Top 9 NYU Summer Programs for High School Students in 2025–2026

NYU’s summer programs for high school students can strengthen your college applications, especially if you plan to apply to the Ivy League or other highly selective universities. These programs show that you can handle advanced coursework and explore academic or artistic fields at a high level.

In this guide, you’ll find the top 9 NYU summer programs for high school students in 2025–2026, with important details on eligibility, dates, costs, and what you can expect from each option.

• What Are NYU’s Summer Programs for High School Students?
• NYU ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering)
• NYU Tisch Summer High School Program
• NYU Tandon STEM Summer Courses
• NYU School of Professional Studies Aspire Program
• NYU Precollege Summer Program
• NYU Career Edge Summer Program
• NYU Stern Precollege Business Courses
• NYU Screenwriting and Songwriting Summer Workshops (Tisch & Steinhardt)
• NYU Music and Performing Arts Summer Programs (Steinhardt & Tisch)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Are NYU’s Summer Programs for High School Students?

NYU offers a wide range of summer programs that let high school students experience college-level academics, develop specialized skills, and strengthen their college applications. Here’s a quick look at these programs:

We’ll discuss these programs in more depth in the following sections.

1. NYU ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering)

• 2026 program dates: June 1 to August 14, 2026
• Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are full-time NYC residents attending NYC high schools
• Program cost: Free; participants receive a $1,000 stipend upon successful completion

NYU ARISE is a free, 10-week STEM research program hosted by NYU Tandon for New York City students who are rising juniors or seniors. It combines four weeks of research training and lab preparation with six weeks of full-time placement in an NYU research lab. Participants gain around 120 hours of lab experience.

ARISE charges no tuition and provides a $1,000 stipend to students who complete the program. The program typically selects about 70 students per year, which makes admission competitive.

You finish the program by presenting your research at the American Museum of Natural History’s poster symposium.

2. NYU Tisch Summer High School Program

• 2026 program dates: July 5 to August 1, 2026 
• Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Program cost: $7,664 – $11,496 (depending on units taken); $200 program fee; housing and meals not included

The Tisch Summer High School Program is a four-week, residential arts program that follows the first-year Tisch undergraduate curriculum. Students apply to any one of these tracks:

• Drama
• Dance 
• Filmmaking 
• Photography 
• Dramatic writing 
• Game design 
• Production and design 
• Recorded music 

Each track concludes with a required final showing or screening reviewed by Tisch faculty, and all participants receive four to six transferable college credits.

NYU notes that the program receives over 800 applications each year while admitting about 305 students total across all tracks, which makes it a selective arts program.

3. NYU Tandon STEM Summer Courses

• 2026 program dates: Vary by course; most begin in late June 
• Eligibility: Depends on the course; many accept rising 9th to 12th graders
• Program cost: Free for select NYC-based programs; paid programs typically range from $2,000 to $10,000

NYU Tandon offers several STEM programs for high school students. These include tuition-free options for NYC students, such as CS4CS (Computer Science for Cyber Security) and IEsoSC (Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Science of Smart Cities).

CS4CS is a three-week cybersecurity program that introduces digital forensics, ethical hacking, and network security. IEsoSC runs for four weeks and focuses on coding, sensors, and engineering design for urban problem-solving. 

Tandon also offers tuition-based technical programs open to a broader audience. These include C-Path (Cloud Path), which introduces cloud computing concepts and hands-on work with cloud tools, and CE4G (Computer Engineering for Good), which covers computer engineering foundations applied to real-world problem-solving.

4. NYU School of Professional Studies Aspire Program

• 2026 program dates: July 31 to August 5, 2026
• Eligibility: High school sophomores enrolled in a NYC public high school who will be entering their junior year
• Program cost: Free

The Aspire Program is a two-year college access initiative for eligible 10th-grade students in NYC. Students receive a full scholarship that includes a one-week summer immersion at NYU and continuous advising through 11th and 12th grade.

The summer coursework focuses on financial literacy, college prep, college writing, and leadership development. Students attend structured workshops led by NYU faculty and staff, and receive support on admissions, financial aid, and academic planning. 

After the summer session, participants continue with mentorship and college application guidance during the school year.

5. NYU Precollege Summer Program

• 2026 program dates: Fall, Spring, and Summer (specific dates vary by term) 
• Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Program cost: $700 to $14,000 (charged by credit)

The NYU Precollege Summer Program allows high school students to enroll in NYU undergraduate courses for credit. In fact, depending on the course they take, they may earn up to 8 college credits. Students choose classes in Arts and Media, STEM, Humanities and Social Sciences, or Business, with 38 different options available. 

Examples of courses include:

• The Art of Makeup for Film & Television
• Cultural Capital: Media & Arts in New York City
• Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory
• Global Culture Wars
• Business Organizations & Management

Precollege includes required orientation sessions and optional college-readiness workshops on writing, admissions, and academic skills. Students may live in NYU housing or commute to campus.

