30 STEM Internships for High School Students
- Estelle Reardon
- Nov 17, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: Mar 27
Topics We Cover:
Why Do Internships in High School?
How to Find STEM Internships for High School Students
30 STEM Internships for High School Students
Why Do Internships in High School?
Before we jump into a long list of STEM internships for high school students, it is important to understand why these opportunities could matter for your future. According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a US News top 50 University have completed at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities serve as a way to distinguish yourself in the admissions process by showing that you have gone out and verified your future goals through experience. Doing internships will help you enter college with a clearer idea of the professional environments you enjoy or don’t enjoy, which will make it easier for you to recruit into a job you love after graduation.
How to Find STEM Internships for High School Students
The best way to find official programs to apply to is through online search tools and lists. The StandOutSearch database provides the largest free resource that lists almost every internship program for the high school age group and allows you to search by interest area. MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of STEM High School Internships, as does the Collegevine blog.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, so if you are serious about finding a STEM internship in high school, you should also prepare a cold-outreach strategy. Use LinkedIn to find local small companies where you can help with skills such as coding or technical grant writing. These companies will be the most likely to hire high-school-aged students. Use the staff directories of local universities to find professors to reach out to about research positions.
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, aim to send at least 100 emails to potential internship providers. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which should be no more than one page while you are in high school. UChicago provides a helpful free resume template and guide.
30 STEM Internships for High School Students
Most of the high school internship opportunities below have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower, given that there are many more high school students looking for internships relative to official programs that provide them. We recommend choosing at least five opportunities to apply to. If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: Summer or School Year
Deadline: Various Deadlines
NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) paid internships allow high school and college-level students to contribute to agency projects under the guidance of a NASA mentor. Applicants for this internship must be U.S. Citizens and meet a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement. There is also a program for international students.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program that helps match gifted high school students with online internships in their industry of interest. Potential sectors include finance, STEM, medicine, law, arts, and more. StandOut Connect is funded by StandOutSearch, the largest free database for high school internships. The program has been featured in Forbes and was created with the help of investment from The University of Chicago's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 10, 2025
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program offers stipend-paid summer internship opportunities to upper-level high school students. The selected interns gain valuable hands-on experiences working with full-time AFRL scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research and technology and are able to contribute to unique, research-based projects.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 19, 2025
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an eight week paid summer internship and mentoring program for high school students sponsored by the American Fisheries Society (AFS). Their vision is to stimulate interest in fisheries and aquatic science among underrepresented groups in the profession today. Students who live and have residency in the United States, Mexico and Canada are eligible to apply.
Ages: 17-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 2025
The Summer Internship Program is designed to provide young people an opportunity to spend a summer working side-by-side with some of the most talented scientists in the world in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. Summer interns conduct full-time biomedical research. They are expected to work just as hard as the postbacs, graduate students, and postdocs in their research groups, and the group will depend on their results.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: School Year or Summer
Deadline: Various Deadlines
The U.S. Department of State’s Pathways Internship Program includes both the Internship Experience Program (IEP) and the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP). Both programs are targeted toward U.S. citizens enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions from high school to graduate school and professional academic levels. Both programs provide students with opportunities to explore Federal careers while being paid for the work performed.
Ages: 17-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Early January
Whether you’re interested in being a producer, a journalist, a web developer, an engineer, a business executive, a PR agent, a sales representative, or any other career in media or tech, the EBF Internship is here to help you get your start. If selected, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in these organizations so you can learn, grow, and put yourself on the fast-track to career success.
Ages: 17-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: October 1, 2025
Our student programs allow you to learn more about NSA, deepen your career field knowledge and collect a paycheck or scholarship money. This program is for students who plan to participate in a school-sponsored work experience program during their senior year. Positions are available based on requirements at each site.
Ages: 15-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: May 25, 2025
The TECH360 Summer Bootcamp is an intensive, 3-week program where students learn how to code through web design and web development. Throughout the program, students will learn industry-aligned technical and professional skills, gaining knowledge of key coding languages and frameworks, including HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations Across the US
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: November 1, 2025
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for eight weeks during the summer. SEAP gives academically talented sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in STEM the opportunity to learn about Naval research and technology while receiving first-class mentoring by top scientists and engineers.
Ages: 14-18
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 7, 2025
Each participant in the HOPP Summer Student Program is assigned to an 8-week, biomedical or computational lab-based internship at MSKCC. Students are paired with a mentor who supervises their activities and helps them develop appropriate skills. Over the course of the internship, students complete a self-directed project that provides value to their mentor and/or Principal Investigator’s overall research objectives.
Ages: 15-17
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
The Zuckerman Institute’s Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC) program prepares today’s youth to become tomorrow’s scientists. BRAINYAC provides high-schoolers with an immersive, hands-on summer research experience in a Columbia laboratory. We emphasize opportunities to connect with real scientists, learn key skills required to work in a research environment, and become part of the Columbia University community.
Ages: 14-17
Location: New York
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: March 31, 2025
BioBus creates immersive laboratory environments, including mobile labs and community labs, in which students join scientists for hands-on scientific exploration during in-school, after-school, weekend, and summer programs, as well as internships. BioBus helps K-12 and college students in New York City discover, explore, and pursue science.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New York
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: TBD
The Biorocket Research Internship Program is a 6-month science research internship experience for New York City public and charter high school students aged 16 and up. The program provides students with the opportunity to learn the latest advances in genetic engineering and biology laboratory skills, along with the science communication skills necessary to communicate about these topics with a variety of audiences.
