STEM PROGRAMS
TIER 1
Tier 1 Programs are categorized by the following:
- The most selective programs in the country, often accepting a single-digit percentage of applicants
- University or government affiliated
- Offer research stipends / free / tuition free / excellent value for the dollar
- Opportunity to conduct undergraduate-level work or research
- Generally 4 - 8 weeks in length
- Often have the potential to lead to publication / major science fairs
PROGRAM |
LOCATION |
CATEGORY |
SELECTIVITY |
APPLICATION DATE |
DURATION |
RESTRICTIONS |
COST |
MIT |
Engineering, CS, AI, Robotics |
N/A |
See website |
4 weeks |
Rising Seniors Only |
Tuition FREE Room & Board $5,000 |
|
Boston University |
All STEM categories |
6% (130/800) |
February 14 |
6 weeks |
Rising Seniors |
$4650 tuition Room & Board $2994 |
|
Texas Tech |
Every Major |
12 students only |
February 10 |
7 weeks |
17 years + |
$750 stipend + Room & Board |
|
Stony Brook University |
Polymer Research |
N/A |
February 24 |
7 weeks |
16 + |
Lab Fees $2700 Room & Board additional costs |
|
Playa Vista, CA (Dept. of Defense) + Out of State |
Data, STEM |
N/A |
February 28 |
16 +. Rising Juniors / Seniors |
Stipend Room & Board N/A |
||
USC (Army / Dept. of Defense) |
STEM Research |
N/A |
February 28 |
8 - 10 weeks |
Rising Juniors / Seniors |
Stipend |
|
Michigan State |
All STEM |
24~ |
March 1 |
7 weeks |
Rising seniors |
$3,800 |
|
Stanford |
Genomics, CS |
N/A |
March 2 |
8 weeks |
16+ / Bay Area HS |
Free |
|
Princeton |
Engineering + Natural Science Research |
N/A |
March 15 |
5 - 6 weeks |
16 + |
Free (Room & Board N/A) |
|
MIT |
Radar Systems |
N/A |
2 weeks |
Rising senior |
Free (Room & Board included) |
||
UPenn |
Tech / Entrepreneurship |
50 - 75 |
February 1 |
3 weeks |
Rising seniors (select juniors) |
$7,500 |
|
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) |
Multiple US Navy + Dept. of Defense Labs |
STEM |
250 |
Nov 1 |
8 weeks |
9+ |
$3500 stipend No Housing |
NASA @ UT Austin |
Earth / Space research |
11% (45/500) |
February 22 |
2 weeks |
Rising junior / senior |
FREE: Tuition + Room & Board |
|
Stony Brook University |
Multiple STEM |
8% |
January 22 |
5 weeks |
Rising senior |
$3200 Residential |
|
Multiple |
Astrophysics, Biochemistry |
10% |
February 28 |
5 weeks |
Rising seniors |
Heavy Financial Aid |
|
U Florida, Gainesville, FL |
Multiple research |
accepts 90 students |
Dec - Feb (rolling) March 1 (priority) |
7 weeks |
Rising senior |
$4800 (including housing) |
|
Stanford, CA |
Biomedical (multiple research labs) |
accepts 50 students |
February 23 |
8 weeks |
juniors / seniors |
$500 minimum stipend |
|
MIT |
STEM |
accepts 80 students |
January 15 |
7 weeks |
Rising seniors |
Cost-Free (includes residential) |
|
UC Santa Cruz |
Multiple STEM |
Accepts 165 students |
March 21 |
8-10 weeks |
14+ (favors rising seniors) |
$3300 tuition (non-residential) |
|
MIT |
EECS or ME (Mechanical) |
11% (60/700) |
January 15 |
4 weeks |
Rising seniors (favors underserved) |
$3500 maximum |
|
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |
Physics |
Accepts 20 Canadian / 20 Int'l |
March 25 |
2 weeks |
junior / senior |
$500 Canadian |
|
Yale U |
Astrophysics + STEM |
Accepts 32 students |
Value |
2 week online + 4 week residential |
Rising senior |
$6100 (Tuition + Residential) |
|
UC Davis |
Natural Sciences |
10% - 12% Accepts 40 students |
March 16 |
6 weeks |
10 - 12 |
$6,500 tuition + residential |
|
U Iowa |
Multiple STEM |
N/A |
January 10 |
5 weeks |
Rising junior / senior |
$6,395 (Tuition + Residential) |
|
Stanford |
Earth Sciences |
0.04% (7/150 accepted in 2019) |
March 15 |
7 weeks |
Rising 10th-12th + 25~ miles to Stanford |
Free |
|
Stanford |
Medicine |
N/A |
January 21 |
7 weeks |
16+ |
N/A |
|
U Wisconsin |
Engineering |
N/A |
April 6 |
6 weeks |
Free |
||
CSU East Bay |
Modeling, probability, game theory, cognitive science, quantitative reasoning |
30~ admitted annually |
February 15 |
2 weeks |
14+ |
Free tuition / housing |
Tier 2 Programs
Tier 2 Programs are categorized by:
