Cost Comparison
How much do high school research programmes cost?
Published fees currently run from about $3,000 to $7,465. Two of the best-known providers publish no price at all. Here is what each one actually states, taken from their own pages.
The short answer. Of the five best-known providers, three publish a price and two do not. Published figures range from about $3,000 (Polygence Core, ten sessions) to $7,465 (Pioneer Academics, which includes four accredited college credits). Lumiere Education and Veritas AI publish nothing.
That gap is worth understanding before you compare anything. A headline fee is only meaningful next to two other numbers: how many hours of mentor contact you get, and what has to be paid for separately to reach the outcome you actually came for.
What each provider publishes
| Provider | Stated price | Structure | What changes the real total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polygence | Programmes start at about $3,000. Pods start at $495. | Core is ten one-hour one-to-one sessions across roughly three to six months. Pods are six weekly small-group meetings. | Launchpad and Premium Showcasing Support are add-on bundles with no published price. Paying in six monthly instalments adds an 8% fee. |
| Lumiere Education | No price published on its own programme pages. | A twelve-week arc: mentor match in week one, topic and research question through weeks two to four, paper writing with one-to-one support in weeks five to nine, final edits and submission in weeks ten to twelve. | Because no figure is published, the only way to learn the fee is to enquire or apply. Ask for the all-inclusive total in writing, and whether the credit pathway carries a separate processing fee. |
| Pioneer Academics | Tuition is $7,465. | Students work directly with a professor on an original research project and earn four college credits, recognised on an official Oberlin College transcript. | Pioneer states "NO extra classes. NO extra fees." A laboratory equipment or materials fee not exceeding 2% of tuition may apply in certain cases. Need-based scholarships exist but require verifiable financial need. |
| Veritas AI | No price published on its own site. | AI Scholars runs in groups of three to five students. AI Fellowship is one-to-one with a mentor to build an original AI model. Deep Dive tracks cover AI with medicine or finance. AI Trailblazers is a middle school programme. | No published figure. Veritas states need-based financial aid of up to 100% is available, and lists a UC San Diego Extended Studies credit partnership. Ask whether credit carries a separate fee. |
| Horizon Academic | $6,950 for either Seminars or Labs, per its programmes page (checked 28 September 2026). | Two distinct models: small-group Seminars led by a professor, or one-to-one Labs with a PhD or postdoctoral scholar. | The same figure covers two quite different formats: Seminars are 20 professor and TA sessions plus 4 writing-coach sessions over 10 weeks in a group of 3 to 6; Labs are 15 one-to-one sessions plus 4 publication and 4 writing-coach sessions over 16 weeks. Compare contact hours and group size, not just the price. |
All figures taken from each provider's own public pages and reviewed 27 July 2026. Prices change without notice. Confirm directly before enrolling.
Who publishes, and who does not
This is the part families find most frustrating, so it is worth stating plainly.
Publishes a price: Polygence, Pioneer Academics, Horizon Academic. Publishes no price: Lumiere Education and Veritas AI.
There is a legitimate reason for withholding a figure. When a programme is genuinely scoped to the individual student, a single advertised number is misleading, and most providers would rather establish fit before discussing money. We take that view ourselves, and we explain why below rather than pretending otherwise.
The practical consequence is still real: you cannot line these programmes up on price without making several enquiries. That is precisely why searches like "how much does Polygence cost" are among the most common in this market, and why we wrote this page.
Compare cost per contact hour, not headline fee
The single most useful calculation is fee divided by hours of mentor contact. Polygence Core gives a clean benchmark: ten one-hour sessions from about $3,000, so roughly $300 per contact hour before any add-on.
Hold every other provider against that. Where session counts are not published, ask for them. A fee without contact hours cannot be compared to anything, and a provider unwilling to state them is telling you something.
Two adjustments matter. First, Pioneer's higher figure buys four accredited college credits on an official transcript, which is a materially different product from mentorship alone. Second, group formats are not comparable to one-to-one on an hourly basis: Polygence Pods at $495 and Horizon Seminars share attention across a cohort, which is not worse, but it is different.
