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    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM

    The Top STEM Programs for High School Students in 2027

    We assessed STEM summer programs against the same criteria used across the series. This guide compares ten organisations in detail and explains what students will actually do.

    Last verified: 16 Oct 2026Reviewed by:SSSean Stevens
    150

    Programmes assessed

    10

    Profiled in full

    Free-£9,995

    Fee range

    Quick take

    • Four of the ten programs are free or cost-free to attend (RSI, PROMYS below a household income threshold, Simons, Clark Scholars). Simons and Clark are closed to non-US students, and RSI admits international students only through their own country's selection.
    • The selective research programs take juniors only. Students aged 13 to 15 have two realistic routes here: Mathcamp from 13 and Atlas from 13, plus Mission Discovery from 14.
    • Two programs are fully online (Indigo IRIS, Lumiere) and run cohorts through the school year, so they are not summer-only choices.
    • Published 2027 dates exist for PROMYS, Mission Discovery and Clark Scholars, and Atlas has published its 2027 window. Everything else still shows 2026 and is marked as such.

    Organisation
    Anson L. Clark Scholars Program (Texas Tech University)
    		Format
    Residential
    		When it runs
    20 June to 5 August 2027
    		Contact hours
    [TBC: not published]
    		Fee
    Free ($25 application fee in 2026)
    		Ages
    17 or over at start, graduating 2027 or 2028; US citizens or permanent residents
    		Location
    Lubbock, Texas
    		Scholarships
    No participation fee, room and board provided, $750 stipend
    		Safeguarding policy
    Not published
    Organisation
    Atlas Summer Courses (formerly Oxford Summer Courses)
    		Format
    Residential
    		When it runs
    Late June to mid-August 2027, first start 29 June
    		Contact hours
    [TBC: not published]
    		Fee
    £6,995 to £9,995 by accommodation tier
    		Ages
    13-15 and 16-17 bands at Oxford and Cambridge
    		Location
    Oxford and Cambridge colleges, England
    		Scholarships
    None
    		Safeguarding policy
    Published
    Organisation
    Canada/USA Mathcamp
    		Format
    Residential
    		When it runs
    2027 dates announced December 2026; 2026 ran 28 June to 2 August
    		Contact hours
    About 4 hours of optional classes a day plus colloquium
    		Fee
    $7,500 (2026), reduced to $0 by need
    		Ages
    13-18
    		Location
    Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont (2026); 2027 location announced December
    		Scholarships
    Free below $100,000 household income (US and Canada); full and partial aid for international students
    		Safeguarding policy
    Published
    Organisation
    Center for Excellence in Education (Research Science Institute)
    		Format
    Residential
    		When it runs
    2027 dates not yet announced; 2026 ran 28 June to 8 August
    		Contact hours
    [TBC: not published]
    		Fee
    Free ($75 application fee)
    		Ages
    High school juniors, 16 by 1 July of the program year
    		Location
    MIT, Cambridge MA; Stanford University from 2027
    		Scholarships
    No cost to attend; housing and dining covered
    		Safeguarding policy
    Not published
    Organisation
    Indigo Research (IRIS Intensive)
    		Format
    Online
    		When it runs
    Winter cohort 14 December 2026 to 25 January 2027; summer 2027 not yet posted
    		Contact hours
    6 per week
    		Fee
    From $4,200
    		Ages
    High school students
    		Location
    Online, sessions scheduled in the student's time zone
    		Scholarships
    None
    		Safeguarding policy
    Not published
    Organisation
    International Space School Educational Trust (Mission Discovery)
    		Format
    Day or Residential
    		When it runs
    12-16 July 2027 (day); 11-16 July 2027 (residential)
    		Contact hours
    32
    		Fee
    £799 day; £1,999 residential
    		Ages
    14-18 (13 by arrangement)
    		Location
    King's College London, England
    		Scholarships
    None
    		Safeguarding policy
    Published
    Organisation
    Lumiere Education
    		Format
    Online
    		When it runs
    Cohorts through the year; Winter cohort starts 7 December 2026 (deadline 15 November), Winter II starts 18 January 2027
    		Contact hours
    9 mentor sessions and 2 writing-coach sessions
    		Fee
    $2,990 (Individual Research Program)
    		Ages
    Grades 9-12
    		Location
    Online
    		Scholarships
    Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation covers full cost for low-income students
    		Safeguarding policy
    Not published
    Organisation
    PROMYS (Boston University)
    		Format
    Residential
    		When it runs
    27 June to 7 August 2027
    		Contact hours
    3 hours of class per day
    		Fee
    Free below $80,000 household income (2026 scale); up to $8,000 above $180,000
    		Ages
    14-18
    		Location
    Boston University, Massachusetts
    		Scholarships
    Need-based aid to full cost; Breakout Fellowship fully funded
    		Safeguarding policy
    Published
    Organisation
    Simons Summer Research Program (Stony Brook University)
    		Format
    Residential or Day
    		When it runs
    2027 application posted late November 2026; 2026 ran 29 June to 7 August
    		Contact hours
    Minimum 4 hours a day in the lab plus weekly research talks
    		Fee
    No tuition; residential and dining costs paid by participant
    		Ages
    Current 11th graders, 16 or over at start, US citizens or permanent residents
    		Location
    Stony Brook, New York
    		Scholarships
    Stipend awarded at closing symposium
    		Safeguarding policy
    Not published
    Organisation
    Summer Science Program (SSP International)
    		Format
    Residential
    		When it runs
    2027 dates published December 2026; 2026 ran in five-week waves from 8 June to 1 August
    		Contact hours
    [TBC: not published]
    		Fee
    $11,800 (2026), reduced by need-based aid
    		Ages
    15 to under 19
    		Location
    13 university campuses across the US and Canada (2026)
    		Scholarships
    100% of demonstrated need covered, including airfare; full or partial aid below about $140,000 household income
    		Safeguarding policy
    Published
    Recognised as Best Scholarship Provision

