Summer Programs in Texas 2026 | Rice, UT Austin & Houston STEM

Summer is the highest-leverage time on a student's calendar. A focused summer program lets you go deep on a subject, live on a college campus, and produce something tangible while school is out. Texas features Rice, UT Austin, and Texas A&M alongside NASA's Johnson Space Center and major energy and medical centers.

Options include selective pre-college programs at universities, STEM intensives like SSP and COSMOS, arts and writing institutes, and free, fully funded programs for students with financial need.

How you spend your summers tells colleges what you choose to do with unstructured time — a powerful indicator of genuine interest.

How to get started with summer programs

1. Start in the fall — the best summer programs have December–February deadlines for the following summer.
2. Prioritize selective, free or aid-supported programs (SSP, MITES, COSMOS, TASS) over pay-to-play enrichment.
3. Pick programs that go deep on one interest and produce something tangible — a project, portfolio, or paper.
4. Line up recommendations early and give teachers three weeks' notice with a short brag sheet.
5. Have a strong plan B: a local research reach-out, a self-directed project, or a virtual program you can run yourself.

Featured programs

Browse 11+ curated programs for high school students:

• Clark Scholars Program — Texas Tech: Elite summer research program for high school juniors and seniors. Gain hands-on STEM experience, earn a $750 stipend, and boost your college applicat
• Rice University STEM Summer Camp — Rice University: STEM camps at Rice University in Houston. Hands-on engineering, computer science, and science programs.
• Texas Governor's School — Texas Foundation: Join a prestigious summer program for gifted 10th-11th graders in Texas! Develop leadership skills, explore government, and boost college applications
• Welch Summer Scholar Program — The Welch Foundation: Five-week, fully funded residential chemistry research program for Texas sophomores and juniors at six universities including UT Austin, Texas A&M, an
• UT Computer Science Summer Academies — UT Austin Department of Computer Science: One-week residential summer academies at UT Austin for students entering grades 10-12, with tracks in game development, iOS apps, machine learning, ro
• Summer Junior Volunteer Program — Texas Children's Hospital: Summer teen volunteer corps at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston - the nation's largest children's hospital - where students 15-17 serve about 12 h
• Junior Summer Math Camp - Residential (JSMCR) — Texas State University Mathworks: Two-week residential math camp at Texas State for students currently in grades 6-8, capped at 76 campers. 2026 ran June 7-19 at $2,200 with need-based
• Honors Summer Math Camp (HSMC) — Texas State University Mathworks: Six-week residential math camp at Texas State University built around number theory and original student research, with need-based scholarships. 2026
• Houston Ballet Academy Summer Intensive — Houston Ballet Academy: Houston Ballet Academy's five-week summer intensive for dancers 12 and up: six to eight hours of classes a day, six days a week. 2027 in-person auditi
• McCombs Future Executive Academy — McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin: Free six-day residential business and leadership academy at UT Austin's McCombs School for current sophomores and juniors - workshops, case competitio
• DYNAMC (Discover Yourself in Accounting Majors and Careers) — McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin: Free week-long residential accounting career program at UT Austin's McCombs School, sponsored by EY - faculty classes, industry keynotes, and mentorsh

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