Winter break camps are an excellent way for high school students to stay active during and after the holidays! Even busy high school seniors can reap benefits of these unique opportunities. Below, we explain what a winter break camp is, their benefits, and give a few examples of camps you might want to check out.
What Is a Winter Break Camp?
A winter break camp is a short program that focuses on a particular topic. Students can use these opportunities to try out new potential hobbies, explore subjects, and learn skills. They can include everything from cooking to painting and coding to research.
While some programs last one to four weeks or fit nicely over a student’s winter break, others will take 10 weeks to complete.
Keep in mind that most programs are longer than the school’s official winter break.
What Are The Benefits?
If you’re thinking about signing up for a winter break camp, here are some benefits you can take advantage of:
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Flickr user University of Minnesota Duluth
- They look great on college applications. Colleges want to see that you’ve been active outside of the classroom. Even short winter camps allow you to showcase your abilities and interests.
- They’re cost-effective. While summer camps are more popular than winter camps, winter camps are shorter and less expensive.
- They’re high school senior-friendly. High school seniors have a lot on their plate between college applications and scholarships. However, winter programs are less intensive than summer camps, and they understand how busy you are.
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10 Winter Break Camps for High School Students
Parents and students can find winter break camps through their local community or online. We put together a list of 10 to help you get started:
1. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – SAN DIEGO’S BIOENGINEERING PROGRAMS
- Location: San Diego or Virtual
- Cost: $2,500 – $3,100
- Schedule: 6 – 8 weeks
The UC San Diego Department of Bioengineering and UC San Diego Extended Studies offers several different courses on Bioengineering. However, only some are available during the winter.
Since the classes last longer than winter break, the schedule works around students’ high school schedules. They’re hands-on programs, and students may need certain equipment to participate. However, many of the supplies are provided through the program’s cost (they just have to be returned).
BioImaging & 3D Printing lasts eight weeks and requires between four to 10 hours of work each week. The course focuses on techniques, data storage, and hands-on printing. It’s recommended for students heading to careers in dentistry, surgery, biology, and similar.
BioEngineering Research Project runs just under seven weeks (six to 10 hours a week). Participants tackle proposed research projects and present them at the end of the program.
2. RISING RESEARCHERS
- Location: Virtual
- Cost: $3,300
- Schedule: 4 weeks
Rising Researchers by MoonPrep has three different sessions available between December and February. Two are on “Biology Meets No-Code Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Programming: Bioinformatics Research in Medicine or Microbiology for Beginners. The other focuses on “Exploring Topics in Neuroscience + Research Methodologies”
Both topics are advertised as suitable for beginners and various skill levels. Students meet twice a week, between 75 to 90 minutes each time.
3. UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER’S PERSONALIZED MEDICINE: CUSTOMIZING CARE THROUGH GENETICS
- Location: Virtual
- Cost: $1,495
- Schedule: 2 weeks
Students 13 years of age and older can participate in University of Rochester’s Personalized Medicine: Customizing Care Through Genetics. The online course covers human genetics, trait and disease patterns, the benefits of personalized medicine, mutations, and more. It’s ideal for any student considering a career in medicine or STEM.
Over two weeks, students will complete about 20 to 25 hours of work and submit a Capstone project. The university also has a late winter/early spring program that lasts four weeks.
4. VERITAS AI
- Location: Virtual
- Cost: $2,290
- Schedule: 10 weeks
For students interested in AI, you might want to check out Veritas AI’s AI Scholar program. It’s even available for middle school students who have some coding experience. The course covers Python, AI, data science, ethics, deep learning, and other complex topics. Once you complete the AI Scholar program, you can opt to take additional courses through the organization.
Students will need to commit 25 hours over 10 weeks with lectures over the weekend. They’ll then complete a group project.
5. ENERGY MAG
- Location: Virtual
- Cost: Free
- Schedule: 1 – 9 months
EnergyMag is a virtual unpaid internship rather than a winter break camp. During the internship, you’ll research and analyze a specific company or topic assigned by EnergyMag. Working with a mentor, you’ll then produce a draft analysis report which is published on their site. Participating high school students need to be able to commit eight hours a week to the project.
6. UMBC’S PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAM – WINTER SESSION
- Location: In-person, virtual, or hybrid
- Cost: Varies
- Schedule: 5 weeks
The University of Maryland – Baltimore County offers college courses over the winter to qualifying high school students. The exact cost depends on the number of credits and whether you’re a Maryland resident or out-of-state student. Some class examples include history, languages, biology, and history, but much more is available.
7. CORNELL UNIVERSITY – ONLINE COURSES
- Location: Virtual
- Cost: Varies
- Schedule: 3 weeks
High school juniors and seniors can apply to take online courses at Cornell University, getting a huge head start on college work. The program even offers opportunities to work directly with their admissions team.
Class availability varies, depending on the year. In 2025, the Ivy League had courses on American Sign Language, Archaeology, Microbiology, Entomology, History, Human Development, and more.
8. GREAT BOOKS WINTER BREAK PROGRAM
- Location: Virtual
- Cost: $450
- Schedule: 3 days
Each December, the Great Books Summer Program offers a short 3-day Winter Program. The topic changes each year. In 2024, the covered topics are “Artifice & Intellect” and “Our World: Wild & Tame.”
Artifice & Intellect focuses on the connection between “Artificial” and “Human Intelligence.” Our: World: Wild & Tame is about metaphorical settings and how it connects to emotions.
9. GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY’S MEDICINE: AN INSIDE LOOK AT TREATING PATIENTS
- Location: Virtual
- Cost: $1,795
- Schedule: 1 – 4 weeks
Students interested in medicine will want to check out Georgetown University’s winter camp program called Medicine: An Inside Look at Treating Patients. The course covers patient care, testing, understanding data, kidneys, cardiovascular system, peripheral vascular disease, cancer, techniques, and more.
Students can choose between a one, two, or four-week program. The entire course will take 20 to 30 hours and ends with a Final Capstone Project.
10. SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN’S JOINT ENROLLMENT WINTER PROGRAM
- Location: Virtual
- Cost: Half tuition plus application fee
- Schedule: 10 weeks
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) offers online courses to high school juniors and seniors at least 16 years of age. Participating students will earn credits towards high school, allowing you to get a head start on your degree.
Course availability varies from year to year, but some common options focus on general anatomy, advertising, drawing, design, storyboarding, communication, politics, and psychology.
Winter breaks are an opportunity to spend time with family, but you can also tackle some really unique projects during this time! They look great on college applications, and some options even give you credit towards college, saving you money in the long run.
Winter break camps also give you a chance to explore various majors. Want to learn more about career paths and potential areas of study? Use our free Major Search tool today!