15 Summer Research Programs for High School Students in San Diego
- Stephen Turban
- Nov 2
- 10 min read
If you are a high school student looking for a learning opportunity over the summer, a research program is worth considering. Summer research programs are a great way for you to gain exposure to college-level academics, lab work, and professional life in a field of your interest, such as healthcare or engineering. These programs help you understand how research works, investigate a topic in absolute detail, develop crucial laboratory skills, and gain industry exposure by working alongside leading experts.
San Diego is home to universities, healthcare centers, and research facilities that offer mentorship and research exposure. These opportunities can also help you test-drive a potential career path while strengthening your college applications and building your network by allowing you to meet industry experts and researchers. Whether you are a resident looking for a local program closer to home or wish to come to the city and explore the opportunities offered, you can find a program that suits your needs.
Here are 15 summer research programs for high school students in the San Diego area.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid is available.
Dates: Offered year-round with cohorts starting in the spring, summer, fall, and winter; the summer cohort typically runs from June to August.
Application deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year; the summer cohort deadline is typically in late May.
Eligibility: High school students
This research program is meant for high school students who want to explore an area and topic of interest in absolute detail through research. Here, you will get to work one-on-one with a Ph. D.-level mentor on an independent research project. You can choose from a wide range of disciplines, including physics, economics, engineering, computer science, chemistry, psychology, data science, and international relations. Within your chosen research area, you will finalize a research question with support from your mentor and also work with a writing coach to learn how to present your findings. At the end of the program, you will have developed an independent research paper. You can learn about the application and available program formats here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA.
Cost/Stipend: Free; stipend is paid.
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application deadline: March 28
Eligibility: San Diego County high school students who are at least 16 years old and have completed high school chemistry and biology with a GPA of 2.75 or higher
The Salk Summer Scholar program is a paid, full-time, in-person research program for high school students in San Diego. It provides the opportunity to contribute to the work of a biomedical research laboratory. You will conduct your own research project under the mentorship of Salk scientists, gaining hands-on experience with experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication. You will also participate in seminars, workshops, and biotech site tours during the program. At the end of eight weeks, you will present your research projects to your mentor, peers, and family.
3. Veritas AI
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, with small group sizes
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: Multiple sessions offered throughout the summer, typically running for 10 weeks.
Application deadline: Multiple rolling deadlines for different cohorts.
Eligibility: High school students; certain programs require basic coding/Python or AI knowledge
Veritas AI offers high schoolers various AI-focused programs that are designed and run by Harvard graduate students. Each program covers the fundamentals of AI and machine learning before letting you apply that knowledge to a hands-on, mentor-led interdisciplinary project that focuses on the applications of AI in other fields like medicine, finance, or climate change. You can opt for the AI Fellowship program, which offers you mentorship to help you develop your own unique project, which could be a research report. The program emphasizes both theoretical understanding and practical application, providing a solid foundation for future studies in computer science and data science.
Acceptance rate: Competitive; ~40 total spots across all education levels
Location: Scripps Research Institute, San Diego (La Jolla), CA
Stipend: Funding TBD; unpaid roles may offer academic credit
Dates: June 2 – August 8 | June 16 – August 22
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students and students enrolled in college or professional training programs who are 16 or older
This Scripps Research Translational Institute internship offers high school students opportunities to engage in biomedical research and learn about translational science. As an intern, you will work with researchers and receive one-on-one mentorship while contributing to research on genomics and digital health, clinical trials, and community health engagement. You will gain research experience and explore the steps involved in setting up clinical trials, including proposing, designing, conducting, and analyzing them. Additionally, the program offers training in data analysis and research design and workshops on scientific communication. At the end of the program, you will present your findings to peers and mentors.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; varies by lab
Location: Various labs in the U.S., including NIWC Pacific, San Diego, CA
Stipend: $4,000 (or $4,500 for returning participants)
Dates: Eight-week program during the summer; typically June – August
Application deadline: November 1; applications open on August 1
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens, have completed at least 9th grade, and are 16 or older by the start of the program
SEAP places high school students in Department of the Navy (DoN) laboratories across the country for an eight-week summer research experience. In San Diego, the participating lab is the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific, where you will have the opportunity to work alongside professional scientists and engineers on real, hands-on research. This is a formal apprenticeship where you contribute to projects and learn directly from a mentor in a professional research environment. You will also get to shadow professionals, attend professional development seminars and workshops, and present your research project work.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA; commuter, residential, and online options available
Cost: Varies by subject track and format
Dates: Various three- to four-week sessions are offered during the summer
Application deadline: Rolling until the program is full; often closes by late spring.
Eligibility: High school students, with additional requirements specific to individual courses.
