15 University STEM Internships for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 6 days ago
- 11 min read
Internships are one of the most effective ways for high school students such as yourself to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings. They help build technical skills, clarify academic interests, and offer exposure to potential career paths—especially in STEM fields, where hands-on experience is essential.
University-hosted STEM internships are particularly valuable because they give you early access to academic research environments, lab tools, and mentorship from professors or graduate students. These experiences often simulate the pace and expectations of college-level work, making them a strong primer for future studies. Interning at a university also means you'll likely engage in structured projects tied to ongoing research, rather than just administrative support.
In addition to skill-building, university internships help you stand out on college applications by showing initiative and a willingness to take on advanced learning opportunities outside of school.
Here are 15 university STEM internships for high school students:
Location: Virtual or in-person at the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology, Baltimore, MD
Program Dates: Virtual: 5 weeks | In-person: 8 weeks in the summer (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors. For the virtual track you may live anywhere in North America. For the in-person opportunities you must be living in Baltimore City
Cost: None
This internship is designed to inculcate an interest in neurological science and medicine in young learners, particularly those from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds.
There are three options available to students in this program:
Virtual: It includes college preparation classes, mentorship training, professional development workshops, learning basic laboratory techniques and experiments, collaborating activities, and more.
In-Person Summer Jobs Program: You will be matched with a Johns Hopkins faculty mentor who will guide you in conducting a hypothesis-driven research project in a laboratory or clinical setting. You will also benefit from college preparation classes, professional development workshops, scientific presentations, networking activities, and mentorship training.
In-Person Cohen Opportunity Fund: The original iteration of the JHIBS program, it has the same features as the Summer Jobs program. The only differentiating criteria is that you must be enrolled full-time in a Baltimore City Public High School.
You will get a stipend of $15/hour in the in-person program. Virtual interns only receive a certificate of completion.
Location: Carnegie Mellon Campus, Pittsburg, PA
Program Dates: June 21 - August 2
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: You must be at least 16 years old by the program’s start date, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and be in 11th grade at the time of the application submission
Cost: None
This is not one of the traditional university STEM internships for high school students as it includes traditional classroom instruction and hands-on projects. You will engage with skilled staff mentors and world-renowned faculty to help you gain valuable insights into the nuances of maths and science.
Designed to develop a community of STEM scholars, this program will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to be successful in STEM fields and give you a better understanding of the various opportunities available to you in related industries.
Before the residential program, a ‘required virtual Jumpstart’ is held on June 16 & 17 for participating students that will help them polish the skills required for the in-person program. The normal 6-week in-person pre-college program follows, which will include meetings, courses, and a symposium on the final Friday of the program.
Location: Virtual, hybrid and fully in-person options are also available based in Fairfax, VA
Program Dates: June 18 - August 8
Application Deadline: Typically ends in February
Eligibility: You must be at least 15 years of age for the remote internship, and 16 years or older for the in-person or hybrid internship.
Cost: $25 application fee (may be waived based on financial need)
This 8-week program, highly selective, nationally renowned program includes a research-intensive internship for high school students interested in various STEM disciplines. You will have access to the university’s advanced equipment and technologies to hone your science writing, innovative research, communication, problem-solving, technical, and analytical skills.
The program is ideal for students looking for research in both computational and experimental settings. Alumni from this program have gone on to make successful careers in STEM with many of them having their research published in scientific journals and presented at scientific conferences. You will also be part of discussion forums and meetings with industry experts to help you with your STEM career choices. The program culminates in an annual ASSIP Research Symposium.
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: June 16 - 27
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: You must be over the age of 14 at the start of the program, between grades 9-12, and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Cost: $40 application fee, $850 participation fee if accepted (financial aid available)
This 2-week virtual program includes introductory and technical lectures on the fundamentals of AI in healthcare under the mentorship of Stanford student leads and researchers. You will work on projects that involve medical data analysis, machine learning model training, image recognition, and developing ML models to analyze chest X-rays and detect medical tubes.
The program includes a ‘Virtual Career Lunch and Learns’ session with guest speakers representing non-profit and government organizations, academia, industry, and more.
You will also be part of hands-on group sessions where you will collaborate with your peers on research projects and participate in social activities. At the end of the program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and may qualify for an extended independent research opportunity.