Our fuller structural comparison of programme models sits here: research mentorship programmes compared.
Six questions to ask before paying
- What is the all-inclusive total, in writing?
- How many hours of mentor contact does that buy?
- Who is the mentor, what is their level, and how are they matched to my child?
- Does reaching the final output require any paid add-on?
- Does the payment plan carry a fee?
- What are the refund terms and safeguarding policy?
Any credible provider will answer all six in writing without hesitation. If a provider will not put the total in writing before you commit, treat that as the answer.
Where Aldevere sits
Our fees are published: Research Scholar is $6,500, a Field Seminar $4,500 and Academic Essentials, a custom plan, from $2,000. So it is only fair to hold ourselves to the standard set out above: every offer states the number of sessions in writing, with the fee, before any payment, so the hourly figure can be worked out before you commit.
Each fee is all-inclusive: no per-session charges, and no add-on required to reach the finished piece of work. The interview settles which programme fits, the fee for it is confirmed in writing, and there is no obligation and no payment until that figure is in front of you. If a family cannot proceed at that number, we say so rather than discounting the scope quietly.
More detail on our fees, and on scholarships, which are awarded by nomination.
Frequently asked questions
How much do high school research programmes cost?
Published figures currently range from about $3,000 to $7,465. Polygence states programmes start at about $3,000 and Pods at $495. Horizon Academic states $6,950. Pioneer Academics states tuition of $7,465, which includes four college credits. Lumiere Education and Veritas AI do not publish a price on their own sites. Figures reviewed 27 July 2026 and subject to change.
Why do so many providers hide their pricing?
Programmes are usually scoped per student, so a single advertised number would be misleading, and providers prefer to discuss fit before cost. That is a defensible reason. The practical effect, though, is that families cannot compare on price without making several enquiries, which is why searches like "how much does X cost" are so common in this market.
Is a more expensive research programme better?
Not reliably. Price tracks what is bundled in more than it tracks mentoring quality. Pioneer costs more partly because it includes accredited college credit. A programme with a lower headline price but paid add-ons for the outcome you actually want can cost more in total. Compare contact hours, mentor level, and what the student owns at the end.
What is a fair price per hour of mentoring?
Polygence Core is ten one-hour sessions from about $3,000, which is roughly $300 per contact hour before add-ons. That is a reasonable benchmark to hold any provider against, including us: Aldevere states the number of sessions in every written offer, with the fee, before any payment. Where a programme does not publish session counts, ask for them, because a headline fee without contact hours cannot be compared to anything.
Are there financial aid options?
Several providers offer need-based support. Pioneer states it has awarded need-based scholarships since 2012 but requires verifiable financial need. Veritas AI states aid of up to 100% is available. Lumiere runs a scholarship foundation. Aldevere offers limited, contribution-based aid assessed case by case. Aid is generally limited and not guaranteed anywhere.
What should I ask before paying?
Ask for the all-inclusive total in writing, the number of contact hours, who the mentor is and how they are matched, whether the final output requires any paid add-on, whether a payment plan carries a fee, and what the refund terms and safeguarding policy are. Any credible provider will answer all six in writing.
Sources and methodology
Last reviewed 27 July 2026. We compare current public programme information and avoid inferring admissions outcomes or institutional endorsement. Fees, formats, and availability can change; confirm them directly with each provider before enrolling.
Published fees
What would this actually cost for your child?
Aldevere publishes its fees: Research Scholar $6,500, Field Seminars $4,500, Academic Essentials from $2,000 (a custom plan), each covering the whole programme with no paid add-ons. After an interview you receive the programme, the schedule and the fee for your child in writing.
- A fixed, published fee for Research Scholar and Field Seminars, not a "starting at" figure
- All-inclusive: no per-session charges, no paid add-ons to reach the final work
- The programme and project scope confirmed before you are asked for anything
- No obligation and no payment until that figure is in front of you