Have you ever wondered how to learn to code? How about learning coding online or learning about coding summer programs for high school students? What if you could learn coding in high school? Or better yet, how about learning how to code in high school?
If you’re a high school student and aren’t sure what you want to study in college – check out these best coding programs for high school students and see if online coding classes or summer programs for high school students will help you decide.
Scratch by MIT
Scratch is an online platform where kids can create, program, and share interactive media such as games, stories, and animations. The program is majorly popular among children of middle school and high school age. While specifically designed for children ages 8-16, people of all ages would enjoy using this platform as a creative and user-friendly approach to coding. ScratchJr is also available for children ages 5-7. This program is currently maintained by the MIT Media Lab.
Galvanize x K12
Galvanize is a software engineering immersive bootcamp. They’re partnering with K12, the leaders of Destinations Career Academy, to provide full-time and part-time coding bootcamps for high school graduates. The bootcamps also offer career services.
Who it’s for: High school, Destinations Career Academy, and K12 graduates. This program is great for students ready to commit to a career in tech.
Length of program: 6-13 weeks
Location: Online
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.
Code.org
Prominently known for its “Hour of Code” initiative, Code.org has an impressive library of tutorials and courses for people of all ages. The site engages users with content featuring popular cartoons and games. The website is sectioned off by school grade, which makes finding the right activity for you easier than ever.
iDTech Virtual Tech Camps & STEM Programs
iDTech’s virtual tech courses include after school programs and virtual summer camps. Students can learn Python, Java, Minecraft, Roboblox, Unity, Adobe, 3D modeling, and more.
Who it’s for: Ages 7-19. With a range of skill levels, iDTech is great for the student who knows which specific skills they want to work on. It’s a good introduction to tech or single skill sharpener.
Length of program: 1-12 weeks
Class size: 5 students
Upcoming start dates: Rolling Admissions
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.
Kudo
Brought to you by Microsoft, Kudo is specifically used to show Kids the magic of creating video games. The program runs on Xbox, which allows for a simple interface that many children are already familiar with. The language is simple and entirely icon-based. While not as cut-and-dry as other advanced programs, Kudo gives people of all ages an engaging platform to experiment with coding concepts.
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.
NextGen Bootcamp
NextGen Bootcamp offers live online computer classes for high school and college students. Students can learn web development, data science, graphic design, and business with live online summer courses.
Who it’s for: High school and college students, no prior experience is necessary. This is a good introduction to specific coding languages and skills.
Length of program: 2-5weeks
Location: Online
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.
Codecademy
Codecadmey is a popular programming educational platform for adults and kids alike. This program is best suited for high schoolers, in particular. Codecademy shows you how to write real code in a variety of programming languages, all within the comfort of your web browser. The program offers both free and paid options.
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.
The Coding School
The Coding School is a nonprofit that partners with UCLA, USC, Villanova University, and Brown University. They teach 4 year programs in high schools in California, virtual summer camps, and they also offer online coding lessons called Code Connects for high schoolers. At summer camp students can learn fundamentals of computer science, data structures, artificial intelligence, cyber security, college computer science prep, full stack web development, mobile app development, 3D game development, data science, fntech, and computational genomics.
Who it’s for: Grades 4-12, no prior experience is necessary. Students with learning disabilities or from minority groups are encouraged to apply. With a wide variety of topics, languages, and skills for students to pick from, this is an introductory bootcamp that can also serve more advanced students.
Length of program: 2-months to 4-years
Class size: 1-5 students
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.
Conclusion:
Coding has exploded in popularity in recent years. This, in turn, has led to a boom in coding programs for high school students to choose from. As great as this is, it can also be overwhelming. The sheer amount of options available makes finding the best online coding programs tough.
While there are many ways to learn to code online, the only way to learn certain valuable skills such as JavaScript is to do so online. That’s why we decided to compile this list of the best coding programs for high school students.