Summer Coding Bootcamps for High School Students
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For high school students, choosing a career path can seem like an intimidating decision. And although these individuals may have plenty of time before they need to decide on a career, many high school students feel the pressure to try and find something early on.
Attending a summer program allows high school students to dip their toes in the water and explore different career fields. Many students have shown interest in summer coding bootcamps in particular, thanks to the continued growth of the technology industry.
Over the past several years, tech has flourished —and so has the need for tech workers. This demand is expected to continue. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of computer and information technology jobs will increase by 11% from 2019 to 2029. This is much faster than the average projected growth for all occupations.
Universities understand the demand for tech workers, and many host summer bootcamps or intensive courses geared toward high school students. If learning about computer programming or data science interests you, then check out 13 of the top summer coding bootcamps for high school students below.
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Match me to a bootcampBest University Summer Coding Bootcamps for High School Students
Columbia University Engineering High School Coding Academy
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Discipline: Front-End Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
Columbia University facilitates a coding immersion bootcamp for high schoolers in partnership with Trilogy Education Services. Students attend class in the mornings, splitting their days between lectures and supervised group work. The program introduces learners to front-end coding skills using JavaScript and HTML. Students complete the program with a portfolio of their projects and a certificate from Columbia Engineering.
Georgetown University Introduction to Data Science Academy
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $1,895
- Technical Discipline: Data Science
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Full Time
- Length: 1 week
The summer bootcamp at Georgetown University introduces high school students to data science, with experts teaching data analysis, data visualization, statistics, and programming languages. Georgetown faculty join classes as guest lecturers, and students can exercise their skills through hands-on practice with Python. Learners work on their own projects and present them to the class. At the end of the program, students receive a certificate of participation from Georgetown.
Coding Bootcamps for You
Indiana University Bloomington Women's Cybersecurity Immersion Camp
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $300
- Technical Discipline: Cybersecurity
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 1 week
Indiana University offers several online summer programs for high school students, including one for high school girls interested in developing cybersecurity skills. Over the course of the program, students design projects in teams and gain hands-on practice with tools such as Wireshark and Burp Suite.
Northwestern University High School Coding Camp
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Discipline: Front-End Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
At Northwestern University, high school students can enroll in the university's front-end web development summer bootcamp, which is offered in collaboration with Trilogy Education Services. The full program consists of 45 hours of class time, with students joining live online lectures. Students learn how to write HTML and CSS, and create simple JavaScript applications.
Rice University High School Coding Camp
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Discipline: Front-End Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
High school students can get a headstart in mastering front-end coding skills through the immersive coding camp at Rice University, offered in partnership with Trilogy Education Services. Learners stream live classes three days a week and practice new skills through team projects. Students learn beginner HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery, and graduate with a portfolio of projects and a certificate.
Syracuse University Coding: Learn to Code
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Discipline: Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
Syracuse University invites rising sophomores and older high school students to participate in its three-week summer coding bootcamp. The curriculum focuses on Python, and students learn about procedural programming, control structures, data structures, and data visualization.
Participants attend live classes for 1.5 hours each weekday, and then complete course material and coding labs on their own time. The bootcamp culminates in a virtual event during which students present their final projects to their classmates and parents.
Syracuse University Cybersecurity: Hackathon Experience
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Discipline: Cybersecurity
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
The cybersecurity "Hackathon Experience" bootcamp at Syracuse University allows high school students entering 10th grade or above to gain foundational knowledge in ethical hacking.
Over three weeks, bootcamp participants learn about encryption technologies, internet and network security, network-based attacks and social engineering, malware, and mobile app security. In addition to live, synchronous lectures, students learn through hands-on labs, at-home exercises, and daily challenges.
Syracuse University Data Science Fundamentals
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Discipline: Data Science
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
This bootcamp for rising sophomores and older high school students focuses on data science concepts like inferential and exploratory data analysis, data cleaning, and data visualization. Students gain a foundational understanding of Python and R programming.
Learners take part in live online class sessions each afternoon, and they complete homework assignments and lab projects on their own time. At the end of the program, students participate in final project presentations.
Syracuse University It Girls
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Disciplines: Web Design, Data Science
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
The It Girls pre-college bootcamp at Syracuse University covers a variety of computer science topics, including web design, social media, information security, and data science. Students practice their skills through hands-on activities solving real-world problems. Synchronous classes occur for 2.5 hours each afternoon.
While this program focuses on teaching girls, the bootcamp is open to high school students of any gender identity. Students must be at least rising sophomores with an interest in data and information technology to participate. The bootcamp also offers scholarships for students who need financial aid.
