| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Limited need-and-merit financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. International students and commuter or online students taking only one course were ineligible in 2026. A separate one-student Summer Term Scholarship preferred strong need.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 COSMOS application fee: $46. Nonrefundable; pending fee-waiver review could change when or whether payment was required.; Credit-card transaction fee on program payments: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Approximately 2.5% when paying program costs by credit card; application fee exempt.; 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; Full-financial-aid attendance deposit: $200. Required only for admitted students offered full aid and refunded to the legal guardian after successful completion.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Summer 2026 application fee: $75. Nonrefundable.; Enrollment deposit applied to tuition: $1,000. Nonrefundable and credited toward tuition.; Student Health Services visit: $25. Per visit, with other medical charges possible.; Limited need-and-merit financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. International students and commuter or online students taking only one course were ineligible in 2026. A separate one-student Summer Term Scholarship preferred strong need.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | 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) |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Be rising into grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 for the program fall year; Requirement: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Demonstrate academic excellence and preparation for the selected STEM cluster; Requirement: Complete cluster-specific course prerequisites; Requirement: Live on the host UC campus for the full program; Requirement: Be a first-time COSMOS participant; Exclusion: Students not attending a California high school in person; Exclusion: Students who previously attended any COSMOS program; Exclusion: Applicants outside the rising-grade 9-12 range; Exclusion: Applicants unable to live on campus for the full program; Exclusion: Late application, supporting, payment or admission materials; Exclusion: Assuming a 3.5 GPA is an absolute statewide minimum rather than the published typical profile | Requirement: Enter junior or senior year in the fall after the program; Requirement: Rising juniors should be taking Honors and/or AP courses; Requirement: Meet every selected undergraduate course prerequisite; Requirement: Residential students enroll in two courses; commuters take at least one four-credit course; Requirement: International students satisfy passport, English-proficiency, financial, immunization, and F-1 requirements; Requirement: Demonstrate readiness through grades, course rigor, statement, and academic recommendation; Exclusion: Rising freshmen and sophomores were not eligible for the 2026 pathway; Exclusion: Course enrollment can close before the final deadline; Exclusion: International students and one-course commuter or online students were ineligible for 2026 program aid; Exclusion: BU credit does not guarantee transfer to another institution |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person / Online |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Davis, California, Irvine, California, Los Angeles, California, Merced, California, San Diego, California, Santa Cruz, California, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz | Boston, Massachusetts, Greater Boston |
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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: One personal statement; One required teacher recommendation, with two recommended | Selection: Rolling holistic review considered grades, rigor, optional tests, statement, and one academic recommendation; course capacity and prerequisites also controlled enrollment. No overall acceptance rate is published. Application materials: 500-750-word personal statement; One required academic-teacher recommendation through BU's emailed form; Optional second recommendation from a counselor, adviser, or teacher |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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