9 Online Engineering Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Apr 28
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 18
If you're a high school student interested in engineering, summer is a great time to explore the field. Whether you're drawn to building things, coding, or solving problems with technology, participating in a program can help you discover which area of engineering fits you best.
Online programs, specifically, are accessible and affordable options for those who can’t commit to an in-person program!
You don’t need to travel or adjust your school schedule, and you can still learn directly from professionals or researchers.
Whether you're interested in electrical, software, mechanical, civil, biomedical, chemical, aerospace, or environmental engineering, participating in a summer program can not only give you hands-on experience but also strengthen your college applications. Colleges often look for students who have explored their interests in-depth in high school, and showing initiative in engineering will give your profile a boost
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 9 online engineering summer programs for high school students!
9 Online Engineering Summer Programs for High School Students
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program- Engineering track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on the program, $2,990 for the Individual Research Program
Dates: Vary based on cohort. Summer cohort - June to August, Fall cohort September to December, Winter cohort - December to February, Spring cohort- March to June. Based on the program chosen, duration can range from 12 weeks or more.
Application Deadline: Varies based on the cohort. The Summer Cohort regular deadline is May 11
Eligibility: High school students who demonstrate high levels of academic ability. Unweighted GPA should be a minimum of 3.3/4.0
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a 12-week research program for high school students. You work one-on-one with a PhD mentor on an independent research project and choose your topic from subjects like psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. By the end of the program, you will have completed an independent research paper. Apply here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,115 (international students may have to pay additional international shipping fees for the lab kit)
Dates: June 30- August 1 (meeting time can vary)
Application Deadline: May 28. Deadlines may vary by program and location. Check details here.
Eligibility: Typical students accepted are rising juniors or seniors in high school. Those in 9th grade and recent high school graduates (pre-college) can also apply. Please refer to the link here for prerequisites, including computer and lab requirements.
Explore Engineering Innovation is a pre-college summer program by Johns Hopkins University for high school students interested in different areas of engineering. You get an introduction to fields like civil, mechanical, chemical, electrical, and computer engineering, and materials science. The program includes college-style lectures and offers three college credits upon completion.
You also complete hands-on lab activities using a lab kit sent to your home, allowing you to apply engineering concepts through building and experimenting. You can find out more about group projects here. You can also consider their programs in Sustainable Energy Engineering (in-person) and Biomedical Engineering (virtual).
3. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP) - Engineering Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,950. Financial aid is available!
Application Deadlines: Priority: March 23; Regular I: April 20; Regular II: May 18
Program Dates: The summer cohort starts June 16. Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply at least four weeks in advance.
Eligibility: Usually, 10-11th-grade high school students are accepted. Students need to have a good academic background (more than 3.67/4.0 GPA). Only some tracks have other prerequisites.
Horizon offers a research program where you spend a trimester working on a college-level research project in a subject of your choice. Once you select your subject and research type, you’re matched with a professor or PhD researcher from a top university. They guide you through the entire research process, from narrowing your topic to writing and editing your final paper.
If you’re interested in engineering, you can choose the Environmental Health and Engineering track. In that course, you explore topics like sustainable agriculture, urban development, infrastructure systems, and how engineering is used to address environmental challenges.
By the end of the program, you will produce a 20-page research paper that can be submitted to a high school research journal or used in college applications. Apply here!
Location: Virtual (with some opportunities in the Greater Seattle area), WA
Cost: No cost, some companies may provide a stipend
Dates: Usually between 8-12 weeks (June-August), depending on the company and project
Application Deadline: Applications open in March/April. Deadline not specified
Eligibility: High school students from grades 9-12. Must be U.S. Citizens/permanent residents and need to be currently residing in the U.S. They encourage demonstrated interest in the program.
The SPARK Summer Mentorship Program gives high school students a chance to build skills through hands-on learning in real work environments. You can apply to remote or in-person internships based on your interests. Once accepted, you work directly with mentors, researchers, and industry professionals on focused projects in various technical fields.
As part of the application, you choose from a list of specific projects. In past years, topics have included software engineering, machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, and accessibility in tech and engineering. This helps you find a project that fits your goals and gain experience in a professional setting.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,080, some courses may need additional materials to be bought (not exceeding $100). Financial aid is available, more details can be found here
Dates: Two sessions for two weeks each: June 16- June 27, July 7- July 18
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: High school students from grades 8-11. Varies on the program. Some subjects may have prerequisites.
Stanford’s Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes allow high school students to study college-level engineering topics in a flexible, online format. You can choose from courses like biomedical engineering, game design, data science, human-computer interaction, and more.
Each course runs for two weeks, with two-hour sessions held five days a week. You learn in small groups led by experienced instructors and take part in assignments, group discussions, and hands-on projects. The program focuses on building subject knowledge while helping you think critically, solve problems, and work with peers.
Location: Virtual or in-person, depending on the project
Cost: No cost to participate, there can be a stipend depending on the project
Dates: Typically, 10–16-week programs which take place during fall, spring, and summer
Application Deadline: Fall session: May 16; Spring session: September 12; Summer: February 27
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old at the time of application. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, GPA must be at least 3.0/4.0.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships give you a chance to explore engineering by working on real NASA projects. You can work in fields like aerospace engineering, robotics, electrical systems, software development, and mechanical design. Internships are offered in both in-person and virtual formats, depending on the project and the NASA center.
You’re matched with a mentor and learn technical skills such as CAD modeling, data analysis, coding in Python, C++, or MATLAB, and systems testing. Some projects involve building and testing hardware for aircraft or space missions, while others focus on improving robotic systems or applying AI to engineering tasks. You can access the opportunities available here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: None
Dates: June 2- June 13; July 7- July 18; July 21-August 1; August 4-August 15
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Young women and gender expansive teens between the ages of 13-18
Kode With Klossy offers free, two-week coding camps for high school students from traditionally underrepresented genders in STEM. If you're interested in engineering, you can focus on areas like mobile app development or AI and machine learning. During the program, you build technical skills by working on real coding projects. You also connect with peers who share your interest in technology and engineering.
8. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) – George Mason University
Location: Virtual (hybrid and in-person opportunities also available)
Cost: No cost except a $25 application fee; financial aid is available
Dates: June 18 - August 8
Application Deadline: Typically, in February
Eligibility: Students applying for remote internships must be 15 years old or older by the start date of the program
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program at George Mason University allows you to spend your summer doing engineering research. You’ll get to work on real research in areas like mechanical, civil, electrical, and computer engineering, computer science, and bioengineering. You’ll be paired with a mentor doing active research, and yes, you can check out all the projects and mentors here.
You’ll build skills like scientific writing, data crunching, and maybe even dive into software like MATLAB, CAD, or Python, depending on your project. There's also a big focus on communication and how to explain your work clearly, which is important when you’re dealing with complex ideas. And if your project goes well, your name could end up in a scientific journal or on a research poster at a conference. See past projects here.
Location: Virtual (in-person opportunities also available in MA)
Cost: Families with an income above $150,000 will pay $2,350. There is no cost for those earning less.
Dates: Students must register in December for the online courses and subsequently in March for the summer program.
Application Deadline: March 31 (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising seniors are eligible!
The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) is a hands-on summer program run by MIT’s School of Engineering and Lincoln Laboratory. If you're into engineering and tech, this program gives you the chance to work on projects that reflect real-world problems engineers are trying to solve today. It’s all about learning by doing.
You can explore online courses like Basics of ASICs, Microelectronics and Hardware Development, and Quantum Software. These courses go beyond the basics, pushing you to think critically and work in teams to build actual solutions. You’ll use engineering tools and explore technical content that’s usually taught in college.
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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