15 Computer Science Internships for High School Students in Chicago
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 23
- 10 min read
If you're a high school student in Chicago interested in computer science, doing an internship is one of the most accessible ways to start engaging with the field early on. Whether you're into Python, machine learning, web development, or just figuring out how code works behind the apps you use every day, there are programs in the city that let you try real work in tech settings.
If you're thinking long term, this kind of experience can also give you something real to write about in your college essays. Admissions officers want to see that you’ve tested your interest, not just talked about it. And adding a solid internship to your resume shows you’ve already worked on projects in real environments.
To help you choose the best option, we’ve compiled a list of 15 computer science internships in Chicago that are open to high school students! If you're looking for more prestigious computer science programs and internships, check out this set of blogs!
15 Computer Science Internships for High School Students in Chicago
Location: Remote
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. The summer cohort starts on June 2
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. April 13 for the regular admission into the summer cohort
Eligibility: High school students able to work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks
Ladder Internships was started by Harvard alumni to give high school students a chance to work with startups and nonprofits around the world. You get to pick an area you want to explore from many fields like technology, engineering, computer science, AI, healthcare, sustainability, media, and more.
Some of the companies you might work with focus on things like using AI to improve patient care, mental health tools, remote medical monitoring, or helping students with college applications.
If you want to learn about computer science, this program covers tech jobs like software engineering, machine learning, AI, and health tech. You’ll meet with mentors every week, work on projects, and present what you’ve done at the end. Apply here.
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Stipend of $4,800 provided
Application Deadline: January 12
Dates: June 16 — August 8
Eligibility: High school students who reside in the Chicago area
The Data Science Institute Summer Lab at the University of Chicago is an eight-week paid internship designed for high school students who want to explore data science. You’ll work closely with a mentor to see how data science applies to fields like public policy, scientific research, and computational modeling.
As a research assistant, you’ll get hands-on experience analyzing data, spotting patterns, building models, and interpreting results. The program also features a weekly speaker series where professionals explain how data science helps solve problems. At the end, you’ll create and present a final video showcasing your project at a summer symposium.
Location: Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Stipend of $15.80/hour
Application Deadline: May 30
Dates: Summer internships typically run from June 23 — August 1
Eligibility: Must be a Chicago resident or attend a Chicago Public High School, aged between 14 to 18
After School Matters (ASM) offers internship opportunities for Chicago teens in areas like STEM, arts, and communication. You can pick internships that match your interests and get paid with a stipend or an hourly wage. The program uses data to track its impact and offers three main types of experiences.
Apprenticeships give you hands-on work in computer science. You understand more about industrial and information technology in the field of CS. While fine-tuning your skills, you will also work in professional settings on team projects with guidance from mentors.
Location: University of Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: No cost. A stipend of $15.80/hour for up to 20 hours per week is provided.
Application Deadline: April 24
Dates: Typically from June 23 — July 31
Eligibility: Open to Chicago residents, 16+ b,y June authorized to work in the U.S., with an interest in health, computer sciences, or IT. Priority given to CPS students with a 3.0 GPA from select South Side neighborhoods.
The University of Chicago Youth Internship Program (YIP) is a paid summer program for South Side high school students, aimed at building pathways into STEM careers. It runs over two summers and is open to students from Chicago Public Schools and charter schools.
In the first year, students take part in an "earn and learn" experience that includes workshops, seminars, college and workplace tours, guest speakers in STEM, and college planning.
If you're especially interested in computer science, completing Year 1 makes you eligible to apply for a second summer, where you’ll be placed in a six-week internship at the University of Chicago, focusing on your area of interest. YIP is part of the One Summer Chicago initiative, which offers work and enrichment opportunities for local youth.
Location: Chicago, IL
Stipend: $15.60 hourly
Program dates: Typically July - August
Application Deadline: Typically March
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
The Adler Planetarium summer internship is a good fit if you like computer science and tech. You’ll get to work with NASA data using a program called OpenSpace, which helps show space missions in 3D.
During the internship, you’ll learn how to code, handle data, and make cool visual projects that thoroughly explain space science. It’s a hands-on way to build skills in programming and tech, which can help if you want to study computer science or STEM later.
Location: Opportunities in Chicago
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Varies based on availability
Application Deadline: Rolling; applications open in February for fall internships
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old and have a cumulative GPA of 2.9 or higher on a 4.0 scale
The NASA Pathways Internship Program lets high school and college students get work experience in computer science and other STEM fields. You’ll work on NASA projects and learn skills that can help you get a job there later.
You do work in areas like engineering, science, or technology, depending on what you like. The program lasts several semesters, so you get plenty of time to learn and grow. Before you apply, they’ll tell you what kind of work and skills they want.
Location: Various labs across the U.S., Chicago is also available.
Stipend: Varies depending on location and project
Dates: 6-10 weeks in May–August. Specific dates vary depending on the location.
Application Deadline: Rolling.
Eligibility: Current high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents. Additional eligibility requirements vary by location; check details here.
The AEOP High School Internship Program, run by the U.S. Army, lets you work with university scientists and Department of Defense experts in labs. You’ll get hands-on experience in fields like engineering, cybersecurity, software development, data science, environmental science, and biotechnology.
