Top Summer Research Programs for High School Students
Updated: 17 hours ago
Updated November 2026
TL;DR
Most of the programs below put you in a lab or on a research team for five to ten weeks, and most are free or pay a stipend. Summer 2027 deadlines run from November 30, 2026 (Navy SEAP) to late February 2027, and several programs only take juniors or residents, so check your grade and location first. Costs run from free to $13,274 (UCSB's 2026 residential price), and the paid programs mostly offer need-based aid. If you'd like to research a question you choose with a PhD mentor, you can apply to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.
If you want to spend a summer getting better at research, high school is a good time to find out what that looks like day to day. Summer research programs for high schoolers vary a lot. In some, you join a university lab and work next to graduate students and professors. In others, you work on a team project with a set topic and present a poster at the end. A few let you build your own project from home with a mentor. This guide compares 16 options so you can see what each one costs, when it closes, and whether you're eligible. For a closer look at the most competitive one, read our guide to getting into the Research Science Institute.
Do summer research programs help with college applications?
A research program shows you can stay with a hard question for weeks, which is more than most activities ask of you. It helps most when it connects to something you already care about, and you leave with something concrete, like a paper, a poster, or code you can describe in your activities list. You also pick up useful skills along the way: turning a vague curiosity into a testable question, reading academic papers, analyzing data, and writing clearly about what you found. The name on the program matters less than what you actually did there.
What counts as a summer research program for high schoolers?
The programs below come in a few types. Some drop you into a working lab, like SIMR at Stanford or the MSK Summer Student Program. Others run team projects with a set topic, like the Summer Science Program.
A couple are paid apprenticeships, like the Navy's SEAP. And some are mentor-led and online, like the Lumiere Research Scholar Program and CrowdMath. Before you fall for a name, check three things: whether you meet the grade and residency rules, what it costs, and whether you'll work on your own question or someone else's.
When should you apply for summer 2027 research programs?
Right now. SEAP closes November 30, 2026, the Research Science Institute closes December 11, and the Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program closes January 4, 2027.
Most of the rest close in February. If you're a junior, you could apply to RSI in December, Rockefeller in early January, then the Simons Summer Research Program and the MSK Summer Student Program in early February. Some programs haven't posted 2027 dates yet, so those entries show the previous cycle's deadline.
Which summer research program fits your goal?
If you want | Look at |
To work from home | |
A paid or stipend-supported summer | |
A free, very selective summer | |
A university lab placement that ends in a poster | |
A residential summer on a college campus | |
A free program close to home |
16 Summer Research Programs for High School Students
Location: Online
Cost: Need-based financial aid available; the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation offers the program at no cost to talented low-income students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Winter Cohort starts December 7, 2026; summer 2027 cohorts TBA
Application Deadline: November 15, 2026 for the Winter Cohort (priority admission closes November 8)
Eligibility: Current high school students
You work one-on-one with a PhD fellow or postdoc to write a college-level research paper on a question you pick. In the 12-week Individual Research Program, you get nine sessions with your mentor and two with a writing coach. Longer tracks exist too, including Premium Research and Publication, the Research Fellowship, and Professor Premium. Finish the program, and you can earn 3 post-baccalaureate credits through UC San Diego Extended Studies.
Who is it right for? You, if you want to choose your own topic and work from home.
Location: Department of Navy laboratories across the U.S. (more than 25 take part)
Cost: Paid: $4,000 for first-year interns, $4,500 for returning interns; you cover your own transportation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Eight weeks in summer 2027; exact dates vary by lab
Application Deadline: November 30, 2026
Eligibility: U.S. citizens; some labs require a security clearance
SEAP puts you in a Navy lab for eight weeks, where researchers act as your mentors and you see science and engineering you won't get in a school classroom. The Navy picks interns based on grades, science and math courses, test scores, your interests, teacher recommendations, and a personal statement. Our guide to the Navy's SEAP internship covers what the labs work on.
Who is it right for? You, if you're a U.S. citizen who wants paid, hands-on research in applied science or engineering.
