15 Summer Internships for High School Students in San Diego
If you're a high school student in San Diego, a summer internship can be a smart way to explore different career paths and build early experience. The summer break gives you the time and flexibility to focus on learning without balancing a full academic schedule—and local internships make it easier to do that without having to relocate or travel long distances.
San Diego is a particularly strong location for summer internships because of its concentration of research institutions, hospitals, technology companies, biotech firms, and cultural organizations. Institutions like UC San Diego, Scripps Research, Rady Children’s Hospital, and a growing number of startups and nonprofits regularly offer programs designed for high school students. Choosing a local opportunity means you can learn from professionals in your own community, begin building a network close to home, and get a clearer picture of the opportunities available in your region.
To help you get started, we’ve selected 15 summer internships for high school students in San Diego, including in-person and virtual options across science, technology, healthcare, media, and public service.
1. Scripps Student Research Internship
Location: Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: June 2–August 8 | June 16–August 22
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students with a strong interest in STEM
If you’re interested in the intersection of health and data science, the Scripps Research Translational Institute’s Student Research Internship might align with your goals. This 10-week summer internship for high school students in San Diego allows you to explore topics like genomics, bioinformatics, digital medicine, and mobile health (mHealth) technologies in a professional research environment. You'll be matched with a mentor who guides you through the design and execution of an independent research project, often within a dry lab setting, though limited wet lab placements are also available. You’ll learn the fundamentals of study design and data analysis, participate in journal club presentations, attend weekly seminars, and present final research at a formal symposium.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a virtual program that pairs high school students with early-stage, fast-growing start-ups across fields like artificial intelligence, health tech, journalism, marketing, and more. Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll work remotely on projects assigned by your host company, from competitive research and product development to content creation or data analysis, depending on the organization and your interests. You’ll also be guided by both a company mentor and a Ladder Coach, who provide you with regular check-ins, feedback sessions. The experience culminates in a final presentation where you showcase your work to company stakeholders.
3. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) by the Department of Navy
Location: Varies based on lab locations.
Stipend: $4,000 (new participants) | $4,500 (returning participants)
Dates: June–August (8 weeks)
Application deadline: Applications open in August and close on November 1 every year
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 10-12 who are 16 years old by the start of the program and are U.S. citizens
As a high school student in San Diego with a strong interest in STEM, you should consider SEAP, which offers exposure to research within a Department of the Navy laboratory. Over eight weeks, you’ll be placed in one of the participating labs where you'll work on ongoing scientific and engineering projects under the mentorship of Navy scientists and engineers. You might find yourself working on projects in fields ranging from electronics and computer modeling to materials science or oceanographic systems. The structure of this summer internship for high school students in San Diego emphasizes practical involvement, not observation, and encourages you to contribute to active research efforts while developing technical skills and gaining insight into government-led innovation.
4. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
Location: Interns will be assigned to a local non-profit organization in San Diego. The Leadership Summit will be held in Washington DC.
Stipend: Paid
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer
Application deadline: October 14–January 15
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors. See all eligibility criteria here.
The Bank of America Student Leaders Program places high school juniors and seniors in eight-week paid internships with local nonprofit organizations focused on community impact. In this summer internship, you get to work on projects that support initiatives in education, housing, food security, and more, while learning how nonprofits operate and collaborate with public and private sectors. The experience also includes attending the Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., where you'll join peers from across the country to explore topics like civic engagement, advocacy, and social responsibility. You’ll also work on developing your communication skills, teamwork, and leadership while gaining insight into policy and fundraising.
5. J. Craig Venter Institute’s High School Internship
Location: J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA
Stipend: $17/hour
Dates: May - August; 10-15 week opportunities are offered throughout the year
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 and above
J. Craig Venter Institute’s High School Summer Internship is a research experience for students aged 16 and older. You are paired with a dedicated mentor and integrated into an active research project aligned with their interests, often in fields like genomics, bioinformatics, or synthetic biology. You’ll have the opportunity to use lab equipment, participate in journal clubs and seminars, and attend workshops that focus on both scientific and professional development. You’ll also prepare and present your research findings at a poster session evaluated by JCVI scientists, giving you academic feedback.
6. Heithoff-Brody High School Scholars Program at the Salk Institute
Location: Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA
Stipend: $17/hour
Dates: June 16–August 8
Application deadline: December 12–March 28
Eligibility: Open to students 16 years and older who reside and attend school in San Diego County with a minimum 2.75 GPA
The Heithoff-Brody High School Scholars Program at the Salk Institute introduces students to a professional research setting for eight weeks to work alongside a mentor on an ongoing scientific project. As an intern, you will engage in lab work while also participating in seminars, workshops, and biotech site visits that build your skills in areas like wet lab techniques, data analysis, bioinformatics, and science communication. The internship is designed to help you understand how large-scale biological research unfolds, both through daily lab experience and exposure to the broader research community at Salk. You'll interact with scientists across different departments and present your research at the Summer Scholars Research Symposium, either as an oral presentation or a poster.
7. The San Diego Natural History Museum Youth Internship Program
Location: San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: Internships are offered all year round
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students 16 years and older
The San Diego Natural History Museum Youth Internship Program introduces you to scientific work through departments like Entomology, Botany, Paleontology, and Herpetology. As an intern, you’ll rotate through these areas or focus on one, depending on your interest, while learning how to collect and record data, identify specimens using scientific keys, and work with tools such as microscopes and databases. You’ll also be trained in lab safety protocols and gain insight into how museum collections contribute to scientific research and education. The summer internship is unpaid and requires you to be at least 16, enrolled in a school internship program, and receive course credit through a formal agreement with your school.
