15 Computer Engineering Summer Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in computer engineering, a summer program can be a worthwhile way to explore the field. Summer programs give you early exposure to technical fields without committing to a full college course. Computer engineering summer programs offer practical learning, skill development, and exposure to how engineering concepts are applied. Through lab work, guided projects, and mentorship, you can explore advanced topics while building meaningful connections with peers, faculty, and researchers.
Why should I participate in a summer computer engineering program in high school?
For students interested in computer engineering and related disciplines, summer programs help you explore the intersection of hardware, software, and systems design before choosing a college major. These programs often introduce foundational concepts such as embedded systems, electronics, programming, and applied problem-solving in a college-level environment. A competitive computer engineering program can also make your college applications stand out, especially if you want to major in computer science. To help you get started, we’ve put together 15 computer engineering summer programs for high school students.
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Free (tuition, housing, and meals fully covered)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~2.5% acceptance rate; ~100 students selected annually
Dates: Late June - early August (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: Early - mid December
Eligibility: High school juniors; must be at least 16 years old by July 1 | U.S. citizens/permanent residents and international students from participating countries
The Research Science Institute (RSI) is one of the most selective STEM research programs and is highly relevant for students interested in computer engineering, computer science, robotics, and applied systems research. You will begin with a week of advanced coursework in scientific theory, followed by a five-week individual research internship under the mentorship of MIT-affiliated researchers and external scientists. Participants work through the full research cycle, including literature review, experimental or computational design, implementation, analysis, and formal presentation. Students focused on the computer engineering track may pursue projects in areas such as algorithms, robotics, systems engineering, computational modeling, or hardware-software integration. The program concludes in conference-style written papers and oral presentations, making RSI especially well-suited for students aiming for elite engineering and research pathways.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote (you can work from anywhere in the world)
Cost/Stipend: Varies according to program (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort – spring (January), summer (May), fall (September), and winter (November).
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 8 -12 weeks, devoting 10 - 20 hours/week
Ladder Internships is a selective, start-up-focused internship program for ambitious high school students. In the program, you work with a high-growth start-upacross a variety of industries, such as tech/deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies raising over a million dollars on average in funding. In this program, interns work closely with their managers on real-world projects and present their work to the company at the end of the program. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks. Apply now!
3. Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Location: Beaver Works Summer Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (in-person and virtual options available)
Cost/Stipend: Income-based program fee; $2,350 for families with income ≥ $150,000; program fee waived for qualifying families (< $150,000); housing not provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Four-week summer program; first day: July 6, final event: August 1 - 2
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: High school students entering their senior year
The Beaver Works Summer Institute is a rigorous, four-week summer program focused on intensive, team-based engineering projects. You can choose from specialized tracks such as autonomous systems, embedded security, ASIC design, microelectronics, cybersecurity, radar systems, and AI-driven software systems. You work in small teams to design, build, program, and test real-world engineering systems, using industry-standard tools, hardware kits, and version control workflows. Curriculum emphasizes systems-level integration of software, hardware, applied mathematics, and control theory into a single project pipeline. Mentorship from MIT-affiliated instructors and engineers supports iterative design, debugging, and final technical presentations. The program concludes in a capstone challenge or technical demonstration where teams present and defend their engineering solutions.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote (you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world)
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies depending on the cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring; options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in high school and demonstrates a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program for high school students. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project across a broad range of subject areas. You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations,and more. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. Carnegie Mellon University – Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 20 - August 1
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Rising seniors (between 11th - 12th grade) | must be 16 years old by June 20 | students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM
The Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) is a six-week, fully funded residential STEM program designed to prepare high-achieving students for rigorous college-level study at top engineering and technology universities. Hosted by Carnegie Mellon University, SAMS emphasizes depth, discipline, and long-term STEM preparation rather than narrow skill training. You’ll participate in projects, faculty-led instruction, and a concluding research symposium that replicates the undergraduate STEM programs’ structure. The program also includes sustained mentorship and structured college-transition coursework, helping you understand academic pathways in computing and engineering at research universities.
6. MIT Women’s Technology Program – EECS Track (WTP-EECS)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Free (no tuition); students cover travel and personal expenses
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; exact cohort size is not published
Dates: June 27 - July 25
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: Rising 12th-grade high school students (summer after 11th grade)
The MIT Women’s Technology Program (WTP-EECS) is a four-week residential summer program that introduces students to computer engineering concepts through hands-on coursework and collaborative projects. The EECS track focuses on foundational topics in electrical engineering, computer science, and computational thinking, allowing you to explore how hardware and software interact in engineering systems. You’ll engage in labs, team-based problem solving, and structured academic instruction led by MIT faculty and graduate instructors. The program is designed for students with strong math and science backgrounds with limited prior exposure to engineering, making it a guided entry point into the field. In addition to technical learning, you gain exposure to college-level expectations and engineering pathways through mentorship and campus immersion.
