13 Summer Internships for Community College Students
- Stephen Turban
- 4 hours ago
- 9 min read
For community college students, one of the most effective ways to bridge the gap between skills and experience is through summer internships. These programs allow you to apply what you’ve learned in class to practical situations, explore new career paths, and gain exposure to professional environments. They also help you strengthen workplace skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management while expanding your academic and professional network.
Why should you attend a summer internship as a community college student?
Summer internships give you the chance to work closely with professionals, learn about industry practices, and understand how different organizations operate. Whether you’re interested in science, business, engineering, or the arts, these opportunities allow you to explore your interests in depth and build experience relevant to your goals. Many programs also provide mentorship, financial support, and career development resources that can help you plan your next steps.
To help you get started, here are 13 summer internships for community college students.
If you are looking for online paid internships, check out our blog here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply here.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to undergraduates and gap year students
Ladder University Internship Program is a selective, virtual internship program where you work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup.
Location: Department of Energy national laboratories across the U.S.
Stipend: Offers a stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selection is competitive, with a focus on applicants with strong backgrounds in STEM
Dates: 10-week summer program
Application Deadline: Typically closes in January
Eligibility: Must be currently enrolled in a U.S. community college
The United States Department of Energy’s Office of Science, through the Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, offers a nationwide network of internships geared towards community college interns. The CCI is a federally funded program that gives you a chance to join real-world research teams at DOE laboratories and research & development centers for summer internship experiences. Through its network of 17 affiliated colleges and universities, the CCI is a diverse group of different programs. You will be mentored under the guidance of experts and professionals in the field.
Location: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA
Cost/Stipend: Offers a stipend with possible housing support
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately competitive; selects for students with a GPA of above 3.0
Dates: Runs from June to August
Application Deadline: Due in January
Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
The SLAC Community College Internship takes place at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, a federally funded R&D center in Menlo Park, CA. Participants work alongside mentors on ongoing research projects while attending weekly seminars focused on professional development and scientific communication. The program concludes with a written report and presentation summarizing each student’s research experience.
Location: Argonne National Laboratory
Stipend: $650 per week and an additional $250 per week housing allowance
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective, must demonstrate an interest in science and engineering fields
Dates: 10-week summer program
Application Deadline: Typically closes in the Winter
Eligibility: Open to all community college undergraduates with an interest in science and engineering fields
Argonne National Laboratory is a federally funded laboratory in Lemont, IL, administered by the University of Chicago. Under the guidance of a professional mentor, participants work on science and engineering research projects that build skills in laboratory methods, instrumentation, and data analysis. From May to August, you will explore laboratory research methods, instrumentation, and data analysis, gaining insight into what it’s like in a laboratory. You will also have exposure to high-level facility infrastructure, national-level professional mentorship, and a chance to engage in cutting-edge research.
Location: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
Stipend: Weekly stipend of $650
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 10-week internship program during the summer
Application Deadline: January 7
Eligibility: Open to students who are at least 18 years old by September 30 and enrolled at least half-time in an accredited community college. You can check the full list of criteria here.
The PNNL is a DOE-sponsored laboratory and is a leading center for scientific discovery in areas of study such as chemistry, data analytics, and Earth science. For ten weeks, you will be matched with a mentor from PNNL’s staff of science experts, who will be guiding you in specific research areas. Apart from the training, PNNL also offers the Gold Experience, an intern development experience where you will be toured around its facilities and interact with leadership, scientists, and engineers. You will also engage in monthly seminars, workshops, and discussions, and branch out to professional networking opportunities in the field.
Location: NIH campuses across the U.S.
Stipend: Offers a stipend that varies year-by-year and by educational level
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 8-12 week summer program
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: Must be an undergraduate enrolled in accredited colleges (including community colleges)
The NIH Summer Internship Program is a much more open program, designed for college students, graduate students, and professionals. Under their full-time research internship program, you’ll get to work in research groups and explore biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences. Depending on the specific position and offering, summer internships last from 8 to 12 weeks. Apart from the research experience, you’ll also get access to professional development programs and educational and career advice.
Location: PPPL, Princeton, New Jersey
Cost/Stipend: Offers a stipend of up to $650/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive and highly prestigious program
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 7
Eligibility: Must be a currently enrolled community college student with an interest in technical or STEM fields
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) Community College Internship (CCI) is a 10-week summer program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Managed by Princeton University, PPPL provides community college students the opportunity to work under the guidance of laboratory scientists and engineers on ongoing research projects in plasma physics, fusion energy, and related fields. The internship includes technical training, participation in research activities, and attendance at seminars and workshops designed to support professional and academic development. Students complete a research abstract, technical report, and oral presentation summarizing their work at the end of the program.
