14 Aviation Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Jul 7
- 13 min read
If aviation or aerospace engineering genuinely interests you, a summer program is one of the better ways to explore it seriously before college. Depending on the program, you might log flight hours, work through simulator training, study aircraft systems and meteorology, or engage with the physics and engineering principles that make flight possible. That combination of academic depth and practical experience is difficult to find anywhere else at the high school level.
Why should I participate in an aviation program in high school?
Aviation programs strengthen your college application in a way that most extracurriculars simply cannot. Admissions committees and flight academies respond differently to students who have logged real flight hours and built genuine technical knowledge than to those who simply express an interest in the field. They also prepare you practically. You arrive at college or flight training already familiar with aeronautical science, aircraft systems, and navigation fundamentals, which means your peers are catching up to where you already are.
With that, here are 14 strong aviation summer programs for high schoolers!
If you’re looking for online summer research programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These programs span paid federal research internships (AFRL Scholars, Naval SEAP, Sandia National Laboratories), university research programs (UF SSTP, UCSB RMP, GMU ASSIP), and hands-on flight training (Randolph-Macon Academy's Aviation Summer Camp, FAA's ACE Academy).
Several programs are paid or fully funded, including AFRL Scholars ($506.80 to $813.60 per week), Naval SEAP ($4,000 to $4,500 stipend), and NASA's Aviation Systems Division program, while others charge tuition ranging from a few thousand dollars to over $7,500.
Most paid federal research programs require U.S. citizenship and, in some cases, eligibility for security clearance, including AFRL Scholars, Naval SEAP, and Sandia National Laboratories.
University-based programs like UF SSTP, UCSB RMP, and COSMOS allow students to pursue aviation-specific tracks within broader STEM research programs, such as aerospace engineering or sustainable aviation systems.
Application deadlines vary widely, with some as early as November 1 (Naval SEAP) and December 19 (Lockheed Martin), while others like the Beaver Works Summer Institute (March 30), fall later in the academic year.
Location: Multiple U.S. locations, including Air Force bases, laboratories, and the Pentagon.
Stipend: $506.80/week. Some locations with higher costs of living offer larger stipends ($715.60/week for Whiteman AFB and $813.60/week for Edwards AFB). Additional travel stipends may be available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 8-10% acceptance rate.
Dates: Varies by site and internship; typically a minimum of 8 weeks, with most internships running 10-12 weeks in the summer. Limited internships are offered in the Spring and Fall.
Application Deadline: Summer: January 10 | Fall/Spring: TBA
Eligibility: Upper-level high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students pursuing and/or intending to pursue a STEM degree. Must be a U.S. citizen. Specific placements/projects may specify additional required or preferred credentials. Must be eligible to obtain Secret Security Clearance upon acceptance.
The U.S. Air Force’s AFRL Scholars Program provides high school students with paid experience in federal aviation and engineering research over the course of 8-12 weeks. You’ll apply to up to three project options, which vary yearly. You’ll work under the mentorship of senior scientists from the Air Force, contributing to research on topics such as architecture analytics for space vehicles, autonomous spacecraft, or satellite navigation. Outside of your work, you’ll also learn about federal research and development processes, develop advanced skills in physics and engineering, and explore professional opportunities at ARFL. At the end of your internship, you’ll write a technical report on your research that you’ll present to your program branch. Based on the strength of your work, you may also get to present at the ARFL Scholars Poster Session; you’ll also be eligible for consideration to continue your internship in the following years.
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Multiple locations across the U.S. in 15 states. Not all laboratories offer aeronautics research.
Stipend: New participants: $4,000 | Returning participants: $4,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 8 weeks over the summer, with the possibility of a 2-week extension.
Application Deadline: November 1
Eligibility: Rising 10th-12th-grade students and graduating seniors aged 16+ by internship start date. Must be a U.S. citizen. Some placements have slight differences in grade and age criteria, or they may have additional requirements. In some labs, Permanent Residents and Dual Citizens are eligible to participate.