    Anson L. Clark Scholars Program (Texas Tech University)

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best Scholarship Provision

    The Clark Scholars Program takes twelve students for seven weeks of one-to-one research with Texas Tech faculty, with room, board and a $750 stipend provided and no participation fee. It suits rising seniors and recent graduates who want an intensive, funded research placement in a field of their choice, from cancer biology and physics to economics and computer science. It is renowned as a rigorous, highly academic programme. It was shortlisted because of this, and because cost is removed entirely rather than reduced: the only charge is a $25 application fee, and students are paid their stipend on completing their research report.

    Location:
    Lubbock, Texas
    Fee:
    Free ($25 application fee in 2026)
    When it runs:
    20 June to 5 August 2027
    Length:
    7 weeks
    Ages:
    17 or over at start, graduating 2027 or 2028; US citizens or permanent residents
    Format:
    Residential
    Application:
    Deadline mid-February; essays, three recommendations, transcript, PSAT/SAT/ACT
    Contact hours:
    [TBC: not published]
    Cohort size:
    12 students
    Scholarships:
    No participation fee, room and board provided, $750 stipend
    Safeguarding policy:
    Not published

    Points to consider

    Only twelve places exist and applicants must be 17 by the start date and US citizens or permanent residents, so most of the 13 to 18 audience cannot apply.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Best University-Based ExperienceCommercial partner

    Atlas Summer Courses (formerly Oxford Summer Courses)

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best University-Based Experience

    Atlas runs two-week residential courses inside Oxford and Cambridge colleges across more than 40 subjects, with STEM options for 13 to 15-year-olds including Physics, Engineering, Computer Science and Biotechnology and Genetics. It suits students who want a college-based introduction to a science subject in a small class, with the social side of a residential summer school. It was shortlisted because the teaching model is unusually small for a commercial provider: an average class of eight, seminars capped at ten, and one-to-one or two-to-one tutorials on the 16 to 17 courses. Atlas is accredited by the British Accreditation Council and publishes an enhanced DBS requirement for all staff.

