Summer Programs
Summer Programs for High School Students in California
26 selective summer and pre-college programs in California. 3 are free to attend and 17 are residential.
Book a free application consultFree 25-minute call, no commitment
- Programs
- 26
- Free to attend
- 3
- Residential
- 17
- 2027 deadline posted
- 8
- of 26
| Program | Where | Who can apply | Cost | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI4ALLStanford Pre-Collegiate Studies | Stanford, CAResidential | Current 9th graders | Paid, aid available | February 6, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| ASPIREHarvey Mudd College | Claremont, CAResidential | Rising 10th, 11th, or 12th graders | Paid | March 31, 2026 (priority deadline; rolling admission afterward until full)Last cycle’s date |
| ATDPUC Berkeley School of Education | Berkeley, CAHybrid | Currently in grades 7 to 11 | Paid, aid available | Early February 25, 2026; standard March 23, 2026; extended May 29, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| B-BAYUC Berkeley Haas School of Business | Berkeley, CAResidential | Rising 10th to 12th grade students | Paid | Not posted |
| Berkeley Summer Computer Science AcademyUC Berkeley Pre-College Scholars | Berkeley, CAResidential | Completed 10th or 11th grade | Paid | March 17, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| BSASUC Berkeley GLOBE (Global Learning and Outreach from Berkeley Engineering) | Berkeley, CACommuter | High school students ages 15 to 17 by the start of the program | Paid, aid available | March 31, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| CAED/Architecture Summer Career WorkshopCal Poly College of Architecture and Environmental Design | San Luis Obispo, CAResidential or commuter | High school students at least 16 years old | Paid, aid available | Not posted |
| COSMOSUniversity of California | CAResidential | Rising 9th through rising 12th graders | Paid, aid available | February 5, 2027 |
| CSSSACalifornia State Summer School for the Arts (State of California) | Pomona, CAResidential | Currently enrolled in grades 8 through 12 | Paid, aid available | February 28, 2027 (priority deadline) |
| EPICCal Poly College of Engineering | San Luis Obispo, CAResidential | Currently in grades 6 to 11 | Paid, aid available | March 31, 2027 |
| ICS Summer AcademyUC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences | Irvine, CACommuter | Rising 9th to 12th graders and graduating 12th graders | Paid, aid available | Not posted |
| Nanoscience Lab Summer InstituteCalifornia NanoSystems Institute at UCLA | Los Angeles, CACommuter | High school students, grade 9 and up, at least 15 years old | Paid, aid available | Not posted |
| PAYSPomona College Draper Center for Community Partnerships | Claremont, CAResidential | Current 9th grade students | Free | February 22, 2027 |
| Pre-College ScholarsUC Berkeley Summer Sessions | Berkeley, CAResidential or commuter | Completed 10th or 11th grade by the start of summer classes | Paid | March 17, 2026 (residential track)Last cycle’s date |
| REACHScripps Research | La Jolla, CACommuter | High school students at least 16 years old | Free with stipend | March 22, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| RMPUC Santa Barbara Summer Sessions | Santa Barbara, CAResidential or commuter | 10th or 11th grade (outstanding 9th graders accepted case by case) | Paid, aid available | March 8, 2027 |
| SHIStanford Pre-Collegiate Studies | Stanford, CAResidential | Grades 10 to 11 at the time of application | Paid, aid available | February 2, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| SIMRStanford University School of Medicine | Stanford, CACommuter | Current juniors and seniors as of fall 2026 (graduating classes of 2027 or 2028) | Free | Late February 2027 (the 2026 deadline was February 21, 2026) |
| SIPUC Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CAResidential or commuter | High school students ages 14 to 17 for the duration of the program | Paid, aid available | February 26, 2027 at 12:00 noon PST |
| SRAUC Santa Barbara Summer Sessions | Santa Barbara, CAResidential or commuter | 9th, 10th, or 11th grade | Paid, aid available | March 22, 2027 |
| SRCCaltech Center for Teaching, Learning, and Outreach | Pasadena, CACommuter | Rising 10th to 12th graders in Pasadena Unified School District high schools | Not posted | Not posted |
| SUMaCStanford Pre-Collegiate Studies | Stanford, CAResidential | Grades 10 and 11 at the time of application | Paid, aid available | February 2, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| UC San Diego Research ScholarsUC San Diego Division of Extended Studies | La Jolla, CAHybrid | High school students | Paid | Not posted |
| UCLA Summer Precollege Focus SeriesUCLA Summer Sessions | Los Angeles, CACommuter | High school students at least 15 years old by the first day of Summer Sessions | Not posted | Not posted |
| USC Summer ProgramsUSC Pre-College Programs | Los Angeles, CAResidential or commuter | Completed at least 9th grade by the start of the program | Paid | May 8, 2026 for domestic applicants; March 13, 2026 for international applicantsLast cycle’s date |
| YSPUC Davis School of Education | Davis, CAResidential | Rising juniors and rising seniors (sophomores or juniors when applying) | Paid, aid available | March 1, 2026Last cycle’s date |
Email me this list
A link to this list, so you have the deadlines when applications open.
Browse other programs
By subject
By grade and cost
Frequently asked questions
When should I start a summer program application?
Each program sets its own deadline, and some fall months before summer. Check each deadline in the table and work backward from the earliest one.
Do summer programs help with college admissions?
A program is one line on an application. What a student did there, and what they did next with it, matters more than the name.
Each program was read from its own official site. A date or fee the site has not posted is left blank. Last checked 2026-10-09. A deadline marked “last cycle’s date” is from the previous year, shown because the new one is not posted. Dewey Smart is not affiliated with these programs.