8. Internships at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Location: Remote
Cost: Free; stipend amount is unspecified
Dates: Internships are offered year-round and can vary from 6 weeks to one year
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Interning at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage gives you the chance to contribute to projects rooted in cultural research, heritage preservation, and storytelling. Depending on your interests, you may help curate materials for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, support audio and editorial work with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, or assist in organizing and digitizing archival materials in the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives. Other opportunities might involve developing educational resources, contributing to cultural sustainability initiatives, or engaging in digital media and public outreach. You’ll work under the guidance of staff researchers, archivists, or curators, depending on your placement, and gain practical experience in fields like folklore, ethnomusicology, or museum studies.
9. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Available across all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and the Pacific Islands. Participants are assigned a location that is within a 45-minute commute of their home.
Stipend: $3,000
Program dates: June – August (flexible)
Application deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and rising college freshmen who are at least 16 years old by the internship start date
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is a full-time, paid summer internship that allows you to explore the field of fisheries and aquatic science through mentorship and field experience. For eight weeks, you’ll work alongside a local professional in marine or freshwater environments, assisting with tasks such as collecting ecological data, monitoring fish populations, or analyzing water quality. As part of the summer internship, you’ll complete regular time reports and submit both a midterm and final reflection on your experience.
10. NextVet Internship at Banfield Pet Hospital
Location: Find locations near you using the Banfield.com location finder.
Cost: Free
Dates: 2–10 weeks in the summer
Application deadline: Applications typically open in February
Eligibility: Open to students aged 16+
For those interested in animal care or veterinary science, the NextVet Internship at Banfield Pet Hospital could give you a close-up view of daily life in a veterinary clinic. As an intern, you'll spend time behind the scenes at a local Banfield hospital, observing and shadowing veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other staff as they provide care to animals. You’ll also take part in virtual sessions that cover topics across the veterinary field, offering insights into industry trends, career paths, and the broader role of veterinary services in public health. Throughout the internship, you’ll receive guidance from professionals and have opportunities to connect with both local mentors and national leaders in the field.
11. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Internships
Location: San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA
Cost: Free; paid opportunities available
Dates: June 15–August 28
Application deadline: November 3–17
Eligibility: High school students
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance provides internship opportunities that allow you to explore wildlife care and conservation through practical involvement and mentorship. Whether you're assisting in animal care, learning about habitat management, or contributing to conservation education, you'll be working alongside professionals committed to protecting species and ecosystems. For those interested in digital media or technology, there are also tracks that focus on how communication and IT support conservation efforts behind the scenes. Each internship track provides a different perspective on how various skill sets contribute to wildlife science.
12. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
Location: Virtual
Stipend: Virtual interns are provided a $500 stipend
Dates: 5 weeks (June to August)
Application deadline: December 1–March 1
Eligibility: Open to U.S. high school juniors and seniors
If you’re wondering what it’s like to study the brain at a professional level, JHIBS is designed for high school juniors and seniors who want an early introduction to neuroscience research. Throughout the summer, you’ll work alongside scientists and mentors on research projects focused on areas such as brain development, neurological disorders, or cognitive function. This virtual summer internship gives you practical lab experience while also helping you understand the long-term academic path toward becoming a clinical or research scientist. In addition to lab work, you’ll take part in educational sessions that explore current topics in brain science and the broader field of biomedical research.
13. OPTIMUS Outreach Program
Location: Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego
Cost: Free; a stipend is awarded to all participants.
Program dates: June 16–August 8
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 10 and 11 who reside in San Diego and attend Lincoln, Hoover, Crawford, Morse, Madison, Garfield, Mark Twain, or Preuss High Schools.
The OPTIMUS Outreach Program is an eight-week cancer research internship aimed at high school students in San Diego, with a focus on supporting those from underrepresented backgrounds in science and medicine. During the program, you’ll be placed at the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego, where you’ll assist in cancer research labs and gain exposure to clinical settings by shadowing physicians. You’ll learn about topics such as oncology, biomedical research, and healthcare systems through both lab experience and educational sessions led by medical and graduate students. Alongside research activities, you’ll also develop your understanding of how scientific discoveries translate into patient care.
14. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $840 + $40 application fee (financial aid is available)
Program dates: June 16-27
Application deadline: December 9–February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents who will be 14 years or older by the program's start are eligible.
The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship is a two-week online experience focused on the role of AI in medicine and imaging. You’ll attend technical lectures that introduce core AI concepts and their applications in healthcare, while also participating in mentored group projects guided by Stanford researchers and student leads. The program includes research work, virtual career talks with professionals from diverse sectors, and interactive sessions aimed at helping you explore the uses of AI in clinical settings. There may be an opportunity to continue with an extended independent research project after the main program ends.
15. American Psychological Association (APA) – Remote Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: No cost
Dates: Internships are offered all year round
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all high school students eligible to work in the U.S. (as verified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s eVerify service) and residing in one of the states where APA is already registered as an employer.
High school students interested in psychology and its applications may find the American Psychological Association’s Remote Internship Program a valuable early experience. This internship places you in a professional, nonprofit setting where you can explore roles in research, education, public policy, communications, or publishing, depending on your assignment. You'll work under the guidance of a supervisor, contributing to projects that help connect psychological science with broader societal needs. The internship also includes optional workshops, networking opportunities, and collaborative projects that support your academic and career development. Opportunities are available as either paid positions or for academic credit, with application requirements varying slightly by department.