Location: Plainsboro, New Jersey
Program Dates: June 30 - August 1
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: You must be at least 16 years old and a graduating senior when the internship begins and be authorized to work in the U.S.
Cost: None
The PPPL offers a limited number of internship opportunities for high school students where you will coordinate with a member of the organization’s research or engineering staff and work on a science project. You will work on cutting-edge projects related to engineering, fusion energy, and plasma physics under the guidance of PPPL scientists and engineers who are National Lab Researchers.
Some projects may involve computational work involving coding or CAD design. You will need to dedicate 40 hours per week between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. The program also emphasizes more participation of students from underrepresented backgrounds via its Plasma Pathways program for Trenton Central high school students.
Location: In-person at MIT, MA
Program Dates: June 22 - August 2
Application Deadline: December 11
Eligibility: Open only to high school juniors about to enter their last high school year, i.e., grade 11
Cost: None
This program kicks off with a week of seminars that cover current research topics in mathematics, physics, engineering, biology, chemistry, and the humanities. You will have access to MIT’s advanced computing resources to learn to find current publications, model complex systems, and write conference-style oral and written scientific papers. You will also get the chance to interact with technology entrepreneurs and Nobel laureates such as Dr. Wolfgang Ketterle, Dr. Phillip Sharp, and Dr. Dudley Herschbach.
You will prepare a professional-level paper and presentation of your research findings which will be reviewed by a panel of scientists from Boston’s corporate and academic community. Five papers and five presentations will receive special recognition during the last week of the program. You will also be part of field trips, outings, and a weekend nature trip.
Location: Hybrid program. In-person at UT Austin, TX
Program Dates: May 1 - July 19
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: Open to current high school Sophomores or Juniors who have not worked as a SEES intern previously | Should be 16 years old by July 5 | Must be a U.S citizen
Cost: None
This is one of the nationally competitive university STEM internships for high school students where you will get hands-on experience in Earth and space research. You will interpret real NASA satellite data under the guidance of professional scientists and engineers in your chosen field. The program covers various topics including remote sensing, astronomy, planetary and climate science, earth systems, natural calamities, ice sheets analysis, Earth’s gravity field, mission design, etc., - all supported by NASA-funded research.
This program acts as a perfect foundation for your STEM career as it involves working with NASA SMEs in analyzing and visualizing data, and field investigation. You will gain valuable experience in conducting authentic NASA research.
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Session I: June 16 - July 11 | Session II: June 23 - July 18
Application Deadline: May 18
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA
Cost: $1,004
This program offers a unique, personalized college-level learning experience in topics such as international diplomacy, psychology, and neuroscience among others. This program aims at providing deep knowledge of your chosen field which will give your college applications a major boost.
You will receive personal instructions from expert faculty that you can refer to via convenient asynchronous lectures. You can also get one college credit subject to reading and writing assignments, watching pre-recorded lectures, and participating in online discussion boards for 5 to 10 hours per week, along with an official AU transcript.
Location: Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Program Dates: Exact dates not specified. Could possibly run with ASM’s general summer sessions between June 23 and August 1.
Application Deadline: Applications open in March. Deadline not specified
Eligibility: You must be 16 years old by the first day of the program, and attend a school in the greater Chicago area
Cost: None.
This six-week program introduces high school students to the collaborative and innovative environments in which science and engineering professionals ply their day-to-day trade. It involves working in a research lab for 20 hours/week inclusive of a 1-week research bootcamp that teaches students about the basics of authentic research.
You will receive guidance from a mentoring team of PME education staff and researchers, and gain resources and support for your college applications. The program also provides science communication training and the opportunity to present your work in varied scenarios. This is a paid internship and previous participants have gone on to be enrolled in prestigious institutes such as Johns Hopkins, Purdue, Loyola, Columbia University, etc.
Location: Georgia Tech’s Main Campus, Atlanta, GA
Program Dates: July 7 – 18
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: You must be a Georgia resident and at least 16 years old by the start of the program
Cost: None
The Science Technology and Engineering Program (STEP) provides hands-on engineering opportunities to high school students. You will get to work on an active Georgia Tech research effort with fellow students under the guidance of a faculty member. The program is fully funded making it accessible to students from various backgrounds to work on real-world problems, equipping them with the necessary skills and experience before entering college and the corporate world.
