20 Best Online Summer Programs for High School Students – 2026

January 23, 2026

For almost two years, COVID-19 dramatically altered the everyday lives of American teens as well as young people all over the globe. One particularly salient change was the rise of virtual learning, both in traditional academic settings as well as summer programs. Although most in-person programs have now resumed normal activity, the rise—and acceptability—of virtual programs has given students even more options. Since we encourage all college-bound teens, particularly those eyeing highly selective institutions, to spend their summers as productively as possible, consider what is doable for you within your individual circumstances. If traveling to an in-person summer program feels out of reach due to personal circumstances or family finances, there are options. To assist, we’ve rounded up a list of our top online summer programs and courses for high school students.

Who should attend online summer programs?

Prior to the pandemic, online summer programs for high school students were often considered to be less rigorous than in-person options. However, this is no longer the case. There are now a slew of highly respected online offerings; demand for these programs has led to a marked increase in the number of available courses. As a result, teens who may be unable to travel to a different state for the summer or who are unable to participate in a residential experience now have more access to a wider range of opportunities.

Even if you’re planning on attending an in-person program this summer, researching online summer programs is an excellent idea. Should extenuating circumstances prevent you from traveling to your program of choice, you’ll have a solid backup plan at the ready. Preferably, this backup plan will be a) local or b) online. For example, if you are planning on attending a residential pre-med summer program in another city/state, work on lining up a local opportunity such as volunteering at a nearby hospital or taking a pre-med-related course online. Many elite universities now allow high school students to take summer courses online in a wide variety of academic disciplines. Another positive is that most of these online summer programs for high school students accept applications through May (or even June) on a rolling basis.

1) Dartmouth Precollege Online Program

Tuition: $1,895
Eligibility: Ages 13+
Application Deadline: Rolling

The Dartmouth Precollege Online Program offers courses designed by Dartmouth instructors, covering a range of disciplines like finance, law, medicine, and more. Each course concludes with a final capstone project and students will have the opportunity to earn a Certificate of Completion from Dartmouth.

2) William & Mary Pre-College Online Program

Tuition: $1,595
Eligibility: Ages 13 and up
Application Deadline: Rolling

This pre-college online program offers courses in Constitutional Law, Medicine, Cognitive Psychology, and Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital. Designed for high school students ages 13 and up, the program covers a range of compelling topics, explored in-depth, through online coursework led by William & Mary professors.

3) Ventures-TECH Summer Program

Tuition: $4,750
Eligibility: High School/Gap Year
Application Deadline: Jan 31 (Priority) / February 28 (Early) / March 28 (Regular)

VTSP is a selective, six-week online experience for ambitious high school students looking to develop leadership skills, business acumen, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Participants gain hands-on experience through internships at venture-backed startups, working directly with CEOs and founders on real-world projects in fields like AI and fintech. The program also includes daily interactive seminars led by Harvard faculty, Forbes 30 Under 30 investors, and top executives covering topics in technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership. In addition to classes, workshops, and mentorship, EVERY student at VTSP gets an internship at a startup!

4) Beloit College – Summer Language Program

Tuition: $2,200 (3.5 weeks); $4,400 (7 weeks)
Eligibility: High School and College Students, Adult Language Lovers
Application Deadline: Rolling (until May 16th)

Beloit College’s Summer Language Program is an intensive, immersive online experience where students complete up to two semesters of college-level language study (Chinese, Japanese, or Russian) in seven weeks, earning credit while deepening cultural fluency.

5) Notre Dame Pre-College Online Program

Tuition: $1,795
Eligibility: Ages 13+
Application Deadline: Rolling

Designed to empower brilliant and energetic thinkers, courses feature dynamic video lessons by renowned faculty, and access to mentors. Current course offerings are in the areas of Biology, Business, Finance, Law, Medical Research, and Psychology.

6) Northwestern Pre-College Online Program

Tuition: $1,895
Eligibility: Ages 13+
Application Deadline: Rolling

These engaging pre-college online courses are taught by renowned Northwestern University faculty and feature dynamic video lessons and interactive tools. Courses are available in areas such as: Law, Medical Research, Medicine, Business, Finance, Psychology, Physiology, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and the Business of Sports.

