Your past summers might have been spent unwinding, but this one could feel completely different. These 15 summer programs for high school students in New York place you in a city where street corners are lined with food carts serving pretzels and halal bowls, adding flavour to every day. It’s a chance to gain fresh perspectives, challenge yourself, and build new skills that stay with you for years.

Imagine spending your mornings studying socio-politics in historic classrooms. Or catching a Broadway show in the evening with new friends from around the world. Summer programs in New York offer so much more than just academic study: you’ll get a taste of university life, engage with like-minded peers, and immerse yourself in the vibrant culture. 

If you’re from New York, a program gives you a fresh way to see your own city through the lens of university life. If you’re not, it lets you experience it for the first time.

What are some summer programs in New York available to high school students? 

But how can you decide which summer program to pick? After all, some of them can be excessively expensive or not advanced enough. That’s exactly why getting the correct information is important: to identify the program that would be best for you.

Numerous universities, research centers, and art institutes offer intensive summer programs in STEM, business, design, creative writing, and more. Furthermore, advanced programs help you explore existing interests more deeply, while beginner options let you dive into new passions.

You’ll be taught by experienced faculty & industry experts, engage in hands-on components, and collaborate with like-minded peers. By the end, you will develop independence, confidence, and teamwork skills.

To ease your choice, we’ve compiled a list of 15 Summer Programs in New York for high school students. They’ve been selected for their academic rigor, mentorship offerings, and reputation.

15 Summer Programs for High School Students in New York

1. Columbia University College Edge: Summer

Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $2,574 per point (one course is typically 3 points); additional fees include a non-refundable application fee of $80, a technology fee of $35, and more (check the full fee breakdown on Columbia University’s College Edge Tuition and Fees page)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 25th – July 3rd for Session A and July 6th – August 14th for Session B
Application Deadline: The general deadline is April 2nd
Eligibility: Domestic and international students who are in 11th or 12th grade

Allowing high school students to attend college-level classes taught by Columbia University professors, the College Edge Summer program is an intensive program where you can earn credits and also prepare for admissions. The program expects you to do three hours of homework for every one hour of coursework.

You can choose from various subject areas, including physics, statistics, history, psychology, and more. If you’re unsure which course is right, an academic advisor can guide your selection and assist with any program challenges.

Why it stands out: You’ll be able to learn from Columbia faculty, interact with Columbia undergraduates, and gain college credit.

2. The Immerse New York Summer School

Location: Barnard College, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: average of 7 students per class
Dates: 2 weeks in June and July
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions.
Eligibility: Students aged 15-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school

Immerse New York offers a rare combination often sought in summer programs for high school students in New York: you live on a real university campus while gaining insider access to the city’s industries. Based at Barnard College, students explore subjects such as engineering, medicine, business, AI, fashion, and media in small seminar-style classes taught by expert tutors.

What makes the programme distinctive is its industry immersion. Each course uses the city as an extension of the classroom – from visiting Radio City Music Hall and the Paley Center for Media for Media & Journalism, to exploring Wall Street, design studios, tech hubs, and medical settings for other subjects. These visits show students how their classroom learning operates in the real world.

Alongside this, you’ll join workshops, project work, one-to-one coaching, and a mentor-led social program that reflects real university life.

Why it stands out: It’s the only programme on this list that pairs a genuine university living experience with structured industry exposure across New York City. You leave with insight into both university study and future careers, plus a project you can reference in applications.

3. Immerse Education’s TED Summer School

Location: Barnard College, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: From £5,995, TED summer school financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: average of 7 students per class
Dates: 28th June to 11th July 2026 and 12th July to 25th July 2026
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 15-18 currently enrolled in high school

The TED Summer School stands out among summer programs for high school students in New York by letting you discover, shape, and share your ideas through a curriculum built with TED. You learn how to craft strong messages, develop your storytelling skills, and present with clarity. From there, the programme guides you from early idea development to delivering your own TED-style talk. You work with TED-trained tutors and join workshops that build your confidence, communication skills, and leadership.

New York adds energy to the experience. The city’s creative atmosphere gives you a powerful setting to practise your voice and explore bold ideas with other students. As a result, the two-week schedule blends seminars, writing, rehearsals, and feedback that help you strengthen your communication skills.

By the end, you present your TED-style talk and receive a professional recording to take home. Selected students may also have the chance to speak at an official TEDx event. You leave with a polished portfolio that reflects your progress and supports future university or scholarship applications.

Why it stands out: It is the only programme created with TED. You gain storytelling and public speaking skills that last for life and create a talk showcasing your voice and ideas.

4. Cornell Summer Residential Program

Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Cost/Stipend: Application fee of $75; program fee is calculated based on course credits and length of stay (check here)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No official data
Dates: June 22nd – July 12th, July 13th – August 2nd, or June 22nd – August 2nd
Application Deadline: May 9th
Eligibility: For rising high school juniors and seniors aged 16 to 18, including students from more than 50 countries.

As a participant in Cornell’s Summer Residential Program, you may choose three- or six-week college courses taught by university professors. With 15 weeks of material condensed into a short period, the course is intensive and offers transferable credits upon completion.