Some of the previous projects in the program were designing a rover for navigation, modifying rovers for Mars mission purposes, and creating an ultra-light rover using the Yang Aero Maker Space. Students can present their final projects to faculty, parents, and industry representatives.
Location: Virtual and in-person at UC Santa Cruz, CA
Program Dates: June 16 - 20: Online research week | June 23 - August 8 - In-person research weeks | August 9: Hybrid Presentation Day
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Students who are currently enrolled in high school and at least 14 - 17 years of age on the program start date.
Cost: $65 application fee, $4,250 tuition. Housing and transportation are additional costs depending on the options you choose. Limited partial and full need-based scholarships are available
This 10-week-long research internship program consists of one week of virtual preparation followed by seven weeks of in-person research, providing students with the opportunity to learn at a top research institution. You will receive 1:1 mentoring from UCSC faculty, post-doctoral researchers, and graduate students where you will work on existing research projects across various fields such as AI, astrophysics, biomedicine, etc. Some prominent names from the past include Dr. David Feldheim, Dr. Jessica Taft, and Dr. Nobuhiko Kobayashi.
You may get to present your ideas at prestigious competitions such as Regeneron ISEF, and Science Talent Research, which will boost your college applications by making you stand out. You will also get guidance for career options and build important professional contacts for the future.
Location: Texas University, TX
Program Dates: June 22 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: You must be a U.S citizen or permanent resident, at least 17 years of age by the program start date, and should be graduating by the next summer.
Cost: $25 application fee. No program participation fees.
In this prestigious program, you will get the opportunity to do hands-on research with the help of experienced faculty across a range of research areas including cancer biology, chemistry, cellular & microbiology, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, physics and more. You will attend weekly seminars, be part of discussion groups, and go on field trips as part of the program.
You will get valuable guidance on career prospects thanks to the faculty and peers. This program’s cohort size only includes 12 highly qualified high school juniors or seniors with SAT scores usually in the 99th percentile, making it extremely selective. Along with developing critical thinking abilities, you will also be paid a tax-free stipend of $750 at the end of the program.
Location: Various university campuses across North America
Program Dates: Depends on the location (9 days)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students
Cost: $4,095-$4,395 depending on program.
This program involves high school students assuming the role of physicians to practice surgical skills, collaborate with medical teams, and debate public health issues. It includes workshops based on patient care, medical ethics, and advanced treatments taken by prominent names such as Dr. Marianne Green, Dr. Sara Danker, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, etc.
There are multi-day simulations involving interviewing, testing, diagnosing, and treating patients where you will learn about suturing, surgical knot tying, and nuances of internal anatomy. You will also learn trauma assessment and real-time response in simulated events. Along with learning human anatomy, you will also prepare a public service announcement and an intervention plan with the help of your team, along with taking field trips.
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: 2-week program that typically runs in the second half of July
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: Full-time high school student
Cost: Free
This multi-institutional program is funded by the American Cancer Society to provide underrepresented students in biomedicine identifying as female. 20 SHE trainees are enrolled each year to be part of a genetics-based research and a patient case study project. You will explore the nuances of cancer science and care in conjunction with five top-tier institutes in the Universities of Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas at Austin, and Chicago.
The program includes faculty lectures, skill-building workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities to ensure you have the resources to pursue a career in biomedical sciences. This program will enable you to develop valuable cancer research experience using a home laboratory kit and you will receive a $500 taxable stipend at the end of it.
Bonus
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. Summer cohort starts on June 2
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines for different cohorts throughout the year. Summer cohort deadline is May 11
Eligibility: All high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can commit to working for 10-20 hours a week for 8-12 weeks
Cost: Starts at $2,490. Financial aid available
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program where you work with high-growth start-ups that offer internships across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company.
There are two more programs available under the Ladder Internships umbrella - The CEO Internship Program and the CEO Internship Program + Mentored Research Program. You will work with a CEO/founder of a FAANG-level and/or top 20 university graduate such as Facebook, Google, Mckinsey, etc.
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.
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 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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