# Data Science Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Data science sits between math, coding, and the domain you care about — these programs teach statistical modeling, visualization, and machine-learning basics on real datasets.

It is one of the most employable skills a high schooler can demonstrate, and one of the least crowded application niches.

21 verified programs match this page; 12 of the featured listings are free; 8 can be done online.

## Programs (21 total)

| Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [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 |
| [Penn Data Science Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/penn-data-science-academy) | Wharton Global Youth Program | $7,900 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-18 |
| [High School Research Academy (HRA)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/high-school-research-academy-hra) | The University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences | Free | hybrid | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-22 |
| [UC San Diego Research Scholars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/uc-san-diego-research-scholars) | University of California San Diego | $5,200 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-10 |
| [NYU GSTEM Summer Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nyu-gstem) | New York University (Courant Institute) | $5,900 | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-03-02 |
| [AIcrowd Challenges](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/aicrowd-challenges) | AIcrowd | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-07-31 |
| [Citadel Data Open Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/citadel-data-open-competition) | Citadel LLC | Free | hybrid | Grades 11–12 | 2026-10-01 |
| [NASA SEES High School Summer Intern Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-sees-high-school-summer-intern-program) | The University of Texas at Austin - Center for Space Research | Free | hybrid | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-22 |
| [NASA GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-genelab-for-high-schools-gl4hs) | NASA GeneLab | Free | virtual | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-15 |
| [MIT Sloan Business Analytics Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mit-sloan-business-analytics) | MIT Sloan | $3,000 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-04-01 |
| [Modeling the Future Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/modeling-the-future-challenge) | The Actuarial Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-11-09 |
| [SEES High School Summer Intern Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/sees-high-school-summer-intern-program) | The University of Texas at Austin / NASA | Free | hybrid | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-22 |
| [NWEA Data Science for Everyone Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nwea-data-science-for-everyone) | NWEA | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-15 |
| [SECME AI Contest (High School)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/secme-ai-contest-hs) | SECME | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-30 |
| [Penn Experimental Psychology Research Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/penn-experimental-psychology-research-academy) | University of Pennsylvania | $7,800 | in_person | Grades 10–11 | Rolling |
| [UCSC Science Internship Program (SIP) - Data Science Track](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ucsc-science-internship-program-sip-data-science-track) | UC Santa Cruz | $4,500 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-26 |
| [Makridakis Forecasting Competitions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/makridakis-competitions) | Makridakis Open Forecasting Center (MOFC) | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |
| [Wharton Moneyball Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/wharton-moneyball-academy) | Wharton Global Youth Program, University of Pennsylvania | $8,800 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-18 |
| [Notre Dame Summer Scholars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/notre-dame-summer-scholars) | University of Notre Dame Pre-College | $4,800 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-18 |
| [Summit Research Scholars (SRS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/summit-research-scholars-srs) | Summit Education | $2,900 | virtual | All grades | Rolling |

## Frequently asked questions

### How many data science programs are listed for high school students?

ExtracurricularHub currently lists 21 verified data science opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link.

### Are any of these data science programs free?

Yes — 12 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: AIcrowd Challenges (July 31, 2026); NASA International Space Apps Challenge (October 1, 2026); Citadel Data Open Competition (October 1, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site.

### Do data science extracurriculars help with college admissions?

Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in data 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

- [AI & Machine Learning Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ai)
- [Math Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/math)
- [Computer Science Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/computer-science)
- [Stem for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stem)
- [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars)
- [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit)

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