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Math is often billed as one-of-those-things-you-have-to-master-because-your-school-says-so, but in actuality, math can be exciting, ground-breaking, and fun. It also encourages the type of abstract and critical thinking that is an incredible asset for any career, particularly those within the STEM field. So, if you’ve exhausted your high school’s math curriculum or simply feel that there has to be more than geometry, calculus, and statistics, math summer programs could be right up your alley.

What these programs do is expose students to undergraduate and graduate-level mathematical topics while highlighting the incredible number of possibilities that exist within this ever-advancing field. As such, many of the programs available are intensive academic immersions, where students essentially eat, sleep, and breathe math in a community with like-minded students and passionate instructors. Hoping to push the upper limits of your math knowledge this summer? We’ve collected the best summer math programs below.

For a full look at our searchable database of the best 2026 summer programs, click the button below. Here, you will be able to sort summer programs by discipline and location and can view important data points such as tuition costs, deadlines, course listings, and more!

Search 2026 Best Summer Programs

1) MasterScholar

• Location: Barnard, Princeton, UCSB, Duke, London
• Instructional Method: In-person (residential)
• Program Length: 6 weeks
• Cost: $6,600 – $12,500
• Eligibility: Ages 15-19
• Application Deadline: March/April

Selective, hands-on academic summer courses covering a wide range of subject areas all focused on research skill-building, academic writing, and critical thinking.

Programs hosted on-campus at Barnard College of Columbia University and University of California, Santa Barbara; additional programs are hosted in collaboration with faculty from Princeton University and Duke University.

Offerings range across the social sciences, humanities, and STEM disciplines.

2)

• Location: Boston, MA
• Instructional Method: In-person (residential)
• Program Length: 6 weeks
• Cost: Sliding scale based on income
• Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduating seniors (ages 14-18)
• Application Deadline: Late February (application opens in January)

PROMYS offers students a stunning number of mathematical opportunities, both structured and elective. All students begin their day with a ninety-minute class on number theory, where they’ll receive challenging problem sets. After class, they’ll then spend a significant amount of time working through these. Additionally, all students have access to Advanced Seminars, which meet several times per week. Topics are diverse and include algebra, modular forms, and primes and zeta functions.

Furthermore, there are guest lecturers from institutions like Harvard and Georgia Tech, and all students can participate in research. The summer culminates with a research presentation. Moreover, some past papers have been published or included in conference presentations. Finally, residential counselors design and present their own minicourses throughout the program. These minicourses are open to everyone, allowing students to dive more deeply into new topics. They include knot theory, surreal numbers, or the Banach Tarski Paradox, among others.

Although there are weekly organized social activities and field trips, most students spend the majority of their time doing math. Consequently, they’re given plenty of independence to organize their time how they wish. Admission to these summer math programs is extremely competitive–only 60 students are accepted. As such, students must submit short essays, solutions to a problem set, a recommendation letter, and their transcripts.

3) LSU Pre-College Summer Programs (Virtual Math Research Circle)

• Location: n/a
• Instructional Method: Online
• Program Length: 3 weeks
• Cost: $1,200
• Eligibility: 9-12 Grade
• Application Deadline: Rolling

LSU offers summer courses for elementary, middle, and high school students (residential, commuter, and virtual options exist). Subject areas offered include biology, computer science, engineering, esports, mathematics, music, physics, and world languages. Unique high school course offerings have included Adventures in 3-D Printing, Cybersecurity, Fundamentals of Sound Engineering, and Survey of Drones.

In the area of mathematics, LSU offers a research-oriented course called – Virtual Math Circle: High School Research Opportunities for High School Students. In this virtual course, 9th -12th-graders learn material not typically taught in a high school curriculum; traverse the complex world of college mathematics; conduct mathematical research with guidance from university faculty and graduate students; present a 45-minute, colloquial-style poster session; and hone research and communication skills through a capstone project.

4)

• Location: Burlington, VT (changes yearly)
• Instructional Method: In-person (residential)
• Program Length: 5 weeks
• Cost: Sliding scale based on family income
• Eligibility: Ages 13-18
• Application Deadline: February 23 (application opens in January)

Designed for mathematically talented high schoolers, Mathcamp introduces students to undergraduate and graduate-level topics. However, there is no set curriculum–students have the freedom to choose their own courses and design their own experience. That said, there will be an academic advisor assigned to each student who assists with planning.

Courses are of varying lengths—some are for several days and others last for the entire program. They are offered in pure math and applied math; past options have included Algebraic Geometry, Cryptography, and Bayesian Statistics. To an extent, the courses are determined by faculty and student interest.

In addition to their academic explorations, students have the opportunity to compete in math contests and problem-solving sessions as teams. Moreover, students can participate in focused faculty-mentored projects, the results of which are presented at the program’s culmination. Past projects have included Billiard-Ball Geometry and Digital Signal Processing. It’s not uncommon for students to continue working on their projects after these math summer programs. Some even publish joint research with their mentors or receive honors at competitions like Siemens and Davidson Fellows.

There is a tremendous amount of interaction with faculty both inside and outside of class. Guest speakers also visit regularly. Moreover, students live and dine together, and they have weekends free. Social activities and field trips are available but optional.