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA; a Stanford site opens in 2027
Cost: Free to admitted scholars
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 100 scholars at MIT; 50 at Stanford in 2027
Program Dates: TBA
Application Deadline: December 11, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (applications are open now)
Eligibility: High school juniors; seniors are not eligible
You start with a week of intensive STEM classes from professors. Then comes the five-week research internship, where you run an individual project with an experienced mentor, and you wrap up by presenting your findings in written and oral reports. You read current literature, build a research plan, and carry it out. Few other programs on this list cover the full research cycle this completely.
Who is it right for? You, if you're a junior ready for a very selective, fully funded research summer.
Location: The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (in person)
Cost: No fees; need-based stipends available, according to Rockefeller's outreach site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 32 to 40 scholars each summer, in four teams of 8 to 10
Program Dates: June 21 to August 5, 2027
Application Deadline: January 4, 2027, 5:00 p.m. ET (recommendation due the same day)
Eligibility: Current juniors or seniors who are 16 or older at the start; you attend all seven weeks
Your team is run by scientists from the Tri-Institutions (Rockefeller, MSK, and Weill Cornell), and each team has at least three mentors. In week two, you choose your own question related to the team's topic, then spend most of the program collecting and analyzing data before presenting a poster. You'll work about 35 hours a week, and Rockefeller doesn't allow you to use SSRP work for science competition entries. Our SSRP guide walks through the weekly schedule.
Who is it right for? Students who live near New York City and want a small, team-based biomedical lab.
Location: Price College of Engineering, Salt Lake City, UT (in person; no housing)
Cost: No cost to participate; interns are not paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: June 7 to August 10, 2027 (nine weeks, 30 hours a week)
Application Deadline: TBA (registration opens November 30, 2026)
Eligibility: Rising seniors graduating in 2028; no educational requirements
You don't need to find a professor first in this internship. A lab-matching system pairs you with a faculty member based on your interests, and you work on a project that the principal investigator assigns. Weekly cohort meetings and a group project with interns from other labs round it out, and you present at a symposium at the end.
Who is it right for? You, if you're a rising senior near Salt Lake City who wants an engineering lab with no tuition.
Location: Residential, at SSP's host campuses
Cost: The 2026 fee was $11,800; the 2027 fee posts in December 2026. Aid covers 100% of demonstrated need, and applying is free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 700 admitted in 2026
Program Dates: Programs begin mid-June 2027 (five weeks)
Application Deadline: TBA; applications open December 2026, with anticipated deadlines in January 2027 (international) and February 2027 (domestic)
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (graduating in 2028)
SSP is five weeks of collaborative research in tracks like astrophysics, biochemistry, bacterial genomics, and cell biology. SSP describes the pace as very fast and the schedule as jam-packed, and there are no grades or tests. Admission is need-blind, so you don't ask for financial aid until after you're admitted. Our guide to the SSP acceptance rate breaks down the numbers.
Who is it right for? You, if you're a junior who wants a residential summer with a team and a fast-moving project.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY (in person)
Cost: $75 application fee (waivers for financial hardship); a stipend is awarded at the closing poster symposium
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Fewer than 5% of applicants admitted, according to Simons' application page
Program Dates: June 28 to August 6, 2027
Application Deadline: February 5, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET (your school's nomination is due January 29)
Eligibility: Juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, 16 or older by the start; your school must nominate you, and each school can nominate up to three
You're matched with a Stony Brook faculty mentor, join an active research group, and take on a project of your own. You end by writing a research abstract and presenting a poster. On the application, you rank your top three mentors or research areas, and prior research experience isn't required.
Who is it right for? You, if you're a junior whose school will nominate you and you want a university lab on Long Island.
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center main campus, Upper East Side, Manhattan (no housing provided)
Cost: $1,200 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 interns; MSK says it typically gets 1,000+ applications, about a 2% acceptance rate
Program Dates: June 29 to August 20, 2027
Application Deadline: February 5, 2027, 8:00 a.m. EST (applications open December 1, 2026)
Eligibility: Juniors living in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut within 25 miles of campus; 16 or older by June 2027; 3.5 GPA in science; authorized to work in the U.S.