Tufts University Coding 101 Pre-College Program
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $3,800
- Technical Disciplines: Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Full Time
- Length: 2 weeks
Tufts University runs a two-week coding bootcamp for high school students who want to master the foundations of web development and Python. The full-time course includes lectures, skill-building modules, and app development workshops. The program also brings in guest speakers from companies like Google and HubSpot to address potential coding career paths. Students who finish the program earn two credits from Tufts.
University of Michigan The Joy of Coding Jumpstart Program
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $99
- Technical Disciplines: Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 6 weeks
This bootcamp teaches students 13 years and older how to code with Python. The program follows an asynchronous format, which means students spend 4-6 hours per week watching recorded lectures and completing coding assignments. Students need an understanding of high school algebra to apply. At the end of the program, students receive a certificate of completion.
University of Pennsylvania Summer High School Coding Camp
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Discipline: Front-End Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
The University of Pennsylvania's College of Liberal and Professional Studies offers a coding bootcamp for high school students who want to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The bootcamp, offered in partnership with Trilogy Education Services, includes live virtual lectures from experienced web developers. Learners start to build their coding portfolios and work in teams to solve coding problems. Students receive a certificate when they complete the program.
University of Pennsylvania Summer High School Data Analytics Camp
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $2,500
- Technical Discipline: Data Analytics
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
- Length: 3 weeks
Penn's College of Liberal and Professional Studies has partnered with Trilogy Education Services to offer a data analytics bootcamp for teens. The curriculum covers data visualization with Tableau, fundamental Python programming, sorting and cleaning data with pandas, and making interactive data images with Plotly. Students learn through live, online class sessions and receive a certificate when they complete the bootcamp.
Methodology
Bootcamp Ranking Guidelines
At BestColleges, we believe the best bootcamp is the one that fits your schedule, your learning needs, and your career aspirations. That's why we often present our recommendations in alphabetical order -- because the real best bootcamp is the bootcamp that's best for you.
Our Methodology
The Bootcamp Team at BestColleges has collected data for over 150 bootcamps to help you find the best bootcamp.
At BestColleges, we believe the best bootcamp is the one that fits your schedule, your learning needs, and your career aspirations. That's why we often present our recommendations in alphabetical order -- because the real best bootcamp is the bootcamp that's best for you.
At this time, our recommendation round-ups feature only immersive bootcamps designed to prepare students for job placement upon graduation.
To be included on our lists, bootcamps must meet the following criteria:
- Must offer at least one bootcamp in the United States.
- Must offer at least one bootcamp that is a minimum of 4 weeks long.
- Must require at least 15 hours of work per week if the bootcamp is part time.
- Must encourage at least 10 hours of work per week if the bootcamp is self-paced.
Pricing disclosure: The prices listed were collected from product websites in 2022. However, given the dynamic, fast-paced nature of the tech space, prices are subject to change throughout the year. To get the most up-to-date information about pricing, contact providers directly.
Methodology for Recommending Cheap Bootcamps:
- The bootcamp must meet all of the general criteria listed above.
- The bootcamp must cost less than $8,000 if it is offered full time, and less than $5,000 if it is offered part time. These numbers were chosen based on data collected by BestColleges in 2020 that determined the average cost of a coding bootcamp is $13,580.
Why Attend a Summer Coding Bootcamp?
High school students may want to attend a bootcamp for many reasons. Some already have an interest in programming and data science. Other students may not know much about coding at all, but feel curious about the field. Some students may want to explore different potential career paths before they graduate from high school.
A coding bootcamp can offer students insight into the tech industry, which can help students make important choices about their future. Participants learn about real-world tech problems and practice teamwork and critical thinking to find solutions.
Plus, if students want to apply to college or to an intensive coding bootcamp after high school, a certificate of completion from a summer coding bootcamp may be able to boost the strength of their application and help set them up for success.
Related Summer Coding Camps
Frequently Asked Questions About Summer Coding Bootcamps for Teens
How do I determine which summer coding bootcamp is right for me?
Look at factors like location, topic, cost, and format. Do you want to learn online or in person? Do you want to explore web development, data analytics, or cybersecurity? Also think about how much time you want to dedicate to the bootcamp per week.
Will a summer coding bootcamp help me get into college?
Attending a summer coding bootcamp can strengthen your college resume. A bootcamp may also help high school students start a portfolio of coding projects. Completing a summer coding bootcamp can demonstrate to colleges that you take initiative and have an interest in the programming field.
However, keep in mind that each college sets different admission requirements. Although attending a bootcamp may help your chances, it won't necessarily guarantee college admission.
Are there cybersecurity summer programs for high school students?
Yes. High school students can find cybersecurity summer bootcamps offered through Syracuse University and Indiana University Bloomington.
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