    Location:
    Oxford and Cambridge colleges, England
    Fee:
    £6,995 to £9,995 by accommodation tier
    When it runs:
    Late June to mid-August 2027, first start 29 June
    Length:
    2 weeks
    Ages:
    13-15 and 16-17 bands at Oxford and Cambridge
    Format:
    Residential
    Application:
    Rolling; £250 discount for applications by 31 October 2026
    Contact hours:
    [TBC: not published]
    Cohort size:
    Average class of 8; seminars up to 10; tutorials 1:1 or 2:1 at 16-17
    Scholarships:
    None
    Safeguarding policy:
    Published

    Points to consider

    Atlas is a general summer school rather than a STEM specialist, and it does not offer scholarships or bursaries. The courses run in 13-15 and 16-17 bands, so an 18-year-old is placed with the 18-24 adult cohort.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Best for Younger Students

    Canada/USA Mathcamp

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best for Younger Students

    Mathcamp is a five-week residential mathematics programme for about 120 students aged 13 to 18, where every class on the schedule is optional and students choose what to study and when. It suits younger students who are already working well beyond their school syllabus and want to be placed by ability rather than age. It was shortlisted because it admits 13-year-olds into the same programme as 18-year-olds with no junior track, and selects on a Qualifying Quiz rather than transcripts or test scores. The programme is free for US and Canadian families under $100,000 and offers full and partial scholarships to international students.

    Location:
    Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont (2026); 2027 location announced December
    Fee:
    $7,500 (2026), reduced to $0 by need
    When it runs:
    2027 dates announced December 2026; 2026 ran 28 June to 2 August
    Length:
    5 weeks
    Ages:
    13-18
    Format:
    Residential
    Application:
    January to February; Qualifying Quiz, no transcripts or test scores, no fee
    Contact hours:
    About 4 hours of optional classes a day plus colloquium
    Cohort size:
    120 (65 new, 55 returning)
    Scholarships:
    Free below $100,000 household income (US and Canada); full and partial aid for international students
    Safeguarding policy:
    Published

    Points to consider

    The subject is mathematics specifically, not broad STEM, and applicants are expected to have completed precalculus. 2027 dates, location and fee are not published until December, so plan from the 2026 pattern. Younger applicants who are not yet ready are directed by Mathcamp itself to MathPath, which serves ages 11 to 14.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Best for Research

    Center for Excellence in Education (Research Science Institute)

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best for Research

    The Research Science Institute places 100 students at MIT for one week of intensive STEM classes followed by five weeks on an individual research project under a working scientist, and in 2027 adds a second site at Stanford for 50 more. It suits juniors who already know they want to do research and can show it through transcripts, test scores and recommendations. It was shortlisted because original research is the whole programme rather than an add-on, ending in conference-style written and oral reports. CEE states it accepts fewer than 2.5% of applicants and the programme is free to every selected student.

    Location:
    MIT, Cambridge MA; Stanford University from 2027
    Fee:
    Free ($75 application fee)
    When it runs:
    2027 dates not yet announced; 2026 ran 28 June to 8 August
    Length:
    6 weeks
    Ages:
    High school juniors, 16 by 1 July of the program year
    Format:
    Residential
    Application:
    Closes 11 December 2026 for RSI 2027; three recommendations, transcript, test scores
    Contact hours:
    [TBC: not published]
    Cohort size:
    100 at MIT; 50 at Stanford in 2027
    Scholarships:
    No cost to attend; housing and dining covered
    Safeguarding policy:
    Not published

    Points to consider

    Only current juniors who are 16 by 1 July may apply, so this is a one-shot application for most students. International applicants apply through their own country's selection process rather than directly, and CEE told us the Stanford 2027 details will be released separately.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Best Online Programme

    Indigo Research (IRIS Intensive)

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best Online Programme

    IRIS Intensive is a six-week online research course in which a professor teaches a group of no more than 13 students in interactive sessions scheduled for their own time zone, three hours twice a week. It suits students anywhere in the world who want university-level research teaching without travelling, and who can commit to a fixed timetable. It was shortlisted because the small, timezone-matched format is rare among online providers, and the course carries two transferable credits from UCSB Extension on completion. Instructors listed include faculty from Stanford, Cambridge and Harvard Medical School.

