12 Free Criminology Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
If you’re a high school student interested in criminology, participating in a structured program can help you move beyond basic concepts and understand how the justice system works in practice. These programs introduce you to topics such as criminal law, legal procedure, forensic analysis, and public policy while helping you build skills in research, critical thinking, and argumentation. Early exposure can also help you explore potential career paths in law, criminal justice, or public service while strengthening your academic profile.
Why should I participate in a free criminology program in high school?
Criminology programs give you the opportunity to study real legal systems, analyze case studies, and explore how crimes are investigated, prosecuted, and prevented. Depending on the program, you might attend lectures, participate in mock trials, assist with research, or observe legal professionals in action. These experiences can deepen your understanding of the field, connect you with mentors, and help you build a strong foundation for future studies in criminology or law.
To make things easier, we have narrowed down a list of 12 free criminology programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online summer research programs, check out our blog here.
Location: Manhattan, NY
Cost/Stipend: Paid at minimum wage
Dates: June 29 – July 31
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who live in or attend school in Manhattan
This is a six-week summer experience where you’ll examine how a large urban prosecutor’s office operates. You will commit 35 hours per week and take part in structured workshops and discussions focused on topics such as policing, criminal justice reform, civic engagement, and leadership. Through presentations and policy-focused sessions, you’ll learn how legal strategies are developed and implemented within the district attorney’s office. The program also requires you to reflect on your interest in criminal justice through a 300-word essay submitted with your application. Over the course of the internship, you will gain exposure to the practical and administrative dimensions of public prosecution.
Location: Remote
Cost: The program is fully funded
Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort. Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply here.
Eligibility: You must be enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall and must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In the flagship program, talented high-school students are paired with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. This program is a solid option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Cost/Stipend: No cost | $2,000 stipend (6 weeks)
Dates: May 27 – July 17
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors; commuter expenses not covered
The Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program places you in legal offices where you assist with substantive case preparation tasks. You may summarize depositions, assemble trial notebooks, organize discovery materials, and observe court proceedings. Through structured orientations and weekly meetings, you’ll learn about legal ethics, courtroom procedures, and professional expectations. The internship emphasizes practical exposure to litigation processes, including document management systems such as Bates stamping. Over six weeks, you gain insight into how attorneys prepare cases and navigate trial strategy within a professional legal setting.
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts; rolling admissions
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school
The Academic Insights Program lets high school students experience university life firsthand. You will live on campus, study in small groups of 7-10, and learn from tutors from top universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Participants can explore a wide range of subjects, spanning over 20 options, including Architecture, AI, Business Management, Computer Science, Economics, Medicine, Philosophy, and more. The courses are experiential and focus on hands-on learning. You may find yourself conducting dissections in medicine, designing a robotic arm in engineering, participating in a moot court for law, or building creative writing portfolios and business case studies. By the end of the program, you’ll complete a personal project, receive written feedback, and receive a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Brooklyn and Central Islip, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost | unpaid internship
Dates: Offered year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Rising seniors from an accredited high school
This internship introduces you to the federal legal system. You may be assigned to divisions such as Library Legal Information, Automated Litigation Support, the Library Legal Information and Resource Center, or Paralegal Legal Studies, depending on availability and interest. Through these placements, you’ll observe how federal prosecutors prepare cases, manage legal documentation, and support litigation processes. You will also gain exposure to legal research systems and case management tools used in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. If you are considering pre-law or criminal justice studies, this internship helps you understand how federal criminal cases are handled and how community crime prevention connects to prosecution work.
Location: Miami, Florida
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid | school credit may be available
Dates: Varies based on student availability
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in Miami-Dade County
The Miami-Dade State Attorney High School Volunteer Internship Program introduces you to the structure and daily operations of a prosecutor’s office. After a screening and interview process, you’ll assist staff with criminal and civil matters while observing how cases move through the local justice system. Your responsibilities may include supporting legal research, helping with administrative casework, attending bond hearings, and observing sworn testimony procedures. You will gain exposure to how prosecutors prepare cases and interact with the public. This internship is suited for students interested in law, paralegal studies, criminal justice, or social work, especially if you are seeking academic credit alongside practical experience.
