14 Internships in Houston, TX for College Students
- Stephen Turban
- 1 hour ago
- 10 min read
If you’re a college student who wants to explore what your future career might look like, consider doing an internship. Internships offer practical experience, helping you develop skills in areas like project management, data analysis, and client communication. They provide training that enhances your qualifications for jobs or graduate school by showcasing relevant competencies. Working alongside professionals helps you stay updated on industry practices, improving your ability to contribute in future roles or academic settings.
What internships are available for college students in Houston, Texas?
Houston’s economy runs through many different sectors, from hospitals and research labs to energy firms, startups, and community organizations, so you can explore a range of work environments. These settings let you work on tasks that mirror real responsibilities, observe how teams make decisions, and see where your interests fit into professional work. An added benefit of a local internship is that you don’t need to plan for travel or housing
With that in mind, here are 14 internships in Houston, TX, for college students! If you're looking for more prestigious internships, check out this set of blogs!
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by the program. Financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies based on the cohort; multiple deadlines throughout the year; you can apply to the program here
Eligibility: Open to undergraduate and gap year students able to commit 5–10 hours for 8 weeks
The Ladder University Internship is an eight-week program that places you with startups and established companies across sectors like technology, healthcare, sustainability, and finance. You’ll work on real-world projects, such as market analysis, business strategy, data science, or machine learning, while receiving guidance from both company mentors and Ladder Coaches. This dual-mentorship setup helps you understand how startups operate and gives you structured support as you build technical and professional skills. Throughout the program, you gain exposure to fast-growing industries, collaborate with founders and managers, and develop a clearer sense of potential career paths. You’ll also produce tangible project outcomes and present your work at the end of the internship.
Location: Various NASA centers in the country, including virtual opportunities. You can find opportunities here.
Stipend: Paid based on the academic level and session duration
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive / Varies by opportunity, >2,000 students across all programs
Dates: Spring session (Mid-January to Early May) | Summer session (Late May to August) | Fall session (Late August to Mid-December)
Application Deadline: Summer: February 27 | Fall: May 22 | Spring: late October/early November
Eligibility: Be a full-time college student (undergraduate through graduate-level) or a part-time college student enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours who has a minimum GPA of 3.0 | U.S. citizens | 16 or older at the time of application
The NASA OSTEM Internship Program lets you work on real projects connected to aerospace, robotics, satellite systems, and space technology. You will work with engineers and researchers to design experiments, review mission data, build tools, or contribute to business and administrative work, depending on your placement. You can join full-time or part-time and work virtually or at a NASA center. Throughout the program, mentors guide your technical growth and help you understand how NASA teams turn research goals into operational outcomes.
3. Rice University - Translating Research in the Psychological Sciences to the Real World Fellowship
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Stipend: $4,800
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 8 students
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 5
Eligibility: Current undergraduates in psychology or related fields planning to pursue graduate-level study
This Rice fellowship lets you design and run your own psychology research project in areas such as political behavior, personality, technology, or social dynamics. You will work with a faculty mentor, learn research methods, analyze data, and take part in workshops and department events that help you understand how academic research connects to real-world questions. You also explore graduate pathways in psychology and present your findings in a conference-style format at the end of the program. Selected students may receive funding to present at a national psychology conference the following year.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $7,200
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 students
Dates: 10 weeks starting early June
Application Deadline: January 14
Eligibility: A college or university student who has completed their freshman, sophomore, or junior year by June. All applicants must identify as economically disadvantaged, educationally disadvantaged, with disabilities, or a first-generation student. Check more details here.
This internship gives you a ten-week, full-time research experience at MD Anderson, where you work in a faculty mentor’s lab and learn how cancer research is conducted. Your summer includes hands-on experiments, coursework, scientific training, and weekly seminars that help you understand research careers and academic pathways in STEM. You finish the program with a poster presentation that allows you to communicate your findings to faculty and peers. Every participant also completes an outreach activity, giving you a broader look at how scientific work connects to community needs.
Location: Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $3,000-$6,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: May 26 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree (Only US citizens, legal permanent residents, and Foreign Nationals who already hold a legal visa status (F-1, J-1, EADs))
The Summer Undergraduate Research Internship at Houston Methodist pairs you with a faculty mentor for a ten-week biomedical research project. You will learn essential lab techniques, contribute to ongoing studies, and attend lectures and workshops on scientific communication, ethics, and career development. The program also includes networking events that help you meet clinicians and researchers across the Texas Medical Center. At the end of the summer, you share your work in a poster session as part of the MAPTA Summer Research Symposium.
Location: Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $6,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: May 26 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Sophomores or juniors currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program; must be a US citizen, a legal permanent resident, or a foreign national who already holds a legal visa status (F-1, J-1, EADs)
The Kadoorie Cardiovascular Internship gives you a structured look at cardiology and cardiothoracic care. You may be placed in clinical services where you can observe heart-lung transplants, coronary artery disease cases, and thoracic procedures. You attend weekly conferences that help you understand how teams diagnose and manage complex diseases, and you receive mentorship from physicians and researchers across cardiology, surgery, and transplant medicine. The program ends with a final presentation and provides a stipend for selected students.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $3,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 14
Eligibility: College students with good academic standing with official proof of enrollment for the spring semester
The MD Anderson DACCPM Summer Research Program is a 10-week training experience where you work directly with a faculty mentor on a lab-based research project. You learn core laboratory skills, including safety practices, data collection, and analysis while exploring topics such as chemotherapy-induced pain, opioids, perioperative immune function, or cancer recurrence. The program begins with a Cancer Biology boot camp using The Biology of Cancer textbook to help you build foundational knowledge for your project. Throughout the summer, you also attend academic and career development sessions covering topics like graduate school pathways and research careers.
