15 Social Science Summer Programs for High School Students
For high school students curious about society, culture, and human behavior, social science summer programs are a great way to learn more. These programs help you build your skills in research, analysis, and critical thinking while connecting with peers, mentors, and professionals who share your interests. Many colleges and organizations offer opportunities in psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and more, with both in-person and virtual formats available. These programs not only enhance your knowledge but also add valuable experience to your college applications.
We’ve rounded up 15 social science summer programs for high school students to help you find the right fit.
1. UChicago’s DSI Summer Lab
Location: John Crerar Library at the University of Chicago, Hyde Park campus, IL
Stipend: $5,600
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 12
Eligibility: High school students (freshmen through seniors) who live/attend school in the Chicago area
The DSI Summer Lab offers Chicago-area high school students an immersive, 8-week paid research experience. You will be matched with mentors in data science across various domains, including public policy, climate, materials science, and biomedical research, and develop real-world projects in applied settings. The program focuses on developing both technical skills, such as data analysis and programming, and essential research practices, including hypothesis testing, teamwork, and communication. In addition to the core research, the program offers weekly speaker series, professional development sessions, and social events for the cohort. By the end of the summer, participants will create final video presentations and showcase their work in a symposium.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
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: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
3. Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)
Location: Cornell University | University of Maryland | University of Michigan
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 22 – July 26
Application Deadline: December 3
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors (rising juniors or seniors), age 15-17
TASS is a six-week free residential seminar for high school sophomores and juniors interested in exploring topics in the humanities and social sciences. You pick one of two tracks — Critical Black Studies (CBS) or Anti-Oppressive Studies (AOS) — and attend daily college-level seminars, where discussion, reading, writing, and reflection are central. Outside class time, you engage in a democratic community living model, planning group activities, collaborating with peers, and participating in guest lectures and public speaking. The program emphasizes critical thinking about power, privilege, identity, and society, and helps you build writing, analytical, and leadership skills in a supportive, intellectually rich environment.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Social Science Track
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June)
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in high school | Must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a remote research opportunity where you work one-on-one with a Ph.D. mentor. You’ll dive into areas such as political science, economics, and psychology while designing an independent project that sharpens your skills in academic writing, data analysis, and critical thinking. By the end of the program, you’ll produce a research paper and may even get opportunities to share your work. Past Lumiere students have explored diverse topics in the social sciences, including urban disaster management, Mumbai’s informal economy, and the influence of social movements on politics and public opinion.
5. Yale Young Global Scholars: Politics, Law, and Economics
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $7,000; financial aid available
Dates: Session I: June 22 – July 4 | Session II: July 6 – July 18 | Session III: July 20 – August 1
Application Deadline: January 7
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years of age
The Politics of Law & Economics (PLE) session at Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) is designed for students interested in public policy, legal systems, and economic theory. You’ll explore topics such as market regulation, human rights, governance structures, and international policy, with lectures, seminars, and interdisciplinary analysis. Throughout the session, you’ll sharpen critical thinking and analytical skills by engaging in case studies and discussions about contemporary issues like AI policy, inequality, and democratic institutions. Seminars such as “Game Theory in Action,” “Originalism as a Legal Framework,” and “Satire and Politics” expose you to varied lenses for analyzing societal challenges.
6. Stanford Summer Humanities Institute
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost $8,575; financial aid available
Dates: Session I: June 22 – July 11 | Session II: July 13 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 3
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; students who will be 18 or older during the program are not eligible
The Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a three-week residential program for high school students passionate about the humanities. You’ll take one seminar taught by Stanford faculty and graduate students, exploring topics ranging from philosophy and literature to political theory and museum ethics. With small class sizes, students benefit from in-depth discussions, close mentorship, and extensive reading. Beyond the classroom, weekend field trips and co-curricular activities offer broadened perspectives.
7. University of Southern California’s Annenberg Youth Academy (AYA) for Media and Civic Engagement
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 16 – July 3
Application Deadline: April 14
Eligibility: Reside and attend high school in Los Angeles County
The Annenberg Youth Academy (AYA) is a three-week, fully funded summer intensive that aims to equip students with foundational media, journalism, and civic engagement skills. Over the program, you’ll engage in college-level coursework in areas like multimedia production, ethnography, interviewing, public speaking, and writing — alongside critical thought exercises and media ethics. The curriculum includes hands-on projects, lectures by practitioners and USC faculty, and field experiences to deepen understanding of how media intersects with society. AYA also offers college advising, essay prep, and exposure to USC’s undergraduate offerings.
8. Penn Arts and Sciences Social Justice Research Academy
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $9,949
Dates: July 11 – August 1
Application Deadline: Applications open in December
Eligibility: Current 9th – 11th grade students
The Social Justice Research Academy brings together high school students from across the world for a three-week immersive program focused on understanding inequality, resistance, and change. Through lectures, workshops, and seminars led by Penn faculty, teaching fellows, and guest speakers, you explore historical and contemporary justice issues like civil rights, immigration, healthcare access, LGBTQ rights, environmental justice, and more. Field trips and service-learning enrich the experience, including visits to cultural landmarks and nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia. You'll also develop and complete a capstone project, which can be a research paper or a creative work, on a social justice theme.
