12 Coding Summer Internships for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 36 minutes ago
- 9 min read
If you’re a high school student interested in programming, a summer internship can be a great way to apply your skills in a real-world setting.
What are coding internships?
These internships offer hands-on experience with coding projects, mentorship from professionals, and the chance to learn how development teams work in industries like tech, finance, or research.
Why should I apply to be a coding intern in high school?
Unlike classroom learning, coding internships help you tackle real problems, understand workflows, and collaborate with others in a professional environment. Whether you’re building websites, writing Python scripts, or exploring data science, these experiences are designed to help you grow both technically and professionally.
To get started, we’ve compiled a list of 12 coding summer internships for high school students that combine mentorship, project-based learning, and exposure to tech careers.
If you're looking for more prestigious internships, check out this set of blogs!
12 Coding Summer Internships for High School Students
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly disclosed
Location: Virtual
Dates: June 2 – August 29
Application Deadline: April 9
Eligibility: U.S. students entering 11th or 12th grade with a GPA ≥ 3.0; must be at least 16 by December 31 and have taken a high school biology course
Cost: Free
NASA’s GeneLab for High Schools is a 12-week online summer program designed to introduce you to space biology and computational research. The program focuses on areas such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics, giving you the chance to analyze real data from spaceflight experiments. You follow a structured sequence of recorded lectures, readings, assignments, and quizzes, with optional live office hours to interact with instructors. If you complete the coursework, you earn a digital certificate, and may also take part in a capstone project where teams propose hypotheses, analyze datasets, and present findings at a final symposium.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly disclosed
Location: Remote or in-person at NASA centers across the U.S.
Dates: Spring/Fall: 16 weeks | Summer: 10 weeks (May – August)
Application Deadline: Spring: September 12 | Summer: February 27 | Fall: May 16
Eligibility: U.S. citizens aged 16+ with a GPA of 3.0+ who are full-time students
Cost: Free
NASA Internship Programs give you the opportunity to work on research and projects that support the agency’s mission in science, engineering, business, and communications. Internships are offered in the spring, summer, and fall, and they vary in length depending on the center and project. As an intern, you are paired with a mentor and contribute to ongoing work, gaining exposure to the day-to-day process of large-scale research and development. Opportunities are available at NASA centers across the country, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and some international placements are offered through partner agreements. In addition to traditional internships, the Pathways program provides a structured route that can lead to full-time employment with NASA after graduation.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Approximately 25%; around 100 students per cohort
Location: Virtual
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid available
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly disclosed
Location: Online
Dates: Summer Immersion Program: July 7 – 18 (for U.S. students); July 28 – August 8 | Pathways: June 30 – August 8
Application Deadline: Early acceptance: February 28 | General application: April 16
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 – 12 (only 9th – 11th graders accepted for Summer Immersion) who are between the ages of 14 and 18 and identify as girls or non-binary individuals
Cost: Free; $300 need-based grants available for U.S. students in SIP
The Summer Immersion Program from Girls Who Code is a two-week virtual course designed for high school students in grades 9 through 11. During the program, you take part in live classes focused on computer science topics such as game design, user experience, and coding fundamentals. While not a traditional internship, the curriculum combines technical lessons with collaborative projects, allowing you to apply what you learn in a structured setting. You also hear from guest speakers working in technology and have opportunities to connect with peers across the country. The program runs on a weekday schedule with additional optional sessions and partner-led events.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly disclosed
Location: Virtual or in-person (Austin, TX)
Dates:
Distance Learning Modules: May 1 – July 1
Remote Projects: June – July 5 | Virtual Projects: June – July 19
Symposiums: July 21 – 22
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: U.S. high school sophomores and juniors, at least 16 years old by start date; first-time SEES participants only
Cost: Free
The STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) program is a summer research internship for high school students hosted by the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research. Through this program, you’ll study Earth and space science topics using NASA satellite data and computational tools. The experience begins with distance-learning modules in areas such as Earth science and Python programming, which prepare you for project work. In July, you take part in either virtual or on-campus research projects that focus on subjects like climate science, natural hazards, remote sensing, and astronomy. You collaborate with scientists, engineers, and peers as you investigate data and develop research findings. At the end of the program, you present your work during a science symposium.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly disclosed
Location: Virtual or in-person in Laurel, MD
Dates: Summer Session: June 24 – August 21 | Academic Year Session: September – May
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors, age 15 or older, who live in the Washington–Baltimore metro area and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.8
Cost: Free
The ASPIRE program at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory offers high school juniors and seniors the chance to explore STEM fields through a mentored internship. You are paired with a staff mentor and work on projects in programming, data analysis, robotics, electronics, laboratory experiments, and even research in areas like space, cybersecurity, and engineering design. The program emphasizes professional skills such as communication, problem-solving, and independent work, alongside exposure to technical topics. Participation is competitive, with a limited number of placements available each cycle.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: ~2–4 research interns + 30–50 C4G interns
Location: Virtual
Dates: 6 – 10 weeks, running between June 1 and August 6
Application Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: High school and community college students
Cost: Free
Through the CS@Mines Interns program at Colorado School of Mines, you can take part in research projects led by faculty and student mentors in computer science. The program introduces you to topics across computing, allowing you to collaborate with academic teams on active research. You contribute to projects that reflect current work in areas such as algorithms, systems, data science, or software development. Alongside the technical aspects, you gain exposure to how research groups operate and how ideas move from exploration to implementation.
