Top 12 Summer Computer Science Research Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Jul 7
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 10
If you are a high school student passionate about computer science, a research program in the field can be a great way to spend the summer.
Computer science research programs help you explore key topics, get hands-on exposure to the field, and engage in learning experiences that the school curriculum does not cover. These programs can also help you access college-level academics, mentorship from leading researchers, and the opportunity to contribute to real-world projects.
Whether you are interested in exploring sought-after fields like AI, cybersecurity, or data science, computer science research opportunities can help you build technical skills, add to your professional network, and strengthen your college applications. Many of these programs are not too expensive, making them quite accessible for high schoolers.
To help you find the right opportunities, we have listed the top 12 summer computer science research programs for high school students. We have prioritized programs that are fully funded (or those that offer stipends), selective, and hosted by prestigious universities and organizations.
Dates: June 22 – August 2
Application deadline: January for US citizens and March for international students.
Eligibility: High school juniors with strong academic ability | You can check the academic requirements here.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: $65 application fee | No stipend is provided.
The Research Science Institute (RSI) at MIT is a STEM-based summer research program for high school students, with a low acceptance rate of about 3–5%. Each year, 100 students are selected to engage in a six-week experience that blends advanced academic coursework with hands-on, faculty-mentored research. The program begins with a week of intensive STEM seminars led by MIT professors, followed by five weeks of in-depth research in a chosen discipline, like computer science, AI, machine learning, and algorithms. Here, you get to experience a full research cycle—reviewing literature, designing and implementing a rigorous research plan, analyzing data, and presenting your work in the form of a scientific paper and conference-style talk. Computer science projects at RSI may be based on real-world problems in areas like cryptography, data systems, computational theory, and neural networks. The experience can help you sharpen your programming, problem-solving, and scientific communication skills.
If you want to know more about this summer research program in detail, you can check out our ultimate guide to the RSI program!
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students in the U.S. who are at least 17 and set to graduate in the current year or the next year
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Stipend: $750
The Anson L. Clark Scholar Program at Texas Tech University is a selective summer research opportunity, accepting about 3% of all applicants, which is 12 high school juniors and seniors annually. During this seven-week program, you will get to work on rigorous, faculty-mentored research projects across disciplines, including computer science. In addition to intensive lab work, the program offers weekly seminars, discussions, and field trips to promote interdisciplinary learning and career exploration. The CS-focused tracks can help you explore advanced technical concepts and access hands-on training in coding, system design, and data analysis, preparing you for both academic and professional paths. The experience can help you explore the research process in a well-equipped university lab.
Dates: Summer: June –August; fall, winter, and spring cohorts are also available
Application deadline: Varies by cohort. Summer Cohort deadline: June 23
Eligibility: High school students with a strong academic background (3.3 GPA or higher)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by programs. Financial aid is available.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program offers high school students a 12-week virtual research experience, connecting them with PhD mentors in fields like computer science, data science, and engineering. During the program, you will design and write a college-level original research paper, receive weekly mentorship and guidance regarding research methods, literature review, and academic writing. With flexible scheduling and full financial aid available, this program is an opportunity for you to engage in rigorous academic research and gain valuable experience to bolster your college applications. Around 500 students are admitted annually from thousands of applicants. You can find more details about the application here.
Dates: The Summer cohort begins in early June
Application deadline: May 25
Eligibility: High school students | AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the Veritas AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by programs; need-based financial aid is available.
Veritas AI offers various selective online programs that provide high school students with an immersive experience in artificial intelligence. Through project development, collaborative learning, and 1-on-1 mentorship, you get to explore AI research and applications across fields like healthcare, finance, education, and environmental science. The Veritas AI Fellowship is a 12- to 15-week program where you will work closely with PhD mentors to design, develop, and publish an independent project. Here, you will gain technical skills in Python, machine learning, and data analysis while exploring interdisciplinary topics. Under the supervision and guidance of your mentor, you will create a research project from scratch. At the end of the program, you will present your project to peers, and may get to submit it for publication or to a science competition.
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application deadline: February 7
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who are 16 or older and U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: No participation fee; however, residential participants will have to pay $2,360 for housing and dining | An unspecified stipend is provided.
The Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University is a selective summer research opportunity, accepting just 5% of applicants each year. Here, you will be matched with faculty mentors and integrated into university research groups, including computer science. Past projects focused on AI systems, cybersecurity, data privacy, and software engineering. You can find recent examples here.
As a participant, you will get firsthand experience in research methodologies, data collection, lab work, analysis, and presentation. The program ends with the submission of a written abstract and a poster presentation. During the program, you will also engage in weekly research talks and workshops, tours, and events.
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9 – 12 who are 14 or older and U.S. citizens
Location: Virtual
Cost: $850 + $40 application fee | Financial aid is available.