Location: Multiple U.S. sites (varies by position)
Stipend: $26 – $29/hr
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Less than 3%
Dates: 10 – 12 weeks in the summer, depending on business need and availability
Application Deadline: October 31
Eligibility: Students enrolled in an accredited college/university degree program | 18 years and older | Authorized to work in the U.S. | Minimum 3.0 GPA (3.3 for R&D roles)
The Pfizer Futures Program allows you to work at one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, where you contribute to projects in research, clinical development, operations, or drug innovation. You might help with lab work, data analysis, documentation, or project workflows, depending on your placement. Mentors guide you throughout the internship, and you get structured feedback and skill-building sessions. By the end, you leave with hands-on experience in how new medicines and treatments move from idea to development.
Location: Various locations across the U.S.
Stipend: Stipend provided; compensation and additional benefits disclosed during the recruitment process
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 12 weeks; exact dates vary
Application Deadline: Applications open in August and September
Eligibility: Students with a GPA over 3.0 preferred | Role-specific requirements listed in job postings
The Roche Internship Program is a 12-week paid experience where you take on business-critical projects in areas such as R&D, analytics, manufacturing, or regulatory affairs. You’ll handle defined project responsibilities, collaborate with teams across the company, and present your work to senior leaders. The program includes structured development through workshops, networking events, panel discussions, and 1:1 mentorship that supports both technical and professional growth. As an intern, you will also participate in volunteer initiatives, social events, and committee work that help shape program activities.
Location: Various universities across the U.S.
Stipend: Varies by site; a competitive stipend will be provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Typically 8–10 students/site
Dates: Varies based on the site/opportunity
Application Deadline: Typically January – March
Eligibility: Undergraduate students pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or U.S. nationals
The NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program offers research internships where you work on STEM projects at universities, labs, or field sites across the U.S. Each REU site typically hosts a small cohort of students who collaborate closely with faculty and senior researchers while learning lab techniques, research methods, and scientific communication. You gain experience in fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, or computer science, depending on the site you select. The program also emphasizes mentorship and professional development, helping you explore academic and career pathways in STEM. Most sites provide stipends, housing, and travel support, making it accessible to students from different backgrounds.
Location: Global UNICEF offices or remote
Stipend: A monthly stipend is provided, plus one-time travel/visa support may be given
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 6–26 weeks, offered year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Full-time undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students who are at least 18 years old and proficient in the working language of the office to which they are applying
UNICEF Internships give you the chance to contribute to projects focused on child health, education, nutrition, and global humanitarian work. Depending on your placement, you might support areas like public health, policy research, communications, or data analysis while collaborating with teams that address challenges affecting children worldwide. You will receive mentorship from UN professionals and take part in hands-on assignments that strengthen skills in research, project coordination, and cross-cultural communication. Many roles also involve contributing to reports or participating in team meetings, giving you exposure to how large-scale international programs operate.
Location: McKinsey & Company’s North America offices
Stipend: Not mentioned
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 10 weeks in summer
Application Deadline: June 10
Eligibility: Students who are completing or have completed their first year of undergraduate study at a U.S. college or university
The Sophomore Summer Business Analyst Internship at McKinsey is a 10-week program where you work on real client projects and learn core consulting skills. You begin with a week of training before joining a project team to analyze data, build models, test hypotheses, and help develop recommendations. The internship gives you exposure to stakeholder interviews, collaboration with subject experts, and opportunities to present your work. You also receive guidance from your local office to choose projects that fit your interests and support your skill development.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $7,200
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Undergraduate students, graduate students, or those who have completed an undergraduate degree in an academic or professional discipline
The Center for Clinical Ethics Internship gives you a structured, personalized introduction to clinical, research, and academic ethics within a major healthcare setting. You’ll participate in ethics case consultations, attend ICU rounds with clinical ethicists, and shadow multidisciplinary teams to understand how ethical decisions are made. The program also exposes you to research ethics through IRB and committee meetings, while guiding you through a faculty-supported research project that ends in a formal presentation. Alongside this, you’ll engage in directed academic readings and attend ethics-focused lectures across the institution.
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $7,200
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited positions are available
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 14
Eligibility: Veterinary medical students in their first or second years of veterinary school and pre-veterinary undergraduate students
The DISCOVER Program is a 10-week summer fellowship at MD Anderson that pairs you with a faculty mentor to complete a biomedical research project and present your work at the annual Summer Student Symposium. You’ll explore career paths in laboratory animal medicine and comparative pathology while gaining skills in animal handling, injections, tissue collection, and surgical techniques through rounds and wet labs. The program also includes auditing graduate-level courses in mouse cancer biology and experimental pathology, giving you structured academic exposure led by veterinary faculty. Beyond the lab, you’ll attend scientific lectures, seminars, and career development events, with many opportunities to network with other summer researchers.
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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