5) World Scholars Academy | Elite Summer Courses

• Location: n/a
• Instructional Method: Online
• Program Length: 2 weeks
• Cost:$2,995 per course
• Eligibility: Students ages 15-18
• Application Deadline: Rolling

World Scholars Academy offers elite summer courses and research internships taught live online by world-leading instructors from top research universities. Study for success with individual feedback and personalized academic guidance in their exclusive small-group classes (max 6 students), providing high-level instruction in the theory and practice of your chosen discipline. Secure a letter of recommendation from your instructor, and connect with other ambitious peers from around the world.

All programs are taught by elite instructors from top universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard who are hand-selected for their intellectual leadership and ability to transmit high-level insights to their students. In addition, classes are live and synchronous; students meet ten times over the course of two weeks.

The World Mathematics Academy (ages 15-18) covers topics such as Combinatorics, Pick’s Formula, Projective Geometry, Graph Theory, and Quaternions.

6)

• Location: Columbus, OH and Terre Haute, IN
• Instructional Method: In-person (residential)
• Program Length: 6 weeks
• Cost: $7,500
• Eligibility: Ages 15-18
• Application Deadline: March

The Ross Programs run residential math summer programs on two college campuses: Otterbein University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Over the course of the program, students build their capacity for abstract thought and critical thinking. Ross places a high value on both skills and feels that they are essential for future success in STEM careers.

Students can expect an incredibly intensive academic experience–they’ll be in class for ten hours a day. To specify, five of these hours will be spent in class and the other five in small group discussions. They’ll also be expected to work on problems and ideas on their own time.

Additionally, students focus primarily on number theory, which Ross feels is central to success in the profession. In the process, they’ll write proofs, observe patterns, and formulate theorems, among other tasks. Specific topics include modular arithmetic, quadratic reciprocity, and Gaussian integers. Finally, students move at their own pace through the material.

In order to apply, students must submit transcripts, teacher recommendations, essays, and their work on a challenging problem set. Admissions is competitive, with a 15% acceptance rate.

7)

• Location: Palo Alto, CA
• Instructional Method: In-person (residential) and online
• Program Length: 4 weeks (residential) / 3 weeks (online)
• Cost: $8,950 (residential) / $3,750 (online)
• Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
• Application Deadline: February

SUMaC offers residential and online summer math programs. Both are intensive mathematics enrichment experiences that allow students to explore advanced topics, engage in mathematical research, and investigate how math can be applied to various scientific disciplines.

At , students choose from either Abstract Algebra and Number Theory or Algebraic Topology. In the former track, students engage with topics like error-correcting codes and cryptography. They also must have experience writing and reading proofs in addition to geometry and algebra. In the latter track, students dive into the study of shape properties. They should be more advanced than Abstract Algebra students, with the above-mentioned experience as well as a “deep, thoughtful interest in higher mathematics.” The is faster-paced and offers identical academic tracks.

At the residential math summer programs, students are surrounded by mathematics undergraduate and graduate students. Additionally, there are a variety of social activities and field trips. At the online option, students participate in community-building as well as student life workshops and panels.

To be competitive, students should have strong math grades, a stellar teacher recommendation, and essays that communicate their math passion. They should also have ample math engagement outside of school and a solid performance on the SUMaC admissions exam, which is comprised of challenging proof-based problems. 40 students are typically accepted to the residential program while about 65 are accepted to the online program.

8)

• Location: Amherst, MA
• Instructional Method: In-person (residential)
• Program Length: 6 weeks
• Cost: $7,208
• Eligibility: Most students are rising juniors or seniors
• Application Deadline: April

Hoping to study college-level mathematics? Hampshire College’s summer math programs could be an excellent fit.

Here, students spend six days a week and at least four hours per day in class. They’ll also spend a significant amount of time–approximately three hours per day–working on problem sets. For the first three weeks of the program, students are divided into workshops where they cover elementary number theory, combinatorics/graph theory, and modern algebra, among others. Moreover, the direction of each workshop is determined by the interests of the students and instructors.

Then, during the final three weeks of the program, students choose maxi and mini courses. (Maxi courses are equivalent to a full undergraduate elective course.) Each course has a specific focus, which ranges from probability to fractals and chaos to topology. Additionally, students enjoy regular guest lectures at daily Prime Time Theorems, math films, and social programming.

To apply, students will have to submit recommendations and an essay along with nontraditional materials. These include the Interesting Test, which includes a number of different types of math problems.

Final Thoughts – Summer Math Programs

Whether you’re already doing self-assigned proofs or brand new to the field, extracurricular ventures are an excellent way to build essential skills and immerse yourself in exciting new topics. While your mathematical success in college will depend on your ability to master challenging material, it will also be determined by your capacity for critical and abstract thinking. As such, summer math programs can be a valuable part of your long-term professional development.

Looking for math summer programs in your area? Consider checking out the following:

• Best Summer Programs in Atlanta
• Best Summer Programs in the Bay Area
• Best Summer Programs in Boston
• Best Summer Programs in Chicago
• Best Summer Programs in Dallas
• Best Summer Programs in Denver
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• Best Summer Programs in Los Angeles
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• Best Summer Programs in Seattle

 

 

MasterScholar Pre-College Summer Programs