Best Summer Art Programs – 2026

March 10, 2026

summer art programs for high school students

Pop quiz: What are the visual arts? (If you said this in a Keanu Reeves voice a la Speed, you win.) In addition to painting, drawing, and sculpture–three of the most time-honored mediums–other creation and design methods include architecture, photography, video, and filmmaking. And new mediums, like AI-generated art, continue to burgeon, raising heated debates about what should and should not be considered art. Regardless, the visual arts are and always have been a crucial way for humans to capture and communicate experiences, emotions, ideas, and concepts. As such, it’s important for aspiring visual artists of any kind to nurture and develop their skills through extensive technical training, hands-on studio experience, and a collaborative atmosphere with fellow artists, all of which can be gained from participating in one of the many excellent summer art programs for high school students around the country. Below, we’ve profiled the best options.

Best Summer Art Programs

1) Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Pre-College Programs

Location: Savannah / Atlanta, GA
Instructional Method: In-person (residential or commuter)
Program Length: 1 or 4 weeks
Cost: $6,620 (Rising Star); $1,450 (Summer Seminar commuter) / $1,750 (Summer Seminar residential)
Eligibility: Rising seniors (Rising Star) / rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors (Summer Seminar)
Application Deadline: Rolling

SCAD’s Rising Star program is a challenging four-week program that awards college credit to rising high school seniors who are ready for a university experience. Students enroll in two college-level classes and have the opportunity to build or enhance their portfolios. Not quite ready to dive in? SCAD Summer Seminars are one-week programs designed to give students valuable educational experience while developing their creative vision through intriguing art and design assignments and projects.

2) Alfred University Summer Programs

Location: Alfred, NY
Instructional Method: In-person (residential or commuter)
Program Length: 1 week
Cost: $1,000 (room, board, and materials included)
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
Application Deadline: Rolling

Nestled in the scenic Allegheny Mountains (or foothills) of Western New York, Alfred University offers 24 different summer art courses, including 3D Printing: From Plastic to Clay, Experimental Print Residency, Portrait Drawing, Auditioning for Theater & Film, Songwriting, Performing Shakespeare, and more.

3) Parsons Summer Intensive Studies

Location: New York, NY
Instructional Method: In-person (residential or commuter)
Program Length: 3 weeks
Cost: $5,875 (commuter) / $8,055 (residential)
Eligibility: High school students aged 16-18
Application Deadline: May/June; first-come, first-served

Many traditional and modern visual arts mediums are offered at these summer art programs for high school students. Accordingly, students choose one of eighteen options, which include everything from Animation Studio to Painting to Drawing: Figure and Meaning.

Additionally, each course requires students to complete a number of studio projects and reach specific learning objectives. Past courses have included Drawing: Figure and Meaning, which helps students build skills in line, gesture, and anatomy, among others. They also develop an understanding of wet and dry media. Furthermore, students learn essential editing skills and spend ample time developing portfolios to be used during the college application process. Guest speakers and field trips to significant art & design locations round out the experience. Finally, students spend approximately six hours per day in class and a significant amount of time outside of class working on projects. They’ll earn three college credits after successful completion of the program.

Itching to leave the country? Summer Intensive Studies: Parsons Paris may be just your speed.

4) Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Pre-College

Location: Providence, RI
Instructional Method: In-person (residential or commuter)
Program Length: 5 weeks
Cost: $12,495 (residential); $9,595 (commuter)
Eligibility: Rising juiors and seniors (aged 16-18)
Application Deadline: Rolling (application opens in November)

Students who attend these summer art programs live like a RISD undergraduate for the better part of the summer. They’ll spend two-and-a-half days per week in Foundations Studies, which include Drawing Foundations, Design Foundations, and Critical Studies in Art. Additionally, students choose a major, which is how they’ll spend the additional two days of the week. There are 21 majors to choose from–everything from Ceramics to Sculpture to Textile Design.

All programs of study include extensive studio time and multiple projects. For example, Sculpture students create “realistic structures based on human, animal, and plant anatomy.” Students make important decisions about form and space, and work with materials like wire, paper, and fabric, among others. Receiving constructive criticism from peers and instructors is an important aspect of the program. Furthermore, they gain a sense of sculptural variety, including memorials and public art.

