| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $1,005–$6,105; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $5,793 (2027 cycle) | Last year's cycle (2026): $3,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based CTD financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited funds, awarded as requests are received.; Sandra Dennhardt Technology Scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. For students with financial need applying to technology courses.; 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) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based CTD financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited funds, awarded as requests are received.; Sandra Dennhardt Technology Scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. For students with financial need applying to technology courses.; 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) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Open to rising grades 9–12; Requirement: Meet the selected course's CTD eligibility tier (accelerated, credit-bearing three-week courses are at the Indigo tier) | 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 14; Residency: US; Requirement: Open to grades 9–12; Requirement: Must be 14 or older by the start of the program; Requirement: Good programming skills (Python, Java, C/C++ or other) and an understanding of computer science fundamentals; Requirement: Must be currently studying and residing in the United States; Requirement: Able to commit to the full commuter or virtual program schedule |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends August 7, 2026; 1–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 29, 2026; 6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | In person | In person | In person / Online |
|---|
| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Location | Evanston, IL | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA | Stony Brook, NY |
|---|
| Selection and application | Selection: Course-dependent academic admission using CTD eligibility tiers; applicants qualify through test scores, prior CTD coursework, or portfolio review, and courses may fill. Application materials: Qualifying above-grade-level test scores, or a grade report/unofficial transcript with CTD's online teacher recommendation form | 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: Mentors evaluate application strength and fit to limited project capacity; each accepted student receives a mentor assignment with the offer. Application materials: Essay (maximum 2 pages) on a computing or data analytics interest, programming skills and past projects; Teacher recommendation letter (science, math or computer science) |
|---|
| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 | 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 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24 |
|---|