th
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors from all 50 states and territories and over 75 other countries aged 14-18

High School Psychology Summer Camp- Psychology of Resilience offers a week-long, thought-provoking experience. You’ll be introduced to the recent research in psychological resilience through lectures, discussions, in-class activities and projects. You’ll explore the serious impact of life adversities and traumas, including the development of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and more mental health concerns.

You’ll understand the importance of resilience during stressful situations. The camp will help you explore resilience from psychological, biological and social perspectives and evidence. You’ll not only learn about resilience as a concept but also learn skills to become more resilient in your personal life.

Why it stands out: It’s a psychology course emphasising experimental design, data analysis, and psychological theory at the college level.

8. Webster University Psychology Summer Camp

Location: Webster University, St. Louis, MO
Cost: $300
Dates: July 6-10
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 9th to Graduated 12th grade students from all over the world; Ages 14-18

Webster University Psychology Summer Camp offers a fun and immersive experience in psychology. You’ll engage in hands-on learning activities, work on creative projects, and learn from experienced psychology faculty. The camp will give you a chance to enjoy research work with top professors.

You’ll study the structure and functioning of the human brain, understand the interactions of cognition, emotion, and behaviour, and socialise with people from diverse backgrounds. If you’re a high school student interested in learning Psychology through a fun, interactive approach, then this camp can be a good option to consider.

Why it stands out: It’s an exploratory camp introducing psychology concepts, mental health topics and career pathways through interactive learning.

9. Christian Brothers University Psychology Summer Camp

Location: Christian Brothers University, Memphis, TN
Cost: Not specified
Dates: June 23-24
Application Deadline: June 18th
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors around the globe

Christian Brothers University Psychology Summer Camp offers a fun learning experience in psychology. You’ll engage in interesting psychology classes on a range of topics, including Psychology of Games, Memory and Problem-solving, Prejudice and Stereotyping, Autism, and Psychology of Artificial Intelligence.

You’ll engage in hands-on activities, understand a range of psychologicalphenomenan including emotional intelligence, stereotyping, operant conditioning, recording brain activity, and sensation and perception. The camp is also a good opportunity to explore careers in the field of psychology.

Why it stands out: It’s a multidisciplinary summer camp introducing psychology, behavioural science, and related health professions.

10. Psychology Institute @ Wake Forest University

Location: Wake Forest University, Reynolda Campus, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: $3,500
Dates: July 12-17; July 19-24
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Current 9th-12th grade students; international students are welcome to apply

Wake Forest University’s Psychology Institute offers an immersive experience in the study of the human mind and behaviour. You’ll learn different topics in psychology, including sensation and perception, the disordered brain, the magic of neuroscience, the psychology of addiction and how emotions pervade our daily lives. You’ll learn from world-class faculty, researchers and industry professionals.

The program offers hands-on learning experience in brain training and neuroplasticity, guided sheep brain dissection, sensory perception lab, conducting observational research and presenting team research findings.

Why it stands out: It’s an intensive institute exploring psychological science, research ethics, and applied psychology through lectures and projects.

11. Clark University Summer Academy in Psychology

Location: Clark University, Worcester, MA
Cost: Not specified
Dates: July 6-10
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-grade students from around the world

Clark University Summer Academy in Psychology offers an immersive one-week experience to high school students. You’ll explore different fields in psychology, including clinical, social, cognitive and developmental. You’ll engage in interactive discussions, participate in hands-on research projects and learn from expert faculty.

The program will help you understand the role of psychology in addressing real-world problems. You’ll not only learn about psychological concepts but also prepare yourself for college life through personal statement writing workshops. The program does not require any prior experience or background in psychology and allows you to present your research findings at the Clark Research Festival.

Why it stands out: It’s a research-focused psychology program examining cognition, social behavior and mental health with faculty mentorship.