Hosted by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI), the two-week virtual Summer Research Internship offers high school students a rigorous introduction to AI research in healthcare. The program offers 25 students each year opportunities to work closely with Stanford faculty and engineers on projects that rely on machine learning to address real-world medical challenges. Here, you will participate in team-based and independent projects that involve medical data analysis, image recognition, and model development using real clinical datasets. For instance, you may work on research projects focused on the detection of medical tubes in chest X-rays or training convolutional neural networks for diagnostic tasks. The program ends with research presentations. A select few participants may be invited to pursue an extended research project beyond the program.
If you want to know more about this program, you can read our in-depth review here!
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application deadline: January 16
Eligibility: Chicago-area high school students
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Stipend: $4,800
The Data Science Institute (DSI) Summer Lab at the University of Chicago is an eight-week research program for high schoolers interested in data science research. Here, you will be paired with a mentor from UChicago’s Data Science Institute and contribute to active research projects in computer science, data science, AI, and machine learning. The research topics can be multidisciplinary, often intersecting with fields like biomedical research, climate modeling, and public policy. During the program, you will develop practical skills in coding, data visualization, and algorithm development, while gaining exposure to applications of computational research. You will also explore the fundamentals of data science methodologies to build a strong foundation in CS research. Past projects have focused on themes such as AI in healthcare, predictive modeling, and data ethics.
Dates: July 9 – 30
Application deadline: April 9
Eligibility: Rising 11th graders from low-income families who live in the U.S. or Puerto Rico
Location: Princeton University campus, Princeton, NJ
Cost: None
Princeton University’s AI4ALL is a three-week in-person program for students interested in computer science, coding, and artificial intelligence. During the program, you will get to explore AI topics, cutting-edge research being carried out in the field, and the societal impact of AI through lectures, hands-on research projects, field trips, and mentorship. Here, you will also attend personal and career development sessions, including small-group mentoring sessions, workshops, and social events. A key feature of the experience is a field trip to Washington, D.C., where you will get to visit public and private organizations and learn about topics and careers in AI and public policy. You will also be assigned a small group (led by graduate students) to work on a research project on any one of the effects of AI on society. At the end of the session, you get to present your project work.
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Southern California residents in grades 10 to 12 who are at least 16 and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Location: University of California, San Diego, CA + Virtual
Cost: $1,500
Each summer, the REHS program selects 40 high-achieving high school students to participate in a prestigious eight-week research experience at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. Designed to increase awareness of computational science and its applications, the program will pair you with a dedicated UCSD mentor to work on research in areas like machine learning, big data analytics, data visualization, high-performance computing, and AI modeling. You will join active lab groups, participate in meetings and discussions, and contribute to ongoing projects in bioinformatics, climate science, and robotics. During the program, you will learn to formulate hypotheses, run computational experiments, and present findings in a professional setting. The program ends with a poster session where you will showcase your research and reflect on your academic and career goals.
Dates: June 18 – August 9
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 15 (or 16 for wet lab or hybrid internships)
Location: Virtual, hybrid, and in-person at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Cost: No tuition; there is a $25 application fee, which can be waived for select applicants
ASSIP is an eight-week research opportunity where high school students work closely with faculty mentors at George Mason and its partner institutions. As an intern, you will get some hands-on experience in STEM fields such as computer simulations, computer modeling, machine learning, cybersecurity, data mining, and robotics. You will also get to work with cutting-edge tools and software while developing essential skills in scientific writing, data analysis, coding, and research communication. The program offers in-person, hybrid, and remote tracks. You can check the subject areas and mentors here. This can be a chance to explore advanced STEM research in a university setting and even get your work published in scientific journals and presented at scientific conferences.
Dates: Late May – August (summer session)
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Students who are 16 or older and U.S. citizens with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Location: Virtual or on-site at various NASA centers around the U.S.
Stipend: Most interns are awarded stipends. The exact amount is not specified.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers various STEM and non-STEM internships for high school students. Here, you will work alongside NASA scientists and engineers on real-world research in space exploration, aerospace engineering, and space tech.
During the internship, you will contribute to projects like AI and machine learning for air traffic control, robotics for space exploration, cybersecurity, data systems engineering, and/or AR/VR applications for simulation and training. These hands-on experiences can provide you with early exposure to the advanced tech that powers NASA’s missions and access to project-based learning, technical mentorship, and professional development. Whether working remotely or on-site at NASA facilities, you will get practical experience in areas like software development, systems engineering, and satellite technology. You can check out the complete list of open positions here.
Dates: 5 weeks in the summer; dates TBA.
Application deadline: Rolling applications
Eligibility: Rising 10th to 12th graders and recent high school graduates
Location: Virtual
Cost: TBA
Hosted by Columbia’s Data Science Institute, the Summer Research Program is a five-week opportunity for high school students interested in exploring data science and computer science research. In the first two weeks, you will get to develop core skills, such as programming in R, data cleaning, analysis, visualization, and research protocols. In the final three weeks, you will serve as a research assistant to Columbia professors and PhD candidates, working on real-world projects. You will also get to create and present an independent research project, which can be used for college or internship applications. The program focuses on helping you develop practical technical skills, collaboration, and exposure to the full research process, coding, data analysis, and presenting findings. This can be an opportunity to explore real-world applications of data science and gain valuable experience in academic research.
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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