15 Online Science Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 3 hours ago
- 10 min read
For high school students who want to explore science in a more focused way, online programs offer a practical path. They allow you to go beyond standard coursework and engage with scientific topics that may not be available at your school. There are multiple online science programs available for high school students across subfields like biology, physics, chemistry, neurology, and more.
What will I do as a participant?
Online science programs typically combine readings, assignments, and guided projects to help you build subject knowledge and research skills. You learn how to think scientifically, manage longer-term work, and engage with complex ideas. These experiences add value to your college applications by showing initiative and sustained interest in science.
To help you find strong options, we have compiled a list of 15 online science programs for high school students!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies by the program. Full financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June).
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
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. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June–December (summer start before senior year)
Application Deadline: Fall of junior year (e.g., November/December)
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are high school juniors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MITES Semester runs from June through December and gives you a long runway to build real STEM and college-ready skills without the rush of a short summer program. You will work through challenging coursework that’s project-based and meet in small cohorts where you solve problems and talk through ideas. Weekly webinars and workshops mix technical thinking with very practical guidance about college, research paths, and what comes next after high school. Mentorship isn’t a side feature. You interact often with instructors, peers, and staff through office hours and group sessions, which makes it easier to ask questions and stay grounded over six months.
3. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by the program. Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. 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 & 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 will get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have 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: Virtual
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Internships are offered as 10-16 week programs that take place during fall and summer sessions
Application Deadline: Summer: February 27; Fall: May 22
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old, with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and who are U.S. citizens.
NASA Office of STEM Engagement runs paid internships that place you directly on working teams inside NASA, often alongside scientists and engineers who are actively building, testing, or analyzing real missions. Depending on the placement, you might help with data from Earth observation projects, support AI or robotics work, or contribute to engineering and mission-planning tasks. Many internships are virtual, but they still include briefings from specific NASA centers and chances to see how different teams fit into much larger national projects. You apply through a centralized system and need U.S. citizenship and a solid academic record, but once you’re in, the expectations are real.
Location: Virtual and in-person at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not available
Dates: October 6 – March 8 (next year)
Application Deadline: September 27
Eligibility: High school juniors who are U.S. citizens and Texas residents
NASA’s HAS program starts online, where you work through space exploration and engineering challenges with other students, tackling design tasks and problem-solving activities. The virtual phase is competitive and practical, pushing you to think like an engineer working within mission constraints. Students who stand out are invited to an in-person experience, often at Johnson Space Center, where you collaborate on mission design work, tour active facilities, and talk directly with NASA engineers and scientists about how their careers actually unfolded.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: None
Dates: September 8 - January 26
Application Deadline: July 31
Eligibility: Students must be rising high school juniors, high school seniors, or college freshmen
AI4ALL @ University of Washington is a free, mentor-led program where you spend real time learning how data science and machine learning actually work, and just as importantly, who they affect and why that matters. You will learn to code, work with data, and build simple models, and you’ll think about bias, ethics, and access within AI. Most of your time goes into a team project where you use AI tools to tackle a real problem, with guidance from mentors who work in tech and research. Along the way, you present your ideas, get feedback, and see how technical choices turn into social consequences.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2400 + $45 application fee. Financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective
Application Deadline: February 20
Program Dates: Session A- June 15 - 26; Session B - July 6-17
Eligibility: Open to U.S. high school students aged older than 14.
