14 Linguistics Research Opportunities for High School Students

Linguistics sits at the intersection of cognitive science, anthropology, computer science, and education, making it an excellent field for high school students interested in both quantitative and qualitative research. Through research opportunities in linguistics, you can explore topics like syntax, phonetics, language acquisition, endangered languages, or natural language processing, all while developing strong analytical and communication skills.

What will I do in a linguistics research program for high school students?

These programs often combine hands-on research with mentorship, giving you access to tools like ELAN, Praat, or R for analyzing language data. Some may also include fieldwork, lab-based projects, or technical writing components, helping you build the foundations for future academic or interdisciplinary work.

In this list, you’ll find 14 linguistics research opportunities for high school students, selected for their emphasis on project-based learning, mentorship, and real-world applications of language science.

1. North American Computational Linguistics Open Competition (NACLO)

Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Cost: Free

Program Dates: Registration opens: Late September | Open Round: January 23 | Invitational Round: March 13 (by qualification)

Application Deadline: Registration opens late September

Eligibility: Middle and high school students

NACLO introduces students to computational linguistics through a logic-driven puzzle-solving competition. At the Cornell University local site, you will participate in both the Open Round and, if qualified, the Invitational Round, where you will tackle problems involving language patterns, codes, and syntax structures. You will acquire skills in algorithmic thinking, formal logic, and linguistic analysis, all foundational to computational linguistics and AI-related fields. No prior linguistics background is needed, making this a great entry point for students interested in linguistic structures and problem-solving.

2. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Linguistics Track

Location: Remote

Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid available

Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June)

Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)

Eligibility: High school students with strong academic records, 3.3+ GPA recommended

The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. If you’re interested in linguistics, you can explore topics like phonetics, syntax acquisition, computational linguistics, and sociolinguistics. You can refine skills in hypothesis building, data collection (including corpus analysis), and statistical modeling using tools like ELAN, Praat, or R. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper!

3. Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars (SLIYS)

Location: Virtual (hosted by Ohio State University)

Cost: $550 per session

Program Dates: SLIYS 1: June 8 – 12 or July 14 – 18 | SLIYS 2 (optional): June 22 – 26 or July 20 – 24

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions start February 1

Eligibility: High school students (recommended GPA of 3.0)

SLIYS is an intensive, research-style introduction to linguistics where you will explore phonetics, morphology, syntax, and language documentation through live lectures and hands-on workshops. You will practice fieldwork by interviewing a speaker of an unfamiliar language and conducting experiments alongside researchers, simulating the work of professional linguists. The program is split into two levels: SLIYS 1 covers foundational concepts, while SLIYS 2 (optional) offers advanced study for those who have completed SLIYS 1. The focus of the program is on analytical methods, data collection, and linguistic theory-building.

4. Horizon Academic Research Program – Linguistics Track

Location: Remote

Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid available

Program Dates: Multiple cohorts year-round; summer cohort typically runs June – August

Application Deadline: Rolling; priority deadline for summer cohort is May 18

Eligibility: High school students, grades 9–12

Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. If you’re interested in linguistics, you can explore areas like phonology, syntax, computational linguistics, or sociolinguistics. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.

5. Summer Institute for Languages of the Muslim World (SILMW)

Location: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL (virtual and in-person options)

Cost: Varies; tuition per credit hour + $50 internal program fee per course

Program Dates: 8-week session (June – August)

Application Deadline: Registration typically opens in April

Eligibility: High school students with a GPA of 3.5+ (3.0+ for University Laboratory High School students); counselor approval and transcript required

UIUC’s SILMW program allows high school students to enroll in intensive language courses like Arabic while earning college credit. Alongside linguistic training, you will take LING 110: Cultural Experiences of the Muslim World, where you will explore sociolinguistic and cultural aspects of language use through lectures and interactive projects. The program focuses on data-driven analysis of language learning environments and encourages reflection on cross-cultural communication, providing a structured academic research experience. You can combine up to three course sections, integrating language acquisition with applied linguistic study. While primarily an intensive language-learning program, SILMW integrates sociolinguistic and cultural analysis, giving students exposure to applied linguistics research methods.

6. Introduction to Linguistics – University of Pennsylvania Pre-College Program

Location: Online

Cost: $8,462 – $13,858

Program Dates: June 30 – August 5

Application Deadline: Rolling until cohort is full

Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12)

This online pre-college course introduces high school students to the scientific study of language, covering phonetics, morphology, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics. The course combines live lectures with asynchronous work, emphasizing linguistic theory-building, analysis of dialect variation, and the reconstruction of language histories. You will also explore neurolinguistics and language disorders, providing exposure to both theoretical and applied linguistics. Though structured as a university course rather than a research mentorship, the program provides a rigorous academic foundation in linguistic theory and analysis.