Location: Hosted at Brooklyn Law School, Cardozo School of Law, Columbia Law School, CUNY School of Law, Fordham School of Law, NYU School of Law, or St. John’s School of Law in New York City
Cost/Stipend: No cost | stipend provided
Dates: 5 weeks in the summer, typically starting after the NYC school year ends
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 9th graders from Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens
The Legal Outreach Summer Law Institute is a five-week academic program that introduces you to foundational legal concepts and criminal justice topics. You will attend classes hosted at partner law schools and learn from law students and legal professionals. The curriculum includes mock trials, legal writing exercises, and field visits to courts or legal institutions. You’ll build skills in argumentation, case analysis, and courtroom procedure, culminating in a mock trial competition before judges. Successful completion of the Legal Outreach Summer Law Institute qualifies you to apply for the organization’s multi-year College Bound program.
Location: Boston, Worcester, or Springfield, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost | paid hourly at minimum wage or slightly above (about $15/hour)
Dates: Training from May through June | summer internship from July through August
Application Deadline: Currently closed
Eligibility: Public high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Worcester, Boston, or Springfield
The Supreme Judicial Court Judicial Youth Corps Program combines classroom instruction with a paid courthouse internship to introduce you to the Massachusetts court system. During the training component, volunteer judges, lawyers, and court staff teach you about juvenile law, criminal procedure, family law, landlord-tenant disputes, the jury system, and appellate review. You will then complete a summer placement in a local courthouse, where you observe proceedings and assist with administrative tasks. The program emphasizes understanding the rule of law and the structure of state courts. Through mentorship and direct exposure, you’ll develop foundational knowledge of judicial processes and courtroom operation.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced after enrollment
Application Deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The course offered by the University of Pennsylvania on Coursera introduces you to the structure and foundations of the U.S. legal system. You will study six core areas, including constitutional law, criminal law, contract law, civil procedure, tort law, and property law. Through recorded lectures, readings, and graded assignments, you’ll examine how courts interpret statutes and how legal disputes move through the judicial system. Faculty from the University of Pennsylvania guide you through both legal theory and applied examples, helping you understand how doctrine operates in practice. By the end of the course, you will build a working knowledge of court structures, legal reasoning, and foundational principles that shape American law.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced, structured across 12 weeks
Application Deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The Justice course offered by Harvard University on edX explores philosophical and political debates surrounding law, equality, and democracy. The course uses case studies and real-world controversies to examine concepts such as fairness, rights, and moral responsibility. You’ll analyze issues like affirmative action, income inequality, and civic duty while engaging with major ethical frameworks. Lectures and readings guide you through competing theories of justice and their policy implications. If you are interested in criminology, public policy, or political theory, this course helps you strengthen your critical thinking and argumentative skills while examining how moral reasoning shapes laws and institutions.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced after enrollment
Application Deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to high school students
This course, offered by Case Western Reserve University on Coursera, examines how legal systems respond to crimes that impact the global community. You will study core principles of international criminal law, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression. The course explains how institutions such as the International Criminal Court operate and outlines the legal standards used to prosecute cross-border offenses. Through case studies and legal analysis, you’ll explore treaties, jurisdictional challenges, and the role of human rights frameworks in international justice. By the end, you will gain a clearer understanding of how accountability is pursued at the global level and how international courts differ from domestic legal systems.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced, typically structured over 4 weeks
Application Deadline: Ongoing enrollment
Eligibility: Open to high school students
This course, offered by the University of York on FutureLearn, walks you through each stage of the criminal justice process, from investigation to sentencing. You study how police officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges contribute to legal proceedings. The course explains principles such as due process, fair trials, and proportional punishment within real-world contexts. Through case examples and guided activities, you’ll examine how evidence is evaluated and how sentencing decisions are made. You will also explore rehabilitation and the broader goals of criminal justice policy, building foundational knowledge relevant to law, criminology, and public policy.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. 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.
Image Source - Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program logo