    Location:
    Online, sessions scheduled in the student's time zone
    Fee:
    From $4,200
    When it runs:
    Winter cohort 14 December 2026 to 25 January 2027; summer 2027 not yet posted
    Length:
    6 weeks
    Ages:
    High school students
    Format:
    Online
    Application:
    Online enquiry form; no deadline published
    Contact hours:
    6 per week
    Cohort size:
    13 per course
    Scholarships:
    None
    Safeguarding policy:
    Not published

    Points to consider

    Indigo offers no scholarships and the fee starts at $4,200 for six weeks online.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Most Innovative Curriculum

    International Space School Educational Trust (Mission Discovery)

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Most Innovative Curriculum

    Mission Discovery is a five-day design sprint at King's College London in which teams design a space experiment, present it to a judging panel on the final day, and the winning idea is built and launched to space. It suits students aged 14 to 18 who want a short, high-intensity taste of space science with a tangible outcome rather than a multi-week commitment. It was shortlisted because the launch is real: ISSET states more than 40 student experiments have flown, with past winners tested in microgravity on the International Space Station. The week is hosted by a NASA astronaut and a NASA senior leader alongside King's professors.

    Location:
    King's College London, England
    Fee:
    £799 day; £1,999 residential
    When it runs:
    12-16 July 2027 (day); 11-16 July 2027 (residential)
    Length:
    5 days
    Ages:
    14-18 (13 by arrangement)
    Format:
    Day or Residential
    Application:
    Open booking, first come first served; instalment plan to May 2027
    Contact hours:
    32
    Cohort size:
    [TBC: not published]
    Scholarships:
    None
    Safeguarding policy:
    Published

    Points to consider

    ISSET offers no bursaries and lunch is not included in either booking option.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Best Online Programme

    Lumiere Education

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best Online Programme

    Lumiere pairs a high school student one-to-one with a PhD researcher for a 12-week independent research project, delivered fully online with cohorts starting in winter, summer and autumn. It suits students who want to write a university-style paper on their own question and whose calendar does not fit a fixed summer block. It was shortlisted because the model runs year-round rather than as a single summer intake, and completion makes the student eligible for three post-baccalaureate credits and a transcript from UCSD Extended Studies. Lumiere states it has mentored more than 7,200 students since 2020 and its foundation has awarded over $1.8 million in financial aid.

    Location:
    Online
    Fee:
    $2,990 (Individual Research Program)
    When it runs:
    Cohorts through the year; Winter cohort starts 7 December 2026 (deadline 15 November), Winter II starts 18 January 2027
    Length:
    12 weeks
    Ages:
    Grades 9-12
    Format:
    Online
    Application:
    Rolling; application form then interview; roughly 4,000 applicants for 500 places per cycle
    Contact hours:
    9 mentor sessions and 2 writing-coach sessions
    Cohort size:
    One-to-one
    Scholarships:
    Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation covers full cost for low-income students
    Safeguarding policy:
    Not published

    Points to consider

    Lumiere's programme page does not publish fees; the $2,990 figure comes from Lumiere's own blog. No mentor-vetting or safeguarding statement is published for an online one-to-one format.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Best for Academic Depth

    PROMYS (Boston University)

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best for Academic Depth

    PROMYS is a six-week residential mathematics programme at Boston University in which around 80 students work through number theory from first principles, meeting the problems before the methods. It suits students who already enjoy spending hours on a single problem and want to be surrounded by others who do. It was shortlisted because the structure behind that depth is unusually well staffed: 25 undergraduate counsellors each mentor three or four students alongside six faculty, three of them BU mathematics professors. The 2027 dates are confirmed and the programme is free for US families under the published income threshold.

