Best Summer Programs for Research
Actual laboratory training is a hard-to-come-by commodity for high school students, but one that can be invaluable for budding scientists, engineers, and other STEM-focused teens. Since high schools rarely offer such opportunities and colleges generally reserve lab space for their own undergraduate/graduate students, competitive summer programs are often one of the most direct routes to hands-on, experiment-based learning.
Our list of Best Research-Intensive Summer Programs is comprised of 26 stellar programs that range in duration, cost, and eligibility criteria but all possess the common denominator of quality. All of the aforementioned data points are provided for each school along with the location of the program, whether they offer a residential experience, and when the application window opens and closes. Also highlighted for our readers are the dates that applications become available, the deadlines, whether residential housing is offered, and the geographic location where the program takes place. No matter which you choose, you can rest assured that you will be gaining valuable research experience that is likely to also strengthen your future application.
| Program | Location | Residential | Focus | Length | Costs | App. Opens | Deadline | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University RISE | Boston, MA | Yes | STEM/Research | 6 weeks | $5420+ | Dec 15 | Feb 14 | Rising 12th |
| CHORI Summer Student Research Program | Oakland, CA | No | Research | 9 weeks | Free/Stipend | Dec 1 | Feb 25 | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Coriell Institute for Medical Research | Camden, NJ | Closed for 2021 | Research | 4 weeks | Free/Stipend | Available | 3-Apr | Age 17 by July 1 |
| Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy | Duarte, CA | No | Research | 10 weeks | Free/Stipend | Winter | 15-Mar | Age 16 by start of internship |
| Garcia Scholars at Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY | Yes | Research/Polymer Materials | 7 weeks | ~$4,500-$10,500 | Available | 22-Feb | 16 years old |
| George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Internship Program | Various (VA) | No | Research | 8 weeks | Free | Dec 15 | Feb 6 | 16 years old by first day of program |
| Jackson Lab Summer Student Program | Bar Harbor, ME | Yes | Genetics | 10 weeks | Free/Stipend | Available | Feb 2 | 18 years, Graduate of High School |
| MDI Biological Laboratory Summer Research Fellowship | Bar Harbor, ME | Yes | Research (Science) | 7 weeks | Free/Stipend | Available | Jan 10 Nominations, Feb 7 Applications | Commuter students must be at least 16 years old, residential must be at least 18 years old. |
| NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research | Multiple | No | Biomedical Sciences | 8 weeks | Free/Stipend | Available | Mar 1 | As least 17 years of age |
| Princeton University Summer Internships for High School Programs | Princeton, NJ | Closed for 2021 | Research Engineering, Natural Science | 5-6 weeks | Free | Feb 15 | Mar 15 | Age 16 by 6/15, enrolled in high school |
| Research Science Institute (MIT) | Cambridge, MA | Yes | STEM/Research | 6 weeks | Free | Nov 12 | Jan 14 | Rising 12th |
| Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research | Multiple, Online | Yes | Research | 2 weeks | $325-3680 | Available | Rolling | Ages 14-18 |
| Science Internship Program (SIP) | Santa Cruz, CA | Yes | Research | 8 weeks | $4060-8860 | 3/1 | 3/31 | 14 years old (16 for some) |
| Scripps College Student Research Internship | Claremont, CA | No | Research | 10 weeks | Free/Stipend | Available | Mar 25 | At least 16 years of age by start of internship |
| Secondary Student Training Program | Iowa City, IA or Online | Yes | Research | 6 weeks | $4500-$7500 | Dec 1 | Feb 18 | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Simons Summer Research Program (Stony Brook University) | Stony Brook, NY | Online for 2021 | Research/STEM | 6 weeks | Free/Stipend | Available | 23-Jan | Rising 12th |
| Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program | Northampton, MA | Yes | STEM/Research | 4 weeks | $7,298 | Jan 10 | Mar 1 Early, Apr 15 | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th (Women only) |
| Stony Brook University I-STEM Biotechnology Summer Scholars Program | Stony Brook, NY | No | Biotechnology/Research | 4 weeks | $2,400 | December | 1-Apr | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Student Science Training Program at University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | Yes | Research/Multiple | 6 weeks | $4,850 | February | Rolling Admission starting Mar 1 | At least 16 years old |
| The Clark Scholars Program – Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX | Yes | Research/Multiple | 7 weeks | Free/Stipend | Jan 3 | Feb 16 | Rising 12th + Graduates |
| The Summer Science Program | Multiple & Online | Yes | Research (Science) | 6 weeks | $7,950 | Dec 15 | Feb 25 | Rising 11th, 12th (at least 15 years old) |
| Tufts University Courses for High School Students | Medford, MA | Yes | Research/Multiple | 5 weeks | $7700-$13,250 | Dec 1 | May 1 | Rising 11th, 12th + Graduates |
| Research Mentorship Program – UC Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | Yes | Research/Multiple | 5 weeks | $2375-$11,740 | Dec 15 | Rolling | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Summer Research Academies – UC Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | Yes | Research | 4 weeks | $2375-7450 | Dec 15 | Rolling | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| UMass Summer Programs - Psychology | Amherst, MA | Yes | Research | 6 weeks | $6719-11,264 | January | Rolling | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| University of Minnesota - Lillehei Heart Institute Research Scholars | Minneapolis, MN | No | Research | 9 weeks | Free/Stipend | 1-Dec | 1-Feb | Rising 11th, 12th |
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