Best Summer Programs for High School Students in California (2027)

Author: ExtracurricularHub Editorial Team · Reviewed by Parker, Founder — editorial policy

Published · Last updated

Article Summary

Summer 2027 programs for California high schoolers: Stanford SIMR, COSMOS, CSSSA, UC Davis YSP, SUMaC, USC Bovard and more, with posted dates and costs.

Full Article

California has summer programs at Stanford, the University of California campuses, USC and two national laboratories, from free research and college-access programs to paid math and arts intensives. This guide covers programs based in California and who each one is for, since several are limited to California students or to one region of the state.

About the dates in this guide. This is the summer 2027 edition, checked against each program's official page on September 25, 2026 and rechecked on September 27, 2026. Most programs have not posted summer 2027 dates or prices yet. Where a program has, we give the 2027 detail. Where it hasn't, we give the summer 2026 figure and label it as last cycle's. We never estimate a date a program hasn't published, so confirm everything on the official page before you apply.

Research Programs

Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)

SIMR places high school students in Stanford School of Medicine labs for eight full-time weeks, about 40 hours a week, with lab research, lectures and a final research poster. The CIRM SPARK track is a small funded group inside SIMR for stem-cell and regenerative-medicine research; you reach it through the regular SIMR application.

  • Who (2027): current juniors or seniors in the class of 2027 or 2028, at least 16 by the June 2027 start, living in and attending high school in the U.S., and U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Stanford says selection heavily favors local Bay Area students.
  • Cost: no tuition in 2026, with a $50 application fee that could be waived. Stanford provides no housing, and only some students receive need-based stipends.
  • Summer 2027: Stanford lists tentative dates of June 7 to July 29, 2027, says the application goes up on its website December 18, 2026, and says applications will be due in late February 2027.

UC Davis Young Scholars Program

The Young Scholars Program is a six-week residential research program for about 40 rising juniors and seniors in UC Davis labs across the biological, agricultural, environmental and natural sciences, with five units of university credit.

  • Who (2026 rules): rising juniors and seniors at least 16 on the first day and not 18 before the last, permanent U.S. residents living and attending school in the U.S.
  • Cost (2026): $7,750, covering housing, meals, activities and credit, plus a $45 application fee (waived on request) and a refundable $200 deposit. Need-based fee reductions were available.
  • Summer 2027: not posted. Last cycle's application ran January 1 to March 1, 2026.

UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program

The Research Mentorship Program pairs students with a UCSB graduate student, postdoc or faculty mentor for six intensive on-campus weeks (after a virtual orientation) on projects in STEM, the humanities or social sciences, ending with a technical paper, a symposium talk and eight UCSB credits.

  • Who: students in grades 10-11 with at least a 3.80 academic weighted GPA; exceptional 9th graders were considered case by case. U.S. and international students may apply.
  • Cost (2026): $5,600 in tuition and fees plus a $75 application fee; residential housing and meals were another $7,599. Limited need-based scholarships gave priority to California residents.
  • Summer 2027: June 14 to July 31, 2027. Applications open December 15, 2026 and close March 8, 2027, with rolling admission decisions.

Berkeley Lab Experiences in Research

Berkeley Lab's Experiences in Research is a paid six-week project internship, virtual or hybrid, in areas such as coding, data science and experimental research.

  • Who (2026 rules): Northern California residents in grades 10-12 at a Northern California high school, at least 16, with experience working independently. Proximity to Berkeley is prioritized.
  • Pay (2026): $500 a week for about 30-35 hours a week.
  • Summer 2027: not posted. Last cycle opened February 2 and closed March 22, 2026.

Free College-Access and STEM Programs

Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP)

SMYSP is Stanford Medicine's free five-week summer program introducing high school juniors to science, medicine, research and the health professions. It is designed for students from low-income, first-generation or underrepresented backgrounds in Northern California. The 2027 cycle isn't posted; last cycle's deadline was March 23, 2026.

USC Bovard Scholars

USC Bovard Scholars is a free college-access program for high-achieving juniors with financial need: a three-week residential program at USC with admissions coaching, then remote coaching through senior year. Applicants must be juniors with a weighted GPA of 4.0 or higher, enrolled in Algebra II, Trigonometry or above, and able to show financial need, and USC pays transportation for students from outside Southern California. The 2027 application opens November 2, 2026 and is due January 15, 2027 at 5 p.m. Pacific; the three-week summer intensive runs July 12 to July 31, 2027.

SAGE Camp at SLAC

SAGE Camp is a free one-week residential STEM camp run by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, with talks, job shadowing, team projects and lab tours; housing and meals are provided. In 2026 it was for students in grades 9-11 at a Northern California high school, and applications ran February 24 to March 17. SLAC hasn't posted 2027 details.