You’ll use advanced tools and take part in research that supports national security and science. If you’re interested in computers, programming, and digital security, this program is a good fit.
Location: Northwestern University
Stipend: $4000
Dates: June 23 - Aug 8
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Eligibility: Eligible applicants include high school students from Chicago Math and Science Academy, Northwestern Academy, and Holy Trinity High School.
The Northwestern University Research Program for High Schoolers (NURPH) is a paid seven-week program that gives students access to university laboratory resources and mentorship from professional researchers in Northwestern’s Materials Science and Engineering Department.
While the program focuses on materials science, it also highlights interdisciplinary connections, including applications in computing and data science. As a participant interested in computer science, you will gain hands-on experience applying coding, data analysis, and computational methods to solve scientific problems.
Alongside research, you’ll also learn about the fundamentals of materials science and engineering, exploring how computer science plays a role in fields such as energy, medicine, and advanced materials.
Location: Remote
Cost: $850 + $40 application fee
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: U.S. high school students over the age of 14 at the start of the program. Applicants should have a mathematical/computer science background or experience in the healthcare sector.
Stanford’s AIMI Summer Health AI Bootcamp is a two-week online program made for high school students who want to see how AI works in healthcare. You’ll learn the basics of machine learning, how to check if AI tools work well, and the problems AI faces in medicine.
The program covers things like generative AI and how AI helps doctors with diagnoses. You’ll join live classes and coding workshops, take part in group talks, and hear from experts about careers in this field. You’ll also get hands-on experience working with healthcare data to understand how AI is changing medicine and patient care.
Location: Virtual.
Cost: There is currently no information available.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort. Check for dates here.
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. Check for dates here.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply.
Empowerly’s Startup Internship Program gives high school and college students interested in computer science the opportunity to work with startups from around the world. You can join during the school year or in the summer and apply to over 40 companies.
Some of these roles are in tech, where you might contribute to software-related tasks, depending on the company’s needs. As a computer science intern, you’ll get a chance to apply what you’ve learned in class to real-world problems and collaborate with startup teams.
Location: Various locations across th,e U.S., Chicago is also available.
Stipend: $4,000 stipend (new participants); $4,500 stipend (returning participants)
Dates: June – August (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: November 1
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old, have completed Grade 9, and are U.S. citizens
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) is an 8-week paid summer internship where you work in a Navy lab with scientists and engineers. If you're interested in computer science, you can gain experience by supporting research and learning how teams solve problems using technology.
There are about 300 spots nationwide, and selection is competitive. They look at your grades, interest in research, and teacher recommendations. It's a great way to explore how real-world research works in science, engineering, and computing.
Location: Various NASA centers in the country. Chicago is also available.
Stipend: Paid (amount varies)
Dates: Summer Session: 10 weeks from late May or early June to August; Fall Session: 16 weeks from late August or early September to mid-December
Application Deadline: Summer: February 28; Fall: May 16
Eligibility: U.S. full-time high school students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
As a NASA intern at the Marshall Space Flight Center, you’ll work full-time on-site for 40 hours a week. You’ll help with two NASA programs: the Student Launch Initiative and the Human Exploration Rover Challenge. If you're into computer science, you'll get to build software tools, work with databases, run data analysis, and support teams during technical reviews.
You’ll also help organize project information and make sure digital systems work smoothly. You’ll be working closely with NASA staff to solve technical problems and improve how these programs run.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Application Deadlines: Online Course: December – January; Summer Institute: March 3 – March 31
Program Dates: Online Course: February 3 – June 20; Four-week Virtual Summer Institute: July 7 – August 3
Eligibility: High school students who have completed their sophomore or junior year. Must finish the online course to participate in the Summer Institute
The CogWorks program at MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute gives high school students hands-on experience with AI and machine learning. It starts with an online course where you’ll learn Python, Git, natural language processing, and basic machine learning.
Then, during the four-week summer session, you’ll work in teams to build and test AI assistants using tools like Amazon Alexa and open-source software. Each day includes lectures and fun, interactive projects. The program ends with a final competition where teams present their AI creations.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Not mentioned
Deadline: Applications are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Dates: June 14 – August 30
Eligibility: All high school students
The Young Scholars NASA Data Science Program is a five-week program for high school students to explore space data and research with NASA. You’ll work on NASA projects, analyse data, and write a research paper with help from expert mentors.
The program includes lectures, research work, and night-time virtual telescope sessions. You’ll learn about astronomy, data analysis, and how private space companies influence space policy. At the end, your research paper will be published on George Mason University’s Schar School Young Scholars Journals website.
15. MITES Semester
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free
Deadline: February 15
Dates: June through December
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents and High school juniors
MITES Semester (formerly MOSTEC) is a six-month online program that helps high school students build STEM skills and prepare for college. From June to December, you’ll take challenging online courses and join weekly webinars, social events, workshops, and peer meetings in the fall.
You’ll take two courses focused on science and engineering topics like Machine Learning, Thermodynamics, and Astrophysics. One course is project-based, and the other is a core class in Calculus, Physics, Computer Science, or Science Writing.
This is not a typical internship. However, because of the prestigious institution and its free-of-charge nature, it provides you with all the perks of an internship.
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.
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