Staying on campus gives you the chance to join extracurricular activities and gain an early taste of real college life. Additionally, you can study marketing, computer science, architecture, politics, medicine, and more. The program also includes college admission workshops that give you tips to stand out in your college applications. 

Why it stands out: It’s a certified R1 Research University, so you’ll have access to high-grade equipment and understand what research looks like at top universities.

5. Athena Summer Innovation Institute

Location: Barnard College, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $8,160 for commuting participants and $10,771 for residential participants; an application fee of $75 for students who apply after February 10th
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly available
Dates: June 29th – July 17th
Application Deadline: Opens in January and is accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Rising 10th to 12th graders and gap year students in high school from all around the world

This three-week, schedule-packed bootcamp teaches you to develop entrepreneurial ideas that are both creative and genuinely impactful. You’ll work in teams to build a new venture by developing ideas for a service-based or product-oriented business.

For this, you will be taught lessons in product ideation and development, customer research, branding, marketing, startup finances, and more. You will also be trained in public speaking so that you can present your ideas confidently. Additionally, the program features entrepreneurial site visits that give you an overview of how actual businesses operate.

Why it stands out: Through site visits, you’ll meet women entrepreneurs, learn how a company operates, and how to go about building your own ventures.

6. Fordham University Summer Leaders Academy 

Location: Fordham University, Bronx, NY
Cost/Stipend: $1,449 for one-week commute track, $2,099 for one-week resident track, $4,395 for two-week resident track, and $3,195 for two-week commuter track (a limited number of need-based discounts are available.)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited space
Dates: One-week tracks in June 22nd – 26th, July 6th – 10th, and July 20th – 24th, and two-week tracks in July 6th – 16th and July 20th – July 30th
Application Deadline: By May 1st for the residential programs and May 15th and 29th for commuter programs
Eligibility: High school students who have completed 9th grade, including international students. Credit-bearing classes are open to rising 12th graders with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The Summer Leaders Academy allows you to stay on campus, join college-level classes, and learn about the admission process. You can choose between one-week non-credit classes or two-week credit-bearing classes.

You could study diverse topics like Art in the Environment, Future Leaders of AI, Sports Communication, Introduction to Clinical Psychology, or more. The Academy also includes sessions where you can explore career ideas and develop your leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Why it stands out: It emphasizes university-style classes and developing professional skills, so you’ll be equipped with academic and practical skills.

7. Summer Art Intensive

Location: The Cooper Union, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $4,350 and a registration fee of $270 that will go towards your tuition fee, but it is non-refundable if you withdraw from the program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 16 students per class
Dates: July 13th – August 6th (Mondays to Thursdays)
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising 10th to 12th graders aged 15 to 18, including international students.

The Summer Arts Intensive provides art and design students with training, resources, and space to develop a strong college portfolio. As a participant, you will have six hours of classes per day and focus on one of the following disciplines: animation drawing, drawing intensives, graphic design and drawing, painting, and more.

You will also go on field trips to museums, galleries, and artists’ studios. You can either choose the enrollment application, where you just need to fill in the registration form, or the scholarship application, which requires you to additionally submit work samples to be considered. 

Why it stands out: You’ll be better able to build your own portfolio with expert guidance, helping you with future design applications.

8. Pratt Summer Scholars 

Location: Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: All high school courses are $395 except drawing the figure, which is $1,193 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly available
Dates: July 7th – 18th
Application Deadline: April 22nd, until all spots are filled
Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th graders, including international students.

Another program for students interested in arts and design is the Pratt Summer Scholars, where you can take courses like architecture, drawing the figure, drawing the object, painting, and sustainable fashion + textile exploration. Based on your chosen course, your schedule includes hands-on projects, helping you develop relevant skills during the program’s two weeks.

For instance, if you attend the architecture program, you will get to design architectural world buildings while simultaneously becoming skilled in physical model-making, physical drawing, digital model-making, and more. 

Why it stands out: You’ll strengthen your portfolio and get access to Brooklyn’s artistic networks and professional design culture.

9. Simons Summer Research Program

Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 29th – August 7th
Application Deadline: February 5th
Eligibility: 11th graders who are at least 16 years old

By enrolling in this program, you have the opportunity to work on research projects centered around science, math, or engineering. The university will place you in a research team and assign a faculty member to mentor you throughout the program. By working on the research projects, you will pick up laboratory techniques and learn how to use different tools.

Additionally, you will attend weekly faculty research talks and take part in special workshops, events, and tours. You’ll join this program the summer before senior year and are expected to spend at least four hours each day.

Why it stands out: Its labs are connected to national research centers, and you’ll contribute to cutting-edge computational and applied math projects.

10. Tisch Summer High School Program

Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Program fee of $200 plus $7,664 for four-credit courses and $11,496 for six-credit courses. There are additional fees based on your chosen track and residence hall (see the fee breakdown here); limited scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by track (approximately between 15 and 40)
Dates: July 5th – August 1st
Application Deadline: December 1st
Eligibility: 10th and 11th graders around the world

Mimicking the undergraduate classes at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, this four-week programme offers projects, professional training, and more, placing it among the most immersive summer programs for high school students in New York. The program offers several tracks, including animation, dance, drama, production and design, writing, filmmaking, game design, photography, and recorded music.

