| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | $5,793 (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $3,445–$7,195 (2027 cycle) |
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| Financial aid | 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) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Sibling discount (5% of tuition): Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Discounts cannot be combined.; Educator-parent discount (10% of tuition): Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires proof of full-time employment as a primary or secondary educator.; Scholarships through partner organizations: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site (2027 cycle) |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | 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) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Application fee: $95. Non-refundable.; Enrollment deposit: $700; Sibling discount (5% of tuition): Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Discounts cannot be combined.; Educator-parent discount (10% of tuition): Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Requires proof of full-time employment as a primary or secondary educator.; Scholarships through partner organizations: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site (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 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 11–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 7–12 and first-year college (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | 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) | Minimum age 16; Residency: Attend a Northern California high school (public, charter, private or homeschool); Requirement: Open to rising grades 11–12; Requirement: At least 16 years old by the start of the workshop; Requirement: Students who are 18 at the start must be U.S. citizens; Requirement: Cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher; Requirement: Science GPA of at least 3.5; Requirement: Biology and Chemistry, or Integrated Science Series I and II, completed by the end of the current school year; Requirement: Eligible to access LLNL under Section 3112 of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which generally bars citizens of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea without dual U.S. citizenship or permanent residence | Requirement: Open to rising grades 7–13; Requirement: High school trips: entering 9th grade through graduating 12th grade; Requirement: Middle school trip: entering 7th grade through graduating 8th grade |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts July 13, 2026; Ends July 24, 2026; 2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | 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 | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA | Livermore, CA | Program-specific international and U.S. territory itineraries; current departures use Houston, New York, Miami or self-booked flights |
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| Selection and application | 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) | Selection: Applications are competitive and space is limited; LLNL publishes no acceptance rate or guaranteed cohort size on the official page. Application materials: Letter of recommendation from a Biology or Chemistry teacher | Selection: Capacity- and fit-based enrollment rather than a single selective cohort. A completed application and payment reserve a space subject to trip availability, documentation, health and conduct requirements. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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