Summer College for High School Students Office of Summer and Winter Sessions

Courses

The Summer 2026 application for traditional coursework will open by February 2026. 

Ready to tackle traditional college coursework?

Purdue University offers more than 650 traditional undergraduate-level courses during the Summer Session; however, we recommend enrolling in courses not offered during your regular high school terms/semesters to help expand your horizons. To view a full list of all summer courses, please visit the Dynamic Course Schedule. Please note that courses can be synchronous or asynchronous and not all will be offered online. 

Typically, high school students are only eligible for courses that are '100 level' courses (courses numbered between 10000 and 19999) with no prerequisites or restrictions. These are often introductory courses by design. You can view the course titles, descriptions, times offered, and any prerequisites required in the Dynamic Course Schedule. 

Common courses high schoolers may be eligible to take include:

  • MA 15800 - Pre-Calculus (3 credit hours)
  • COM 11400 - Introduction to Oral Communication (3 credit hours)
  • ENGL 10600 - First Year Composition (4 credit hours)
  • PSY 12000 - Elementary Psychology (3 credit hours)
  • SOC 10000 - Introductory Sociology (3 credit hours)
  • TECH 12000 - Design Thinking in Technology (3 credit hours)

Please note that grades in these courses will be recorded, and a low grade will impact your permanent college GPA. A 3-credit-hour course will take, on average, 18-24 hours of work a week for an 8-week course, possibly more for a high school student. Please plan accordingly when applying for courses.

If you have questions regarding course eligibility, please contact the Registrar directly at registrar@purdue.edu. You will be required to meet with an advisor before registering for courses. The courses you list on your application may not be the courses you are able to register for. Applying as a non-degree student is not the same as registering for courses, and the Registrar will help students choose appropriate classes.

If you have any other questions about traditional coursework, please email admissions@purdue.edu. 

 

If you wish to apply for a traditional course, whether as an online or commuter student, during the Summer Session, please follow these steps:

  1. Submit a Non-Degree and Dual Credit Application. 
    • Please note: This is the correct application to submit for traditional summer coursework. Please do not submit a Summer College for High School Students application. Submitting the wrong application may result in the student getting denied with no refund. 
    • On the application, choose the third option, "I will take courses at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Purdue University in Indianapolis, or a Polytechnic Statewide location of my own accord," to continue to the correct application.
  2. Wait to receive your Admit decision. It will likely take 3-6 weeks. To check on the status of your application, please check your application portal or email admissions@purdue.edu for assistance. 
  3. Accept your admission offer and pay the non-refundable $500 deposit fee. 
  4. If accepted, contact the registrar at registrar@purdue.edu to discuss course eligibility and to register for classes.
  5. Receive confirmation of registration. 
  6. Login to your @purdue.edu email, myPurdue student portal, and Brightspace and monitor for any additional action steps. 
    • Faculty members and University offices will communicate with you through your @purdue.edu email, so it is crucial for your success to check it regularly.
    • The myPurdue student portal shows you registration information and is also where you can view your billing statement and pay the remainder of your balance.
    • You will use Brightspace to access your course(s). 


NOTE: Below are important websites for determining what college credit you may have already earned during high school.