TL;DR

You'll find a wide range of computer science research ideas on this page, covering areas such as generative AI, data science, robotics, cybersecurity, human-computer interaction, computer networks, cryptography, and more. Some topics are primarily computational or conceptual, while others involve hands-on work with robots, hardware, or physical systems. You can also explore interdisciplinary areas such as AI in medicine, bioinformatics, accessibility, and autonomous vehicles. If you want to turn one of these ideas into an independent research project with 1:1 PhD mentorship, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program can help you develop and pursue a research question based on your interests.

For high school students interested in computer science, research can be a way to move from learning concepts to investigating your own questions. A well-scoped project can help you build research skills, understand a topic more deeply, and develop your critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.

If you are still deciding what kind of computer science research interests you, you can also read what makes a good research question before choosing a topic.

How do you choose a computer science research topic?

Start with an area of computer science that you genuinely want to understand better, then narrow it into a specific question that you can realistically investigate. A broad area such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, or robotics can lead to many different research questions, so your first goal should be to define what you actually want to study.

It is also important to consider what data, software, equipment, or other resources you can access. A topic that requires specialized hardware may be difficult to complete independently, while a computational or literature-based question may be easier to pursue with a computer and publicly available information.

Which CS research topics don't require advanced coding experience?

Not every computer science research project requires advanced programming. Topics in computer science ethics can involve analyzing fairness, privacy, accountability, or the social effects of technology, while some HCI projects can focus on accessibility, interface design, or user experience.

Other areas, including machine learning, robotics, cybersecurity, and cryptography, can require more technical knowledge depending on the research question. You can still explore these areas as a high schooler, but the scope of the project should match your current skills and the resources available to you.

Which topics are hands-on, such as robotics and hardware, vs. purely computational?

Robotics and customized hardware research can require physical equipment, tools, workspace, and time for building and testing. The original research ideas in robotics include designing and building a robot, studying medical robots, and developing navigation algorithms.

Other areas such as data science, AI, ethics in computer science, and many cybersecurity projects can be conducted primarily through software, datasets, literature, or computational analysis. This makes them easier to scope around the resources you already have.

Which CS research areas overlap with other subjects like biology or medicine?

Computer science has strong connections with many other fields. The ideas in this list include using computer vision to analyze medical images, monitoring wildlife populations with computer vision, developing medical robotics, and applying computational methods to biological data.

You can also explore intersections with healthcare through chatbots, human-computer interaction, accessibility, and AI. These interdisciplinary topics can be useful if you are interested in computer science but also want to explore biology, medicine, environmental science, or design.

CS research topics by skill level and format

Computer science research ideas for high school students

Topic 1: Generative AI

Tools such as ChatGPT, Jasper.ai, Stable Diffusion, and NeuralText have become major applications of artificial intelligence. AI is a broad field with substantial overlap with machine learning and intersections with disciplines such as medicine, art, and other STEM subjects.

You could pick any of the following topics as a starting point for your research:

1. Research how to use AI systems to create tools that augment human skills. For example, investigate how AI can create detailed templates for websites, apps, and technical and non-technical documentation.

2. Research how to create multimodal systems. For example, use AI to create a chatbot that allows users to ask questions about the contents of a podcast series, television show, or other diverse content.

3. Research how to use AI to create tools that can perform automated checks for the quality and ease of understanding of student essays and other natural language tasks.

4. Develop a computer vision system to monitor wildlife populations in a specific region.

5. Investigate the use of computer vision in detecting and diagnosing medical conditions from medical images.

6. Extract fashion trends, or another observable feature, from public street scene data such as Google Street View or dashcam datasets.

Ideas by a Lumiere Mentor from Cornell University.

Topic 2: Data Science

Data science focuses on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to answer questions and build useful systems. Natural Language Processing, or NLP, is another area within this broader field that focuses on helping machines understand and interpret human language.

You could study one of the following questions or develop a related research question:

7. Develop a predictive model to forecast traffic congestion in your city.

8. Analyze the relationship between social media usage and mental health outcomes in a specific demographic.

9. Investigate using data analytics to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings.

10. Develop a chatbot to answer questions about a specific topic or domain, such as healthcare or sports.

11. Learn different machine learning and natural language processing methods to categorize text, such as Amazon reviews, as positive or negative.

12. Investigate the use of natural language processing techniques in sentiment analysis of social media data.

Ideas by a Lumiere Mentor from the University of California, Irvine.

Topic 3: Robotics

Robotics is a strong research area if you are interested in both engineering and computer science. Compared with many of the other topics in this article, robotics can require more physical tools, workspace, time, and technical equipment.

If your school has a robotics lab, you may be able to use its equipment and work with a teacher or mentor while developing your project.

13. Design and build a robot that can perform a specific task, such as picking up and stacking blocks.

14. Investigate the use of robots in medicine, such as high-precision surgical robots.

15. Develop algorithms to enable a robot to navigate and interact with an unfamiliar environment.

Ideas by a Lumiere Mentor from University College London.

Topic 4: Ethics in Computer Science

Ethics in computer science examines the design, development, use, and impact of computer systems and technology. Research in this area can explore questions involving privacy, security, fairness, accountability, transparency, and responsibility.

16. Investigate fairness in machine learning. Research how machine learning algorithms can perpetuate or amplify biases in data and explore ways to make models fairer.