    Location:
    Boston University, Massachusetts
    Fee:
    Free below $80,000 household income (2026 scale); up to $8,000 above $180,000
    When it runs:
    27 June to 7 August 2027
    Length:
    6 weeks
    Ages:
    14-18
    Format:
    Residential
    Application:
    Launches January 2027; problem set, recommendation, transcript
    Contact hours:
    3 hours of class per day
    Cohort size:
    About 80 students, 25 counsellors, 6 faculty
    Scholarships:
    Need-based aid to full cost; Breakout Fellowship fully funded
    Safeguarding policy:
    Published

    Points to consider

    The daily lecture is short and the real work is independent problem sets, so this suits self-directed students rather than those who want structured teaching. International students are welcome but places are limited and financial aid for them is case by case. PROMYS told us the 2027 fee scale and free-place threshold are still being confirmed, so the figures shown are 2026.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Best for Research

    Simons Summer Research Program (Stony Brook University)

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best for Research

    The Simons Summer Research Program matches high school juniors with Stony Brook faculty mentors for six weeks of research inside a working group, ending with a written abstract and a poster at the closing symposium. It suits US students who want a genuine research placement with a named mentor rather than a taught course, and who can secure a nomination from their school. It was shortlisted because Fellows join an existing research team and produce real outputs, with a stipend presented at the symposium. The programme has run since 1984 and is supported by the Simons Foundation.

    Location:
    Stony Brook, New York
    Fee:
    No tuition; residential and dining costs paid by participant
    When it runs:
    2027 application posted late November 2026; 2026 ran 29 June to 7 August
    Length:
    6 weeks
    Ages:
    Current 11th graders, 16 or over at start, US citizens or permanent residents
    Format:
    Residential or Day
    Application:
    School nomination required, two per school; deadline early February; about 5% admitted
    Contact hours:
    Minimum 4 hours a day in the lab plus weekly research talks
    Cohort size:
    [TBC: not published]
    Scholarships:
    Stipend awarded at closing symposium
    Safeguarding policy:
    Not published

    Points to consider

    Eligibility is narrow: US citizens or permanent residents only, in 11th grade, 16 or over, and nominated by their school with a hard limit of two nominees per school. Stony Brook states admission is about 5%. Participants pay their own housing and dining, and no safeguarding statement is published beyond a required lab safety session.

    Visit the organisation's website
    Recognised as Best for Practical Experience

    Summer Science Program (SSP International)

    Guide 2 of 10 · STEM · Recognised as Best for Practical Experience

    SSP runs five-week residential research programmes in Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Bacterial Genomics and Cell Biology on thirteen campuses, with 36 students per site working in teams of three. It suits juniors who want to work on one genuine research problem for five weeks rather than a sampler of topics. It was shortlisted because each track is built around a real problem on professional equipment: astrophysics teams determine asteroid orbits and submit their data to the Minor Planet Center, and cell biology teams use CRISPR gene editing on yeast. SSP granted over $4.1 million in aid in 2026 and more than half of participants received some.

    Location:
    13 university campuses across the US and Canada (2026)
    Fee:
    $11,800 (2026), reduced by need-based aid
    When it runs:
    2027 dates published December 2026; 2026 ran in five-week waves from 8 June to 1 August
    Length:
    5 weeks
    Ages:
    15 to under 19
    Format:
    Residential
    Application:
    Opens December 2026; international deadline January, domestic February 2027; free to apply
    Contact hours:
    [TBC: not published]
    Cohort size:
    36 per campus, teams of three
    Scholarships:
    100% of demonstrated need covered, including airfare; full or partial aid below about $140,000 household income
    Safeguarding policy:
    Published

    Points to consider

    Only current juniors aged 15 to under 19 are eligible, so freshmen, sophomores and seniors cannot apply. The $11,800 fee is the full 2026 price before aid and 2027 pricing is not published until December.

    Visit the organisation's website

    What this means

    A STEM summer program for high school students is a residential or online course, usually two to eight weeks, in which a 13 to 18-year-old does science, mathematics or engineering rather than studying it for an exam. The ten organisations here split three ways. Research placements (RSI, Simons, Clark Scholars, SSP) put a student inside a working lab or research problem under a scientist, and all four select hard and favour US juniors. Mathematics immersions (PROMYS, Mathcamp) take students from 13 or 14 and run on problem sets rather than lectures. Taught and project courses (Mission Discovery, Atlas, Indigo IRIS, Lumiere) are open enrolment or lightly selective and range from five days in London to twelve weeks online.

