15 Free Programs for High School Students in NYC
- Stephen Turban
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you’re a high school student trying to figure out what you want to study later or what learning beyond school actually feels like, joining a program can be one of the simplest ways to explore that.
What will I do as a program participant?
These programs let you see how advanced classes are taught, how projects are handled, and how real work environments operate. You get exposure to academic life, professional settings, and fields you may want to pursue later, all while staying rooted in the city.
What makes these programs stand out is that they are free, and many of them also offer a stipend. That means you can gain serious experience, build something concrete for your college applications, and earn at the same time.
Why should I consider a free program in New York City (NYC)?
New York City offers a wide range of free programs for high school students that place you in college campuses, research spaces, nonprofits, and public institutions for a few weeks and months. The city is home to some of the best universities in the world (like NYU and Columbia), and gaining exposure to advanced academics in a subject early on is pretty much a foot in the door for your undergraduate degree. If you’re an NYC local, you’ll also save tons of money on travel and housing!
To help you sort through the strongest options, we’ve narrowed this list to the top free programs for high school students in New York City!
We’ve also covered programs focused on a specific subject hosted in NYC, like STEM, art, and literature!
Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Cost: $1,100 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: February 10 – May 29
Application Deadline: October 27
Eligibility: 10th or 11th graders living in or attending high school in NYC; must not have completed another Met internship; ability to provide working papers and SSN/ITIN
The Met High School Internship Program lets you see how a major museum actually works from the inside. You work with professionals across teams like editorial, marketing, conservation, education, and research, helping with real tasks instead of shadowing from the sidelines. The focus is on understanding how exhibitions, collections, and public programs come together behind the scenes. Through hands-on work and mentorship, you get a clearer sense of what careers in art and museums can look like and what day-to-day work in these spaces involves.
Location: Remote
Cost: The program is fully funded!
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort. Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
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 Research Inclusion Foundation stands as a non-profit research program tailored for gifted students from low-income backgrounds. Stemming from the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, renowned for its extensive one-on-one research opportunities for high school students, the foundation provides the same access to independent research experiences at zero cost.
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. You can apply here!
Location: Bronx Zoo, Bronx, NY
Cost: Free; $750 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: September – December
Application Deadline: July 3
Eligibility: High school sophomores or juniors from the Bronx, comfortable working outdoors
Project TRUE is a year-long program where you learn environmental research by doing it in real city spaces. You start in the summer with fieldwork across New York City, collecting data on plants, animals, and ecosystems in places like rooftops, ponds, and parks. You work alongside scientists and college students, learning how research actually happens through observation, data collection, and basic analysis. In the fall, you meet weekly to make sense of what you found over the summer and learn how to explain your work clearly. The program also includes support for college planning, including guidance on applications and financial aid.
4. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: Multiple 12–15-week cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter cycles)
Eligibility: High school students with Python/AI experience or graduates of Veritas Scholars
Founded and run by Harvard graduate students, Veritas AI offers programs for high school students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of AI and data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, you get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that you get access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
Location: The New-York Historical Society, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: February 16 – February 20
Application Deadline: January 11
Eligibility: 9th–12th graders in the NYC Metro area
Tech Scholars: Podcasting at the New York Historical Society is a short, hands-on program where you work with other teens to produce a real podcast season. The project is built around the museum’s exhibit The Gay Harlem Renaissance, and you work closely with museum educators to research the topic, write scripts, record audio, and edit episodes. Each participant helps create a full podcast episode that becomes part of a teen-produced series. The program runs in mid-February, is free to attend, and is open to high school students in the NYC metro area.
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free; $1,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 1 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are New York residents
ARISE is a ten-week, tuition-free STEM research program where you work full-time in an NYU engineering or science lab. You are matched with a research group based on your interests and support ongoing projects in fields like robotics, machine learning, bioengineering, genomics, or data-driven science. You work closely with graduate students and researchers and take part in real lab tasks rather than simulations or shadowing. The program runs in two phases, beginning with foundational training and continuing into hands-on lab research. The experience ends with a poster symposium where you present your work.
