Best Summer Programs in Atlanta

Best Summer Programs in Atlanta – 2025

December 4, 2024

Whether you鈥檙e a native of the Peach State or looking for adventure away from home, Atlanta brims with fantastic opportunities. Home to many selective colleges鈥攍ike Georgia Tech, Spelman, Emory, Morehouse, and Agnes Scott鈥擜tlanta is also regarded as the birthplace of the civil rights movement. In addition, Georgia鈥檚 capital city is known for being a business and cultural hotspot. Moreover, the University of Georgia鈥檚 main campus, located in Athens, is only an hour east of Atlanta. As the flagship school of the University System of Georgia, it hosts its own slate of excellent programming. Below, we鈥檝e profiled the best summer programs in Atlanta for high school students.

1)

Location: Athens, GA
Residential?: Yes
Program Length: One week (early June)
Cost: $295
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
Application Deadline: Late March

Geared toward rising upperclassmen, the Accelerated Business Program is a highly selective residential summer program that is also incredibly affordable. Facilitated by the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, the program provides in-depth exposure to the business world, particularly on high-demand career paths. As such, students will have the opportunity to interact with executives from companies like Google, Chick-fil-A, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Moreover, students live in a UGA residence hall, dine on campus, attend lectures, and participate in social activities.

To apply, students must complete five short answer questions. In their responses, students are required to detail their extracurricular activities. They also must explain why they鈥檇 like to participate in the program. Additionally, they must submit a letter of recommendation as well as a copy of their transcript.

2) Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Pre-College Programs

Location: Savannah & Atlanta, GA
Residential?:聽Residential only
Program Length:聽3 weeks
Cost:聽Rising Star: $6,334; Summer Seminars: $1,508-$1,820
Eligibility:聽Ages 14-18
Application Deadline:听搁辞濒濒颈苍驳

SCAD Rising Star:聽This challenging five-week program awards college credit to rising high school seniors who are ready for a university experience. Students enroll in two college-level classes and have the opportunity to build or enhance their portfolios.

SCAD Summer Seminars:聽Participants gain valuable educational experience while developing their creative vision through intriguing art and design assignments and projects.

3)

Location: Atlanta, GA
Residential?: Residential and commuter options are available
Program Length: Two weeks
Cost: $1,850 (commuter); $2,200 (residential)
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Application Deadline: Mid-May. There is also an early bird registration deadline in mid-April that offers a tuition discount.

Emory鈥檚 National Debate Institute runs a popular Atlanta summer program for high school students. The Policy Debate Institute鈥搕heir signature offering鈥搃s two weeks long and offered in mid-June.聽Here, students spend two weeks developing or honing basic debate skills. The intention is that students will transition to a competitive debate team post-institute. As such, students learn how to prepare for, organize, and deliver various debate topics. Moreover, students have the opportunity to take part in electives and social experiences.

4)

Location: Atlanta, GA
Residential?: No
Program Length: One week
Cost: Free, although students must provide their own transportation and housing
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors, aged 16+
Application Deadline: Late March; application opens in December

Held at the CDC Headquarters for one week, Disease Detective Camp teaches students the fundamentals of public health and epidemiology. Topics vary, but past areas of focus have included public health law, injury prevention, and emergency preparedness. Moreover, the camp is both fast-paced and academically demanding. As such, students may find themselves re-creating outbreaks or in mock press conferences.

As there are only 27 slots available for each session in this Atlanta summer program, the application process is competitive. Students are evaluated based on their responses to several essay questions as well as a teacher recommendation.

5)

Location: Atlanta, GA
Residential?: No
Program Length: Four weeks
Cost: Fully funded by Spelman
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
Application Deadline: April; application opens in February

At Spelman’s four-week, co-educational Early College Program in Art History & Curatorial Studies, students can earn up to three college credits. Over the course of the experience, they’ll be introduced to art history studies, particularly African American and Western art, as well as the curatorial profession. Lectures, workshops, and exhibition projects that take place at Spelman, the Atlanta University Center, and the High Museum of Art provide an immersive, comprehensive foundation for future study in art history and curation.

The application has several parts鈥攊n addition to demonstrating an interest in art history & curatorial studies via several written responses, students will also need to submit teacher and guidance counselor recommendations.

6)

Location: Atlanta, GA
Residential?: No
Program Length: Weekly options available throughout the summer
Cost: $400-650
Eligibility: Rising freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Application Deadline: Rolling

Hoping to increase STEAM knowledge and provide experiential learning opportunities, Georgia Tech offers weekly programming throughout the summer months. In past years, students have been able to choose from topics such as music production & coding, film production, psychology, materials science, and alternative energy. Each camp offers a range of activities. For example, during the 鈥淓nergy Unplugged鈥� camp, students experimented with radio-controlled vehicles, learned about the future of energy, and visited an Atlanta-area energy facility.

For all programs, registration typically opens in early March. It is available until all program slots are filled. Programs are taught by a mix of Georgia Tech faculty and students as well as local instructors.

Final Thoughts 鈥� Atlanta Summer Programs

Looking for more summer program resources? Be sure to check out the following:

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Kelsea Conlin

Kelsea holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Tufts University, a graduate certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her short fiction has appeared in Chautauqua and she is a co-author of Colleges Worth Your Money: A Guide to What America's Top Schools Can Do For You.