Ages: 15-18
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 8, 2025
The Hk Maker Lab is an intensive six-week summer program to learn the foundations of design. Focusing on addressing a health problem, participants will design, prototype, and test a biomedical device and develop an associated business plan. The program will culminate in a presentation to leading executives from the biomedical community. The Hk Maker Lab projects might then be incubated using the state-of-the-art facilities at Harlem Biospace.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 15, 2025
The Laboratory Learning Program is a full-time, free research experience in the sciences or engineering for high school students. Students are included in ongoing research programs where they are closely supervised by Princeton faculty and research staff. The participation dates are customized according to the schedules of the research personnel and the specifics of the project.
Ages: 15-16
Location: California
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 14, 2025
Externs of Meta Summer Academy (formerly known as Facebook Summer Academy) will have the opportunity to learn about the day-to-day operations of one of the world’s leading social media networks by being part of a dynamic workforce. Applicants must be sophomores in high school and full-year residents of either: East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City.
Ages: 16-19
Location: California
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Through KP LAUNCH, Kaiser Permanente offers young adults a variety of paid internship opportunities in the Oakland headquarters and medical offices across Northern California. Interns have the opportunity to work for an industry leader on projects that matter. Interns are provided with work experience that exposes them to administrative and supporting careers in healthcare environments.
Ages: 16-19
Location: California
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Various Deadlines
Sandia applies science to help detect, repel, defeat, or mitigate national threats. Sandia welcomes student interns – from those in their final years of high school, to undergraduates, to researchers obtaining PhDs. As an intern, you will work on real-world, challenging projects that contribute to Sandia’s mission.
Ages: 16-19
Location: California
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 22, 2025
The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) is an eight-week program in which high school students from diverse backgrounds are invited to perform basic research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and researchers on a medically-oriented project. The goals of the program include increasing interest in biological sciences and medicine in high school students, helping students to understand how scientific research is performed, and increasing diversity of students and researchers in the sciences.
Ages: 15-17
Location: Georgia
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Various Deadlines
If you have a passion for aquatic ecosystems and a talent of engaging with people, Georgia Aquarium’s Beginner Environmental Leadership Program is for you. Open to all high school students aged 15-17, this program is dedicated to empowering teens to become tomorrow’s leaders in environmental conservation. The Beginner Environmental Leadership Program runs three times a year and will last for four months. Teens may volunteer on any day during the summer and on breaks and weekends throughout the school year.
Ages: 13-18
Location: Illinois
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Various Deadlines
The Adler Planetarium offers various opportunities for teenagers to participate in STEAM-based programs that aim at providing an environment for personal growth and scientific experimentation. The Summer Internship Program places high school students in professional museum roles. In addition to the summer internship, the Adler Planetarium offers other teen programs throughout the year, each with their specific requirements, such as the Mission Near Space program, which is open to applicants in 7th-8th grade attending a Chicago Public School.
Ages: 16-17
Location: Massachusetts
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 31, 2025
The Tufts University Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars (TUBERS) Program is an opportunity for high school students interested in biomedical engineering research to gain hands-on experience over a six-week period during the summer. Participants will work in Tuft’s biomedical engineering labs, learning experimental protocols, testing hypotheses, and working on specific projects. Students will also receive academic guidance from undergraduates and graduate students involved with the program and their research mentors. The program is free of charge and encourages those from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Michigan
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
The Aspirnaut Summer Research Internship Program at U-M is a six-week program that aims to increase interest in basic science research by giving high school students from under-resourced areas the chance to work with researchers at U-M in a hands-on science laboratory experience. Interns will come from select communities in Michigan, including rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.
Ages: 16-17
Location: Massachusetts
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 1, 2025
The MITES Summer Program is a six-week, on-campus program that immerses US high school juniors in rigorous and rewarding mathematics, science, and humanities courses. Scholars will also have access to lab tours, social events, and college admissions counseling while developing the academic and personal skills essential for success. Students will engage with STEM professionals in seminars and tours of MIT labs and local companies employing MITES alumni.
Ages: 15-18
Location: Massachusetts
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Various Deadlines
The MGH Youth Scholars Program supports students in grades 9 through 12 by promoting educational attainment for students in Boston, Chelsea, and Revere. The program works to increase students’ interest in science and healthcare, spark college aspirations and preparedness, and aims to support Scholars to succeed academically in high school, graduate from college, and enter the workforce with a strong sense of academic fortitude and confidence.
Ages: 15-18
Location: New Hampshire
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
The 2023 High School Foundations Summer Internship program is a highly competitive and rigorous program designed for high school students to gain real-world experience and insights into various careers. Over the course of several weeks during the summer, interns participate in a range of learning opportunities, such as workshops, lectures, and hands-on projects, that are designed to deepen their understanding of fields like business, medicine, law, engineering, and the arts. Interns work closely with professionals in their areas of interest, participate in team-building activities, and receive mentorship from experienced advisors to guide their personal and professional growth.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Massachusetts
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Students work on the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) campus in departments ranging from radiology, transport, materials management, research labs, and more. The program is a paid 7-week, 30-hour-per-week job experience focused on professional development, healthcare career exposure and exploration, community health, and health equity.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April 11, 2025
Students gain the computer science skills they need to make an impact and prepare for tech careers through this free, virtual summer program. Summer program participants get exposure to tech jobs, meet leaders in tech careers, and find community in a supportive sisterhood.
Ages: 15-17
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 21
This seven-week program includes: a high-level, 5-week authentic research experience in participating NYU faculty labs, mentoring in that placement by a graduate or postdoctoral student, a stipend of at least $750 for completing the program, as well as two weeks of workshops, college advisement, and other activities geared to preparing ARISE students for the college application process.
Conclusion
Whether you are applying to established programs or launching a cold outreach strategy, the name of the game when looking for a high school internship or research position is perseverance. These opportunities can be extremely difficult to find, but most students find it worth it in the end to get a head start on building their careers. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to save it for later or share it with a friend. Good luck on your internship search journey!