This is an eight-week, full-time lab internship in biomedical or computational research, about 40 hours a week. You work with a mentor on a self-directed project that supports the lab's larger goals. Research areas run from cancer biology and immunology to structural biology and computational genomics.
Who is it right for? You, if you live within 25 miles of the campus and want cancer research with a stipend.
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX (residential)
Cost: No program fee, and on-campus room and board are covered; $25 application fee; $750 stipend after you finish your research report
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12 scholars
Program Dates: TBA (2026 program: June 21 to August 6)
Application Deadline: February 15, 2027, 11:59 p.m. CT (the application opens January 2, 2027)
Eligibility: Rising seniors and recent high school graduates, at least 17 by the start, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents (per the 2026 eligibility page)
For seven weeks, you work with Texas Tech faculty, with weekly seminars and weekend activities on the side. The application asks for short essays, three recommendations (at least two from teachers), transcripts, test scores, and a list of your top five activities. Start your recommenders early, since they fill out an online form, with no letter to write.
Who is it right for? You, if you're a rising senior or recent graduate who wants a small, close-knit cohort.
Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (residence hall)
Cost: $7,500 program fee in 2026, covering room, board, materials, and three semester hours of credit; $95 application fee (waivers available); financial aid may cover up to 95%
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: June 16 to July 23, 2027 (5.5 weeks)
Application Deadline: February 16, 2027, 11:59 p.m. CST (applications open December 15, 2026)
Eligibility: Grades 10 to 11; international applicants can apply and need a student visa
In this program, you work with a research group from Monday through Friday, and finish by presenting a poster. For 2027, the research departments include neuroscience and pharmacology, civil and environmental engineering, psychological and brain sciences, and business analytics. You're a registered University of Iowa student for the summer, which is how the three credits end up on a transcript. Our guide to SSTP Iowa has more on the research areas.
Who is it right for? You, if you're a sophomore or junior who wants college credit and a wider mix of fields than pure biology.
Location: Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (in person; housing not provided)
Cost: No cost if accepted; $50 application fee (waived if household income is under $80,000); limited need-based stipends
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 50 interns per year
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: June 8 to July 30, 2026)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: February 21, 2026)
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors, 16 or older, who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents living in and attending school in the U.S.; selection strongly favors local Bay Area applicants
Eight weeks, about 40 hours a week, in a lab at one of eight institutes: immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, bioengineering, stem cell, cardiovascular, bioinformatics, or genetics. Your day-to-day mentor is a Stanford graduate student or postdoc, and the summer ends with an evening poster session for family, teachers, and the Stanford community. A separate bioengineering team internship has you build a prototype for a real medical need.
Who is it right for? You, if you live in the Bay Area or have a relative there you can stay with.
12. NYU ARISE
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free, with a $2,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: June 1 to August 14, 2026)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohort: February 27, 2026, 5 p.m)
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are full-time NYC residents attending NYC schools
ARISE runs ten weeks. The first four are safety training, college writing workshops, and research skills. The last six put you in an NYU research lab, adding up to roughly 150 hours of lab time. You present at a colloquium and a poster symposium at the American Museum of Natural History, and the program includes group and one-on-one college application support. Our list of science programs in NYC has similar options nearby.
Who is it right for? You, if you attend an NYC school and want lab experience at no cost.
Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL (housing and meals provided)
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: research began June 17, 2026; final symposium July 31, 2026)
Application Deadline: TBA (applications for summer 2026 are closed)
Eligibility: Rising 10th to 12th graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin
You spend six weeks on a research team, putting in 30 to 35 hours a week. There are two groups. SpHERES focuses on medicine, engineering, and innovation, and Grainger Engineering Young Scholars covers fields like computer science, quantum physics, aerospace, and materials science. Weekly seminars cover college admissions and how to make a research poster, which you present at the final symposium.
Who is it right for? You, if you live in one of the seven eligible states and want an early start in engineering or medicine.
