About

Purdue’s Summer High School Programs serve as an umbrella for a wide range of discipline-specific offerings, including STEM-focused academies, aviation experiences, and the Seminar for Top Engineering Prospects (STEP). Students apply to specific tracks rather than a general session, with 2026 offerings categorized into Short-Term (1-2 weeks) and Traditional Coursework (4-12 weeks). Some tracks, like Summer College for High School Students, provide 1 to 7 transferable college credits, while others are non-credit enrichment. Formats include residential options on the West Lafayette campus, commuter-based, and online delivery. Residential participants (who must be ages 16–17) live in university housing and engage in structured programming, while online students have access to over 650 undergraduate-level courses. Admission is competitive, requiring a 3.3+ cumulative GPA and a holistic application review. This structure provides targeted exposure to Purdue’s applied, research-driven environment through specialized pathways.