# Computer Science Programs & Competitions for High School Students Computer science extracurriculars run from USACO and hackathons to AI research programs and industry-backed summer academies like Google CSSI. The strongest CS applicants pair a competition result or research project with a self-directed build — use these programs for the structured half of that story. 52 verified programs match this page; 24 of the featured listings are free; 9 can be done online. ## Programs (52 total, first 30 shown — full list on the canonical page) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Quantum Computing Summer School Programs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/google-quantum-computing-camp) | Various Universities & Google | Free | hybrid | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-01 | | [Stanford AI4ALL](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stanford-ai4all) | Stanford University | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-02-06 | | [Microsoft High School Internship Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/microsoft-high-school-internship) | Microsoft | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | Rolling | | [Meta Hacker Cup](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/hackercup) | Meta | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-01 | | [Women's Technology Program at MIT](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/womens-technology-program-mit) | MIT | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-01-15 | | [Google Generation Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/google-generation-scholarship) | Google | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-04-23 | | [CodeCombat Championship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usa-code-combat) | CodeCombat | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | 2027-04-01 | | [Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/summit-stem-fellowship-ssf) | Summit Education | $875 | virtual | All grades | Rolling | | [Frontiers Science Research Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/frontiers) | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | $3,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 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 | | [Stanford Compression Forum Summer Internship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stanford-compression-forum-summer-internship) | Stanford University | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [NYU Courant GSTEM](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nyu-courant-gstem) | NYU Courant Institute | Free | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2027-03-02 | | [IEEE Presidents' Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ieee-presidents-scholarship) | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-05-08 | | [Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/palantir-scholarship) | Palantir Technologies | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-01-15 | | [NYU Tandon CS4CS](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nyu-tandon-cs4cs) | NYU Tandon School of Engineering | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-15 | | [MITES Saturdays](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mites-saturdays) | MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs | Free | in_person | Grades 9–10 | 2026-12-03 | | [Carnegie Mellon Informatics & Mathematics Competition (CMIMC)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-informatics-mathematics-competition-cmimc) | Carnegie Mellon University | $30 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-05 | | [American Computer Science League (ACSL) All-Star Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/american-computer-science-league-acsl-all-star-contest) | ACSL | $50 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-02 | | [DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/darpa-cyber-grand-challenge) | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Congressional App Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/congressional-app-challenge) | U.S. House of Representatives | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | 2026-10-26 | | [MIT Battlecode](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mit-battlecode) | MIT | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-10 | | [Columbia Engineering SHAPE](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/columbia-engineering-shape) | Columbia University | $3,500 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-03 | | [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 | | [Georgia Educational Technology Fair](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/georgia-educational-technology-fair) | Georgia Educational Technology Fair, Inc. | Free | in_person | Grades 3–12 | 2026-12-14 | | [Google Code Next Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/code-next) | Google | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-08-13 | | [Google Women Techmakers Scholars Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/google-women-techmakers) | Google | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2026-12-05 | | [Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/columbia-university-science-honors-program-shp) | Columbia University | $600 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-04-15 | | [Generation Google Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/generation-google-scholarship) | Google LLC | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-04-23 | | [MIT Blueprint](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mit-blueprint) | HackMIT | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [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 | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many computer science programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 52 verified computer science opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these computer science 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); Meta Hacker Cup (September 1, 2026); Congressional App Challenge (October 26, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Do computer science extracurriculars help with college admissions? Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in computer science (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 - [Coding Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/coding) - [AI & Machine Learning Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ai) - [Research](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/cs-majors/research) - [Summer Programs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/cs-majors/summer-programs) - [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/computer-science 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.