| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $2,700; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | $3,445–$7,195 (2027 cycle) |
|---|
| 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 | 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 |
|---|
| 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): Fall 2026 required activities, health, and technology fees: $168. USD 100 activities + USD 32 health service + USD 36 technology.; Nonrefundable Pre-College application fee: $80. Returning applicants may qualify for a waiver under the published policy.; Academic Year Weekend enrollment deposit: $500. Nonrefundable but credited to program cost; due date is communicated with admission.; 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 |
|---|
| 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; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| 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 | Residency: Academic Year Weekend is open to students worldwide; Residency: In-person summer housing and supervision rules vary by program; Requirement: Academic background, motivation, and maturity sufficient for rigorous study; Requirement: Completion of any prerequisites on the selected course page; Requirement: English fluency adequate for fast-paced discussion and assignments without translation assistance; Requirement: Technology and schedule compatible with synchronous Eastern Time online classes for Academic Year Weekend; Exclusion: Participation does not confer an advantage in Columbia undergraduate admission; Exclusion: Academic Year Weekend and standard Pre-College courses are noncredit | 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 |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | In person | In person / Online | In person |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
| 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 | New York City, Academic Year Weekend is online worldwide; summer programs can be online, NYC commuter, or NYC residential | Program-specific international and U.S. territory itineraries; current departures use Houston, New York, Miami or self-booked flights |
|---|
| 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: Holistic admission seeks academically exceptional, curious, motivated, and mature students. Columbia publishes no current applicant or admit rate and no fixed GPA minimum. Application materials: One recommendation form from a current teacher in a field related to the applicant's curricular preferences; For NYC Residential or Commuter Summer only, an additional current school counselor/administrator recommendation | 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. |
|---|
| 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 2026-08-20Source 6 · 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 |
|---|