14 Free Data Science Summer Programs for High School Students
Data science is a field that blends technology, math, and problem-solving to find real-world solutions. For high school students, gaining early exposure to this field can deepen an interest in STEM and build a strong foundation for future studies. These programs not only introduce you to essential concepts like data analysis, machine learning, and coding but also include projects that replicate industry challenges.
Alongside developing your technical skills, you’ll receive mentorship from professors and industry professionals. Many of these programs are hosted by top universities and respected organizations, which means you can build valuable connections. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the 14 best free data science summer programs for high school students!
14 Free Data Science Summer Programs for High School Students
1. University of Chicago’s DSI Summer Lab
Location: John Crerar Library at the University of Chicago, Hyde Park campus, IL
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application deadline: January 12
Eligibility: Current high school seniors starting college in the fall and residing in Chicago; Applicants familiar with at least 1 programming language are preferred
The University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute Summer Lab is an 8-week paid research program open to undergraduates and Chicago-area high school students. As part of this program, you’ll be paired with a mentor and join an interdisciplinary lab working in fields like computer science, climate policy, social science, public health, or biomedical research. Throughout the program, you’ll gain experience in research practices, teamwork, and data analysis while contributing to ongoing projects. You’ll also practice sharing your findings through a final presentation at an end-of-summer symposium similar to a professional conference. In addition to research, you’ll join a cohort of peers, attend professional development workshops, and hear sessions from guest speakers leading advancements in data science. Social activities and community-building are also included in this free data science summer program for high school students.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: 100% financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 10-20 hours/week
Ladder Internships connects motivated high school students with fast-growing startups and nonprofits for remote, project-based summer work. Over the course of roughly 8 weeks, you’ll collaborate with a company in areas such as AI, health technology, consulting, or journalism, while being supported by both a Startup Manager. Your responsibilities will involve contributing directly to projects and presenting your work to project stakeholders by the end of the program. The internships are designed to give you a clear picture of how early-stage ventures operate and how new ideas are tested and developed.
3. MIT’s Research Science Institute
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly selective; 100 students every year
Dates: June 22 – August 2
Application deadline: December 11
Eligibility: High school juniors. Check the website for recommended standardized test scores
RSI is a 6-week summer program that blends coursework with independent research across STEM fields, including opportunities to explore data science. During the first week, you’ll attend intensive seminars on current scientific topics led by distinguished faculty, followed by 5 weeks of working on an original research project under the guidance of a mentor. These projects often involve reading advanced journal articles, using computing tools, and contributing to real research in academic or lab settings. The free data science summer program for high school students concludes with both written papers and oral presentations. Along the way, you’ll also hear from guest lecturers, including Nobel Prize winners and leading researchers, and participate in cultural outings around Boston.
4. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
5. Meta Summer Academy
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 16 – July 25
Application deadline: February 14
Eligibility: High school sophomores; minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0; Year-round residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, or Redwood City
The Meta Summer Academy gives high school students insight into how one of the world’s largest tech companies operates while helping them build key technical and professional skills. Over the course of the program, you’ll learn about coding, teamwork, and career growth opportunities in technology, with a focus on applying problem-solving to real-world projects. While it is not limited to data science, the program introduces concepts that overlap with the field, such as working with data, writing scripts, and thinking analytically about user behavior and digital content. You’ll also gain exposure to how data is used in areas like social media and content moderation. This free data science summer program for high school students focuses on career readiness and provides guidance on navigating future opportunities in the tech domain.
6. MITES Summer
Location: MIT campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: Late June through early August
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
MITES Summer, hosted on the MIT campus, allows you to take advanced maths, science, and humanities courses while exploring real-world STEM applications. In addition to core classes, electives often highlight areas like machine learning, computational biology, and other fields that connect directly to data science. You’ll participate in lab tours, seminars with professionals, and visits to local companies, which show you how data is applied across industries. The program also supports you in preparing for college through admissions counseling, workshops, and personalized written evaluations from instructors. Beyond academics, you’ll live on campus, engage with peers from across the country, and explore the Boston area.
7. Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Program: AI Scholars
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: June 21 - July 19
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA students) who are at least 16 years of age at the start of the program
AI Scholars, part of Carnegie Mellon’s CS Pathways initiative, is a fully funded 4-week residential program for rising high school seniors interested in learning artificial intelligence. You’ll attend college-level courses, learn from faculty and industry leaders, and participate in workshops that cover both technical learning and college readiness. The program combines lectures with hands-on group projects where you and your peers will apply AI concepts to real-world challenges, concluding with a final presentation. Beyond academics, you’ll also take part in discussions about equity in STEM and community-building activities designed to make the experience more inclusive. The program allows you to get a sense of what college life feels like at Carnegie Mellon.
8. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Pre-College: CS Scholars Program
Location: Carnegie Mellon University campus, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: June 21 - July 19
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school sophomores who will be 16 years old by the program start date and are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients
The CS Scholars Program at Carnegie Mellon University is a 4-week, fully funded residential program for rising high school juniors that focuses on core computer science skills. During your time on campus, you’ll learn programming in Python, practice algorithmic thinking, and work with data structures like lists and dictionaries, all of which serve as a foundation for more advanced study in fields like data science. You’ll apply what you learn to a group project, presenting your work to peers and instructors at the end of the program. Alongside coursework, you’ll attend college readiness seminars on admissions, financial aid, and student well-being, giving you a broader perspective on preparing for higher education. Faculty lectures, guest speakers, and industry engagement will show you how computer science is applied in the real world.