Location: Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Cost: Free; $500 stipend for phase one, $3,250 for phase two
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 16 students
Dates: February 26 – June 11; June 22 – August 6
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: NYC high school juniors and seniors, age 16+
Lab Jumpstart at Rockefeller University is a short, immersive program that introduces you to lab-based scientific research before a longer summer placement. You spend time learning core lab skills, safety practices, and research methods while working in Rockefeller laboratories alongside scientists and mentors. The focus is on helping you understand how research labs actually function, from daily routines to experimental thinking. The program is designed as a foundation rather than a standalone research internship. It prepares you to work more confidently in a lab setting by giving you early exposure to tools, protocols, and expectations.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Free; stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 7 weeks (summer)
Application Deadline: October 6 – October 31
Eligibility: 10th–11th graders in Zuckerman Institute partner programs
BrainYAC at Columbia University is a year-long neuroscience program where you explore how the brain works through hands-on activities and research exposure. You start by learning core neuroscience concepts and lab techniques, then apply them through experiments, data analysis, and discussions led by Columbia researchers and educators. The program mixes classroom learning with practical work so you understand both the science and how research is done. As you move through the program, you work with peers, get mentoring from scientists, and build skills in scientific thinking and communication.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: July 6 – August 7
Application Deadline: December 5
Eligibility: 10th–11th graders in NYC public/charter schools with educational or economic disadvantage
HK Maker Lab is a hands-on program run by Hypothekids that gives you space, tools, and guidance to build real projects from scratch. You work in a maker-style environment using equipment like 3D printers, laser cutters, electronics kits, and design software while learning how to turn ideas into physical or digital creations. The focus is on experimenting, problem-solving, and learning through making rather than following step-by-step instructions. You work alongside mentors and other students, test ideas, make mistakes, and improve your work over time.
Location: CUNY campuses across NYC
Cost: Free; stipend of $1,575 for eligible students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25 students
Dates: Spring: February 10 – May 23; Summer: July 6 – August 6
Application Deadline: January 16
Eligibility: 10th–11th grade NYC public school students with minimum academic benchmarks
The STEM Research Academy at City College of New York is a structured program where you work on real research projects while earning college credit through the CUNY College Now program. You spend the program learning how academic research works, from asking research questions to collecting data and analyzing results, with guidance from CCNY faculty and researchers. The experience is hands-on and academically focused, giving you exposure to lab work, technical writing, and research presentations. By the end of the program, you will have completed a research project and gained a clearer sense of what STEM research looks like at the college level.
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 4 weeks in summer
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Current 10th–11th graders living in NYC, NJ, or Nassau County
CS4CS at NYU is a summer program where you learn computer science by building things, not by sitting through lectures. The focus is on core ideas like programming, algorithms, and computational thinking, and you apply them through hands-on projects and problem-solving activities. You work with instructors and peers, practice writing code, and see how computer science connects to real-world problems. Along the way, you also get exposure to college pathways in tech and what studying computer science at a university level looks like.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: Free (optional residential housing costs $2,450)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: 11th graders, U.S. citizens or permanent residents, age 16+
The Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University is a seven-week experience where you work full-time on a research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. You are placed in a specific field, often in math, science, or engineering, and spend your time doing real research rather than coursework or simulations. The work is independent but closely supervised, so you learn how research problems are approached, tested, and refined. Alongside your project, you attend weekly seminars and workshops that focus on research communication and academic pathways. The program ends with a written research report and a presentation of your work.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Summer: July 6 – July 31; Academic Year: To be announced
Application Deadline: Summer: April 15; Academic Year: November 1
Eligibility: Economically disadvantaged New York State students in grades 7–12
S-PREP is an academic enrichment program built to strengthen your foundation in science and math, with a strong focus on medicine and health-related fields. You take structured courses in subjects like biology, chemistry, calculus, physics, and cognitive science, going deeper than what is usually covered in school. The academic year portion includes Saturday classes and SAT preparation, making it a steady, long-term commitment rather than a short program. It works well if you are interested in healthcare or want to strengthen your academics before college.
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 5 weeks in summer
Application Deadline: To be announced\
Eligibility: 9th–12th graders in NYC, age 15+
The Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)–IESOSC program at NYU is a short, focused experience where you explore how science and engineering research connect to real-world problems. You take part in structured sessions that introduce you to research thinking, technical concepts, and problem-solving across STEM fields, with guidance from NYU instructors and mentors. The program is designed to build your comfort with research environments and technical ideas before deeper lab work. You learn how questions are framed, how data is approached, and how engineering solutions are developed.
Location: NYU campus, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 80 students
Dates: July 5 – July 25
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors (age 16+); U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Simons–NYU Science Explorations Program is a three-week residential experience where you take college-level classes and spend time in structured labs across subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, and neural science. You attend lectures taught by NYU faculty and apply what you learn through guided lab sessions, without the pressure of running an independent research project. The program also includes shared activities and cultural outings.
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.
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