In addition to their time in class, students should expect to commit multiple hours a week to homework and projects. Final projects will be presented during the last week of the program; these are a critical component of final grades. Moreover, program participants may take part in an optional portfolio review conducted by a RISD representative.

To apply to these summer art programs, you’ll need to have summer on your mind early – the application opens in November. Interested students must submit four short answers in addition to a completed application.

5) Sotheby’s Summer Institute

Location: New York, NY
Instructional Method: In-person (residential or commuter)
Program Length: 2 weeks
Cost: $7,695 (residential); $6,195 (commuter)
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, seniors, and college freshmen (aged 15+)
Application Deadline: Rolling (students are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible)

The Summer Institute features three intensive two-week pre-college courses designed to introduce high school students to different areas of the art world through lectures, site visits, and industry interaction in New York City. Global Art History: Movements and Masterpieces surveys major artistic traditions from ancient civilizations to contemporary art, with guided study in museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum. Art Business: Markets, Museums, and Money explores how the global art market operates, examining galleries, auctions, collectors, and emerging trends such as digital art and NFTs. Inside Luxury: Culture and Couture investigates the relationship between art, fashion, and luxury brands, analyzing collaborations between artists and designers while studying how luxury goods are produced, marketed, and positioned within global culture.

Outside of academics, both residential and commuter students have access to a wide variety of evening and weekend programming. They’re also encouraged to explore New York City.

Applying to these summer art programs requires transcripts and a short essay. Returning students do not need to reapply.

6) Design Camp at NC State

Location: Raleigh, NC
Instructional Method: In-person (residential or commuter)
Program Length: 1 week
Cost: $900 (Explorations Commuter) / $1,600 (Explorations Residential) / $1,650 (Immersions Residential)
Eligibility: Varies
Application Deadline: First-come, first-served (registration opens in January and closes in April)

NC State’s summer art programs for high school students offer both day and residential options. No matter the format, all programs aim to equip students with essential design skills and provide an immersive creative experience.

There is one commuter option: Explorations. Explorations offers a glimpse of all four studio art disciplines at NC State: Architecture, Graphic and Experience Design, Industrial Design, and Media Arts, Design and Technology. For each discipline, students complete one studio art project and learn about majors and career paths.

There are also two residential options–Explorations and Immersions. Explorations mirrors the day option in regard to topic and structure. However, residential students spend more time in the studio than day students. Additionally, they’ll develop their creative thinking skills by participating in evening workshops. Alternatively, Immersions students complete a week-long, intensive studio project. They’ll be able to rank available projects in order of preference. By the culmination of the program, Immersions students’ studio projects should be portfolio-ready.

To apply, students will need to complete a statement of interest.

7) UNCSA Visual Arts Summer Intensive

Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Residential?: Residential and commuter options available
Program Length: 4 weeks
Cost: $2,878 (commuter) / $5,055 (residential)
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18
Application Deadline: Rolling until May

During the University of North Carolina School of Art’s Summer Intensive, students take two rigorous courses: Design and Drawing. Firstly, Design includes realistic, abstract, and non-objective assignments that encourage students to build their problem-solving and decision-making skills. Moreover, students practice compositional elements like line, proportion, and perspective. Secondly, Drawing provides a foundation in two-dimensional space. Along with learning skills related to gesture, shape, and texture, students increase their understanding of scale and composition. Critiques are an essential component of both courses.

Beyond the above-mentioned hands-on classes, students also learn about art history. Finally, they’ll end this summer art program with a friends-and-family gallery exhibition.

Final Thoughts – Summer Art Programs

The most valuable summer art programs allow students to build their skills while introducing them to the career possibilities that exist post-college. Outside of traditional art careers, visual art skills can be used across disciplines at advertising agencies, design companies, and architecture or graphic design firms. Additionally, visual artists can pursue entrepreneurial ventures, plan museum exhibits, or even facilitate art therapy. For hard-working, creative thinkers, the possibilities can be absolutely endless.

Looking for summer art programs for high school students in your area? Consider checking out the following:

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Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).