- More selective than any programs except Tier 1 programs
- Directly affiliated with university / faculty
- Generally good or very good value for the dollar
- An excellent academic experience
- Generally 2 - 6 weeks in length
Program |
Location |
Category |
Selectivity |
Application Date |
Duration |
Restrictions |
Cost |
UCSC, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCSD |
Multiple STEM |
Varies by campus/cluster |
February 7 |
4 weeks |
N/A |
$4128 (in-state) |
|
Stanford |
Medicine / Public Health |
N/A |
TBD |
2 weeks |
16+ |
Tuition: $5,995 Housing: $3,995 |
|
Cornell |
Biology |
N/A |
Rolling (for top lab placement) |
6 weeks |
Rising juniors / seniors |
$13500 |
|
UC Santa Barbara |
Multiple STEM |
N/A |
March 15 (rolling) |
6 weeks |
Rising junior / senior (will consider rising 10th) |
$10,499 (residential + tuition) |
|
U Chicago |
Biology |
N/A |
January 22 (priority) February 26 (regular) |
4 weeks |
Rising juniors / seniors |
$12,200 (residential + tuition) |
|
Stanford |
Medicine |
N/A |
February 17 |
2 weeks |
16+ (rising juniors / seniors) |
$5,385 |
|
Stanford |
Medicine |
N/A (Advanced Program far more selective) |
Early: Dec. 23 Regular: Feb. 14 |
2 weeks |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Stanford |
Medicine |
N/A |
February 24 |
2 weeks |
16+ (rising juniors / seniors) |
$3500 |
|
Stanford |
Bioinformatics + Cloud Computing |
N/A |
Rolling (opens January) |
3 weeks |
16+ Rising seniors + current seniors |
$5000 (tuition) $8,000 (tuition + residential) |
|
Yale U |
Applied Science & Engineering / Biological & Biomedical |
N/A |
EA November 12 Regular January 15 (Rolling) |
2 weeks |
16+ Rising junior / senior |
$6,300 (tuition + residential) |
|
UCSD |
Multiple (Bioengineering / Molecular Bio / Sports Medicine) |
N/A |
February 14 - 21 |
1 - 6 weeks |
High school |
Varies |
|
Tufts U |
Multiple STEM |
N/A |
12/1 - 5/1 open Rolling |
6 weeks |
Rising junior / senior |
$11,250 (tuition + residential) |
|
Amherst, MA |
Biology, Biochemistry, Astronomy, Psychology |
N/A |
Confirm w/ website |
6 weeks |
Rising 10 - 12 |
$10,185 (includes 6 academic credits) |
|
NYU |
Computer Science |
N/A |
EA March 15 Regular April 15 |
6 weeks |
Rising 12 (prefers girls/minorities) |
$4500 tuition Housing available |
Tier 3 Programs
Tier 3 Programs are categorized by:
- Somewhat selective
- Sometimes, but not always, affiliated directly with university
- A strong academic experience
- Generally a higher cost than Tier 1 or Tier 2 programs
- Generally more open to underclassmen
- Generally 2 - 6 weeks in length
Program |
Location |
Category |
Selectivity |
Application Date |
Duration |
Restrictions |
Cost |
Multiple (Palo Alto, SF, NYC) |
Engineering, Robotics, CS |
N/A |
Rolling |
6 weeks (flexible) |
High school (including rising 9th) |
$4,200 (commuter only) |
|
Cornell |
Engineering (broad overview) |
N/A |
Rolling |
6 weeks |
Juniors / Seniors |
$13,500 (tuition + residential) |
|
UPenn |
Engineering |
N/A |
March 1 (priority) April 5 (regular) |
3 weeks |
Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
$7,690 |
|
Multiple (Johns Hopkins) |
Engineering |
Rolling |
4-5 weeks |
Rising junior / senior (will consider 9th/10th) |
$7,500 (tuition + residential) |
||
Carnegie Mellon U |
Computational biology |
N/A |
March 1 (priority) March 15 (regular) rolling |
3 weeks |
Varies |
$6,099 |
|
UPenn |
Medicine |
N/A |
March 4 |
4 weeks |
Rising juniors / seniors |
$8,495 (tuition + residential) |
|
U Chicago / fieldwork |
Paleontology |
N/A |
January 22 (priority) February 26 (regular) |
4 weeks |
9 - 12 |
$11,900 |
|
Stanford |
Neuroscience |
N/A |
Rolling |
1 or 2 week sessions |
9 - 12 |
$1295 (1 week) $2500 (2 week) |
|
Fremont, CA |
STEM (multiple) |
N/A |
Value |
6/13 - 8/23 |
Rising 9 - 12 |
$850 (commute) |
|
NYU |
Machine Learning |
N/A |
Priority Feb 28 Regular March 14 |
2 weeks |
9 - 12 |
$2000 tuition + $1000~ residential |
Tier 4 Programs (coming soon)
Tier 4 Programs are categorized by:
- Generally accept students in grades 9 - 12
- Moderately selective