9. Texas Tech University's Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost, $750 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 22 - August 7
Application deadline: February 24
Eligibility: High school students who will be at least 17 years of age by the start of the program and are graduating this year or the next year
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech University is a highly competitive 7-week summer research opportunity for talented high school juniors and seniors. As one of just 12 students selected every year, you’ll work 1-on-1 with a faculty mentor on a research project in your chosen field, which ranges from data-driven areas like computational research or applied statistics to natural sciences and humanities. Weekly seminars, field trips, and discussions supplement your research, allowing you to explore broader academic and career topics. The program emphasizes independent research, critical thinking, and scholarly communication, with each participant preparing a written report of their work.
10. George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Remote, hybrid, and in-person at George Mason University, VA
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 18 - August 8
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students must be at least 15 years of age for remote internships and at least 16 years of age for in-person or hybrid wet-lab internships
ASSIP at George Mason University gives you the chance to spend 8 weeks working closely with faculty researchers on projects that span many STEM fields. You’ll gain hands-on experience with advanced tools and technologies while sharpening important skills in scientific writing, problem-solving, and presenting your work. As part of the program, you’ll also attend discussions with professionals who help you explore potential STEM career paths. Students interested in data science may be placed in labs that work with computational models, large datasets, or applied analytics. One of the unique aspects of ASSIP is that your work could lead to being listed as a contributor in a scientific publication or even presenting at a research conference.
11. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Summer High School Intern Program
Location: IST laboratory at Gaithersburg, MD, or Boulder, CO
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: June 23 – August 8
Application deadline: November 1 – February 6
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors who are U.S. citizens with a minimum GPA of 3.0
Through the NIST Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP), you can spend part of your summer contributing to ongoing research in one of NIST’s six laboratories, which focus on solving real-world scientific and technological problems. Depending on your placement, you might work on topics ranging from cybersecurity, wireless systems, and machine learning to cryptography. For students interested in data science, the Information Technology Laboratory is especially relevant, as projects there often involve data mining, statistical modeling, or testing algorithms for reliability. The program is competitive, and you’ll be asked to specify your preferences when you apply, so it’s important to highlight any prior background in programming or math.
12. New York University – ARISE Program
Location: New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $1,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 2 – August 18 (preceded by 4 weeks of remote workshops)
Application deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; Full-time NYC residents attending NYC schools in the upcoming school year
At the NYU ARISE program, you’ll spend 10 weeks building both your research skills and academic confidence by working in one of the university’s many labs. The first 4 weeks are devoted to training in areas like scientific writing, lab safety, and research communication, which prepare you for the 6 weeks of hands-on work alongside faculty and graduate students. If you’re interested in data science, this could mean working on projects in computational biology, neuroscience, or network science that require analyzing complex datasets and using coding tools. You’ll log about 120 hours of lab work, learning what real research is all about outside the classroom sessions. You’ll also receive support with college applications and practice presenting your work to an audience of peers and mentors. The program concludes with a public symposium at the American Museum of Natural History.
13. Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application deadline: February 7
Eligibility: Current high school juniors; U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents; At least 16 years of age by the start of the program
The Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University allows you to join a research team and spend your summer doing original work under the guidance of faculty mentors. As a Simons Fellow, you’ll be matched with a lab in science, maths, or engineering, where you’ll contribute to ongoing research and take responsibility for a specific project. If your interests incline towards data science, you might explore areas like computational modeling, bioinformatics, or data visualization as part of your research placement. The program gives you both hands-on technical experience and exposure to the broader research environment through faculty lectures, workshops, and lab tours. By the end of the program, you’ll write a research abstract and create a poster summarizing your work, which you’ll present at a final symposium.
14. NLM Data Science and Informatics (DSI) Scholars Program
Location: NIH Campus, Bethesda, MD
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Selective
Dates: 8-12 weeks starting June (dates are flexible)
Application deadline: February 19
Eligibility: Must be at least 18 years of age by June 1, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, accepted into an accredited program for the upcoming fall, have a cumulative GPA of 3.2+ on a 4.0 scale, and have completed coursework in computer science, data science, informatics, mathematics, or related fields.
The National Library of Medicine’s DSI Scholars Program is an 8 to 12-week summer internship where you’ll contribute to computational research in health and biology. As a participant, you’ll be paired with a research mentor and work full-time on projects that apply data science methods to biological or medical problems. Throughout the program, you’ll strengthen your research and communication skills by taking part in seminars, workshops, and professional development sessions. A key component of this program is preparing and presenting your findings at both the NLM Summer Poster Day and the NIH-wide Summer Poster Day, giving you experience in sharing research with a broader audience. Interns receive a paid stipend based on NIH guidelines, and the free data science summer program for high school students is structured as a full-time commitment of 40 hours per week.
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