Summer Camp for Art Students

Top 10 Summer Art Camps for High School Sophomores & Juniors: A Step Towards Your Dream Art Major

Are you a sophomore or junior who wants to pursue art in college? Yet, are you unsure which specific field or area you’d like to major in? Are you wondering how to make your college applications and art portfolio stand out? Do you want to experiment with different mediums in a new setting? Attending these art camps provide a great opportunity to navigate which specific art major will suit you. 

🖌️Why Should You Attend a Summer Art Camp?

1. 🎨Build an Impressive PortfolioA strong portfolio is a very important aspect in any art major application. Summer art camps give you the chance to explore new mediums, techniques, and styles. Many of these camps allow you to create finished pieces that can become portfolio-ready. 
2. 😎Gain Hands-On Experience and Learn from Professionals You will have the opportunity to work with accomplished artists, instructors, and industry professionals. You'll gain hands-on experience and receive valuable feedback that can only come from mentors in the field. You can network and learn about potential career paths in art, too! 
3. 🎓Prepare for College-Level Art Education Summer art camps give you a preview of the intense, college-level art education. Whether you’re experimenting with digital art, sculpture, or traditional drawing and painting in fine arts, attending these camps will help you develop the discipline and techniques needed in a fine arts program.

Here’s a list of top-rated summer art camps that offer specialized programs for students interested in   an art major:

1. 1. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Pre-College Program

Duration: June 28–August 2, 2025

Website: https://precollege.risd.edu/program-overview/

Application Deadline: Usually in March

Follow a college-level curriculum with day-long studio classes, visits to the Nature Lab and RISD Museum, critiques and projects that will forever shape the way you approach art and design. 

2. 2.  Pratt Institute Summer Pre-College Program

Duration: 4 weeks from July 7 - August 1, 2025

Website: https://www.pratt.edu/continuing-and-professional-studies/precollege/summer-precollege/#:~:text=The%20four%2Dweek%20PreCollege%20Summer,energy%20of%20New%20York%20City.

Application Deadline: Feb 1 for International students, April 1 general application

The four-week PreCollege Summer Program offers intensive courses in art, design, architecture, and writing, taught by Pratt faculty on our Brooklyn campus. Gain college-level skills, strengthen your portfolio, and earn four (4) college credits – all while experiencing the creative energy of New York City.

3. 3. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Summer Seminars

Duration: Weekly sessions offered in Atlanta and Savannah (Session 1 ~ 4)

Website: https://www.scad.edu/academics/pre-college-programs/scad-summer-seminars

Application Deadline: Usually mid-April for scholarship deadline and end of May for balance due. Registration opens usually in October the prior year.

Participants attend workshops and have an all-access pass to the university's extensive resources and libraries. Workshops may include demonstrations, lectures, studio work, and local field trips, and are taught by SCAD professors, alumni, or select graduate students. To provide maximum individual attention and collaborative interaction between participants and instructors, class size is small, with generally 20 or fewer participants in each workshop. Organized daily social and cultural activities create an authentic experience of life as a student at SCAD.

4. 4.  School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) Early College Program Summer Institute

Duration: 4 sessions offered. 2-week program. Usually from mid-June to early August. 

Website: https://www.saic.edu/high-school-programs/early-college-program-summer-institute

Application Deadline: Priority Deadline is March 1, 2025

Begin with an idea and choose the media that best helps you realize your vision. Students are free to combine materials and disciplines or focus on a single medium. 

Study with our amazing faculty, passionate teachers, and acclaimed practicing artists, designers, and scholars, many of whom teach in the undergraduate program.

Make use of our state-of-the-art facilities and resources including our museum, the Art Institute of Chicago.

5. California College of the Arts (CCA) Pre-College Program

Duration: 4 weeks from July - August 

Website: https://www.cca.edu/academics/pre-college/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAA-HQ5E1127HghgopPeTUuNJALx_SN&gclid=CjwKCAiAh6y9BhBREiwApBLHC4LjMBX4e2ykGlpFKeUA2ek0YxfEkMxeo3VGdMAcerbHj5DQXkykNRoCdWwQAvD_BwE

Application Deadline: June 10, 2025
Pre-College students will have the opportunity to:

• Earn three college credits
• Learn from expert faculty instructors
• Develop art and design portfolio pieces for college applications
• Meet other art-minded makers and designers
• Live on campus in San Francisco

6. The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Precollege Programs for Teens (HSS)

Duration: 2-week & 4-week session, Residential or Commuter 

Website: https://www.mica.edu/non-degree-learning-opportunities/programs-for-youth/programs-for-teens/precollege/

Application Deadline: April 30
MICA’s Summer Program combines studio classes, workshops and artist talks to give students a transformative summer experience all while earning college credits and learning from MICA faculty.

7. The Cooper Union Summer Program

Duration: July 14–August 7, 2025

Website: https://cooper.edu/academics/outreach-and-pre-college/summer-art-intensive

Application Deadline: May 2025

The Cooper Union Summer Art Intensive offers high school students (rising sophomores to rising seniors) the opportunity to immerse themselves in art-making in an art college environment with professional instruction alongside classmates who share their passion for art and design.

8. UCLA The Summer Art Institute

Duration: 2 weeks per session

Website: https://summer.ucla.edu/program/art-summer-institute/

Application Deadline: Usually mid June

The program offers three sessions, two in-person and one virtual, with various specializations to choose from and is structured around a combination of daily, focused studio work, artist lectures, group critiques, and one-on-one meetings with faculty. Students may enroll in one or more session . Students should expect an intensive two weeks of immersive studio instruction and be prepared to work hard.

9.Sotheby’s Summer Institute

Duration: 2 weeks

Website: https://precollege.sothebysinstitute.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_cpc_pre-college_pre_c_kw_fy25_us&cid=701Ns00000RpkHNIAZ&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADj2scmqniA-9PEpaoyUXOLGeUP2U&gclid=CjwKCAiAh6y9BhBREiwApBLHC1_UaFzNV1Q897bh4dV5cXjL2v1-54p6JKBReg6cENyJ-JERz4nD9BoCNAcQAvD_BwE

Application Deadline: Usually late February

From learning the intricacies of running galleries and museums to exploring painting and drawing techniques throughout history, these two-week courses are designed to engage, inspire, and fuel creativity. Taught by leading scholars and professionals in the field, each course draws on the global expertise of Sotheby's Institute of Art and takes students behind the scenes of world class museums, galleries, auction houses, artists’ studios, and more.

10. Summer of Art at Otis College of Art and Design

Duration: 4 weeks

Website: https://www.otis.edu/extension/youth-programs/summer-art/index.html

Application Deadline: Usually April to May

At Summer of Art, you will have the unique opportunity to develop your artistic skills as you explore specific art and design pathways at one of the nation's top art and design colleges. The program is ideal for experienced young artists interested in deepening their skills, as well as students with minimal or informal art training.