Research Opportunities for High School Students

Hands-on laboratory-based research experiences are coveted by just about every STEM-oriented teenager on the planet. Of course, this level of demand renders research apprenticeships a valuable and rare commodity for high school students. Fortunately, there are a number of reputable summer programs run by universities, government agencies, and private research laboratories that afford young scientists this highly sought after experience. Research opportunities during the actual school year are more challenging to locate as colleges are, at that time, catering to their own students, and the rigidity of the high school calendar makes participation a further challenge.

College Transitions’ list of Research Opportunities for High School Students includes a bevy of summer program choices as well as a list of internships and apprenticeships that are indeed offered during the school year. For each entry, we list the geographic location of the program, whether there is a residential component offered, the length of the program, any associated costs or—on the other end—stipends, when the application window opens and closes, and the eligibility criteria for participation. We hope that this collection of research opportunities leads to you/your teen finding the laboratory experience of their dreams.

To view additional data columns, click the + icon to the left of the program’s name

ProgramFocusLocationTime AvailableResidentialLengthCostsApp. OpensDeadlineEligibility
American Chemical Society - Project SEED ProgramChemistryMultiple (see website)Summer OnlyNo4 weeksFree/Stipend3/315/15All high school students
Argonne National Laboratory - Exemplary Student Research ProgramEngineeringLemont, ILAll Year No1 school yearFreeSummerPrior to AugustApplication must be completed by participting teacher
Army Education Outreach Program - ApprenticeshipsSTEMVarious All Year No3 months Free12/163/15Grades 10-12 in: AL, CA, IL, MD, MA, MS, NM, TX, VA
Baruch College STEM Research AcademySTEMNew York, NYSpring/Summer No11 weeksFree/StipendOctoberDecemberAll NY City public high school juniors (some 10th)
Baylor University CASPER High School Scholars ProgramAstrophysics Waco, TXAll Year NoVaries FreeN/AN/ARising 11th, 12th, local
Boston University RISESTEMBoston, MASummer OnlyYes6 weeks~$7,70012/15TBDRising 12th
Burke Neurological Institute - High School OpportunitiesNeuroscience White Plains, NYAll Year NoSemesterFreeBy Season8/1, 12/1. 4/1Rising 10th, 11th, 12th
California Academy of Sciences - Careers in Science (CIS) InternSTEMSan Francisco, CAAll Year NoMultiple yearsFreeEarly Spring Early April 9th or 10th, underrepresented group
Cedars Sinai High School Outreach ProgramPre-Health Los Angeles, CAAll Year No7 weeksFreeMultiple Multiple11th
Chicago EYES on CancerBiomedicine Chicago, ILAll Year No2 years FreeEarly FallFall10th, 11th, 12th
CHORI Summer Student Research ProgramBiomedicine Oakland, CASummer OnlyNo8 weeks Free/Stipend Available 2/7Rising 11th, 12th
City of Hope Summer Student AcademyBiomedicine Duarte, CASummer OnlyNo10 weeksFree/StipendAvailable 3/916 years old
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research InstitutePre-Health Cleveland, OHSummer OnlyNo9 weeksFree/Stipend1/62/29Grades 10-12
Columbia Zuckerman Institute - BRAINYAC ProgramNeuroscience New York, NYSummer Only No7 weeks FreeFall TBD10th, 11th
Cooper Union Summer STEMSTEMNew York, NYSummer OnlyNo3 weeks$1,125-$1,375TBD3/310th, 11th, 12th
Coriell Institute for Medical ResearchBiomedicine Camden, NJSummer OnlyNo4 weeksFree/Stipend Available 4/3Age 17 by July 1
Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student AcademyBiomedicine Duarte, CASummer OnlyNo10 weeksFree/Stipend Winter3/15Age 16 by start of internship
Fox Chase Cancer Center - High School Research ProgramsBiomedicine Philadelphia, PAAll Year No11 weeksFreeMid-OctoberEarly November Age 16, completed bio & chem
Garcia Scholars (Stony Brook University)STEMStony Brook, NYSummer OnlyYes7 weeks~$4,500-$10,500Available2/2216 years old
George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Internship ProgramSTEMVarious (VA)Summer OnlyNo8 weeks Free12/62/2Age 16 by June
High School Honors Science, Math and Engineering (Michigan State)STEMEast Lansing, MISummer OnlyYes7 weeks~$3,800N/ATBD (March)Rising 12th
Jackson Lab - Academic Year FellowshipsGenetics Bar Harbor, MEAll Year No1 yearFree5/17/111th, 12th
Jackson Lab Summer Student ProgramGeneticsBar Harbor, MESummer OnlyYes10 weeksFree/StipendAvailable2/2Rising 12th
Jefferson Lab High School Summer Honors ProgramSTEMNewport News, VASummer OnlyNo6 weeksFreeN/A2/2416 years old, within 60 miles of lab.
Los Alamos National Laboratory - High School Internship ProgramSTEMLos Alamos, NMAll Year No11 weeksFree8/1, 1/111/9, 4/1316 years old, Northern New Mexico
MDI Biological Laboratory Summer Research FellowshipBiologyBar Harbor, MESummer OnlyYes7 weeksFree/StipendAvailable 1/7 (Nominations)2/4 (Applications)16 years old
Microsoft High School InternshipComputer Science Redmond, WASummer OnlyNo10 weeksFreeFebruary TBD11th,12th grade in Western Wasihington
NASA InternshipsAerospace 19 Locations (see website)All Year No4-12 weeksFreeVariesVaries16 years old
NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical ResearchBiomedicine MultipleSummer OnlyNo8 weeksFree/Stipendmid-November3/1Age 17 or older
OHSU School of Medicine - Partnership for Scientific InquirySTEMPortland, ORAll Year No1 yearFreeNovember1/110th, 11th in Portland area
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - Work-Based LearningSTEMRichland, WAAll Year No1 yearFreeFebruary VariesAge 16 or older
Penn State College of Medicine - Research Observation & InternshipsPre-Health Hershey, PAAll Year No1 day-several monthsFreeVariesVariesRising seniors
Princeton Plasma Physics LaboratoryPhysics Princeton, NJAll Year NoSemester Free9/25,11/22, 2/111/30, 1/31. 4/30Rising Seniors
Princeton Summer Internships for High School StudentsSTEMPrinceton, NJSummer OnlyNo5-6 weeksFree2./13/20Age 16 by 6/15
Research Science Institute (MIT)STEMCambridge, MASummer OnlyYes6 weeksFreeAvailable1/15Rising 12th
Rosetta Institute of Biomedical ResearchBiomedical MultipleSummer OnlyYes2 weeks $2,780Available RollingAges 14-18
Rutgers University Clinical Research Experience for HS StudentsBiomedical New Brunswick, NJAll Year NoOne yearFreeTBDTBDUnderrepresented minority or ED 11th/12th grade student in NJ
Sandia National Laboratories - InternshipsComputer Science Albequerque, NM & Livermore, CAAll Year No10 weeks-8 monthsFreeVariesVariesAge 16
Science Internship Program (SIP)STEMSanta Cruz, CASummer OnlyYes8 weeks~$3,300-$9,1003/13/2114 years old (16 for some)
Scripps College Student Research InternshipGenetics/BiologyClaremont, CASummer OnlyNo8 weeks FreeAvailable 3/13Age 16 by start of internship
Seattle Children's Hospital - Research Training Program for HS StudentsBiomedicine Seattle, WASummer OnlyNo3 weeks Free/StipendJanuary TBDUnderrepresented minority or ED 11th/12th grade student in WA
Secondary Student Training Program (University of Iowa)STEMIowa City, IASummer OnlyYes6 weeks$6,395Available1/10Rising 11th, 12th
Simons Summer Research Program (Stony Brook University)STEMStony Brook, NYSummer OnlyYes6 weeksFree/StipendAvailable1/23Rising 12th