7) Wake Forest Online Immersion Program

Tuition: $1,595
Eligibility: Ages 13+
Application Deadline: Rolling

Designed for high school students ages 13 and up, the Wake Forest Online Immersion Program offers a variety of courses taught by Wake Forest professors. All courses culminate in a Final Capstone Project that allows students to demonstrate what they’ve learned in the program and students will earn a Certificate of Completion from Wake Forest University. Courses are currently available in areas such as: Bioscience, Business, Medicine, Cancer, Psychology, Sports Medicine, Women’s Medicine, Investing, and Law.

8) Polygence

Timeframe: Academic year and/or summer
Length: 2-6 months
Cost: $495-$3,695
Eligibility: No age restrictions

For high school students who want to showcase authentic passion on their college applications, Polygence offers the most personalized and flexible online research program that helps students turn their interests into unique research projects. Accordingly, they pair intellectually curious students with PhD-level mentors to design experiments, build robots, create podcasts, write original screenplays, and publish in peer-reviewed journals in all fields from the humanities to STEM. All 1:1 programs include ten meetings with a mentor in your chosen field as well as a self-selected project topic and outcome, which could include a research paper, a prototype, or a creative piece of work.

A multitude of personalized options are available, including additional brainstorming sessions, time with a specialist who will guide the student through the publishing or research competition process, and academic credit through UCI x GATI. Moreover, Polygence’s Pods program allows students to work with like-minded peers in a group setting.

Sound like a good fit? College Transitions readers can save $50 on their Polygence package.

Research areas available include:

9) Brown Pre-College Summer Programs

Tuition:

- Summer@Brown Online: 2-week course: $3,364 / 3-week course: $4,282 / 4-week course: $5,554 / 6-week course: $6,520
- Brown Leadership Institute Online: $5,778
- Pre-Baccalaureate Program: 1 course: $8.973 / 2 courses – $17,935

Eligibility:

- Summer@Brown Online / Brown Leadership Institute: Ages 14-18, students completing grades 9-12
- Pre-Baccalaureate Program: Rising or recently graduated high school seniors

Application Deadline: Rolling (Jan-May)

Brown offers several virtual summer programs for high school students. Firstly, Summer@Brown Online offers over 100 courses on a wide range of topics. Past humanities courses have included Writing from the Heart: Empathy, Care, & Ethnography; past engineering courses offered include Nanotechnology: Mystery Science or Small Materials Doing Big Things?. Students can choose from an asynchronous, mostly asynchronous, or blended format. Additionally, the Brown Leadership Institute is offered in a four-week online format. Finally, the seven-week, highly selective Pre-Baccalaureate Program allows high schoolers to take one or two Brown courses online alongside current undergraduates.

10) Reach Cambridge

Tuition: £1,296 (10 hours) / £2,450 (20 hours) / £4,595 (40 hours)
Eligibility: High school students (ages 14-18)
Application Deadline: Rolling

Accredited by the British Accreditation Council and founded nearly twenty years ago, Reach Cambridge offers several excellent online course options. These include 1:1 pre-university courses, a research project, or ongoing tutoring. In addition to the ability to design your own course related to your goals and passions, you can also dive into over twenty STEM and humanities disciplines. These include everything from filmmaking and creative writing to biotechnology and computer science. Moreover, add-on courses are available in exam & interview prep, leadership skills, research, and study skills. Finally, you can study more than one subject at a time with Reach Cambridge, a stellar option for students who may want to pursue more than one area of study.

11) Laurel Springs Online Summer School

Tuition: Varies
Eligibility: K-12
Application Deadline: Rolling

Laurel Springs online summer school offers flexible, self-paced K-12 courses with 300+ core, Honors, and AP options. Students can catch up, get ahead, or explore cool subjects anytime — all from anywhere! Live workshops, bootcamps, and expert teacher support make summer learning engaging and effective.

12) Cornell University Summer Session Online

Tuition: $1,940 per credit (most courses are between 3-8 credits)
Eligibility: Rising 11th-12th grade students, ages 15-19
Application Deadline: Varies according to session

Cornell offers over 100 three- and six-week online classes to high school students in the summer. Past courses have included Architecture and the Arts, Business and Hospitality, Health and Humanities, International Relations, Science and Technology, Social Change, Veterinary Medicine, and more. Moreover, any credits you earn are typically transferable to other universities.

13) Rice University Summer Sessions

Tuition: $1,300 per credit hour (most courses are 3-4 credits)
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th graders
Application Deadline: Varies according to session

Rice offers six summer “blocks” that begin between May and July and last from 6 to 10 weeks. There are over twenty courses available to high school students. For example, you could have the chance to learn from esteemed Rice faculty in areas like Introduction to Sociology, Sport Marketing, Physics, and Mechanics.

