| Application deadline | February 21, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Catalog terms: $2,498–$7,998; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: $420; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $5,793 (2027 cycle) |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires household income documentation and a strong recommendation from a teacher, administrator or guidance counselor; one scholarship per student.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Need-based financial assistance for application and program costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Based on family income, family size and available COSMOS resources. (2027 cycle) |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Catalog terms: Enrollment deposit: $600. Paid with the application to hold a space.; Application fee: $99–$199. Rises to $149 after the 1st wave deadline and $199 after the 2nd wave deadline.; Mandatory course supplement (Aerospace Engineering, Emergency Medicine, Forensic Science at UCLA): $250; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires household income documentation and a strong recommendation from a teacher, administrator or guidance counselor; one scholarship per student.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Application fee: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Non-refundable; fee waivers can be requested.; Need-based financial assistance for application and program costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Based on family income, family size and available COSMOS resources. (2027 cycle) |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 6–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Open to grades 9–12; Requirement: Have completed 8th grade by the program start date (students starting high school in the fall and spring graduates may enroll); Requirement: 3.0 GPA or local equivalent; Requirement: International students must show English proficiency | Residency: United States (no international On-Demand registrations); Requirement: Open to rising grades 6–12; Requirement: Fun with DNA: entering grade 6 or 7; Requirement: Forensic Detectives: entering grade 9 or 10; Requirement: DNA Barcoding: DNA Science alumni entering grades 10-12; Requirement: Genome Science: DNA Science alumni (or completed AP Biology) entering grades 11-12 | Residency: California high school students only; Requirement: Open to rising grades 9–12; Requirement: Demonstrated academic excellence (a typical COSMOS student has a GPA of 3.5 or above) |
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| Session dates or duration | Starts June 13, 2027; Ends August 6, 2027; 1–6 weeks (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Durham, Atlanta, New York City, Ann Arbor, Seattle, New Haven, Nashville, Oxford, CA, NC, GA, NY, MI, WA, CT, TN | Available to U.S. registrants; kits may be shipped to a home or picked up at a DNALC location | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Applicants were reviewed against grade, GPA and programme-fit requirements, with decisions normally in 5-7 business days. Capacity was course/session-specific and could close early; no applicant or acceptance totals are published. Application materials: English proficiency telephone interview or TOEFL/Cambridge score (international students) | Selection: Registration-based, subject to course prerequisites, kit availability, and U.S. shipping constraints; no competitive admission rate is published. | Selection: Each of six campuses accommodates roughly 160-200 students, and clusters typically enroll 20-25 with a commonly reported 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Admissions are competitive and based on academic merit relative to the selected topic, but applicant count and statewide acceptance rate were not published. Application materials: Online application with one personal statement; One teacher recommendation (two recommended) |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-10-24Source 5 · checked 2026-10-24Source 6 · checked 2026-10-24Source 7 · checked 2026-10-24Source 8 · checked 2026-10-24Source 9 · checked 2026-10-24Source 10 · checked 2026-10-24Source 11 · checked 2026-10-24Source 12 · checked 2026-10-24Source 13 · checked 2026-10-24Source 14 · checked 2026-10-24Source 15 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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