The U.S. Department of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program offers aviation research experience for high school students through placements within the field of Aeronautics. In this program, you’ll work under the guidance of a primary mentor and other DON scientists to contribute to their lab’s ongoing research on topics such as field carrier landing, aerial refueling, and unmanned aerial systems. Outside of your research assignments, you’ll get to tour other DON laboratories, network with federal researchers, learn about future career opportunities in the field, and more. Strong interns may be eligible to return for subsequent internships, which provide a higher level of funding.
Location: Placements offered in Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA
Cost: None. Interns are paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; exact numbers not provided, but you will be considered alongside undergraduate and graduate students
Dates: Varies by internship
Application Deadline: Varies by internship
Eligibility: Full-time high school upperclassmen, undergraduates, and graduate students aged 16+. Many positions require U.S. citizenship; check details to confirm. Minimum 3.0 GPA. Background check, drug screening, and (typically) security clearance required.
The federally funded Sandia National Laboratories offer competitive summer internships for high school students in a wide array of disciplines, including aviation opportunities in Aerospace Engineering. You’ll take on a specific role in your department, contributing to current projects alongside Sandia researchers on topics such as flight mechanics, aerothermodynamics, and flight vehicle operations. You’ll receive professional development programming, including opportunities for 1-on-1 networking meetings with researchers across departments, an intern career fair, research presentations, facility tours, and more. Your supervisor will provide professional guidance throughout your internship and, based on your performance, discuss future internship opportunities at the end of the program. You can read more about Sandia’s Aerospace Engineering research here.
Location: Lockheed Martin offices in Denver, CO, Sunnyvale, CA, Cape Canaveral, FL, King of Prussia/Valley Forge, PA, Huntsville, AL, and Herndon, VA
Stipend: Paid; amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 9+ weeks in June-August
Application Deadline: December 19
Eligibility: Current high school students aged 16+. Applicants must live within commuting distance of their chosen facility.
Lockheed Martin, a major aerospace and defense company, offers summer internships for high school students interested in aeronautics research and technology. You’ll work with professional scientists from Lockheed Martin on research and development projects, including autonomous aircraft, tactical airlift, and deep space exploration. Outside of your main focus area, you’ll shadow employees and company leaders, attend networking and social events, participate in career planning workshops, and more. Based on your performance, you’ll be eligible to serve as an intern in future years. You can read about a former intern’s experience here.
Location: Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal, VA
Cost: $2,000 - $4,850 (Varies by residential/commuter status and optional flight hours)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, 16 students
Dates: June 28–July 17
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 8th-12th-grade students
The Aviation Summer Camp at Randolph-Macon Academy provides high schoolers with hands-on training in technical aviation skills, piloting, and engineering. You’ll learn to operate and pilot drones, studying concepts such as mapping, data collection, and 3D modeling, then apply them to assignments like aerial photography and navigating drone obstacle courses. You’ll also gain real-world aviation experience through flight training in aircraft and simulators, and learn skills to prepare for official FAA Remote Pilot Certification. You’ll additionally receive career-focused training through guest lectures from aviation professionals and learn about job opportunities in aerospace, engineering, commercial, and private aviation, and more.
Location: Remote and MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cos: Online pre-requisite course: Free | Summer Program: Free (For families with incomes <$150,000) or $2,350
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Online course: Open Enrollment | Summer Program: Very selective
Dates: Online course: February - June (Self-paced; students may finish early) | Summer Institute: Three to four weeks over the summer
Application Deadline: Online Course: Open registration ending in mid-January | Summer Program: March 30
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-11 residing and attending high school in the US | See each program webpage for detailed requirements on prerequisite knowledge.
MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute course on Autonomous Air Vehicle Racing provides advanced research and engineering experience focused on aviation, engineering, and technology. You’ll begin with a self-paced online course covering advanced mathematics and programming skills required for the in-person Summer Institute. You’ll then spend three weeks working at MIT’s campus, learning about flight geometry, actuators and control, computer vision, visual motion estimation, and other technical skills for designing and programming autonomous aerial vehicles. You’ll work alongside a small team of students to develop a deployment algorithm for a commercial drone, applying hands-on engineering skills to craft an operable aerial vehicle. Your project will culminate in a friendly competition, where you’ll race against other teams to have your vehicle navigate an obstacle race course.