7. Harvard Summer School – Secondary School Program (Computer Science and Engineering Track)
Location: Harvard Summer School, Cambridge, MA (residential & commuting); virtual option available
Cost/Stipend: Cost ranges from $4,180 - $8,160 (online/commuting, 4 - 8 credits) to $15,735 (7-week residential, includes housing and meals) | need-based financial aid available for eligible U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Late June - mid-August, depending on format (4-week and 7-week options)
Application Deadline: Early January - early April (multiple application rounds)
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 - 18 years who will graduate from high school within the next 1 - 3 years
Harvard Summer School’s Secondary School Program allows students to design a focused computer engineering-adjacent curriculum by enrolling in one or two college-level courses in computer science, applied mathematics, and engineering. Coursework includes Python programming, data structures, artificial intelligence, probability for engineering, robotics, and computer vision, delivered in an accelerated format. You will complete graded problem sets, coding assignments, and exams alongside college and graduate students, requiring sustained independent work outside class. The program emphasizes algorithmic thinking, systems-level reasoning, and applied math foundations relevant to computer engineering. Students can earn official Harvard Summer School academic credit upon completion, making this a strong academic signal for future engineering applicants.
8. Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) Internship / Practicum – Boston University
Location: Boston University, Boston, MA (residential and commuter options)
Cost/Stipend: ~$6,185 (commuter) and ~$10,289 (residential, housing and meals); limited need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; exact acceptance rate and cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 28 - August 7 (residential); June 29 - August 7 (commuter)
Application Deadline: February 4
Eligibility: U.S. students entering their senior year of high school; a strong academic record in STEM is required
The Boston University RISE program is a six-week, research-focused summer experience where high school students work on university-level science and engineering projects under the mentorship of close faculty. In the internship track, you will work in a research lab in electrical and computer engineering, computer science, or data-driven engineering fields. You learn how to conduct independent research, analyze experimental or computational data, and participate fully in the scientific research process. The practicum track offers a more structured pathway, with guided group research in areas such as data science or computational neurobiology. Across both tracks, you develop technical writing, research presentation, and collaboration skills. The program concludes with a formal poster symposium, where you present and defend your research alongside peers.
9. Engineering & Computer Science Pre-College Programs – Tufts University
Location: Tufts University, Medford, MA (residential and commuter options)
Cost/Stipend: Costs vary depending on the program and format; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: June - August (program length varies depending on the option; typically 2 - 6 weeks)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; applications open December 1
Eligibility: High school students
Tufts University’s Engineering & Computer Science Pre-College Programs allow high school students to explore computer engineering concepts through hands-on design, coding, and prototyping. Depending on the pathway you choose, you may work on robotics and AI projects, enroll in undergraduate-level computing or engineering courses, or participate in short-term summer intensives. The programs emphasize Tufts' maker-oriented approach, giving you access to engineering labs, fabrication spaces, and small-group mentorship from faculty and advanced students. Coursework and projects highlight the intersection of technology, ethics, and real-world impact, encouraging systems-level thinking rather than isolated coding exercises. Some options offer transcripted college credit, making this a strong introductory choice if you want early exposure to university-level computer engineering study.
10. Computer Engineering for Good – NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: ~ $4,200 - $4,600; housing is provided at an additional cost of $924
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Session 1: June 17 - July 3 | Session 2: July 8 - 26
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: High school students in grades 8 - 11
Computer Engineering for Good is a two-week, project-based summer program where high school students design and build internet-connected smart devices that address real-world social and environmental challenges. The curriculum focuses on embedded systems engineering, integrating robotics, remote sensing, AI, cloud computing, wireless communication, and engineering design principles. You work hands-on with microcontroller platforms such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, learning how to gather, transmit, and process data while managing real engineering constraints such as power, size, and cost. Projects emphasize systems-level thinking by integrating hardware design with software logic and data analytics. Faculty-led instruction is paired with collaborative build time, allowing you to prototype and build iterative solutions.
