13 Summer Physics Internships for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 31 minutes ago
- 8 min read
If you’re a high school student interested in physics, a summer internship can be a way to explore the subject beyond what’s typically covered in school. These programs introduce you to different areas of physics, from theoretical concepts to applied fields, while placing you in structured academic or research environments. They can also help you understand how physics connects to fields like engineering, technology, and scientific research, giving you a broader view of where your interests might lead.
Why should you intern in high school?
Physics internships give you the chance to explore how concepts from class are applied in research and technical settings. You might analyze data, support experiments, use coding tools, or contribute to projects in astrophysics, engineering, or computational science. These experiences can help you build useful skills, gain exposure to advanced topics, and better understand whether you want to study physics in the future.
To help you find options, we’ve put together a list of 13 summer physics internships for high school students.
If you’re looking for free online summer internships, check out our blog here.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). Apply here.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships span a variety of industries, including tech/deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are, on average, high-growth companies that raise over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company.
Location: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL (offsite locations included)
Cost/Stipend: $500 per week; transportation assistance available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – August 7
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are Illinois high school seniors or recent graduates with valid medical insurance
The PRISM program at Fermilab offers a paid, immersive summer experience focused on STEM exploration within a national lab environment. While not a physics-exclusive internship, PRISM exposes you to the real-world context of high-energy physics through workshops, technical activities, and mentorship from scientists and engineers. Participants engage in structured projects and learn how experimental research is supported through interdisciplinary collaboration. Activities may include data handling, instrumentation exposure, coding, or engineering-focused tasks that demonstrate how physics concepts are applied in complex scientific systems.
Location: The University of California, Berkeley, CA
Cost/Stipend: $500 per week
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 16 – July 24
Application Deadline: Applications open February 2
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors (grades 10–11); must be from Alameda, San Francisco, or Contra Costa counties; full-time California residents; U.S. citizens or permanent residents; at least 16 years old
Berkeley Lab’s Director’s Apprenticeship is a research experience that integrates short, skill-focused modules such as Python for data analysis with hands-on laboratory projects grounded in experimental and applied physics. You’ll work with scientific instrumentation, analyze physical data, and explore how theoretical principles are tested in real research environments under the guidance of physicists and lab researchers. The experience concludes with a formal research presentation in which students share experimental methods, results, and interpretations within a national laboratory setting.
Location: NIST campuses in Gaithersburg, MD, or Boulder, CO
Cost/Stipend: Free (unpaid internship; students cover housing and transportation)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 to early August 7
Application Deadline: Late January
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are high school juniors or seniors; minimum GPA 3.0; must live within commuting distance of a NIST campus
The NIST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP) offers students the opportunity to work on physics-related research projects in a federal research lab alongside scientists and engineers. Interns are placed in research groups across areas such as materials science, quantum physics, measurement science, and advanced computing, where they contribute to ongoing experiments and data analysis. Throughout the program, students gain hands-on experience with scientific tools and methods, develop programming and analytical skills, and learn how real-world research is conducted in a professional lab environment. The internship culminates in a poster presentation, where students present their findings and communicate their work in a format similar to academic research settings.
Location: Department of Navy laboratories across the United States
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend of about $4,000 (new participants) or $4,500 (returning students)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Eight weeks in summer (typically June–August; varies by lab)
Application Deadline: November 1
Eligibility: U.S. high school students who have completed at least Grade 9 and are 16+ by program start
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) places high school students in Department of Navy laboratories where they work on real research projects alongside scientists and engineers. Interns contribute to areas closely tied to physics, such as materials science, aeronautics, electronics, and applied engineering, gaining experience with experimental setups, data analysis, and technical problem-solving. Throughout the program, students engage with advanced lab equipment and research workflows, building a deeper understanding of how physics principles are applied in defense and engineering contexts. The experience emphasizes mentorship and hands-on learning, giving students insight into careers in scientific research and applied physics.
Location: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 23 – August 21
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors; at least 15 years old at program start; minimum GPA 2.8; U.S. citizens; permanent residents in the Washington-Baltimore Metro area
ASPIRE assigns high school interns to work with APL staff mentors on real engineering and applied physics projects within small teams. Interns gain experience in lab protocols, technical writing, and professional collaboration. The program focuses on hands-on development and mentorship, encouraging students to deliver project outcomes and often present their findings to APL staff. It is designed for rising juniors and seniors from the local metro area, fostering a shared learning environment.