17. Study the energy consumption and carbon footprint of machine learning. Research ways to make machine learning more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable.

18. Conduct Privacy Impact Assessments for a variety of tools to identify and evaluate privacy risks associated with a particular technology or system.

Topic 5: Game Development

Game development gives you several ways to explore computer science, from backend development and game mechanics to artificial intelligence and user behavior.

19. Design and build a serious game that teaches users about a specific topic, such as renewable energy or financial literacy.

20. Analyze the impact of different game mechanics on player engagement and enjoyment.

21. Develop an AI-powered game that can adjust difficulty based on player skill level.

Topic 6: Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity research focuses on protecting online platforms, databases, and computer systems from attacks and unauthorized access. You can explore technical questions involving security systems, machine learning, malware detection, or authentication.

22. Investigate the use of blockchain technology in enhancing cybersecurity in a specific industry or application.

23. Apply machine learning to solve real-world security challenges, detect malware, and build solutions to safeguard critical infrastructure.

24. Analyze the effectiveness of different biometric authentication methods in enhancing cybersecurity.

Ideas by a Lumiere Mentor from Columbia University.

Topic 7: Human-Computer Interaction

Human-Computer Interaction, or HCI, explores how people interact with computers and other technologies. It can connect computer science with medicine, marketing, design, accessibility, and other fields.

25. Research the use of color in user interfaces and how it affects user experience.

26. Investigate the use of machine learning in predicting and improving user satisfaction with a specific software application.

27. Develop a system to allow individuals with mobility impairments to control computers and mobile devices using eye tracking.

28. Use tools like WAVE or WebAIM to evaluate the accessibility of different websites.

Topic 8: Computer Networks

Computer networks refer to the communication channels that allow computers and other devices to connect and communicate with each other. You can scope network research around a particular system, region, or technical problem depending on your resources and experience.

29. Investigate the use of software-defined networking in enhancing network security and performance.

30. Develop a network traffic classification system to detect and block malicious traffic.

31. Analyze the effectiveness of different network topology designs in reducing network latency and congestion.

Topic 9: Cryptography

Cryptography is the practice of secure communication in the presence of third parties or adversaries. It uses mathematical algorithms and protocols to transform plain text into a form that is unintelligible to unauthorized users.

Cryptography is used for securing internet communications, protecting sensitive information such as passwords and financial transactions, and supporting digital signatures and certificates.

32. Investigate side-channel attacks that exploit weaknesses in the physical implementation of cryptographic systems.

33. Research techniques that can enable secure and private machine learning using cryptographic methods.

Additional computer science research topics

If you want to explore beyond the 33 ideas above, consider these broader research areas:

• IoT: How can networked devices help us enrich human lives?

• Computational Modeling: Use computer science, mathematics, and physics to model and study complex systems such as weather, flight systems, or earthquakes.

• Parallel and Distributed Systems: Research algorithms, operating systems, and computer architectures designed to operate in parallel across large computing systems.

• UI/UX Design: Research how design can improve applications and digital experiences.

• Social Network Analysis: Explore social structures using network and graph theory.

• Optimization Techniques: Study optimization problems used across engineering, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

• Experimental Design: Research how to design and implement experimental procedures in fields such as AI, medicine, sociology, and the natural sciences.

• Autonomous Vehicles: Research technical or non-technical aspects of self-driving vehicles, including user adoption and driver behavior.

• Augmented and Virtual Reality Systems: Research how AR and VR can be used in areas such as gaming and education.

• Customized Hardware Research: Study how specialized hardware architectures can improve the performance and efficiency of modern computing systems.

• Database Systems: Research algorithms and systems for storing, retrieving, and managing different types and sizes of data.

• Programming Languages: Research how programming languages translate human ideas into machine code and how language design affects the tools and applications developers can build.

• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology: Research how computational methods can be applied to biological data, such as cell populations and genetic sequences.

Tools and skills you may use across CS research

One other option: the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. The program is designed for high school students who want to explore an area of interest through independent research with 1:1 mentorship from a PhD-level researcher.

You can choose a research area based on your interests and develop a focused research question with guidance throughout the research process. You can find the application form here.

The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation is a separate Lumiere initiative focused on providing research opportunities and full need-based financial aid to talented, low-income students. This is a distinct option from the main Research Scholar Program and is worth exploring if financial support is an important consideration.

What high school students ask about computer science research

1. Will a project like this end with a published paper, or could it lead to something else, like a prototype or model?

It can lead to different kinds of research outputs depending on the topic and approach. A project could result in a research paper, technical report, model, software prototype, game, or physical prototype.

2. Do I need to use one of these ideas exactly as written, or can I treat it as a starting point for my own question?

You can use these ideas as starting points and develop a related question that fits your interests. Narrowing a broad idea into a specific, manageable research question can help you create a project that fits your goals and available resources.

3. Are these topics realistic for a high schooler to complete independently, or do they need a mentor?

Yes, many of these topics can be scoped into realistic high school research projects, especially when you narrow a broad area into one focused question. A mentor can still be useful for refining the question, choosing an appropriate methodology, evaluating your work, and keeping the project manageable.

4. Do I need someone to guide me through a research project like this?

It depends on how comfortable you are scoping a project on your own. Having guidance can make it easier to turn a broad computer science interest into a focused research question and complete the project systematically. If you want 1:1 guidance from a PhD-level researcher while developing an independent project, you can explore the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.