10 Paid STEM Internships for High School Students
If you're a high school student considering a STEM college major, an internship in the field can help you begin your career! A STEM internship will allow you to contribute to research, work with professionals, and explore potential career paths. These experiences can enable you to make informed decisions about college majors and professional endeavors.
The insights and connections you gain during your internship can be highlighted in your college essays, and you can benefit from references from professionals in your chosen field. Most of these internships provide stipends that you can save, invest, or add to your college fund to be used later on. Internships that offer students stipend tend to be more selective, making them a good achievement to showcase on your college applications.
In this blog, we will explore 10 of the best paid STEM internships for high school students across various fields, including biomedical research, AI, engineering, computer science, environmental science, technology, and science communication. Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.
Location: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), Batavia, IL
Cost/Stipend: Free (transportation, housing, and meals not provided); A stipend of $17.20 per hour is provided to the interns.
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors attending an Illinois high school with U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in November and close in January
Dates: June 17– August 2
Fermilab is a leading national laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, focusing on particle physics and accelerator research. This internship will allow you to collaborate with Fermilab's scientists on projects involving particle physics, particle accelerators, detectors, computing, and quantum science. You will contribute to data collection, assist with research abstracts, and deliver regular presentations on your progress. While you can indicate your preferred research areas, project assignments depend on the lab's current research priorities. These projects cover a wide range of scientific inquiries, details of which can be found on the lab’s official website.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Participants receive a $500 taxable stipend after the program.
Eligibility: Applicants must be rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors at the start of the program.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Dates: SHE is a two-week, part-time program that typically runs the second half of July.
SHE (Summer Healthcare Experience) in Oncology is a virtual, multi-institutional program for high school students interested in science and medicine. The program aims to prepare future healthcare professionals. This two-week program offers an exploration of oncology, focusing on genetics-based research projects and patient case studies. You’ll engage in daily faculty lectures, panel discussions, and skill-building workshops. The curriculum encompasses critical aspects of cancer science and care. Apart from working in labs and interacting with medical professionals, you’ll present your research findings to your mentors and peers and learn about the other projects.
Location: Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $15.50–$18 per hour
Eligibility: Applicants must be 16 years of age by June 1st, be a current high school student or a graduating senior, and have a permanent residence in a Northern California Kaiser Permanente designated service area.
Application Deadline: Applications will open in November
Dates: June 17–August 2
The KP LAUNCH Program is a seven-week experience that exposes high school students to administrative and supporting careers in healthcare environments. You will work alongside healthcare professionals and learn about various medical disciplines, such as nursing, pharmacy, and laboratory sciences. You will participate in activities, shadowing experiences, and educational workshops. The program emphasizes mentorship, teamwork, and personal development. You will also attend weekly workshops to develop your skills, work with supervisors and mentors, and work on collaborative community service projects.
Location: NIH campuses: Bethesda, Baltimore, and Frederick, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Hamilton, MT; Framingham, MA; and Phoenix, AZ
Stipend: $2,300–2,530 (if you are currently in high school) or $2,570–2,840 (if you have graduated high school). No housing is provided, but there is free parking on campuses. Some campuses also offer a Transhare program.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 17 years old and live within 40 miles of their respective NIH campus can apply. You can confirm the additional eligibility requirements for the respective cohort programs—HiSTEP and HiSTEP 2.0.
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in February.
Dates: Multiple start dates are available between May and June. The program runs for 8 weeks between May/June and August.
HS-SIP offers an excellent opportunity for 11th and 12th graders to conduct pharmaceutical research at various NIH Institutes and Centers. Under the guidance of a Principal Investigator (PI), you will join research groups focusing on scientific disciplines such as biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences. HS-SIP offers research opportunities in biology, engineering, epidemiology, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, nursing, physics, computer science, bioinformatics, and other health-related fields. HS-SIP enhances your professional development through educational and career advising. The program offers the chance to present your research at the Summer Poster Day. HS-SIP is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of around 7%.
Location: University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students receive a taxable stipend of $3,000.
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors at least 16 years of age at the time of application can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Dates: The program runs from the second full week of June through the first week of August for 8 weeks.
