Below are examples of summer programs that colleges and universities offer. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but should function as a jumping-off point as you begin to explore the various summer activities available to high school students.

STEM Programs. Compiled list of 30+ institutions offering summer programs in STEM fields.

Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovations

UMass Amherst Pre-College Programs: Animation, design, entrepreneurship, business ethics, kinesiology, music, pre-veterinary medicine, programming, philosophy, race and politics, sports broadcasting, engineering.

Franklin University Switzerland: Macroeconomics, Italian, international relations.

Pratt Studio Courses: Architecture, comic books, creative writing, digital arts, fashion design, film, fine arts, illustration, jewelry design, photography.

U Chicago: Summer program with 50+ seminar topics, including language immersion.

Stevens Institute of Technology: Business, civil engineering, cybersecurity, data science, computer science, coding, biomedical engineering.

University of Delaware: Sustainable farming, human physiology, product design, entrepreneurship, racial identity seminar.

International College Experiences in Europe: Various programs offered by American University of Paris, Franklin University Switzerland, Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland and UK), John Caobt University (Italy) and Les Roches (Spain and Switzerland)

Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Programs: AI, architecture, art, computational biology, computer science, design, drama, music, game software, writing and culture.

Colorado College: Art, geology, marketing for entrepreneurs, human anatomy, critical race theory and law, immigration in the U.S.

RISD (Rhode Island School of Design): For six weeks you’ll follow a college-level art curriculum with day-long studio classes, critiques and final projects.

Tufts: 1-3 week summer intensives in entrepreneurship, international relations, climate resilience, leadership for social change, graphic design, studio art, engingeering, coding, mini med school.

Parsons: An on-campus, three-credit program that immerses rising juniors and seniors in a New York college environment. In all studio art courses, students develop and enhance college application portfolios.

Wake Forest: Animation, documentary-film, business, entrepreneurship, finance, sports marketing, debate and public advocacy, law, bioscience, medicine, virtual reality, health and wellbeing

Quinnipiac: Media production, microbiology, data science, game design, photography, podcasting, sports journalism and more

UPenn: Engineering summer academy.

New York Times: Summer journalism academy.

Boston University: BU hosts a variety of summer programs with different formats, including honoros courses, research, academic immersion and seminar learning.

Cornel University: Architecture, arts, business, engineering, international relations, science, social change, technology, veterinary medicine and more.

William and Mary: Pre-College Program in American History.

University of Rochester: Programs in engineering, business and medicine.

Wentworth Institute of Technology: Engineering, design and science Impact Labs.

Champlain College: Animation, audio engineering, esports, game design, cyber security, computer science, digital media and more.

Sewanee Environmental Institute: Sewanee’s Pre-College Field Studies Experience is a summer residential program for students who are passionate about the outdoors and interested in advancing their knowledge and skills in the study of the environment.

Baylor University: Accelerate Program gives students the opportunity to begin their academic pursuits and get ahead on general education course requirements that will apply to a range of Baylor degrees but also may be transferable to other universities.

Duke University: Residential program designed for 9-11 grade students offering courses in engineering, humanities, mathematics, science, social science, technology and personal finance.

West Point: The West Point Summer Leader Experience (SLE) provides rising high school seniors with a week-long immersion into the academic, military, and social life of a cadet.

Fordham: Pre-college, business programs and a real-estate institute.

Tufts University: Program in veterinary medicine.

UMass Amherst – Mt. Ida Campus: Building and construction technology, combatting climate change with neighborhood trees, veterinary technology.

SCAD: Rising Star is a five-week pre-college summer program at SCAD’s locations in Atlanta and Savannah, offering current juniors immersion into a creative environment in which they can expand their portfolios and gain college experience.

Columbia Summer Immersion: Students choose their courses from a dozen subject areas. Students also choose from a wide variety of daily activities, including faculty lectures, college-prep workshops, excursions around New York City, community-building activities, and health and wellness programming.