Location: Hosted in 64 U.S. cities
Cost: Varies by site
Dates: One week over the summer
Application Deadline: Varies by site
Eligibility: High school students are eligible; additional criteria vary by host site
The FAA offers a summer aviation program for high school students through the Aviation Career Education Academy, providing the opportunity to learn professional skills in the field from a multidisciplinary perspective. As the program is offered at 64 sites nationwide, the exact curriculum will vary between locations. You’ll study topics including flight planning, aviation history, the physics of flight, and engineering principles in aircraft design and maintenance. You’ll additionally gain hands-on experience through flight simulations and, at some sites, real-life flights in aircraft. You’ll learn from professionals in the field about potential careers in aviation, such as air traffic control, piloting, aerospace engineering, aircraft maintenance, and more.
Location: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Cost: $5,500 plus $50 application fee. Financial aid is offered to Florida high school attendees.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; <15% acceptance rate
Dates: 7 weeks in June - July
Application Deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Rising 12th-grade students aged 16+ with a strong academic record and who are considering a career in science, medicine, math, computer science, or engineering. Students from Florida are prioritized.
The University of Florida’s Student Science Training Program is a selective high school program that offers 7 weeks of mentored research. You can work in any of UF’s STEM departments, such as the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, which is a particularly strong fit for students interested in aviation. You’ll work with a UF faculty member sharing your interests and design a project aligned with their lab’s current research. You can read more about the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering’s research focus areas here. You’ll supplement your work with a faculty lecture series covering academic topics, research ethics, and more. You’ll additionally enroll in a college-level Honors Seminar, studying a specialized STEM subfield; options vary each year, but former offerings include the aviation-focused Micro Air Vehicles and Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems course. You’ll conclude the program by writing an academic paper on your research, designing a research poster, and delivering two oral presentations on your work.
Location: Belin-Blank Center, University of Iowa, IA
Cost: $7,500; substantial financial aid and scholarships are offered.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 10% acceptance rate
Dates: June 17 - July 24
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: Rising 11th-12th grade students. Students may not participate more than once.
The University of Iowa’s SSTP is a summer research program for high school students with opportunities to conduct aviation research through placements in the Industrial and Systems Engineering department. You’ll work under faculty guidance with a small group of peers to conduct an intensive research project, which you’ll work on for approximately 35 hours each week. In Industrial and Systems Engineering, you may consider pursuing work with the Operator Performance Laboratory, a flight test lab with 11 instrumented aircraft and 6 flight simulators. Outside of your work, you’ll attend seminars and complete assignments on research skills and topics across a variety of academic fields. You’ll finish the program by designing a research poster to present to other SSTP students and mentors.
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: $5,518. Financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; about 150-200 students are hosted at each campus, though clusters are limited to 20-25 students
Dates: July 5 - July 31 or August 1, depending on your campus placement
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders and graduating seniors who are California residents | Minimum 3.5 GPA strongly recommended | Specific Clusters typically have additional prerequisites
The University of California COSMOS program provides California high school students with research and coursework in unique “Cluster” subfields, with multiple options for aviation-focused focus. In Exploring Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, you’ll learn about topics such as rocketry, mechatronics, and flight mechanics; you’ll ultimately construct a rocket of your own, use theoretical models to predict its trajectory, and analyze flight patterns using data acquisition systems. In Sustainable Aviation Systems, you’ll study environmental challenges facing the aviation industry, technical skills in aerospace engineering and flight mechanics, and alternative energy sources from solar energy to fuel cells. Other aviation program options are available, and offerings may vary each year. While the exact course structure varies by cluster, you’ll typically participate in a combination of coursework, hands-on experiments, and research projects.
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Cost: Commuter: $5,675 | Residential: $13,274 | Financial aid is offered with priority given to California residents.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: June 15 – July 31. Must attend a Preparation Webinar on May 28 or May 30
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions from December 15 - March 9
Eligibility: Current 10th-11th grade students with a minimum 3.8 GPA (weighted). Outstanding 9th graders are considered on a case-by-case basis.