Regardless, you can earn up to six college credits and show your work to family and friends by the end of the program. This is a residential program, and you will stay in NYU’s residence halls in Greenwich Village or Brooklyn. 

Why it stands out: You’ll gain access to industry-level studio time, critique, and professional networks in the heart of NYC’s creative community.

11. The Jane Street Academy of Math and Programming (AMP)

Location: Jane Street, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free, and $5,000 scholarship is provided for future college fees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 29th – July 31st
Application Deadline: Applications open early 2026; exact date TBC.
Eligibility: 12th graders with authorization to work in the US

If you’re a high school student interested in math or computer science, this program may be an excellent choice. Its syllabus consists of mathematics, computer programming, data analysis, and game theory.

Your schedule will include seminars, projects, gameplays, and guest lectures. The program happens in the summer after your senior year, and preference is given to students who chose advanced classes in math and computer science and are excited to pursue a degree in those or related majors. 

Why it stands out: You’ll be mentored by professional quants, an opportunity rarely available to high school students.

12. Columbia Writing Academy: Writing the College Admissions Essay 

Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: an application fee of $80, a program fee of $3,960, and a minimum of $50 for course materials (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: July 20th – July 31st (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays)
Application Deadline: April 2nd
Eligibility: Rising 9th through current 12th grade domestic and international students

This course focuses on equipping you with the skills to craft a standout Statement of Purpose. Your Statement of Purpose is a crucial aspect of your college application, which allows you to prove to the admission committee why you are a deserving candidate beyond your grades and extracurricular activities.

During the course, you will explore all stages of the SoP writing process, including brainstorming, drafting, and revising. You will receive in-depth feedback from the teaching team. Similarly, your schedule includes group discussions and one-on-one meetings that help you ideate, write, and revise your essay.

Why it stands out: You’ll be exposed to literary culture and rigorous writing pedagogy, helping you with future application essays.

13. Sotheby’s Summer Institute: Art Business Course

Location: Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $6,195 for commuting applicants and $7,695 for residing applicants; $50 non-refundable application fee; discounts and scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 5th – 17th and July 19th – 31st
Application Deadline: TBA; opens in fall
Eligibility: 10th to 12th graders around the world who are at least 15 years old

Organized by the reputable auction house Sotheby’s, this program allows you to explore the commercial aspects of the art industry. In this program, you learn the work behind creating art and how it is bought or sold in the market. You will also focus on contemporary topics like blockchain, NFTs, and digital art commerce, as well as how the art industry is adapting to an increasingly digitalized world.

The syllabus also covers the interconnection between the art marketplace and the nonprofit sector in a museum setting. Your schedule consists of lectures from industry experts and site visits to develop an understanding of the business of art.

Why it stands out: You’ll get access to galleries, auctions, curators, and collectors, providing help for future arts, humanities, or business applications.

14. NYU’s Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Science of Smart Cities (ieSoSC)

Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly available
Dates: July 6th – August 7th, and July 13th – August 7th
Application Deadline: May 15th
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 to 11, aged 15+, living in New York City

In a program that combines STEM concepts with entrepreneurship, NYU professors will teach you how to implement technology and engineering in building smart city solutions. For this, you will learn coding, using microcontrollers, deploying circuits, and integrating sensors, while simultaneously picking up some entrepreneurial skills.

The program includes a group project where you build a device that improves city life using smart technology and creativity. You will also learn how to present your ideas and projects. 

Why it stands out: You’ll get practical STEM experience that is grounded in actual applications, helping you with CS and engineering applications.

15. NYSD 4-Week Summer College Prep

Location: New York School of Design, Manhattan, NY
Cost/Stipend: $3,200
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly available
Dates: July 7th – August 1st
Application Deadline: Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students preparing for college-level design; international students only for longer full-time NYSD programmes.

Aimed at high school students who would like to pursue a degree in fashion design, this four-week intensive program will equip you with the skills and resources to build a portfolio. You will work in a studio and have the opportunity to explore different art media.

Your schedule will include classes in different subjects, including Elements and Principles of Fashion Design, Fashion Illustration, and Sewing Basics. You will obtain an NYSD Fashion Design Foundation Certificate and potentially earn up to six college credits, which some US colleges may accept. 

Why it stands out: It has strong ties to New York’s fashion industry, giving you an experience of professional design processes and studio practice.-

Ready to Shape Your Story This Summer?

These 15 summer programs for high school students in New York place you in a city where learning extends beyond the classroom. Museums, studios, and iconic neighbourhoods become part of your daily experience.

These programmes help you grow in confidence as you work with peers who share your curiosity. You start to see how your interests connect with real opportunities around the city.

In New York, a summer course offers more than academic focus. It gives you independence, fresh perspectives, and a sense of what your future could hold.

If you’d like to explore more pathways, you can browse our career exploration blogs.