| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 enrolment deposit: $600. Paid with the application to hold space; future amount and refund terms must be checked.; 2026 non-refundable application fee: $99–$199. Started at $99 and increased to $149 and $199 at later application waves.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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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 7–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Requirement: For high-school programmes, have completed eighth grade before the session; Requirement: Normally hold at least a 3.0 GPA or local equivalent; Requirement: Meet campus/course-specific age, health and prerequisite rules; Requirement: International applicants must demonstrate English proficiency; Requirement: Be available for the complete selected session; Exclusion: The aggregate listing does not mean every course is available at every campus; Exclusion: Most host universities do not run, sponsor or endorse the programme; Exclusion: Participation does not confer university admission or generally stated college credit; Exclusion: The 2026 season is closed | Residency: Participants from around the world are welcomed; Requirement: Students currently in grades 7–11 who will enter grades 8–12 in 2027; Requirement: No GPA requirement stated by the programme | 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 |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 1–2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts July 11, 2027; Ends July 24, 2027; 2 weeks (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person / Online | In person | In person |
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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 | New York, Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, Durham, New Haven, Oxford, Multiple campus locations; options change by year | Spartanburg, South Carolina | 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 |
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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 interview or accepted evidence for international applicants | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-10Source 2 · checked 2026-10-10Source 3 · checked 2026-10-10Source 4 · checked 2026-08-21 | 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 |
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