11. Engineering Summer Academy at Penn (ESAP)
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost/Stipend: Tuition-based program; limited financial aid available for U.S. students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: July 12 - 31
Application Deadline: Priority deadline: January 31 | final deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Rising sophomores to rising seniors | must be at least 15 years old by program start | minimum GPA of 3.0 with strong preparation in math and science
The Engineering Summer Academy at Penn (ESAP) offers a rigorous, three-week computer science track that focuses on both theoretical foundations and applied programming through a structured blend of lectures and lab-based work. You will study core topics such as discrete probability, graph theory, and systems-level problem solving while implementing projects involving data analysis and complex computational systems. The course follows a college-style format with daily lectures supported by hands-on lab sessions and close talent acquisition guidance. Instruction primarily uses Python, with expectations aligned to prior preparation at the level of AP Computer Science A or equivalent coursework. While the curriculum may occasionally reference tools from areas such as AI or robotics, the primary focus remains on fundamental computer science skills, including algorithmic thinking, mathematical reasoning, and disciplined programming practices. Collaborative work and peer problem-solving are central to the experience.
12. Three-Week Summer Engineering Program – Boston Leadership Institute
Location: Boston Leadership Institute (hosted in partnership with institutions in Greater Boston, MA)
Cost/Stipend: Three-week tuition: $2,500; residential fee: $2,097 (optional)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 13 - 31
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until capacity is reached
Eligibility: High school students
The Boston Leadership Institute’s Three-Week Summer Engineering Program emphasizes hands-on engineering projects that integrate computer programming, electronics, and mechanical design. You work collaboratively in teams to design and build functional systems such as Arduino-Programmed sailboats, applying concepts from circuitry, soldering, wiring, and embedded control. The program also incorporates CAD and 3D printing, allowing you to prototype and refine physical components as part of larger engineering systems. Projects are tested under real-world conditions, with students collecting data, calibrating performance, and iterating designs through experimental analysis. Instruction balances classroom concepts with immediate lab application, replicating an applied engineering workflow. Site visits and field trips to engineering facilities in the Boston area further provide context on how computer-controlled systems are used in professional engineering environments.
13. Explore Engineering Innovation (EEI)
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (multiple formats: residential, commuter, hybrid, online)
Cost/Stipend: Tuition varies depending on the format and location; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; exact acceptance rate is not published
Dates: June 15 - July 31
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; priority deadlines vary depending on the format
Eligibility: Current high school students or recent graduates; strong math and science background required
Explore Engineering Innovation (EEI) is a rigorous, college-level summer program that introduces students to computer engineering through hands-on electronics, embedded systems, and programming projects, alongside exposure to other engineering disciplines. You will work with microcontrollers such as Adafruit Circuit Playground Express to design and program interactive systems, gaining experience related to the hardware-software interface, which is a core component of computer engineering. The curriculum mirrors a first-year Johns Hopkins engineering course, compressing a full semester of material into an intensive summer format. You’ll collaborate in small teams on design-and-build projects that emphasize problem-solving, systems thinking, and applied computing. EEI is best suited for students seeking broad but substantive computer engineering exposure.
14. California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS)
Location: University of California campuses (UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, UC Merced)
Cost/Stipend: $5,518
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; each UC campus admits ~160 - 200 students
.Dates: July 5 - July 31 / August 1 | closing day July 31 (UC Irvine, UC San Diego) | closing day August 1 (UC Davis, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz)
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: California high school students only; rising grades 9 - 12
COSMOS is a four-week, fully residential pre-college STEM program hosted across multiple University of California campuses. You enroll in an advanced cluster aligned with a specific STEM discipline. If you choose a computer engineering or computing-focused cluster, you will work through lab-intensive coursework that integrates programming, applied mathematics, and engineering problem-solving under the guidance of UC faculty and researchers. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on experimentation and collaborative projects that extend well beyond the standard high school syllabus, often using university-level facilities and tools. Admission is competitive at each campus, with cohorts capped at roughly 160 - 200 students and selection based on academic performance and demonstrated STEM aptitude.
15. Learning Electronics, AI, and Programming (LEAP) Camp
Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Cost/Stipend: Residential: $1,000; commuter: $600; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: June 22 - 28
Application Deadline: Not published (applications typically open in February)
Eligibility: Rising 10th - 12th grade students
LEAP is a hands-on computer engineering summer camp focused on embedded systems, hardware-software integration, and applied computing. You will work with microcontrollers, sensors, and printed circuit boards to design and build a portable weather station, gaining experience in soldering, circuit assembly, and low-level programming. The program introduces foundational computer science concepts alongside core electrical engineering principles, emphasizing how embedded devices collect, process, and transmit data. You also explore cloud computing workflows and apply introductory artificial intelligence techniques to analyze real sensor data. Instruction is led by PhD students in Electrical and Computer Engineering, giving you exposure to university-level engineering practices and problem-solving approaches.
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