14) Tufts Pre-College Programs

Tuition: $3,420 (3-credits) / $4,560 (4-credits) / $1,300 (non-credit course)
Eligibility: 16+ (rising 11th and 12th graders)
Application Deadline: Dec. 1 – Jan. 1 (Spring semester) / Jan. 4 – May 6 (Summer session I) / Jan. 4 – June 22 (Summer session 2)

Tufts offers a number of online courses with a nice variety across academic disciplines. For example, popular past options have included Healthy Eating from Science to Plate, Law & Ethics, and Writing Persuasive Prose.

15) Boston University – High School Honors Online

Tuition: $6,760 (for 8 credits)
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th graders
Application Deadline: May 22 (domestic applicants) / March 24 (international applicants)

BU typically offers 20+ online courses during the summer, including courses from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Communication, the Questrom School of Business, and the School of Hospitality Administration. Moreover, courses include everything from Chinese to Combinatoric Structures to Politics and Philosophy.

Students choose two courses to take during a 6-week period. Finally, many classes do have a synchronous element, so students should be mindful of time zones.

16) Brandeis University Summer Courses

Tuition: $3,825 (4-credit-hour course) / $2,025 (2-credit-hour course)
Eligibility: Rising 12th grade students and recent high school graduates
Application Deadline: Open enrollment, beginning in late-March. Deadline varies according to session.

Brandeis offers five-week and ten-week sessions. Some classes are asynchronous, but many are synchronous. Additionally, classes are small—typically 10-20 students. They’re also traditional college courses, meaning that you’ll be in the course with undergraduate-level students.

17) Purdue University Summer College for High School Students

Tuition: $347.85 per credit (Indiana resident) / $948.30 per credit (Domestic non-resident) / $1,058.30 (international)
Eligibility: Age 16 and above
Application Deadline: Rolling (application opens 12/1; decisions are released beginning in mid-January)

Offering multiple courses online, you won’t find a better selection at any school of Purdue’s quality. Past courses have been available in areas like Principles of Logic, Modern Weapons and International Relations, Intro to Fiction, and Applied Domestic Animal Anatomy. Also, students can take up to seven credits worth of classes, and classes run for 4-12 weeks depending on the module selected.

18) UC San Diego – FUTURES Programs

Tuition: $390 per course; $1,170 per sequence
Eligibility: 9th through 12th graders
Application Deadline: Rolling, according to session

For students interested in computer science, business management, design, or life sciences, UC San Diego’s program is an affordable way to learn valuable skills on a remote basis. For example, courses are offered in areas like Front End Web Development, iOS Programming, AutoCAD, Android Programming, and Digital Circuit Design. Moreover, courses are organized into sequences of three that must be taken in order.

19) University of Washington Summer Quarter Online

Tuition: Approximately $2,000-$8,000 per course, depending on residency status and number of credits
Eligibility: 9th through 12th graders
Application Deadline: Rolling depending on the session selected

Many online summer courses are available through UW, including in areas like Architecture & Urban Planning; Arts & Sciences; Engineering; and Ocean & Fishery Science, among others. Moreover, recent course offerings included Appreciation of Architecture, Introduction to Japanese Cinema & Media, and Introduction to Probability & Statistics. The UW recommends that high schoolers register for 100-level courses, although it may be possible to register for more advanced courses. Popular courses include those in astronomy, dance, theater, chemistry, psychology, and environmental studies. Finally, if you’re looking for a more high-school-specific program, you might be interested in UW’s Youth and Teen Program.

20) Oregon State University

Tuition: $384-$605 per credit
Eligibility: All high school students
Application Deadline: Rolling, typically about a month before the start of the term

If you are looking for an established university that has a massive number of courses online, look no further than OSU. A leader in online education, Oregon has courses in over thirty academic areas, including Animal Sciences, Computer Science, English, Horticulture, Queer Studies, and Theatre Arts. Moreover, all courses are regular OSU classes, meaning that students will learn alongside current undergraduates. There are multiple terms available, which range from 1-11 weeks.

Final Thoughts — Online Summer Programs for High School Students

Online summer courses and programs for high school students are only expected to grow in the coming years. If you don’t have the ability to attend an in-person summer program, look no further than the top online summer programs for high school students. These options allow students to remain at home while developing their knowledge and skills in specific areas, earning college credit, and strengthening their college applications.

Looking for more summer program options? Check out the following links:

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Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.