Location: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Stipend: Offers a $650/week stipend with housing provided on campus and travel support of up to $500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 10-week summer internship
Application Deadline: January 7
Eligibility: Must be a community college student in a technical or STEM field
The Ames Laboratory is a DOE-funded R&D center affiliated with Iowa State University. Their work looks into research on national security, energy, and the environment.
In this program, you will work alongside scientists, engineers, and other mentors in highly technical working environments. Apart from that, you’ll also get to take part in research talks and tours, as well as get exposure to the latest science from working professionals.
This program offers strong support for you during the internship, and should be a solid choice.
Location: Fermilab, IL
Stipend: Offers a $650/week stipend, paid round-trip airfare, or mileage reimbursement
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective, requires completion of prior coursework
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 7
Eligibility: Must be currently enrolled in a U.S. community college with completion of a minimum of coursework
The Fermilab is a DOE-funded national laboratory that specializes in high-energy particle physics. They conduct research that investigates fundamental questions on matter, energy, space, and time. In Fermilab’s CCL, you will work on projects involving advanced instrumentation, data acquisition, or computing infrastructure. Throughout your college program, you can join Fermilab’s CCI twice and apply up to three times.
Location: Modes vary year-by-year, but onsite internships occur at NASA centers across the U.S.
Stipend: Interns get a paid stipend award based on academic level and session duration
Acceptance rate/cohort size: In a year, they take on about 2,000 interns
Dates: 10-week internship in the Summer
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Must be currently enrolled with a GPA of at least 3.0 and hold U.S. citizenship
NASA’s internship programs, organized under the Office of STEM Engagement, immerse you in hands-on work on agency missions while developing technical and career readiness skills. You will be paired with NASA scientists, engineers, and professionals from across STEM, business, and other fields, and contribute to real projects. A key element of NASA’s programs is Pathways, a track that connects current interns or recent graduates with the possibility of full-time NASA employment after completing their degree. You will get a credible, substantial experience along with professional development, networking opportunities, and a chance to contribute to larger NASA initiatives.
Location: NIH campuses and other NIH institutes and centers
Stipend: Offers a stipend pro rata based on the NIH intern scale
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive selection
Dates: Runs from June through August
Application Deadline: Typically closes January
Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, currently enrolled full-time in an accredited U.S. community college
The Community College Summer Enrichment Program (CCSEP) is an NIH-organized summer internship opportunity for college students. For 10 weeks, you will collaborate in research experiences across NIH's various institutes and centers. The program includes orientations, leadership training, and professional development opportunities. By working side-by-side with NIH research groups in fields like biomedical sciences, behavioral sciences, and health sciences, you will gain skills in experiment design, data analysis, literature review, and scientific communication. Through the program, you will get the opportunity to build research experience, connect with mentors, and prepare for future scientific lines of work.
Location: The Met 5th Ave, New York, NY & The Met Cloisters, New York, NY
Stipend: Pays a stipend of typically $17 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Interns are selected competitively
Dates: 10-week summer internship that starts in June and ends in August
Application Deadline: Typically in January, but varies year-by-year
Eligibility: Must be an undergraduate with proper legal status to work in the U.S.
The Met Museum is a world-renowned cultural agency that houses thousands of years’ worth of history and culture from different groups around the globe. Through their Metropolitan Museum Seminar (MuSe) internship program, you get to take part in the important work that they do in preservation, research, and design. This program is a 10-week experience where you’ll work within museum departments, gaining broad exposure to museum operations. In addition, the projects you work on are tailored to your interests. During the internship, you are paired with a full-time staff member who will assist you through your assigned project.
Location: In-person fieldwork at Point Blue sites across the U.S.
Stipend: Offers a $1,400 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive selection; encourages applicants from BIPOC and other underrepresented communities
Dates: From June to July
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: Must be community college students residing in Sonoma, Napa, Marin, or Solano counties, above 18 years old, and legally able to work in the U.S.
The STRAW Community College Conservation Internship (CCCI) is an 8-week summer internship program run by Point Blue Conservation Science. You will be working under their STRAW initiative (which stands for Students and Teachers Repairing a Watershed), a collaborative network of students and teachers geared towards helping communities restore their local environments. The program is split into two parts, seminar days and field days. The seminar days are spent with mentors exploring conservation science theory, environmental justice, and habitat restoration methods. The field days are spent out in the field performing active work on restoration sites, putting the theory into practice. You’ll have ample opportunity in this program to build networks with peers and professionals, and to qualify to apply for a STRAW Apprenticeship after the program ends.
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, check out students’ reviews of the program here and 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 graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. 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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