9. Texas Tech University’s Anson L. Clark Scholar Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Stipend: $750 (tax-free)
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors; must be at least 17 years old by program start
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is a seven-week program that gives high school juniors and seniors the chance to conduct independent research under the mentorship of a university faculty member. You can explore social issues through fields such as history, political science, psychology, or economics. The experience includes academic writing workshops, peer-to-peer discussions, and seminars on topics like research ethics and presentation skills. Past projects have examined areas such as policy outcomes, historical inequalities, and media portrayals, allowing students to apply sociological approaches to interdisciplinary themes. The program also features field trips and organized social activities, fostering collaboration and connections with other motivated students.
10. Leadership Institute – Brown University
Location: Residential (Brown University Campus) | Online (through Canvas, Brown’s Learning Management System)
Cost/Stipend: 2-week On-campus (residential): $5,788 | 2-week On-campus (commuter): $4,540 | 4-week Online: $5,528
Dates: On-Campus I: June 29 – July 11; On-Campus II: July 13 – 25 | Online: June 23 – July 18
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18 by program start
This program combines sociological theory with practical leadership experience. Participants will select a focus area, such as social movements, global health, or gender and leadership, and engage in seminar-style discussions exploring themes of power, identity, and inequality. Coursework includes analyzing case studies, applying frameworks like intersectionality and systems thinking, and creating a personal Action Plan to address a community issue. Along the way, you’ll build skills in public speaking, ethical decision-making, and collaborative problem-solving. Past Action Plans highlight the real-world impact of student projects, making this program especially valuable for those drawn to civic engagement, policy, or social entrepreneurship.
11. Syracuse University Summer College: Sociology Track
Location: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Cost/Stipend: Residential students: $4,895; Commuter students: $3,919
Dates: July 6 – July 18
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors
This course offers high school students a chance to explore how societal structures such as class, race, gender, ethnicity, and disability shape individual lives and social inequalities. You’ll engage with sociological concepts and theories, then apply them to examine how institutions, communities, and everyday interactions contribute to systemic differences. Through lectures, discussion, and reading, the course helps you develop a sociological imagination: seeing how broader historical, economic, and social forces intersect with personal experiences. Coursework includes critical reading, writing, and class participation. After successfully completing the course, students receive a Certificate of Completion and can also request a Syracuse University credit transcript.
12. UC Santa Barbara’s Research Mentorship Program – Sociology Track
Location: UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Cost: Commuter: $5,175; Residential: $12,474 (Limited scholarships available)
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: High school students who are in 10th or 11th grade
The UCSB Research Mentorship Program gives high school students the opportunity to take part in university-level research under the guidance of UCSB faculty, postdoctoral scholars, or graduate mentors. Within the sociology track, you’ll explore social structures, behavior, and institutions through both qualitative and quantitative approaches. You will gain hands-on experience with survey design, interviews, data analysis using tools like SPSS or R, and academic writing. A highlight of the program is the GRIT Talks series, where leading UCSB researchers share insights into cutting-edge discoveries and emerging technologies. The experience concludes with a formal symposium, where you’ll present your research outcomes to peers and faculty.
13. UPenn’s Teen Research and Education in Environmental Science (TREES) Program
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application Deadline: Typically late February
Eligibility: Students who have completed grade 9, 10, or 11 by the summer; minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0
The TREES program is a tuition-free summer research experience that lets high school students design and carry out independent projects in environmental science. After an initial two weeks of training in lab skills and research methods, you’ll work closely with a Penn scientist mentor to identify a research question, run experiments, and analyze your results. Along the way, you’ll build skills in environmental sampling, data analysis, and scientific writing. While TREES is primarily an environmental science program, its emphasis on research related to environmental policy, sustainability, and community impact makes it relevant for students interested in the intersection of science and society. The program wraps up with both a written research paper and a public presentation of your work.
14. New York Historical Society’s Student Historian Internship Program
Location: New York Historical Society, New York, NY
Stipend: $700
Dates: July 8 – August 14
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-12 who live in or attend school in the NYC metro area
In the Student Historian Internship, you’ll use the resources of the New-York Historical Society to conduct in-depth historical research and create digital public education projects. You’ll collaborate with NYHS staff to learn how museums, libraries, and digital humanities work, while developing historical thinking, communication, and media skills. As part of the program, you’ll work on writing, primary source analysis, and producing creative outputs that translate research for public audiences. You’ll also engage in peer learning and mentoring, refining both your historical writing and presentation skills.
15. Columbia University Pre-College Summer Program
Location: Columbia University Morningside Campus, New York, NY
Cost: $12,764
Dates: Multiple three-week sessions from June 24 – August 2
Application Deadline: Applications are typically due mid-July
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 (domestic and international), who will be 15 years or older; those who are 15 must turn 16 by December 31 of the program year to participate in the residential program
Columbia University’s Pre-College Summer Program is a three-week residential experience that lets you dive deeply into a subject while learning directly from university faculty. Within the Social Sciences and Psychology offerings, you might take courses such as Exploring Sociology: How Human Interaction Shapes Our World. In this class, you’ll examine core sociological concepts, theories, and research on topics like socialization, culture, urbanization, institutions, and inequality. Learning happens through discussions, simulations, case studies, guest lectures, and both individual and group projects. Along the way, you’ll sharpen your critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills while gaining a stronger academic foundation in the social sciences.
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