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies runs short online STEM courses that move quickly and expect you to keep up. Classes are live and discussion-heavy, mixed with small-group work and project labs where you actually apply ideas instead of just hearing about them. Depending on the course, you might be coding, working through research-style problems, or building a final project or capstone. Instructors and guest experts give direct feedback, and because admissions are selective, the classroom conversations tend to be focused and serious. The workload includes readings, problem sets, and a final presentation or project.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Each course costs $1,895; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to course
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up
Dartmouth College runs a set of online STEM courses designed to let motivated high-school students dive into specific technical subjects without being on campus. Each class is built by faculty and instructors with real expertise in the field. You watch lessons, tackle problem sets, analyze case studies, and build toward a project or final deliverable that shows what you’ve actually done. The courses span topics like engineering fundamentals, data science, environmental science, and computational thinking. Most combine short video lessons or recorded content with guided assignments and mentor feedback, so you’re practicing skills and actually applying ideas instead of only memorizing concepts. Many also include live discussions, small-group activities, or instructor office hours where you can ask questions and refine your thinking.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,595 per course; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to the course
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up
The College of William & Mary’s Pre-College Online courses are built to let you try out college-level STEM subjects before you commit to them. You will take faculty-designed lessons that mix explanation with lab-style simulations and assignments. Along the way, you join discussions with other students and take part in Q&A sessions with professors, which gives the classes a seminar feel rather than a self-paced course vibe. The work is structured and practical, aimed at helping you figure out whether fields like medicine, psychology, or related sciences actually fit how you like to think and work. You finish with a certificate.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Three-week sessions; 3 credits: $5,820, 4 credits: $7,760, and Six-week sessions: 6 credits: $11,640, 7 credits: $13,580, 8 credits: $15,520
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer-June 1 - July 31; Winter-January 2–17
Application Deadline: Rolling basis, Summer opens January 12; Winters opens August - September
Eligibility: Students who are rising/current high school juniors & seniors, aged 15-19
Cornell University School of Continuing Education’s Pre-College Online Program gives rising and current high school juniors and seniors a shot at real college coursework without leaving home. You can pick from a range of multi-week online Cornell courses, typically three, four, or six weeks long, that mirror what undergraduates study. Classes mix live sessions with faculty or instructors, discussion groups, readings, and assignments that build toward something concrete, like a project, paper, or presentation. In these courses, you’re expected to participate in discussions, keep up with weekly work, and engage with classmates and instructors much the way you would in a campus classroom. You can take some classes for enrichment or for official Cornell credit, and if you choose the credit option, you receive a Cornell transcript when you finish.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,895 - $3,995 (for non-credit and credit courses); need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to course
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and up
Georgetown University’s Pre-College Online STEM courses are built around learning by doing rather than watching from the sidelines. You will engage in lessons that use cases, simulations, and exercises to explore areas like medicine, data science, and engineering, often building toward a final project or presentation. The courses include discussion boards and opportunities to interact with instructors and peers, so questions and debate are part of the process, not an afterthought. Many classes run year-round and can be taken either for enrichment or credit, which makes them flexible if you’re balancing school or living outside the U.S.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $75 application fee and $4,180 (4-credits) or $8,160 (8-credits); financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: Early - January 7; Regular- February 11; Non-Aid - April 1
Eligibility: Students at least 16 years old by June 20, and will not turn 19 years old before July 31
Harvard University’s seven-week Online Secondary School Program is structured much like a real college term, just delivered remotely. You will attend live classes, keep up with weekly readings and assignments, and work toward a substantial final project that’s graded to college standards. Courses are taught by Harvard faculty and instructors, and you’re expected to participate in discussions and manage your time the way undergraduates do. Where available, you also get access to Harvard academic resources and libraries, and the program includes advising and chances to connect with students from around the world.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Application fee $60; Tuition costs $3,900 + addition cost; total $4,225; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not available
Dates: June 29 - July 31
Application Deadline: September 27
Eligibility: As and Bs in high school math and science is required, including Algebra II, trigonometry, and a full year of chemistry and/or physics with a lab (AP Chemistry or AP Physics 1 scores of 4–5 accepted) and must be current high school students or recent graduates
Johns Hopkins University’s Engineering Innovation programs are built around doing engineering, not just learning about it. You will engage with condensed versions of first-year college material while working in small teams to design and build things like medical devices, bioreactors, or load-bearing structures. Most days are spent testing ideas, fixing designs that don’t work the first time, and learning lab techniques alongside faculty, graduate students, and lab staff who guide the process. Some tracks offer college credit, and all of them expect clear documentation and communication, especially when you present your project at the end-of-program symposium.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,895 per course; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 2-week and 4-week sessions available
Application Deadline: Varies according to course
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and up
Northwestern University’s Pre-College Online STEM courses are short, focused classes that let you dig into subjects like data science, engineering, or medicine without rearranging your entire summer. The courses run for two or four weeks and are built around recorded lessons, assignments, and feedback from instructors or mentors. You spend time working through real problems, building small projects, and sometimes collaborating with other students in discussions or group activities. Office hours are available if you get stuck or want to push an idea further, and by the end, you usually have concrete work, projects, analyses, or presentations that show what you actually learned.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $25 application fee and $1,299 tuition; need-based waivers available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June - August
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: You must be 15 years or older by June 18
Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) places you directly inside a real faculty research group, where you work under a professor or research mentor on an ongoing project rather than a made-up exercise. You will spend the summer learning how research works, running experiments, writing code, analyzing data, and revising ideas when things don’t work. Alongside the lab or computational work, you attend sessions on research ethics, scientific writing, and how academic pathways work beyond high school, which helps you understand the bigger picture of what you’re doing. The program ends with a final research symposium where you present a poster or talk explaining your work to an audience.
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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