6. NYU Career Edge Summer Program

• 2025 program dates: June 23, 2025 – August 8, 2025 (2026 dates to be announced) 
• Eligibility: Students who have completed grades 9 to 12
• Program cost: $50 application fee; $2,579 per course; $640 housing and meals

The Career Edge Summer Program offers one-week, noncredit courses with 20 course options across multiple career fields. Classes take place Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and students may enroll in multiple weeks.

Course options include finance, marketing, journalism, medicine, fashion, digital photography, and similar preprofessional areas. Coursework focuses on applied skills. You can also expect guest lectures and field trips that can help you better understand the professional environment in the career you’re aiming for.

7. NYU Stern Precollege Business Courses

• 2026 program dates: Fall, Spring, and Summer (specific dates vary by term)
• Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
• Program cost: $700 to $14,000 (charged by credit); $350 for webinar tuition and fees

NYU offers several summer business options for high school students. The main for-credit option is the business track within NYU Precollege. Students take introductory Stern undergraduate courses in finance, economics, accounting, marketing, or business psychology, all of which appear on an official NYU transcript. 

NYU’s location in New York City makes it a great place to study business, especially with field trips to Wall Street, where you can connect with industry professionals.

NYU also offers the Future Business Leaders Webinar Series for High School Students, a four-week webinar series. It covers core topics such as finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, real estate, and even sports & entertainment. The series is open to students worldwide and does not offer credit.

8. NYU Screenwriting and Songwriting Summer Workshops (Tisch & Steinhardt)

• 2025 program dates: October 13 – November 21 (Tisch); June 16 – 27 (Steinhardt); 2026 dates to be announced
• Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.0 GPA (Tisch); open to participants age 15 and older (Steinhardt)
• Program cost: $8,008 (Tisch); $1,825 (Steinhardt)

NYU offers two focused arts programs for high school students interested in writing for film, television, or music. The Tisch Online High School Screenwriters Workshop is a six-week, credit-bearing online course that awards 4 NYU credits and covers screenplay structure, character development, and short script writing. Students should be prepared to dedicate 6 to 10 hours per week to assignments and complete weekly writing exercises.

The NYU Songwriters Summer Workshop is a two-week non-credit Zoom program with a maximum cohort of 54 students. Instruction is led by award-winning faculty, including GRAMMY-nominated Phil Galdston and GRAMMY and EMMY-nominated composer David Wolfert. Students can expect to explore skills, tools, and strategies used by professional songwriters and learn about the rights of music creators.

9. NYU Music and Performing Arts Summer Programs (Steinhardt & Tisch)

• 2026 program dates: July 5, 2026 – August 1, 2026 (Tisch); 2026 dates for Steinhardt to be announced 
• Eligibility: High school students
• Program cost: $12,012 tuition for 6 units (Tisch); $700 to $14,000 (Steinhardt)

NYU offers several focused performing arts programs for high school students in dance, drama, music technology, and percussion. For instance, the Tisch Summer High School Dance Program mirrors the first-year BFA Dance curriculum and provides daily training in contemporary technique, choreography, and performance.

Tisch also runs Summer High School Drama Programs that offer conservatory-style instruction in movement, voice, and scene study and include visits to Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.

Meanwhile, at Steinhardt, the Music Technology Pre-College Courses allow high school students to take six-week university-level classes for 2 credits, covering core skills in recording, editing, audio systems, and production tools. Another option is the NYU Broadway Percussion Conference, a four-day intensive where high school percussionists learn directly from Broadway percussionists, contractors, and conductors through hands-on sessions and panel discussions.

These programs change year to year, so students should check individual listings to confirm current offerings, requirements, and formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are NYU’s summer programs for high school students worth it?

Yes. NYU’s summer programs for high school students are worth it if you want rigorous academic or arts training and a competitive experience that strengthens your college applications, especially if you are aiming for top schools like the Ivy League.

2. What are NYU’s summer programs for high school students about?

NYU’s summer programs for high school students include research programs, precollege credit courses, business and STEM options, writing workshops, and performing arts intensives. These programs give you college-level learning with direct instruction from NYU faculty.

3. How prestigious are NYU’s high school summer programs?

NYU’s high school summer programs are considered selective and reputable, especially those offered through Tisch, Stern, and Tandon. Many require strong academics or auditions and mirror the expectations of NYU undergraduate courses.

Takeaways

• NYU offers programs across research, STEM, business, writing, and the performing arts, giving you a wide range of choices that match different interests and skill levels. These programs can strengthen your college application by showing initiative, academic readiness, and commitment to your chosen field.
• Many of NYU’s summer programs for high school students mirror undergraduate coursework, so you experience college expectations while earning credit or completing advanced, faculty-led training.
• Selectivity varies, but programs offered through Tisch, Stern, and Tandon often receive large applicant pools and expect strong academic or artistic preparation.
• If you want help choosing the NYU summer program that will best strengthen your college application, a college admissions consultant can guide you in building a stronger admissions profile.