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Top 10 Summer Art Programs for High School Students
By
Savannah Dawson
Prior to coming to Scholarships360 for her first internship in 2022, Savannah utilized her campus publications by joining various fashion publications that are offered at Ohio University. One of those publications is Thread Magazine, where Savannah has had the opportunity to work on articles related to world-wide related fashion news and events, as well as articles closer to home, such as a fashion piece on Athens hometown-hero Joe Burrow. This year, Savannah also had the opportunity to be a content writing intern for Aiken House, as well as a section editor for Southeast Ohio Magazine. In 2023, Savannah served as the Chapter President of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. These collective experiences, as well as her experience currently working for Ohio University’s Undergraduate Admissions, has led her to Scholarships360 and aided in her passion for helping students better understand the college admissions process and financial aid. In her free time, Savannah enjoys horseback riding, watching Formula One races, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. Savannah will graduate from Ohio University in May 2024 with a degree in Journalism News and Information and a certificate in Italian Studies.
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If you are a high school student interested in participating in a summer arts program, then you came to the right place. It is never too early to start preparing for your future, and at Scholarships360, we did the research for you with this list of the best summer art programs for high school students to apply to. Let’s dive in!
What is a summer arts program?
Summer programs give high schoolers the opportunity to hone in on their craft or maybe even decide what their craft is. These programs sometimes help students decide if a certain career path is right or wrong for them as they are entering college. More than these things, programs like these help high school students develop skills that they can take with them into college and beyond.
Why we chose the summer programs on our list
The programs on our Scholarships360 list are just a few of the amazing arts programs offered for high school students. Obviously, we cannot list all of the great programs out there. We chose those on our list because they are beneficial to students. We did our best to include programs that offer financial aid options for students who need it.
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Note about application deadlines and camp open and close dates
If available, we included the deadlines for applying and the opening and closing dates for the following summer art programs. If the application deadlines and camp dates are not available right now, make sure to check the website for updates.
Related: Top photography scholarships
10 best summer art programs for high school students
1. Interlochen Visual Art Program Summer Camp
Interlochen Center for the Arts is well known for its summer camps in every form of art, from music to theater– but their most popular are Visual Arts programs. For the 9th through 12th grade program, Interlochen offers Advanced Drawing, Advanced Painting, Comics and Graphic Narratives Intensive, Drawing and Painting, Fashion, Preparing a Portfolio, and Visual Arts programs for students to choose from. Students will be taught about a variety of different topics particular to the art that they want to hone in on. For each of these programs, students attend camp for three weeks. Students are fully immersed in the arts as they learn alongside faculty and staff who are professional artists themselves. Students will also be offered opportunities to be a part of art galleries and exhibitions throughout the program. Need-based financial aid is available for those who qualify.
- Eligibility: 9th-12th grade students
- Cost: $65 application fee
- 1 week session (not eligible for financial aid): $1,830
- 2-week session: $4,510
- 3-week session: $6,765
- 4-week session: $7,775
- 6-week session: $10,080
- Application deadline: Rolling decision deadline with an Early Decision deadline of January 15th, 2024
- Camp dates:
- One-Week Intensives (Grades 9-12)
- June 15 – 21, 2024
- Three-Week Sessions (Grades 6-12)
- June 23 – July 13, 2024
- July 14 – August 4, 2024
- Six-Week Sessions (Grades 3-12)
- June 23 – August 4, 2024
- One-Week Intensives (Grades 9-12)
- Location: Interlochen, Michigan
2. Cornell: Art as Experience Summer Programs
The Art as Experience Summer Programs at Cornell University give high school students the opportunity to take college level art classes to enhance their skills. These classes cover drawing, photography, and digital art, as well as transmedia (image, sound, and motion) and sculpture art. The program also offers a college admissions workshop, a college fair for students interested in studying the arts, and a final exhibition. At present, the Art as Experience Summer Programs are not offered in person, so this is a great online opportunity for students who want to stay close to home. Need-based financial aid is available for those who qualify.
- Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors and seniors
- Cost: Approx. $5,040, but varies depending on the program (financial aid is available)
- Application deadline: The application deadlines are throughout the month of May, depending on which session you choose to participate in
- Camp dates: Individual classes held throughout the months of June and July, 2024 (three or six week sessions available)
- Location: Ithaca, New York
3. MIAD Pre-College Program
The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Pre-College Program is a two-week program designed for high school students to get a taste of college art and design courses, get them ready for college, and to help them develop a portfolio. The program is located in the heart of Milwaukee, known for its arts district and creativity. Students choose between the Core Concepts courses or Advanced Studio Concepts courses to get them started within the program From there, they can choose what topics they focus on throughout their studies.
- Eligibility: High school freshman through seniors
- Cost:
- Core Studio Concepts:
- Tuition (supplies included): $1,730
- Optional Residence Hall (meal plan included): $945
- Advanced Studio Concepts:
- Tuition (supplies included): $2,065
- Optional Residence Hall (meal plan included): $1,445
- Core Studio Concepts:
- Application deadline: May 1st, 2024
- Camp dates:
- Core Studio Concepts: July 8 – 19, 2024
- Advanced Studio Concepts: July 8 – 26, 2024
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
4. CIA Pre-College Program: Artist-in-residence
The Cleveland Institute of Art Pre-College Program is an artist-in-residence program for high school students. The program is designed for 9th through 12th graders to gain the necessary skills to apply to art school. Students can choose between two or four-week sessions; during those weeks, students immerse themselves in creating art and learn how to better their skill sets. Students are able to build their portfolio, earn college credits, and kick-start their career.
