| 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): $4,195–$6,395; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $6,600; 2027: 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): 2026 need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited full or partial tuition aid; amount not published and travel or incidentals may remain.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Up to $6,600. Aid was available up to the full program fee; admission was decided before financial-aid consideration.; 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): 2026 need-based scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited full or partial tuition aid; amount not published and travel or incidentals may remain.; Travel to and from host campus: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Student responsibility.; Off-campus meals, laundry, souvenirs, spending money, and optional protection plan: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Variable personal costs; protection-plan fee was not captured.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Up to $6,600. Aid was available up to the full program fee; admission was decided before financial-aid consideration.; Application fee: $0. Applying to MathPath is free.; 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 | 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 | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Complete at least one year of high school before attendance; Requirement: Be age 14-18 and in grades 9-12 or the summer immediately after graduation; Requirement: Demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential under the stated admissions guidance; Requirement: Meet travel, passport, visa, health, conduct, and program-specific requirements; Exclusion: Need-based scholarship applicants who are not U.S. citizens residing in the U.S., are outside ages 14-17, or are children of IEEE staff; Exclusion: Applicants unable to meet residential, travel, or selected-program requirements | Ages 11–14; Requirement: Turn 11 before the program starts; Requirement: Turn 15 only after the program ends; Requirement: Complete the Qualifying Test independently; Requirement: Demonstrate mathematical ability, interest, and persistence; Exclusion: Students outside the published age window |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1–2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 26, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | 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 | 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, Durham, Washington, D.C., Houston, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Philadelphia, Oxford, Eight U.S. university campuses and the University of Oxford | Portland, Oregon |
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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: Students may apply directly or be invited through nominations or talent identification. Enrollment is capacity-based and may use waitlists; no acceptance rate is published. Application materials: For scholarship: need evidence, personal essay, and one recommendation | Selection: Merit-based selection centered on the Qualifying Test and application context |
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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 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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