UCLA NeuroCamp

NeuroCamp is the UCLA Brain Research Institute's free eight-day neuroscience course for 30 Los Angeles County students in grades 9-12. It is instruction and hands-on technique practice, not an individual lab placement. It is nonresidential, and last cycle's application closed April 19, 2026.

COSMOS

COSMOS, the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science, is a four-week residential STEM program at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz, where students study in a faculty-led cluster.

  • Who: California high school students only, rising into grades 9-12. Students who attended COSMOS before can't return.
  • Cost (2026): $5,518 plus a $46 application fee, with need-based assistance for both.
  • Summer 2027: the online application opens January 6, 2027 at 8:00 a.m., and all materials are due February 5, 2027 at 11:59 p.m.

Math, Online and Arts Programs

Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)

SUMaC is a competitive proof-based math program for students in grades 10 or 11, offered online (three weeks) or in residence at Stanford (four weeks). In 2026 it cost $3,750 online or $8,950 residential, with a $65 application fee and need-based aid for U.S. and international students. The 2027 cycle isn't posted; last cycle closed February 2, 2026.

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes

Despite the name, Summer Institutes is a two-week live online program, not a Stanford campus program. Students in grades 8-11 take one advanced, ungraded, noncredit course. In 2026 tuition was $3,200 with a $65 application fee and need-based aid; last cycle's deadline was March 13, 2026.

California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA)

CSSSA is a selective four-week residential arts program with departments in animation, architecture, dance, film, music, theater, visual arts and writing. In 2026 it was held at Cal Poly Pomona for students in grades 8-12. California-resident tuition was $5,174 and out-of-state tuition $10,475, and need-based scholarships were only for California residents. For 2027, CSSSA says applications open November 1, 2026, and the summer session runs July 3 to July 31, 2027.

A Planning Calendar for Summer 2027

  • November 1, 2026: CSSSA's 2027 application opens (session July 3 to July 31, 2027).
  • November 2, 2026: USC Bovard Scholars' 2027 application opens (due January 15, 2027).
  • December 15, 2026: UCSB's Research Mentorship Program opens applications (rolling; closes March 8, 2027).
  • December 18, 2026: Stanford SIMR's application goes up (due late February 2027).
  • January 6, 2027: COSMOS opens; everything is due February 5, 2027.
  • For reference, last cycle's deadlines: SUMaC February 2, UC Davis YSP March 1, Stanford Summer Institutes March 13, SAGE Camp March 17, Berkeley Lab March 22, SMYSP March 23 and UCLA NeuroCamp April 19, 2026.

How to Choose

  1. Check where you're allowed to apply from. COSMOS is California-only, and SMYSP, SAGE Camp, Berkeley Lab and NeuroCamp serve particular regions.
  2. Know what "free" covers. SIMR charges no tuition but provides no housing; SAGE Camp covers housing and meals.
  3. Read the format. Some well-known names are online (Stanford Summer Institutes) or nonresidential (NeuroCamp, SIMR).
  4. Apply to a mix. Pair one or two selective programs with options that fit your schedule and budget.

Keep Exploring

Browse every California summer program in our catalog, see research opportunities in California, and read our summer planning guide for national programs. You can also take the Find My Fit quiz.

Sources

Facts in this article were last reviewed against these sources on . Programs change their dates and prices; confirm on the official page before you apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do California summer programs open for summer 2027?

Several have posted dates as of September 27, 2026: CSSSA opens November 1, 2026; USC Bovard Scholars opens November 2, 2026 and is due January 15, 2027; UCSB's Research Mentorship Program takes applications December 15, 2026 to March 8, 2027; COSMOS opens January 6, 2027 and closes February 5, 2027; and Stanford's SIMR says its application goes up December 18, 2026 and is due in late February 2027. Most others haven't posted 2027 dates; last cycle, SUMaC closed February 2, UC Davis YSP March 1 and SMYSP March 23, 2026.

Which California programs are free?

Stanford SIMR charges no tuition (it had a $50 application fee in 2026 with waivers), and SMYSP, SAGE Camp at SLAC, USC Bovard Scholars and UCLA's NeuroCamp are free to participants. Berkeley Lab's Experiences in Research internship paid interns $500 a week in 2026.

Can out-of-state students attend COSMOS or CSSSA?

COSMOS is limited to California high school students. CSSSA admits a limited number of out-of-state and international students, who paid higher tuition in 2026 and weren't eligible for CSSSA's financial aid.

Do I need to live near Stanford for SIMR?

Stanford says SIMR's selection heavily favors local Bay Area students, and it provides no housing, so a nonlocal student has to live with a family member or responsible adult in the Bay Area for the summer.

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