| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 | $3,445–$7,195 (2027 cycle) | 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): Early new-enrollment tuition discount: $500. For new 2027 Teen Summer Trip enrollment by August 31, 2026; this is a discount, not a cash award.; Conditional alumni, sibling and educator discounts: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Published rates are 20% alumni by August 31, 5% sibling and 10% educator, subject to eligibility and program terms.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Program-specific full scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. The separate NAIOP-Drexel real-estate program funded all accepted students; this does not mean all Summer Institutes offer aid.; 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): Application fee: $95. Nonrefundable.; Teen Summer Trip enrollment deposit: $700. Applied under enrollment terms; refundable through December 31, 2026 for early 2027 enrollment, then subject to cancellation rules.; Program accommodation: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Included in tuition; accommodation type varies by itinerary.; Three program meals daily: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Included in tuition; airport meals before and after the trip are excluded.; Round-trip airfare and excluded travel costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Airfare is not included. Passport, visa, baggage, airport transfer and insurance expenses may also apply.; Early new-enrollment tuition discount: $500. For new 2027 Teen Summer Trip enrollment by August 31, 2026; this is a discount, not a cash award.; Conditional alumni, sibling and educator discounts: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Published rates are 20% alumni by August 31, 5% sibling and 10% educator, subject to eligibility and program terms.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Common design-program registration deposits: $300–$500. Deposit amount, refundability, and whether it is credited to tuition differ by institute.; Program-specific full scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. The separate NAIOP-Drexel real-estate program funded all accepted students; this does not mean all Summer Institutes offer aid.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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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 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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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: Entering grade 9 through graduating grade 12 for high-school trips; Requirement: Meet selected itinerary's health, mobility, conduct and travel requirements; Requirement: Submit health history and licensed-physician exam; Requirement: Obtain passport, visa and destination entry documents when required; Requirement: Parent or guardian completes under-18 enrollment and releases; Exclusion: Middle-school trips are separate products; Exclusion: Trip acceptance and safe participation remain subject to health, conduct, documentation and capacity review; Exclusion: Not every trip offers the same service, language or academic experience | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Meet the selected institute's rising-grade and minimum-age rules; Requirement: Complete any required biology, chemistry, AP Biology, research, design, mathematics, or other preparation; Requirement: Submit institute-specific transcript, recommendation, English-proficiency, portfolio, deposit, or health-insurance documentation where required; Requirement: Be available for the complete commuter, residential, or virtual schedule; Exclusion: The umbrella grade and age range does not make every student eligible for every institute; Exclusion: Some institutes are competitive or capped and can fill before the deadline; Exclusion: Some programs may be unavailable in a given year; Arts and Sciences listed no 2026 offerings |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | 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 | 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 | Program-specific international and U.S. territory itineraries; current departures use Houston, New York, Miami or self-booked flights | Philadelphia, Drexel University and Philadelphia-area field sites; selected online programs |
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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: 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. | Selection: Varies from registration-based/rolling to competitive review. Examples use capacity limits, transcript review, academic preparation, recommendations, and first-come acceptance; no umbrella admit rate exists. Application materials: Zero, one, or two teacher/professional recommendations depending on institute; Portfolio or course-prerequisite evidence only when specified |
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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 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · 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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