Pre-College & Residential Summer Programs for High School Students

Pre-college programs put you in a university classroom — and often a dorm — before you apply: a live test of independence that doubles as demonstrated interest at that school.

Price and prestige vary wildly, from fully funded academies to five-figure summer sessions; this page shows cost and selectivity side by side so you can tell which is which.

142 verified programs match this page; 10 of the featured listings are completely free; 1 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) - International Diplomacy — National Student Leadership Conference: Intensive summer program at prestigious university campuses focused on international diplomacy, global affairs, and negotiation. Students simulate int
• Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Intensive — Berklee College of Music: Intensive 5-week summer program at Berklee College of Music for high school musicians to study performance, production, songwriting, and music busines
• Penn State Science-U STEM Camps — Penn State University: Immersive residential STEM camps at Penn State for middle and high school students covering robotics, cybersecurity, engineering, and life sciences on
• Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth (PTY) — Vanderbilt University: Summer and weekend academic enrichment programs at Vanderbilt for gifted K-12 students, offering fast-paced college-level courses in math, science, wr
• MIT Women in Stem Research Program Pre-College Summer Program — MIT Women in Stem Research Program: Pre-college program at MIT Women in Stem Research Program for high school students focusing on stem.
• Lehigh University Pre-College Programs — Lehigh University: Pre-college programs at Lehigh University covering engineering, business, arts, and sciences.
• Johns Hopkins Pre-College Program — Johns Hopkins University: Pre-college programs at Johns Hopkins University for high school students in Baltimore.
• Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies — Stanford University: Pre-collegiate programs at Stanford University in humanities, bioscience, business, and social justice.
• SPLASH at MIT, Stanford & Other Universities — SPLASH Learning Unlimited: Free student-run weekend classes at top universities (MIT, Stanford) covering virtually any topic for high schoolers.
• NYU Pre-College Program — New York University: Pre-college program at NYU in New York City with college courses and campus living for high school students.
• Duke Summer Academy — Duke University: Pre-college program at Duke University for high school students focusing on stem.
• Columbia University PreCollege Programs — Columbia University: Pre-college program at Columbia University for high school students focusing on real world experience in variety of classes at ivy league.
• College Greenlight Free and Low Cost Pre-College Programs — Apply College Greenlight: Curated directory of free and low-cost pre-college programs for high school students seeking affordable summer opportunities.
• UC Berkeley COSMOS — University of California, Berkeley: 4-week residential STEM program at UC campuses for California students.
• Stanford University High School Summer College — Stanford University: Take Stanford courses alongside Stanford undergraduates. Full Stanford academic experience.
• Garcia Summer Scholars Program — Stony Brook University: Residential research program at Stony Brook University.
• Vanderbilt Program for Talented Youth Summer Academy — Vanderbilt University: Transform your summer with a 3-week residential program for gifted students in grades 7-12. Develop advanced skills, explore academics, and boost your
• UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program — University of California, Santa Barbara: Explore STEM fields in a 6-week summer research program at UCSB. High school juniors gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and a boost for college app
• Mathily & Mathily-Er — Mathily: Immerse in a residential summer program exploring advanced college-level mathematics. Perfect for high schoolers seeking enrichment, skill-building, a
• Duke Young Writers' Camp — Duke University: Immerse yourself in a residential summer program for high school writers in grades 10-12. Hone creative writing skills, build portfolios, and boost co
• Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics (HCSSiM) — Hampshire College: Explore a rigorous summer program in pure mathematics for high schoolers (grades 10-12). Build problem-solving skills, enhance college applications, a
• Boston College Experience — Boston College: Explore a two-week summer program for high school sophomores and juniors at Boston College. Build academic skills, enhance college applications, and e
• UC Berkeley Pre-Collegiate Programs — University of California, Berkeley: Transform your summer with UC Berkeley’s pre-college program. Build academic skills, gain hands-on experience, and boost your college applications on
• UCLA Summer Discovery — University of California, Los Angeles: Transform your summer with a pre-college academic program at UCLA. Earn college credit, boost your skills, and enhance your college applications throu
• Tufts Pre-College Programs — Tufts University: Transform your summer with hands-on academic programs for high schoolers in grades 10-12. Build skills, boost college applications, and explore future
• Emory Pre-College Program — Emory University: Transform your summer with an in-person pre-college program for grades 10-12. Build academic skills, enhance college applications, and explore univers
• Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy — Middlebury College: Immerse yourself in an intensive summer language program for high schoolers. Build fluency, boost college applications, and gain hands-on cultural exp
• Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Programs — Carnegie Mellon University: Immerse in a six-week summer program focusing on arts, design, or STEM. Build skills, gain hands-on experience, and strengthen your college applicatio
• Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists — Boston University: Explore advanced math in a six-week residential summer program for grades 10-12. Build STEM skills, enhance college applications, and gain hands-on ex
• California Arts Scholars Program — California State Summer School for the Arts: Immerse yourself in the California Arts Scholars Program, a residential summer program for grades 10-12 offering intensive arts training to build skil

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