Pricing analysis
What summer camp costs in the DC region (2026)
Measured from 1,064 camp sessions that publish a price and were verified against the provider's own website, most recently on July 14, 2026. Covers Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, Bethesda, MD, Chevy Chase, MD, and nearby communities.
Headline figures
Read these as prices per session, not per week. Most providers in this region price by the session, and sessions run anywhere from a single day to three weeks. A higher median often means longer sessions rather than a more expensive camp, so compare any price against the length of what it buys.
How camp prices are spread
| Price band | Sessions |
|---|---|
| Under $200 | |
| $200–399 | |
| $400–599 | |
| $600–799 | |
| $800–999 | |
| $1,000 and up |
The market clusters tightly: half of all sessions fall between $325 and $455. The long tail above $455 is mostly multi-week and residential sessions rather than pricier weeks.
Median price by activity type
| Activity | Median price | Range and sample |
|---|---|---|
| School-based day camp | $273–$1,695 · 22 sessions | |
| Outdoor adventure | $535–$3,400 · 27 sessions | |
| Aquatics | $309–$729 · 26 sessions | |
| Cooking | $389–$488 · 43 sessions | |
| Science | $255–$455 · 29 sessions | |
| STEM | $189–$1,450 · 268 sessions | |
| Specialty | $255–$650 · 87 sessions | |
| Arts and crafts | $255–$499 · 86 sessions | |
| Music | $245–$1,328 · 12 sessions | |
| Theater | $199–$2,870 · 102 sessions | |
| Nature | $245–$635 · 57 sessions | |
| Dance | $225–$1,615 · 31 sessions | |
| Sports | $155–$520 · 149 sessions | |
| General day camp | $255–$1,075 · 26 sessions | |
| Virtual enrichment | $185–$195 · 17 sessions |
Activity types with fewer than 12 priced listings are left out — a median over a handful of camps is noise rather than a statistic. Much of the spread here is session length, not price per day.
Median price by city
| City | Median price | Range and sample |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $400–$2,870 · 26 sessions | |
| Bethesda, MD | $335–$1,695 · 22 sessions | |
| Falls Church, VA | $189–$875 · 65 sessions | |
| Centreville, VA | $219–$785 · 56 sessions | |
| McLean, VA | $245–$2,588 · 97 sessions | |
| Vienna, VA | $199–$539 · 53 sessions | |
| Oakton, VA | $189–$1,440 · 65 sessions | |
| Springfield, VA | $175–$720 · 138 sessions | |
| Fairfax, VA | $189–$942 · 46 sessions | |
| Chantilly, VA | $309–$635 · 32 sessions | |
| Mount Vernon, VA | $259–$465 · 24 sessions | |
| Reston, VA | $269–$1,305 · 12 sessions | |
| Great Falls, VA | $195–$805 · 22 sessions | |
| Alexandria, VA | $155–$878 · 188 sessions | |
| Herndon, VA | $175–$1,450 · 52 sessions | |
| Annandale, VA | $195–$729 · 86 sessions | |
| Fairfax Station, VA | $255–$485 · 15 sessions | |
| Fairfax County, VA | $140–$195 · 19 sessions |
How these numbers were produced
- Every listing counted was checked against the provider's own public camp or registration page, not an aggregator.
- Each session contributes the midpoint of the tuition range its provider publishes. Deposits, registration fees, extended-care and after-care charges, meal plans, and sibling discounts are excluded.
- 289 verified camps publish no price in public text and are excluded entirely rather than estimated.
- Only session-level verified listings are included — see how Campser verifies camps.
Figures are recomputed on every deploy from the live inventory, so this page reflects the current verification pass rather than a snapshot.
Questions parents ask
How much does summer camp cost in Northern Virginia and DC in 2026?
The median published session price is $389, based on 1,064 camp sessions verified against provider websites as of July 14, 2026. Half of all sessions fall between $325 and $455. These are prices per session as each provider states it, and session lengths range from single days to multi-week programs.
Which types of camp cost the most?
Among activity types with enough listings to measure, School-based day camp has the highest median session price at $713, and Virtual enrichment the lowest at $195. Much of this gap reflects session length rather than price per day.
Why do some camps show no price?
289 verified camps do not publish a price in public text — usually because pricing sits behind a registration login. Campser shows a price only where the provider publishes one, and excludes deposits, registration fees, and extended-care charges from the figures shown.