- Eligibility: Freshman, Sophomores or Juniors in high school
- Cost:
- Two-week residential: $3,100
- Four-week residential: $5,950
- Application deadline: February 15th, 2024
- Camp dates:
- July 7 – 19, 2024
- July 21 – August 2, 2024
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
5. The Pre-College Art Experience (PCAE) at Academy of Art University
The Pre-College Art Experience (PCAE) at Academy of Art University is a program designed to help students jump-start their careers in the field of art, develop their portfolio, and earn money towards their college education. They offer two separate programs– an in-person option that is located in San Francisco, California, or an online version that runs year-round. To earn money towards their degree, students must take classes and receive a “PASS”. For every “PASS” that the student receives, they will earn $1,000 towards their higher education, with a maximum cap at $4,000.
- Eligibility: Students currently in high school that are under 19 years of age
- Cost: Free
- Application deadline: TBD
- Camp dates: June 21st – August 3rd, 2024
- Location: San Francisco, California or remote
6. UCLA Art Summer Institute Program
The UCLA Art Summer Institute Program is designed for high school students who are passionate about art. This is an intense program, filled with a great deal of activities such as studio work, group critiques, artist lectures, and one-on-one meetings with faculty. They offer specialized tracks in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, and video art.
- Eligibility: 8th – 12th grade in Spring 2024; must be between the ages of 14 and 18
- Cost: Due to having multiple sessions with various focuses, UCLA offers a fee calculator to give students accurate cost of attendance information.
- Application deadline: June 1st, 2024
- Camp dates:
- Session A: Virtual
- June 24, 2024 – July 6, 2024
- Session B: In-person/Mandatory Housing
- July 7, 2024 – July 20, 2024
- Session C: In-person/Commuter
- July 22, 2024 – August 2, 2024
- Session A: Virtual
- Location: Los Angeles, California or remote
Also see: High school checklist: Freshman through senior year
7. Early College Program Summer Institute
The Early College Program Summer Institute at School of the Arts Institute of Chicago is a summer arts program that believes their values separate them from other summer programs. This program offers state of the art facilities for students to work out of, the opportunity to study with world renowned faculty and staff, understand college life by living in the residence halls, and helping students to understand their vision for their future. They also offer financial aid scholarships for eligible students.
- Eligibility: Ages 15-18
- Cost:
- One-week session: $1,785
- Two-week sessions: $3,570
- Four-week sessions: $7,140
- Application deadline: TBD
- Camp dates:
- Session 1: 2 weeks, June 17–28, 2024
- Session 2: 2 weeks, July 1–12, 2024
- Session 3: 2 weeks, July 15–26, 2024
- Session 4: 4 weeks, July 1–26, 2024
- Session 5: 1-week, July 29–August 2, 2024
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
8. Syracuse University Pre-College Summer Program
The Syracuse University Pre-College Summer Program offers courses in architecture, art and design, as well as film and photography (in addition to many other non-art related courses). These courses offer students the opportunity to experience life as a college student, take college level courses in their desired field of study, and get to know faculty and staff. At the conclusion of their program, students will earn a certificate of completion from Syracuse University.
- Eligibility: High school students who are 15 or older by their move-in date
- Cost: Each session costs a different amount due to difference in length, but cost of attendance could be anywhere from $1,995 to $10,280. For your specific session, check out their Cost and Aid Information page.
- Application deadline: Rolling admissions process
- Camp dates:
- 1-week Session I: Monday, July 8 – Friday, July 12, 2024
- 1-week Session II: Monday, July 22 – Friday, July 26, 2024
- 2-week Session I: Monday, July 8 – Friday, July 19, 2024
- 2-week Session II: Monday, July 22 – Friday, Aug. 2, 2024
- 3-week Session: Monday, July 8 – Friday, July 26, 2024
- 4-week Session: Monday, July 8 – Friday, Aug. 2, 2024
- Location: Syracuse, New York
9. SCAD Rising Star
The Savannah College of Art and Design hosts an annual pre-college program at their Savannah and Atlanta campuses. This program is a five-week program that challenges students and helps them to gain a real life college experience prior to entering their first year of college. Courses that students can take differ depending on which campus they choose to attend.
- Eligibility: Applicants must be current high school juniors
- Cost: $6,334 (financial aid available)
- Application deadline: TBD
- Camp dates: June 16 – July 19, 2024
- Location: Savannah or Atlanta, Georgia
10. The California State Summer School for the Arts
The California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) is a month-long training program for high school students. While attending, students learn more about their preferred art form– whether that be animation, film, or visual arts. Each program is an intensive course that helps students to dive into their studies, prepare for college level courses, and have the opportunity to attend lectures and workshops with guest speakers. The application does require a submission of artwork of various types.
- Eligibility: Students entering 9th-12th grade
- Cost: CA State Residents – $4,600, Out-of-State and International Students – $7,000 (full and partial tuition scholarships are available)
- Application deadline: February 29th, 2024 at 6:00 PM PST
- Camp dates: July 6th – August 2nd, 2024
- Location: Sacramento, California
Related: Free summer programs for high school students
Scholarships for art summer programs for high school students
Unfortunately, cost can be a major barrier to many of these summer programs. However, there are many scholarships out there that can help offset this cost. Try our free scholarship search tool to find opportunities which can help pay for your programs. Many of these programs also offer their own scholarships, so if you demonstrate financial need in your application you may be able to attend for a reduced price, or even for free.
Additional summer programs for high school students
Check out our informative lists of high school summer camps to suit a wide range of interests:
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