Location: NASA research centers across the U.S.
Cost/Stipend: Paid and unpaid opportunities available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Summer (10-week program, late May or early June to August)
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: High school students ages 16+; U.S. citizenship required; minimum GPA 3.0
NASA’s OSTEM Internships immerse high school students in mission-driven STEM work, enabling them to contribute to real-world research, physics, engineering, and technology projects tied to active NASA initiatives. Interns collaborate closely with professionals, gaining exposure to problem-solving, technical workflows, and interdisciplinary teamwork used in government research environments. The program emphasizes mentorship, practical skill development, and insight into STEM career pathways.
Location: Fermilab, Batavia, IL
Cost/Stipend: $18 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Illinois high school juniors, seniors, or recent graduates enrolled in a JROTC program; must be eligible to work in the United States
VALOR JROTC is a six-week paid summer internship that places Illinois JROTC cadets in technical support roles within experiments or operations teams. You work directly with Fermilab staff to learn laboratory routines and safety procedures. The program combines hands-on technical tasks with mentorship and project collaboration, giving cadets practical engineering experience and exposure to national laboratory workflows. VALOR emphasizes supervised, team-based contribution rather than independent research. It’s competitive and built for students enrolled in Illinois JROTC programs.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 6 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Mid-December
Eligibility: High school juniors; recommended PSAT Math ≥740, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing ≥700; ACT Math ≥33, ACT English/Verbal ≥34
The Research Science Institute (RSI) combines advanced academic instruction with original, mentored research, enabling students to design and carry out independent projects under the guidance of leading scientists. Participants develop skills in research methodology, data analysis, and scientific writing while working on genuine, open-ended research problems. The experience concludes with formal presentations and written reports, similar to professional academic conferences and publications.
Location: Department of Physics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 2 – July 11
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school juniors and seniors (and advanced sophomores)
Indiana University’s Physics Summer Research Program places high school students on supervised laboratory projects (accelerator physics, biophysics, condensed matter, etc.) under the guidance of faculty and graduate student mentors. These projects emphasize measurement, data analysis, and experimental technique. The program is project-based and designed to provide a realistic research experience, with students contributing to ongoing research rather than participating in staged exercises. You also gain experience in scientific communication through regular discussions, documentation of results, and end-of-program presentations within the research group.
Location: University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
Cost/Stipend: $4,250; additional housing and transportation costs; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – August 8
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Students ages 14–17 on program start date (at least 16 for certain research placements); currently enrolled in high school
UCSC’s Science Internship Program (SIP) pairs high school students with research groups across various STEM areas, including physics, astronomy, engineering, and computational science. If chosen for a physics-focused project, students might collaborate with graduate students or postdoctoral mentors on activities like data analysis, modeling, or experimental design. The program prioritizes meaningful participation in real university research rather than simulated exercises. The experience culminates in research artifacts and formal presentations, giving students practice in communicating physics-based findings within an academic research environment.
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost/Stipend: $7,800; includes housing and other expenses; financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – July 3 (online self-study) | July 5 – August 2 (in-person)
Application Deadline: March 8
Eligibility: High school juniors applying as rising seniors; age 15.5+ by July 5
The Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics (YSPA) immerses high school students in astronomy and astrophysics research, combining observational training with hands-on analysis of real telescope data. Participants develop skills in astronomical instrumentation, computational data analysis, and scientific reasoning, applying core physics concepts to celestial phenomena. The experience culminates in student-led research projects and presentations that emphasize communicating astrophysical methods and findings.
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Cost/Stipend: $1,299 + $25 application fee; waivers available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Must be 15+ by June 18 for computer lab internships; 16+ for wet-lab or hybrid internships
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) at George Mason University offers a mentored research experience in which students work on active university projects and develop practical skills in data analysis, coding, and experimental methods. Interns receive close guidance from faculty and graduate researchers and build scientific writing and presentation skills through a final project. The program also offers an option to earn college credit, adding academic value to the research experience.
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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