UCSB’s Research Mentorship Program is a competitive summer program for high school students offering research in nearly 25 fields, with the ability to pursue aviation-focused research through the Engineering track. You’ll start the program with preliminary research training and meetings with potential mentors to develop your research plan. You’ll then begin intensive research, usually up to 50 hours per week, to complete your project over the course of 6 weeks. You’ll participate in two courses: Introduction to Research and Presentation Techniques, which provide both technical and soft skills for successful research careers. Both courses provide transferable college credits. You’ll finish the program by writing a research paper and delivering a presentation on your work at the final symposium.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 8 weeks in June-August
Application Deadline: February 4
Eligibility: Students in grades 10-11 who are U.S. citizens
NASA’s Aviation Systems Division Concept Design Experience for High School Students program offers a two-month opportunity to work with NASA scientists on developing a research-driven solution to a challenging global problem. In this program, you’ll work in a team of 6 students under the mentorship of two NASA scientists, beginning by identifying a “wicked” problem to address, such as autonomous aerial vehicles or sustainable commercial aviation. You’ll then dive into aviation technology and aeronautics research to develop a concept for your proposal, receiving guidance from your mentors in weekly meetings. You’ll meet regularly with your teammates and will have opportunities to conduct “expert interviews” with other NASA members. You’ll finish the program by writing a research report, which will be posted on NASA’s Technical Report Server, and a presentation that you’ll deliver to the Aviation Systems Division.
Location: George Mason University campuses in Fairfax, Manassas, and Arlington, VA, or Remote. Some positions offer hybrid work formats. Placements may be available at other nearby research institutions.
Cost: $1,299 plus $25 application fee; financial aid offered.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: June 18 - August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Current high school students and undergraduates aged 15+ (remote or computer lab internships) or 16+ (in-person/hybrid “wet-lab” internships) by program start date. Some projects have additional academic requirements.
Students interested in contributing to advanced college faculty research can consider pursuing ASSIP at George Mason University, a nearly two-month summer program offering research placements across a wide array of STEM departments. You’ll specify your preferred placements from a list of projects and mentors, which cycle annually. Aviation research can usually be found in Geography and Geoinformation Science, Physics and Astronomy, and engineering fields. You’ll develop a personal project within your mentor’s priority areas, which might include drones, intelligent spatial systems, satellites, or NASA mission analysis. You’ll also attend career forums, networking events, and programming on scientific writing and communication skills. After finishing your project, you’ll develop a research abstract and poster, which you’ll present at the end of the program.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best aviation summer programs for high school students?
Strong options depend on a student's interests. Students drawn to federal research might consider AFRL Scholars or Naval SEAP, those interested in hands-on flight training might look at Randolph-Macon Academy's Aviation Summer Camp or the FAA's ACE Academy, and those interested in engineering research might consider UF SSTP or MIT's Beaver Works Summer Institute.
Are there free aviation summer programs for high schoolers?
Yes, several programs are free or paid rather than tuition-based, including AFRL Scholars, Naval SEAP, Sandia National Laboratories internships, Lockheed Martin's High School Internship Program, NASA's Aviation Systems Division program, and the online prerequisite course for MIT's Beaver Works Summer Institute.
Which aviation programs require U.S. citizenship or security clearance eligibility?
AFRL Scholars, Naval SEAP, and Sandia National Laboratories all require U.S. citizenship for most placements, and AFRL Scholars and Sandia specifically require eligibility for security clearance due to the nature of federal aerospace and defense research.
Do any aviation summer programs involve actual flight training or piloting?
Yes, Randolph-Macon Academy's Aviation Summer Camp includes flight training in aircraft and simulators along with FAA Remote Pilot Certification preparation, and the FAA's ACE Academy includes flight simulations and, at some sites, real flights in aircraft.
Which aviation programs focus on drones or autonomous aerial vehicles?
MIT's Beaver Works Summer Institute focuses specifically on autonomous air vehicle racing, Randolph-Macon Academy's Aviation Summer Camp includes drone piloting and mapping, and GMU's ASSIP offers research placements involving drones and intelligent spatial systems.
When should I apply to aviation summer programs for high school students?
Deadlines are spread throughout the academic year. Early deadlines include Naval SEAP (November 1) and Lockheed Martin (December 19), while others like UF SSTP (March 25) and Beaver Works Summer Institute (March 30) fall later in the spring.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.