Top Summer Programs LibraryTop Summer Programs
Top STEM and Engineering ProgramsSSP, COSMOS, MIT, CMU
This group covers astrophysics, biochemistry, engineering, computer science and AI, usually as several weeks of intensive courses plus team projects. COSMOS was created by California law and is run by the University of California; it takes only California high school students and is the program Irvine families can most easily attend close to home. Several free programs at MIT and Carnegie Mellon accept only US citizens or green-card holders.
How students are chosenApplication: essays, grades and recommendations; MIT BWSI first requires an online prerequisite course
- Programs listed
- 122 paused, closed or changed
- Open to international students
- 1
- Free or with a stipend
- 6
- Next deadline
- Dec 21, 2026WTP
STEM and Engineering: 10 Programs Compared
The five columns show the program, citizenship requirement, cost, the most recent application deadline, and officially published size or selectivity. Select a program for its full page.
| Program | Eligibility | Cost | Deadline | Size and selectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Science Program (SSP) | Open to international students | Tuition · aid available | TBA | About 700 admitted |
| California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) | Any status, must study in the USCalifornia students only | Tuition · aid available | Feb 5, 2027 | 22% admitted (2019) |
| MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) | Any status, must study in the US | Tuition · aid available | Mar 31, 2027 | 450 students (2025) |
| MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) | Citizens or green-card holders | Free | Feb 1, 2027 | Not published |
| Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) | Citizens or green-card holders | Free | Feb 1, 2027 | Not published |
| Carnegie Mellon CS Scholars and AI Scholars | Citizens or green-card holders | Free | Feb 1, 2027 | Not published |
| MIT Women's Technology Program (WTP) | Any status, must study in the US | Tuition · aid available | Dec 21, 2026 | 20 admitted per year |
| MIT Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers (LLRISE) | US citizens only | Free | Mar 11, 2026 | 26 admitted (2025) |
| Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences (PGSS) | Any status, must study in the USLocal students only | Free | Jan 31, 2027 | 72 students (2025) |
| National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) | Any status, must study in the US | Free | Mar 30, 2026 | 2 delegates per state |
Paused, discontinued or changed
These programs are well known and often searched, so we keep them listed and explain their current status and alternatives on each page.
| Program | Eligibility | Cost | Deadline | Size and selectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford AI4ALLEligibility changed | Open to international students | Tuition · aid available | Feb 6, 2026 | Not published |
| Girls Who Code Summer Immersion ProgramStatus unconfirmed | Open to international students | Free | TBA | Not published |
Program by Program
- Summer Science Program (SSP)About 700 admittedSSP, founded in 1959 and run by SSP International, has students spend five weeks on a college campus completing a real research project in teams of three. It admitted about 700 students in 2026; admission is need-blind, and the program is free for family incomes of $75,000 or less.Full details →
- California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS)22% admitted (2019)COSMOS is a four-week residential STEM program created by the California Legislature and run by the University of California at six campuses, including UC Irvine, for California students only. UC's report to the Legislature shows that 22% of 4,833 complete applications were admitted in 2019.Full details →
- MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)450 students (2025)BWSI is a four-week engineering program for rising seniors run by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT's School of Engineering, built around team projects. In 2025 it ran 14 courses for 450 students, and it is free for families with income and assets under $200,000.Full details →
- MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES)MITES is a free STEM program for juniors run by MIT's School of Engineering, with the six-week residential MITES Summer and the six-month online MITES Semester. With nearly 50 years of history, it is open only to US citizens and green card holders.Full details →
- Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)SAMS is Carnegie Mellon's six-week residential math and science program for rising seniors, running for more than 25 years. It is fully funded, so students pay only for travel. It strongly encourages applicants underrepresented in STEM, and applications must include financial documentation.Full details →
- Carnegie Mellon CS Scholars and AI ScholarsCS Scholars and AI Scholars are Carnegie Mellon's four-week residential computing programs for 10th and 11th graders, with tuition, housing and meals fully funded and no coding experience required. Both focus on students who lack access to computing resources, and applications must include financial documentation.Full details →
- MIT Women's Technology Program (WTP)20 admitted per yearMIT WTP is a four-week residential mechanical engineering program for juniors with little or no engineering background, focused on young women. It expects to admit 20 students from typically more than 300 applications, and it is free for family incomes of $120,000 or less.Full details →
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers (LLRISE)26 admitted (2025)LLRISE is MIT Lincoln Laboratory's free two-week radar engineering workshop for rising seniors, who build and test a small radar of their own. Lincoln Laboratory's 2025 Impact Report says it accepted 26 of 800 applicants that year; only US citizens are eligible.Full details →
- Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences (PGSS)72 students (2025)PGSS is a five-week residential science program the Pennsylvania Department of Education runs at Carnegie Mellon, with full scholarships for room, board and materials, open only to Pennsylvania residents; 72 students were selected in 2025. California students cannot apply; COSMOS is the California counterpart.Full details →
- Stanford AI4ALLStanford AI4ALL is Stanford's two-week introductory AI program for 9th graders, who do AI research in small groups. It is now tuition-based, at $4,120 online or $9,800 residential in 2026, with need-based aid available.Full details →
- Girls Who Code Summer Immersion ProgramGirls Who Code is a nonprofit that teaches girls to code, and its Summer Immersion Program (SIP) was its past summer coding program. When checked in October 2026, the SIP page could no longer be opened; the current high school program is the free online Pathways.Full details →
- National Youth Science Camp (NYSC)2 delegates per stateNYSC, held in a West Virginia national forest since 1963, is a free three-week science camp where delegates hear lectures by scientists and take part in outdoor adventures. It typically selects two delegates from each state and the District of Columbia, and California students apply online.Full details →
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