This program provides a structured, university-level experience for high school students, allowing them to experience the entire research process from start to finish under the guidance of an expert instructor. This is a rigorous, coursework-based alternative to a traditional lab internship. You will select a subject (such as bioengineering, medicine, or data analytics) and, within the chosen track, work with mentors to formulate a research question, conduct a literature review, gather data, and write a final research paper. The program is designed to help you build foundational skills in academic research and produce a tangible scholarly project.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; open to a small cohort
Location: UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application deadline: Early March
Eligibility: San Diego County high school students who are at least 16 years old by the program start date
This summer program offers high school students hands-on opportunities in the field of regenerative and stem cell medicine. You will be placed in a laboratory at one of San Diego's premier research institutes (Sanford Consortium, UCSD, Salk, or Scripps Research) and work under the mentorship of a principal investigator. You will conduct your own research project, learn advanced laboratory techniques, and attend professional development workshops. You will also get to shadow doctors in clinics and explore fields related to regenerative medicine during the program.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified; small cohorts
Location: J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla/San Diego, CA
Stipend: $17.50/hour or academic credit available
Dates: June 23 – August 22
Application deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Students who are 16 or older
The J. Craig Venter Institute’s Summer Internship Program is a research experience for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students interested in STEM. During the program, you will work on a project that aligns with your academic interests while collaborating with researchers. You will spend the summer engaging in hands-on lab work as well as scientific and professional development workshops covering topics like journal discussions, career planning, and research presentations. This internship is designed to help you build foundational skills for academic or research opportunities in science and technology.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 350 students selected from across the nation
Location: University research labs in the U.S., including in San Diego, CA
Stipend: $4,000
Dates: 8- to 10-week program over the summer; dates vary
Application deadline: April 14
Eligibility: High school students who meet specific academic and family income requirements set by the ACS and have completed high school chemistry.
Project SEED is a national program from the American Chemical Society that provides hands-on summer research internships to high school students. For 8 to 10 weeks, you will work full-time alongside a faculty mentor and their research team on a real chemistry project, learning advanced lab techniques and contributing to scientific discovery. You will gain exposure to study design, data collection, experimentation, and scientific communication during the program. You will also write a research report or prepare a poster at the end of the summer. Field trips, campus tours, career panels, and poster/science fair competition support may also be part of the experience.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive with a small cohort
Location: Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA.
Stipend: $4,830
Dates: June 23 – August 8
Application deadline: April 4
Eligibility: High schoolers from Barrio Logan College Institute, Crawford High School, Hilltop High School, Hoover High School, Lincoln High School, and Morse High School, San Diego, CA; applicants need to be 16 years or older and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
This Scripps Research immerses high school students in the world of contemporary biomedical science. You will start with a three-day pre-internship training course or boot camp to learn about lab research and program activities. Then, you will be paired with a Scripps scientist who will serve as a mentor, guiding you through a research project in fields like immunology, molecular biology, or chemistry. You will work in a laboratory for seven weeks, gaining experience in experimental design, techniques, and data interpretation. The program also offers insights into the college application process.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, with around 200 students/campus.
Location: Various University of California campuses, including UC San Diego, La Jolla/San Diego, CA
Cost: $46 application fee + $5,518; financial aid available for California residents
Dates: July 5 – 31
Application deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 – 12
The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) is an intensive four-week summer residential program for students interested in STEM. While offered at several UC campuses, the UC San Diego location provides "clusters" focusing on topics like computer science, engineering, oceanography, and tissue engineering. You will explore advanced STEM topics on campus and engage in research projects under the guidance of university faculty and researchers. You will also participate in labs, field activities, lectures, and discussions. The program can be an opportunity to gain early exposure to college-level STEM coursework and life on a college campus.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA.
Cost: $1,500
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Students who have completed their most recent semester of high school and are enrolled in grades 10 – 12 at a public or private high school or in a home school setting within Southern California; applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
This program offers summer research opportunities to high school students interested in working at a leading supercomputing and data science hub at UC San Diego. You will be paired with an SDSC mentor—a staff scientist or researcher—to work on a project in high-performance computing, big data, AI, cybersecurity, or computational science. You will contribute to projects that have real-world impact while learning how to finalize and test hypotheses, run computational experiments, and draw conclusions from those experiments. You will also participate in lab meetings and group discussions to connect with mentors and peers. You will present your research in the form of a poster at the end of the program.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies
Location: UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Cost: $7,500; financial aid offered
Dates: June 21 – August 7
Application deadline: February 6
Eligibility: High school juniors
Enlace is a seven-week residential program that offers high school students the chance to conduct research at UC San Diego. You will be placed in a faculty-mentored research lab within the Jacobs School of Engineering, working on projects spanning bioengineering, robotics, computer science, or other STEM fields. You will also gain exposure and access to published research during the program. The program also includes professional development workshops and concludes with a formal research symposium. The program aims to build a cross-border community of scholars and offer opportunities for international collaboration.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Virtual internships available for San Diego
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee with need-based fee waivers available; no stipend
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students who are at least 15 years old
ASSIP offers virtual research internships in various fields, including data science, chemistry, statistics, computer science, neuroscience, engineering, medicine, and physics. You can choose a mentor offering a remote research format to engage in research within your preferred discipline. Over eight weeks, you will connect virtually with your mentor, contribute to their research, and refine your scientific writing and communication skills. During the program, you will also learn about STEM career paths while connecting with professors, researchers, or professionals. The program ends with a research symposium, where you will learn about the research conducted at ASSIP over the summer.
Cohort size: ~25
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: $850 + a $40 application fee (scholarship and waivers available); no stipend
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are 14 or older and U.S. citizens; preference given to students with prior experience in a healthcare project and/or strong math or computer programming skills
This virtual research-based program is designed for high school students interested in learning about AI in the context of healthcare innovation. As an intern, you will learn how AI is used to tackle challenges in healthcare and work on addressing a real medical problem with the assistance of AI tools. You will collaborate with a team on research projects and participate in social activities, remote group work sessions, and career-focused sessions led by guest speakers from various professional backgrounds. Throughout the program, you will have access to mentorship offered by researchers and Stanford Student Leads. You will also be able to access an extended academic year research opportunity once the summer program ends.
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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