8. SparkSMP
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Approximately 3–5%
Location: Virtual, with some opportunities in Greater Seattle, WA
Dates: 8–12 weeks, typically between May and August
Application Deadline: Varies by session and opportunity
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school students who are citizens or permanent residents
Cost/Stipend: Free; some projects offer stipends
Through SparkSMP, you join mentor-led projects that focus on areas such as machine learning, software engineering, and market research. You can apply to multiple projects, and if selected, you will contribute directly to the work while learning technical processes like building data pipelines, applying predictive modeling, and developing AI-driven tools. Projects often address practical challenges, such as analyzing climate data, identifying cancer biomarkers, or designing workflows for industry use. Mentors include professionals from tech companies as well as researchers from universities, giving you exposure to different perspectives.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: ~25 students
Location: Virtual
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students (entering grades 9–12); U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or students with valid visa status
Cost/Stipend: $40 application fee; $850 participation fee; financial aid available
In this two-week virtual program, you explore how artificial intelligence can be applied to healthcare challenges. Your days include technical lectures on AI fundamentals, group work sessions, and mentoring activities led by Stanford researchers and student leads. You participate in a team research project and engage in discussions that connect technical concepts with clinical applications. The program also incorporates social activities and “Career Lunch and Learns” with professionals from academia, industry, government, and non-profit organizations. For students who wish to continue, there may be opportunities for extended independent research after the initial program.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Varies; highly selective
Location: George Mason University campuses in Virginia; remote and hybrid options available
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students (minimum age depends on project type; 15 for computer/remote projects, 16 for wet-lab placements)
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee; no participation fee or stipend
ASSIP places you in a full-time, eight-week research internship where you work directly with faculty and researchers at George Mason University or collaborating institutions. You spend your summer conducting original research in areas that range from astronomy and environmental science to molecular medicine, machine learning, and neuroscience. Daily activities involve using advanced laboratory equipment, developing data-driven models, or working on computational projects, depending on your placement. Throughout the program, you attend discussion forums, meet with STEM professionals, and practice scientific communication through writing and presentations. The experience begins with an orientation and ends with a research symposium, where you present your work to peers and mentors.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Varies; highly selective
Location: MIT campus, Cambridge, MA
Application Deadline: April 3
Dates: Online prerequisite: February 3 – June 25 | In-person Summer Program: July 7 – Early August
Eligibility: High school students in 11th grade who are U.S. citizens or reside in the U.S. for the duration of the BWSI, and physically attend a U.S.-based school
Cost: $1,750; free for families earning under $150K
BWSI is a four-week summer program for rising high school seniors that focuses on advanced STEM research and project-based learning. Before the summer session, you complete free online prerequisite courses that cover technical foundations and prepare you for the application process. During the program, you take part in intensive workshops and team-based projects in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, satellites, and radar systems. While not a typical internship, the curriculum is designed around solving technical challenges, with structured milestones and guidance from instructors and mentors. In addition to the summer institute, BWSI offers fall and spring Saturday programs and national team-based challenges that extend project work beyond the summer. Each course culminates in a final project presentation where teams demonstrate the systems they’ve developed.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; cohort size varies
Location: Virtual or in-person in Chicago, Dallas, Washington D.C., London, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and St. Louis
Dates: June 2 – June 13 | July 7 – July 18 | July 21 – August 1 | August 4 – August 15
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Young women and gender-expansive teens ages 13–18
Cost/Stipend: Free
Kode With Klossy runs free, two-week intensive coding camps designed for young women and gender-expansive teens ages 13 to 18 who are interested in STEM. You don’t need any prior coding experience to participate, and the program provides a supportive learning environment with licensed educators and instructor assistants guiding all sessions. Throughout the camp, participants will engage with one of four specialized curricula: The Web Development track teaches the creation of dynamic, responsive websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with an emphasis on improving user interface and experience design. For those interested in AI, the Machine Learning track introduces concepts like algorithms, datasets, and natural language processing, culminating in training a chatbot with Python. In Mobile App Development, students will utilize Swift and SwiftUI to build fully functional iOS apps via Xcode. Finally, the Data Science curriculum focuses on data analysis and insight extraction using SQL, Python, and various visualization tools.
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 Ph.D. 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.
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