Location: UC Santa Barbara, CA (commuter or residential)
Cost: In 2026, $5,675 commuter or $13,274 residential, including the $75 application fee; 2027 pricing posts in early December; limited need-based scholarships, with priority to California residents
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: TBA
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Current 9th to 11th graders, according to UCSB's counselor FAQ
UCSB describes the RMP as interdisciplinary, hands-on, university-level research for high schoolers from around the world. You pick between commuting and living in the Santa Cruz residence hall with other pre-college students. It's the priciest option here, so apply for a scholarship in your application if cost matters.
Who is it right for? You, if you want research across a range of fields and can afford the tuition or land a scholarship.
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (in person; no housing or transportation provided)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; Princeton says it received over 3,000 applications in each of the last three years the program ran
Program Dates: At least five weeks over the summer; 2027 details announced in February 2027
Application Deadline: TBA (the 2026 window ran February 15 to March 15, 2026)
Eligibility: Local New Jersey high schoolers who are U.S. citizens and 16 or older (2026 rules)
You join an ongoing project with Princeton faculty and research staff in the natural sciences or engineering, and every project is in person. At the end, you write a two-page research summary. Each project lists its own requirements, so apply only to ones you fully meet.
Who is it right for? You, if you live and attend school near Princeton.
16. CrowdMath
Location: Online
Cost: You sign up on the Art of Problem Solving site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Program Dates: Year-round project
Application Deadline: None listed
Eligibility: High school students worldwide (college students can join too)
CrowdMath is a year-long, online research project from MIT PRIMES and Art of Problem Solving. You work with other participants and mentors on an open math problem, posting questions, ideas, and proofs on a message board. MIT says CrowdMath projects often turn into research papers.
Who is it right for? You, if you love proofs and want a math project you can join from anywhere.
Is paying for a research program worth it?
Emailing a professor yourself is a fine route, and some people land a spot that way. The catch is finding someone with the time to mentor a high schooler over several weeks.
A structured program fixes that by handing you a mentor and a defined project. Many options on this list are free or pay you, but they're competitive, so most people apply to several. Whether a program was free or paid matters far less than what you learned and what you produced.
One more option: the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Most programs above give you a lab placement or a team project with a set topic. If you'd like to choose your own research question, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you one-on-one with a PhD fellow or postdoc. In the 12-week Individual Research Program, you work through nine sessions with your mentor and two with a writing coach, then finish with a college-level research paper. It's fully online, need-based financial aid is available, and you can earn 3 post-baccalaureate credits through UC San Diego Extended Studies.
What you might still be wondering about these research programs
Do I need lab experience before applying?
Not for most of them. Several programs say earlier research experience isn't required, and a few ask only for a minimum science GPA or specific coursework. A clear interest in the subject, shown in your essays, goes a long way.
Will I work in a lab, or mostly on a computer?
It depends on the program. Many place you in a university or hospital lab; some use computational or team projects with a set topic, and the online options happen entirely from home. Read each description to see which fits you.
Do any of these pay me, and do any charge a fee?
Yes to both. Stipends run from $750 to $4,500; many programs are free, and the ones that charge tuition ran from $5,675 to $13,274 in 2026, with need-based aid at several. For more no-cost options, see our list of free science programs for high school students.
Do I need to live near the program?
For most of them, yes. Many run on one campus or in one lab, a few are residential, and a couple accept only residents of certain states or cities. If you can't travel, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is fully online, and need-based financial aid is available.
Can I apply as a freshman or sophomore?
Yes, to a few. Three programs on this list take applicants in grade 10 or younger, while most of the rest start at rising junior or later, so check the eligibility line for your grade.
Will I finish with a paper, a poster, or something else?
It varies. Most lab placements end with a poster or symposium, a couple ask for a written report or summary, and the mentored online option ends with a full college-level paper.
How long do these programs run, and are they full-time?
Most in-person programs run five to ten weeks and take 30 to 40 hours a week, so plan on a full-time summer. The mentored online option runs 12 weeks, and one open math project runs all year.