    The pattern to notice is that the free programmes are the most restricted. Cost-free places at RSI, Simons and Clark are limited to US juniors, and PROMYS and Mathcamp are free only below a household income threshold. A family outside the US choosing between paid options should weigh contact hours and class size, which this guide lists wherever the provider publishes them, rather than the brand of the host campus.

    How organisations are included and assessed

    Inclusion criteria

    The gate. An organisation appears only if it meets all five.

    1. 1

      Runs a program for students under 18

      Runs a program for students under 18 in the coming summer cycle, open to school-age students rather than undergraduates.

    2. 2

      Publishes its fee and what the fee covers

      Publishes its fee and what the fee covers, so the full cost is visible before application.

    3. 3

      States who teaches and in what setting

      States who teaches and in what setting: the staff category, and the venue the program actually uses.

    4. 4

      Publishes safeguarding information for under-18s

      Publishes safeguarding information for under-18s that a family can find and read.

    5. 5

      Describes the experience without implying an admissions advantage

      Describes the experience without implying an admissions advantage, with claims about certification, contact and university outcomes matching what is delivered.

    Assessment criteria

    How the included ten are judged, and where each recognition line comes from.

    1. 1

      Teaching substance

      Contact hours, group size, and who teaches.

    2. 2

      Access and cost transparency

      Whether the full cost is published before application, and whether means-tested places exist and are reachable.

    3. 3

      Practical or applied content

      What a student actually does.

    4. 4

      Honest claims

      Marketing checked against reality.

    5. 5

      Distinctiveness

      What this program offers that comparable ones do not.

    Safeguarding is recorded as a factual disclosure: we note whether an organisation publishes information a family can find and read. It is never graded or scored by Succeed.

    Read the full methodology

    Frequently asked questions

    For funded research, RSI and the Simons Summer Research Program, both limited to US juniors. For mathematics from age 13 or 14, Mathcamp and PROMYS, which are free below published income thresholds. For a short hands-on project open to anyone, ISSET's Mission Discovery at King's College London. For online research, Indigo IRIS (small group) or Lumiere (one-to-one).

    RSI is free for every selected student. Clark Scholars and Simons charge no tuition and pay a stipend, though Simons participants pay housing. PROMYS is free for US families under $80,000 and Mathcamp for US and Canadian families under $100,000, with aid above that. SSP covers 100% of demonstrated need. All of the free research places are restricted to US citizens or residents.

    Yes, but the choice is narrow. Mathcamp and Atlas admit from 13, PROMYS and Mission Discovery from 14 (ISSET takes 13-year-olds by arrangement). RSI, SSP, Simons and Clark Scholars take juniors or older only, and Clark requires students to be 17.

    PROMYS, SSP and Mathcamp admit international students and publish aid for them, though PROMYS says places are limited. RSI takes international students only through participating countries' own selection. Simons and Clark Scholars are closed to anyone who is not a US citizen or permanent resident. Indigo and Lumiere are online and open worldwide.

    From free to about £9,995. Mission Discovery is £799 for five days. Lumiere is $2,990 for twelve weeks online and Indigo IRIS from $4,200 for six. Atlas starts at £5,495 for two weeks residential. Mathcamp is $7,500 and SSP $11,800 before aid, both 2026 prices.

    Selective research programs such as RSI, SSP and Simons are recognised by admissions officers because of how few students they admit, but none of the ten guarantees anything. What travels is the work itself: a research paper, a poster, a launched experiment, and the student's ability to explain it.

    No organisation pays to be included in this guide, and payment has no bearing on selection. Every organisation featured was sent its profile before publication to check for factual errors, not to approve our judgement of it. Succeed has a commercial relationship with some featured organisations and may earn a commission when a student enrols through the platform. Where that applies, it is stated in the profile itself.

    Sean Stevens

    Written and reviewed by

    Sean Stevens

    Co-founder, Succeed | Founder, Immerse Education (2012–2026)

    Sean works at the intersection of academic enrichment, program quality and university preparation, with expertise in evaluating pre-university experiences for ambitious secondary school students.

    View author page

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