- Frequently not affiliated with universities
- Often offer a good overview of a field / subject without going into great depth
- Usually 1-3 weeks in length
Math
For a comprehensive list of US math camps, here is a directory maintained by the AMS (American Mathematical Society)
Program |
Location |
Application Date |
Duration |
Eligibility |
Cost |
Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program MOP ⭐️ |
Carnegie Mellon U |
USAMO |
3 weeks |
Top 12 finishers on USAMO |
Free |
Mathcamp ⭐️ |
Burlington, VT |
March 12 |
13 - 18 |
$4500 |
|
U Nebraska |
March 2 |
1 week |
Rising 10 - 12 30 accepted annual |
2 tier pricing: 1) $1000 2) $500 |
|
Multiple US campuses |
3 weeks |
||||
Hampshire College |
Rolling |
6 weeks |
High School |
$4193 residential + tuition |
|
Honors Summer Math Camp (HSMC) |
Texas State (San Marcos, TX) |
Rolling Round 1 Feb 15 Round 2 March 15 Round 3 April 15 |
6 weeks |
Rising 10 - 12 (20% accepted) |
$4800 |
Bryn Mawr |
Rolling until April 28 |
5 weeks |
High School |
$4800 |
|
Boston U |
March 15 |
6 weeks |
14 - 19 Rising 10+ |
$5150 |
|
The Ohio State U |
Rolling until April 1 |
6 weeks |
High School Under 30% accepted |
$5000 |
|
Texas A&M U |
March 15 |
2 weeks |
14 - 18 |
Free |
|
Stanford U |
March 11 |
4 weeks |
Rising 11 - 12 |
$7000 |
|
CSU East Bay, CA |
February 15 |
2 weeks |
High School (14+) 30 accepted |
Free |
|
Colorado State U Fort Collin, CO |
March 15 |
2 weeks |
High School (14+) held alternate years |
$3291 |
Game Design
Program |
Location |
Application Date |
Duration |
Eligibility |
Cost |
UCLA |
May 1 |
2 weeks |
9 - 12 (non-competitive) |
$2310 tuition + $1224 residential |
|
Michigan State U |
Confirm with website |
2 weeks |
High School (non-competitive) |
$2250 residential + tuition |
|
Carnegie Mellon U |
Rolling |
6 weeks |
16+ |
$9668 tuition + residential |
|
NYU |
January (confirm w/ website) |
4 weeks |
Rising juniors / seniors |
$12113 residential + tuition |
|
UCSC |
February 7 |
4 weeks |
High School |
$4,128 residential + tuition |
|
Game Dev Academy (ID Tech Camp) |
Multiple |
Rolling |
2 weeks |
High School |
Confirm w/ website |
Veterinary Medicine
Program |
Location |
Application Date |
Duration |
Restrictions |
Cost |
Tufts U |
2 weeks (2 sections) |
Rising 10 - 12 |
$3850 (residential + tuition) |
||
Cornell U |
May 1 (Rolling) |
3 weeks |
Juniors / Seniors |
$6,750 (residential + tuition) |
|
U of Georgia |
January 24 |
1 week |
10 - 12 |
$900 (residential / tuition) |
|
Purdue U |
February 3 |
1 week |
Rising 10 - 12 |
$1500 |
|
Auburn U |
February 2 |
1 week |
Rising 9 - 12 |
$845 (Residential / Tuition) |
|
Texas A&M |
January 17 |
1 week |
Rising 11 - 12 |
$600 (residential / tuition) |
|
Oregon State U |
Confirm w/ website |
1 week |
Rising 11 - 12 |
$750 |
Nursing
Program |
Location |
Application Date |
Duration |
Eligibility |
Cost |
UC Irvine |
Rolling |
1 week |
Rising 11 - 12 |
$2000 |
|
Adelphi U |
2 weeks |
10 - 12 |
$1800 |
||
Georgetown U |
Rolling |
1 week |
Rising 10 - 12 |
$3025 |
Environmental Science & Oceanography
Program |
Location |
Application Date |
Duration |
Eligibility |
Cost |
Multiple |
March (confirm w/ website) |
Confirm w/ website |
15 - 19 |
Free |
|
Anchorage, AK |
February 25 Rolling |
2 weeks |
Rising 10 - 12 Ages 15 - 18 |
$5984 |
|
Sewanee U of the South |
Rolling |
2 weeks |
Rising 11 - 12 |
$1900 |
|
Oceanography @ Stony Brook Southampton |
Stony Brook Southampton |
Rolling |
2 weeks |
High School 16+ |
$3000 tuition + $800 housing |
Woods Hole, MA |
Rolling |
2 - 3 weeks |
9 - 12 |
$5,000~ |
|
Appledore Island, Maine |
Rolling |
Confirm w/ website |
Current sophomores, juniors & seniors |
Confirm w/ website |
Programs for Minority / Underserved / Gender
Additional Programs
These programs are not offered every year and thus we are unable to include them above. Check individual websites to see if they are being offered in the coming year.
- JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab) Internships @ Caltech / Government
- HSSRP (High School Summer Research Program) @ UCLA