Sloan Kettering Summer Student ProgramBiomedicine New York, NYSummer OnlyNo8 weeks Free/Stipend12/62/7Rising 10th, 11th, 12th
Smith College Summer Science and Engineering ProgramSTEMNorthampton, MASummer OnlyYes4 weeks$6,5401/63/1 (Early Decision)Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th (Women only)
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - YES! ProgramNatural Sciences Washington, D.C. All Year No4.5 months Free/StipendNovemberTBDGrades 9-11 in Washington, D.C. area
STEM Research Academy at City TechSTEMBrooklyn, NYAll Year No6 monthsFree Fall12/20NYC Public HS students
Stony Brook University - Biotechnology Summer Scholars ProgramBiotechnologyStony Brook, NYSummer OnlyYes4 weeks$2,400December4/1Rising 10th, 11th, 12th
Student Science Training Program (University of Florida)STEMGainesville, FLSummer OnlyYes7 weeks$4,800AvailableRolling (February)Rising 12th, 16 years old
The Clark Scholars Program (Texas Tech University)STEMLubbock, TXSummer OnlyYes7 weeksFree/Stipend1/102/10Rising 11th, 12th
The Summer Science ProgramSTEMMultipleSummer OnlyYes6 weeks$7,15012/152/28Rising 12th
UCSB Research Mentorship ProgramSTEMSanta Barbara, CASummer OnlyYes6 weeks~$4,500-$10,50012/15RollingRising 11th, 12th
UCSB Summer Research AcademiesSTEMSanta Barbara, CASummer OnlyYes4 weeks$2,100-$7,8991/15RollingRising 10th, 11th, 12th
UMass Medical School - Neuroscience/Mental Health InternshipNeuroscience Amherst, MASummer OnlyNo2 weeks FreeSpring5/13All high school students
UMass Summer Programs - Forensic ChemistryChemistry Amherst, MASummer OnlyYes2 weeks ~$3,100Available Rolling Rising 10th, 11th, 12th
University of California, San Francisco - HS Intern ProgramBiomedical San Francisco, CASummer OnlyNo8 weeks Free/Stipend Nov. (nomination)FebruaryRising senior in SF public school
University of Chicago - Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS)BiologyChicago, ILSummer OnlyYes4 week $12,200Fall1/22Current 10th, 11th
University of Kansas (Edwards Campus)- Research Apprentice ProgramBiology Kansas City, Kansas All Year NoSemester Free Varies Varies Current 11th, 12th
University of Minnesota Lillehei Heart Institute Research ScholarsPre-Health Minneapolis, MNSummer OnlyNo9 weeks Free/Stipend 12/152/15Rising 11th, 12th
University of Rochester - Summer Research ProgramPhysics Rochester, NYSummer OnlyNo8 weeks Free/Stipend February MId-MarchRising 12th, Upstate NY resident
University of Washington GenOM Project -Programs for HS StudentsSTEMSeattle, WASummer Only No8 weeks Free/Stipend JanuaryTBDRising 12th
UPenn GRASP Lab - High School InternshipsRobotics Philadelphia, PASummer Only No6 weeks Free/Stipend Available 3/1Rising 12th
Virginia Tech Fralin Life Sciences Institute - Research Experience for HSSTEMBlacksburg, VAAll Year NoSemester FreeVaries Vaires 11th, 12th
Waksman Student Scholars ProgramBiology New Brunswick, NJAll Year No1 yearFreeThrough School Through School High School biology students
Werner H. Kirsten Student Intern ProgramBiomedicine Frederick, MDAll Year No1 yearFree/Stipend 10/13/31MD/WV 16 years old
Yale School of Medicine - Discovery to Cure HS Internship ProgramBiomedicine New Haven, CTSummer OnlyNo8 weeks FreeAvailable 3/1Rising 12th, CT students
Yale University Social Robotics Lab - High School InternsRobotics New Haven, CTSummer Only No6 weeks FreeFebruary 3/3111th, 12th
OrthoCarolina Student Shadowing ProgramHealthcareCharlotte, NCAll YearNo1 weekFreeAvailableMultipleAge 16 or older

Colleges Worth Your Money

2024 Edition

A Guide to What America's Top Schools Can Do for You


Buy on Amazon Now
College Transitions Dataverse Book Image