7. Computational Linguistics Pre-College Summer Program

Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY

Cost: $3,950 (residential); $1,500 (commuter); discounts available

Program Dates: July 6 – 18

Application Deadline: May 30

Eligibility: High school students

This two-week intensive program introduces students to computational linguistics, focusing on the analysis of human language through algorithms and data science. You will explore how speech and text processing tools handle under-documented and rare languages. You will also gain practical experience with natural language processing (NLP) software and linguistic datasets. The curriculum emphasizes pattern recognition, statistical modeling, and cross-linguistic data analysis. While more instructional than research-based, this program offers project-driven work that introduces students to computational approaches used in modern linguistics research.

8. Concordia College Language Villages

Location: Bemidji, MN, and camps across Minnesota

Cost: Varies by camp length and format; scholarships available (up to 30% of tuition)

Program Dates: Year-round; session dates vary from 2 days to full-year programs

Application Deadline: Varies by session

Eligibility: Open to high school students

Concordia’s Language Villages offer immersive cultural and linguistic experiences in multiple languages. Though not a traditional research program, the camps allow you to analyze language use in authentic settings, observe sociolinguistic phenomena, and engage in community-centered language acquisition. Activities integrate cultural practices, fostering cross-cultural communication and awareness of linguistic diversity. Students interested in field linguistics or language preservation may gain observational and ethnographic skills applicable to broader linguistic research contexts.

9. International School of Indiana (ISI) – IB Diploma and MYP Linguistics Components

Location: Indiana (on-site, with global curriculum focus)

Cost: $25,675. Financial aid available 

Program Dates: Academic year-round; additional language projects vary by grade

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Eligibility: Full-time high school students (grades 9–12)

ISI offers the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes, both integrating critical thinking and linguistic analysis through their Language & Literature and Language Acquisition tracks. You will explore topics like discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and language variation, and complete research projects like the Personal Project and Extended Essay, which often focus on linguistics or language policy themes. The curriculum emphasizes independent research, cross-cultural communication, and critical examination of language’s role in identity and society. You can earn the Global Seal of Biliteracy to credential your language proficiency for future academic or professional pathways.

10. MIT Introduction to Linguistics

Location: Online

Cost: Free

Program Dates: Self-paced

Application Deadline: None

Eligibility: Open to all learners, including high school students

MIT's Introduction to Linguistics course, offered via OpenCourseWare, is a foundational, college-level resource for students interested in linguistic theory and analysis. Topics include phonetics, morphology, syntax, and semantics, providing a theoretical framework to approach language scientifically. You will learn formal grammar modeling and explore cross-linguistic data analysis, with optional problem sets for applying concepts. While not a guided research opportunity, this course supports independent learners seeking to strengthen their theoretical and analytical skills in preparation for future linguistics research projects.

11. Yale Young Global Scholars – Innovations in Science & Technology (IST) Track

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT

Cost: $6,500; financial aid available

Program Dates: 2-week sessions between June – August

Application Deadline: January 10

Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors

Yale’s IST track includes modules on computational linguistics, language data analysis, and cognitive science, introducing you to research methods at the interface of language and technology. You will work in groups to develop research-driven projects while engaging in lectures, workshops, and discussions on current global issues in science and technology. The program encourages interdisciplinary thinking, with opportunities to explore language-related fields through computational, cognitive, and social science lenses. While not linguistics-exclusive, the track offers exposure to applied linguistics and data science tools relevant to language research.

12. Literature, Philosophy, & Culture (LPC) – Yale Young Global Scholars

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT 

Cost: $6,500; financial aid available

Program Dates: 2-week sessions between June – August

Application Deadline: January 10

Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors

The LPC session at Yale Young Global Scholars encourages interdisciplinary exploration of language, philosophy, and culture through literature, media, and the arts. While not strictly a linguistics program, students engage in discourse analysis, rhetorical studies, and critical theory, building transferable skills in textual analysis, argumentation, and writing. Seminars and lectures address language’s role in ethics, identity, and storytelling, offering you a space to interrogate how language constructs meaning across cultures and art forms. This is a strong option for students interested in the intersection of linguistics, literature, and philosophy.

13. Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)

Location: Various university campuses across the U.S.

Cost: Fully funded (including travel, tuition, and room & board)

Program Dates: 6 weeks between June – August

Application Deadline: January 3

Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors worldwide

While TASS is not a linguistics program per se, its Critical Black Studies and Anti-Oppressive Studies tracks offer rigorous opportunities to analyze language through social, historical, and political contexts. Seminars often involve discourse analysis, sociolinguistic critique, and explorations of how language reinforces or resists systems of oppression. You will engage deeply with academic texts, participate in seminar-style discussions, and produce critical essays, building analytical and research skills applicable to linguistics and cultural studies. TASS emphasizes peer-led learning, collaborative research, and public presentation of student work.

14. Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP)

Location: Bay Area, CA (in-person and remote options available)

Cost: Free

Program Dates: Summer: June – August; Autumn and Spring sessions also offered

Application Deadline: April 15

Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9–12

ASDRP is a highly competitive, year-round research program where students work directly in faculty-mentored research groups on active projects. While not linguistics-exclusive, some groups focus on computational linguistics, data science, and AI language models. You will develop skills in research design, coding (Python, R), data analysis, and scientific writing, contributing to publishable projects. ASDRP emphasizes student-driven inquiry and long-term research engagement.

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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