ResearcHStart is a summer program for high school students interested in cancer research. This full-time internship will allow you to work in the laboratories of researchers, offering experience in areas like cancer immunology, bioengineering, experimental cancer therapeutics, and cancer disparities. This program offers exposure to lab techniques, diagnostics, and treatments. It provides access to a network of university faculty, research professionals, program staff, and peers. In addition to lab work, ResearcHStart features targeted career development and skill-building workshops. This program is highly competitive, selecting only up to 30 students.
Location: These internships are offered across NASA facilities. Depending on the project, interns will work remotely or on-site at any of NASA’s 10 field centers nationwide.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns may receive a stipend based on academic level and session duration.
Eligibility: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), be a full-time student (high school through graduate level).
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship opportunity.
Dates: These internships are offered in 3 sessions –
Fall (16-week program, from late August or early September to mid-December)
Spring (16-week program, from mid-January to early May)
Summer (10-week program, from late May or early June to August).
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement offers internship opportunities at all their locations across America, accommodating both in-person and virtual formats. Their extensive internship database, which you can access here, allows you to filter and find opportunities for high school students. These internships provide training, mentorship, and career development to over 2000+ students annually, alongside exposure to science, engineering, finance, IT, and business experts. The internships are offered in a range of subjects, including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, space microbiology, robotics, ecology, and outreach and communications. During the internship, you will design experiments, analyze mission data, and help develop innovative technologies.
Location: Redmond, WA | Atlanta, GA.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns are paid a competitive wage that varies based on the location.
Eligibility: Open to high school graduating seniors who live within 50 miles of Redmond, Washington, or Atlanta, Georgia. Students must be at least 16 years old, have a legal right to work in the U.S. for the duration of the program, and must have completed pre-calculus or an equivalent course by the start of the program.
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in March for Redmond and Atlanta students and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Dates: July 8 – August 2
Microsoft’s High School Discovery Program is a solid opportunity for high school students to explore the applications of AI at one of the world’s leading tech companies. As a participant, you will work in small teams to complete a project for your product group, gaining exposure to the product development design phase. This includes insights into software engineering, technical product management, and UX design disciplines. Throughout the four-week internship, you will receive guidance from Microsoft engineers. This mentorship will help you explore career options in the tech industry. The program covers areas such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.
Location: The Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, San Francisco, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students will receive $3,500 for full summer participation. (Missed time will result in a deduction from the stipend. Each day missed is a $72 deduction).
Eligibility: This program is open to teens in 10th–12th grades available for full-time summer internships.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Dates: There are 5 workshops typically conducted in May, and the internship takes place between June and August
This Teen Internship Program provides an opportunity to combine interests in STEM and education. As an intern, you will gain practical skills, knowledge, and tools to facilitate engaging science learning for youth. If you’re accepted into the 4-month internship, you will undergo professional workshops, including science learning and teaching, leadership, and conflict resolution. After completing the training, you will be placed in a summer science educator role. During your time in the classroom, you will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including facilitating activities and games, preparing materials, helping campers complete projects, and supporting adult staff with classroom management.
Location: University of New Hampshire campus, Durham, NH.
Stipend: Interns are paid a competitive hourly rate.
Eligibility: Open to rising seniors who are U.S. residents.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February.
Dates: The internship program typically runs for five weeks between June and August.
HighTech Bound is a paid summer internship program for rising high school seniors with a keen interest in technology. This internship will allow you to gain practical experience in network technologies and AI through a 4-week intensive experience. As an intern, you will be guided by mentors as you work on team projects to innovate AI integration. These projects will also give you access to the latest software technology used at Apple, Dell, and Cisco. You will also have the opportunity to network!
10. Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE) Research Mentorship Program| Environmentor
Location: RISE, Far Rockaway, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students receive up to a $1,200 stipend for their research work and participation.
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–11 who live or attend school in or near the Rockaway peninsula are eligible to apply to Environmentor.
Application Deadline: The application portal opens in March and typically closes in May.
Dates/Duration: July 5—August 15
Environmentor is a science research mentorship program for high school students to conduct research on the Rockaway shoreline under the mentorship of scientists from local universities and research institutions. Topics of study may include salt marsh restoration, sea turtle stranding, air quality monitoring, pinniped stranding, bottlenose dolphin biodiversity, and dolphin morphology. Beyond research, the program offers community service opportunities and skills training. You will also get to engage in water safety and CPR training and enjoy recreational activities such as kayaking, biking, and surfing. You can view the research projects Environmentor students worked on last summer here.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.