# Coding Programs & Competitions for High School Students These programs teach and exercise real programming skill — bootcamps, project-based academies, and competitive-programming training for high school students. Many are free and virtual, which makes coding one of the most accessible ways to build a serious technical profile from anywhere. 52 verified programs match this page; 24 of the featured listings are free; 13 can be done online. ## Programs (52 total, first 30 shown — full list on the canonical page) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [PennApps Hackathon](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/pennapps-hackathon) | University of Pennsylvania | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2026-08-18 | | [NASA International Space Apps Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-space-apps-challenge) | NASA | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-10-01 | | [Kaggle Data Science Competitions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/kaggle-competitions) | Kaggle/Google | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Intel oneAPI Developer Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/intel-oneapi-developer-challenge) | Intel Corporation | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Code.org Hour of Code Champions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/codeorg-hour-code-champions) | Code.org | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Google Code Jam to I/O](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/google-code-jam-to-io) | Google | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [GitHub Open Source Contributor](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/github-notable-contributor) | GitHub / Open Source Projects | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Google Summer of Code (Pre-University Contributor)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/google-summer-of-code-pre-university-contributor) | Google | Free | virtual | Grades 11–12 | 2027-04-05 | | [Major League Hacking Hackathons](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/hackathons-mlh) | MLH | $50 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Lockheed Martin Code Quest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/lockheed-martin-code-quest) | Lockheed Martin Corporation | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-15 | | [NASA App Development Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-app-development-challenge) | NASA | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-01 | | [Google Code Next Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/code-next) | Google | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-08-13 | | [CodeCombat Championship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usa-code-combat) | CodeCombat | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | 2027-04-01 | | [National STEM Video Game Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stem-video-game-challenge) | Entertainment Software Association Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 5–12 | Rolling | | [Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/girls-who-code-summer-immersion-program) | Girls Who Code | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | Rolling | | [RoboMaster Robotics Competition for Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/robomaster) | DJI RoboMaster | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [FBLA Cyber Security and Computer Problem Solving](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/fbla-cyber-security-and-computer-problem-solving) | FBLA | $25 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-15 | | [Codeforces Rounds](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/codeforces-competitions) | Codeforces | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [High School Game Design Competitions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/game-design-competitions) | Various Organizations | $50 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-01 | | [MIT Battlecode](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mit-battlecode) | MIT | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-10 | | [Zero Robotics Programming Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/zero-robotics-programming-competition) | MIT/NASA | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-11-28 | | [Code Nation Summer Labs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/code-nation-summer) | Code Nation | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–11 | 2027-04-01 | | [Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/google-computer-science-summer-institute-cssi) | Google | Free | in_person | Grade 12 | 2027-02-15 | | [Technovation Families](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/technovation-families) | Technovation | Free | virtual | Grades 8–18 | Rolling | | [Code in Place - Stanford](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/code-in-place-stanford) | Stanford University | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-08 | | [Carnegie Mellon CS Scholars (CSS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-cs-scholars-css) | Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-02-01 | | [Botball Educational Robotics Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/botball-educational-robotics-program) | KISS Institute for Practical Robotics | $2,000 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-28 | | [Carnegie Mellon National High School Game Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-national-high-school-game-academy) | Carnegie Mellon University | $6,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-01 | | [Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/microsoft-imagine-cup) | Microsoft | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-01 | | [Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes (SCSI) - CS Tracks](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stanford-pre-collegiate-summer-institutes-scsi-cs-tracks) | Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies | $2,500 | virtual | Grades 9–11 | 2027-03-13 | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many coding programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 52 verified coding opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these coding programs free? Yes — 24 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early. ### Which deadlines are coming up soonest? The next deadlines: Google Code Next Program (August 13, 2026); PennApps Hackathon (August 18, 2026); NASA International Space Apps Challenge (October 1, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Do coding extracurriculars help with college admissions? Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in coding (participation → awards or leadership → independent work) reads far stronger than scattered one-off activities. Pick one or two programs from this page and go deep. ## Related pages - [Computer Science Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/computer-science) - [AI & Machine Learning Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ai) - [Virtual for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/virtual) - [Free STEM Programs for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/free/stem) - [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars) - [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit) --- Canonical page: https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/coding Source: ExtracurricularHub (https://extracurricularhub.com) — a free directory of 1,826 verified extracurricular programs for high school students. Cite the canonical page above; always confirm binding details on each program's official site.