12. Boston University AIM: Introduction to Experimental Psychology

Location: Boston University, Boston, MA
Cost: Commuter: $5,708.25; Residential: $7,497 (tentative)
Acceptance rate/cohort size:
Dates: Residential: June 28th – July 17th; Commuter: June 29th – July 17th
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Domestic and international high school students entering junior or senior years

Boston University AIM: Introduction to Experimental Psychology offers a three-week innovative experience. You’ll attend seminars, develop research skills and explore different career paths in psychology. You’ll work under the guidance of BU instructors and design your own experiment with other team members.

You’ll learn about research design, data collection, conduct observational and experimental research, perform data analysis and create data visualisations. Along with the academic and research learnings, you’ll also engage in social activities, plan your free time, participate in fun activities on weekends and get to know your peers. 

Why it stands out: It’s a college-level psychology course covering brain behaviour and psychological research in an immersive academic setting.

13. Harvard Summer School- Psychology and Neuroscience 

Location: Harvard Summer School, Cambridge, MA or Online
Cost: Residential: $15,735; Commuting and Online: $4,180 (4-credits) – $8,160 (8-credits) | Financial aid available
Dates: June 20th – August 8th
Application Deadline: February 11th
Eligibility: Students must graduate from high school and enter college in 2026, 2027, or 2028; Ages 16-19. International students are welcome to apply

The Harvard Summer School – Psychology and Neuroscience programme explores the structure, functioning, and complexities of the human mind at an advanced level. As one of the most academically demanding psychology summer camps for high school students, it allows you to enrol in two 7-week courses covering topics such as individual and social psychology, brain science, psychology, logic, and law.

The courses are offered both in residential and online/commuter formats and allow you to learn in-depth about the psychological motivations behind human behaviour. Some of the interesting topics covered in the courses include neurobiology, neuroinvesting, the psychology of eating, the psychology of close relationships, deductive logic and more. If you’re interested in learning Psychology at the Harvard Summer School while also earning college credits, then this program can be a good option to consider.

Why it stands out: It’s an advanced secondary school course exploring psychology, neuroscience, and human behaviour through Harvard faculty.

14. Gettysburg College’s Camp Psych

Location: Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA
Cost: $1395
Dates: July 13-18
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from around the globe

Gettysburg College’s Camp Psych offers a one-week residential learning experience. The camp aims to help you understand how psychological science works. You’ll engage in hands-on activities in a fun and challenging environment. You’ll learn about the major research questions in psychology and also engage in research work yourself.

You’ll learn about a range of topics, including helping behaviour, research designs, cognition, emotion and data collection. You’ll learn from experienced faculty,  understand the real-world applications of psychology and develop skills in communication, leadership and data analysis.

Why it stands out: It’s an engaging psychology camp introducing clinical, cognitive, and social psychology through experiments and case studies.

15. USC Pre-College Programs: Psychological Science & Society Course 

Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Residential: $11,570; Commuter: $8,130 + $85 application fee
Dates: June 22nd – July 17th
Application Deadline: International Students: March 13th; Domestic Students: May 8th
Eligibility: High school students from all nationalities

USC Pre-College Programs: Psychological Science and Society Course introduces you to the foundations of psychology. You’ll engage in hands-on activities, learn about the major branches in psychology, and understand the connection between scientific knowledge and real-world issues. You’ll learn to apply psychological principles to everyday life, build an in-depth understanding of human behaviour, and learn the intersection of psychology with societal issues.

The program will cover a range of topics, including personality, games and therapy, happiness, relationships, mindset and motivation, social media and mental health and many more. Joining the program will help you learn research methods in psychology and apply them to answer questions about the mind and society.

Why it stands out: It’s a rigorous pre-college program exploring psychological science research methods and human behaviour in a university environment.

Turning Curiosity About Behaviour Into Growth

Exploring psychology during the summer gives you space to reflect, challenge assumptions, and better understand yourself beyond everyday academic routines.

Through discussions, experiments, and guided reflection, you build empathy, critical thinking, and emotional awareness that support long-term personal development.

Experiences offered by the psychology summer camps for high school students listed here help turn your curiosity about behaviour into practical insight, academic confidence, and a clearer sense of future direction.

To continue developing self-awareness, resilience, and purpose alongside your academic interests, explore our Personal Development blogs for thoughtful guidance and real-world insights.