Parents and high school students often invest heavily in summer programs that offer little impact on college admissions or tangible benefits like college credits. To maximize these opportunities, here’s a list of university summer programs where high schoolers can earn college credits. In this group, we share not only amazing deals but also valuable student resources, including scholarships, internships, college exams, school competitions, volunteer opportunities, and much more for academic growth.
- Emory University Pre-College Program
Offers a variety of courses for high school students to explore academic interests and earn college credits.
https://precollege.emory.edu/courses/index.html - Harvard Extension School
Provides impactful, credit-bearing courses in a variety of disciplines for high school students.
https://extension.harvard.edu/academics/programs/take-a-course/#courses-designed-for-impact - UC San Diego Summer Session
Offers a wide range of credit-bearing courses for high school students during summer.
https://summersession.ucsd.edu/courses/preview.aspx - UCLA Precollege Summer Institutes
Specialized programs for high school students to earn college credits in specific fields.
https://summer.ucla.edu/summer-programs/precollege-summer-institutes/ - NYU Precollege Program
Allows high school students to earn college credits and explore New York University’s academic environment.
https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/high-school-and-middle-school-programs/high-school-programs/nyu-precollege.html - CUNY College Now Program
Offers credit-bearing courses for high school students at no cost, providing college readiness.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nsfeomilnv3hj1t0dyo80/College-Now-Spring-Courses-2025.xlsx?rlkey=0qro7xerediht4zoy9rgc5y6z&e=2&st=j0gyh464&dl=0 - USC Summer Programs
Offers immersive, four-week college-credit courses for motivated high school students.
https://precollege.usc.edu/summer-programs/ - Georgia State University Early College Program
Provides high school students with opportunities to take college courses and earn credits early.
https://success.students.gsu.edu/early-college-program/ - Georgetown University Summer College
Offers college credit courses in various subjects for high school students.
https://summer.georgetown.edu/programs/SHS04/summer-college/coursefilterlist - UNC Summer Programs
High school students can earn college credits in a range of academic disciplines.
https://summer.unc.edu/high-school-students/ - Harvard Secondary School Program
A rigorous program where high school students can earn college credits and experience Harvard’s academics.
https://summer.harvard.edu/high-school-programs/secondary-school-program/#what-is-the-secondary-school-program - Brown University Pre-Baccalaureate Program
High school students can take college courses and earn credits on Brown’s campus.
https://precollege.brown.edu/programs/pre-baccalaureate - Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Program
Offers various summer programs for high schoolers to earn college credits and experience campus life.
https://www.cmu.edu/pre-college/index.html - STEM Institute NYC College Now
Provides STEM-focused college courses to high school students at no cost.
https://steminstitutenyc.org/college-now/ - UPenn Pre-College Program
High school students earn college credits while experiencing Penn’s academics and campus life.
https://hs.sas.upenn.edu/summer-programs/pre-college-program - Stony Brook University Summer Programs
Offers a range of summer courses for high school students to earn college credits.
https://www.stonybrook.edu/summer/audience/high-school-students - Cornell Precollege Online
High school students can earn college credits through flexible online courses.
https://sce.cornell.edu/precollege/program/online