10 Computer Science Internships for High School Students in Houston

If you're a high schooler interested in computer science, an internship can help you develop coding skills, learn about the tech industry, and build a stronger profile for future academic or career opportunities. These programs often give you the chance to work on projects, collaborate with professionals, and explore fields like software engineering, data science, and AI. Completing an internship in high school can show college admissions officers that you’re interested in the subject and have built relevant skills, which is especially useful for competitive majors like computer science. 

For high school students in Houston, there are a number of good options to explore. We’ve narrowed down 10 computer science internships for high school students in Houston, including local opportunities as well as virtual programs you can join from anywhere.

1. University of Houston Computational Biomedicine Lab Summer Internship

Location: University of Houston, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohort (6–12 students)
Dates: June 1 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students with prior coding experience (Python preferred)

As a summer intern at the Computational Biomedicine Lab (CBL) at the University of Houston, you will engage in research applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to biomedical challenges. You’ll participate in ongoing projects, contribute to experiment design, and write code to test hypotheses. Through this experience, you will gain exposure to AI/ML techniques and tools, develop research questions, and explore how technology can address societal issues. You’ll also work closely with researchers to deepen your understanding of the scientific process. The internship is designed for students who are eager to build both technical and research skills in a university lab environment.

2. Ladder Internship Program

Location: Remote
Cost: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; size not specified
Dates: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter cohorts (8–12 weeks per cohort)
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort - typically January, May, September, and November
Eligibility: Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap-year students who can commit 10–20 hours per week

Ladder Internships connects you with startups for an 8–12 week remote internship experience. You can choose from companies working in industries like artificial intelligence, deep tech, healthcare, computer science, consulting, and more. During your internship, you’ll work on projects and meet regularly with both your startup mentor and a Ladder Coach to guide your progress. At the end of the program, you’ll present your work directly to your company team. Ladder accepts multiple cohorts each year, making it a flexible option to explore professional pathways while building industry-relevant experience.

3. Rice University PATHS‑UP Young Scholars Digital Health Program

Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective (approximately 12 students per session)
Dates: June 10–27 (Session 1) and July 8–25 (Session 2)
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Houston-area high school sophomores and juniors

You’ll dive into digital health research at Rice University by working with devices such as pulse oximeters, GPS sensors, and wearables. You’ll write code and build small-scale prototypes that explore the intersection of hardware and software in a health context. Through workshops and guided experimentation, you’ll deepen your understanding of software development, circuitry, and engineering workflows. You’ll collaborate with peers in tech-focused teams, and at the end of your session, present your project or prototype. The experience aims to build your technical skills while giving insight into applications in health technology.

4.  Girls Who Code Summer Programs

Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free; $300 grant available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer Immersion Program: July 7 - 18 or July 28 - August 8; Pathways Program: June 30 - August 8
Application Deadlines: April 16
Eligibility: SIP: For girls and nonbinary students currently in grades 9 -11 and Pathways: For girls and nonbinary students in grades 9 -12

Girls Who Code provides two free, virtual summer programs designed for high school students interested in technology and programming. The Summer Immersion Program (SIP) is a two-week intensive program where you’ll explore game development using p5.js, tackle coding challenges, and work collaboratively on team projects. The Pathways Program spans six weeks and offers a self-paced curriculum that allows you to explore areas such as web development, cybersecurity, data science, or AI. Both programs feature mentorship support, community events hosted by tech partners, and a final showcase where you’ll present your completed work.

5. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internship

Location: Johnson Space Center in Houston
Stipend: Paid and unpaid internships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Internships offered year-round; dates vary by session (Summer, Fall, Spring)
Application Deadline: Summer – February 27; Fall – May 22; Spring – September 12
Eligibility: U.S. citizens aged 16+ with a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers internship opportunities that allow you to contribute to ongoing projects in science, engineering, computer science, and more. You’ll work alongside NASA professionals, assisting with challenges like data analysis, software development, robotics, or space mission design. Internships can be full-time or part-time, in person or remote, and include mentorship from experts in the field. The program is designed to help you apply academic knowledge in a professional context, while gaining exposure to NASA’s research, operations, and innovation culture.

6. Rice ELITE Tech Camp

Location: On-site at Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost: $3,795 (financial aid available)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions (typically opens in February–March; closes when full)
Dates: Multiple sessions in June and July; each course runs for 1 week (Monday–Friday)
Eligibility: Open to high school students (rising 9th–12th graders) with an interest in coding, engineering, or technology. 

The Rice ELITE (Engineering, Leadership, Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship) Tech Camp is a week-long summer program hosted on the Rice University campus. This camp gives you a chance to explore topics like Python programming, game design, app development, robotics, and electrical engineering. During the camp, you'll attend instructor-led sessions in Rice’s engineering labs and classrooms, work on individual and team-based projects, and build tech applications. The curriculum is designed and taught by Rice faculty, graduate students, and industry professionals, providing both theoretical understanding and practical experience. You'll also get to explore leadership and innovation through tech-focused entrepreneurship workshops.

7. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship

Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $850 and a $40 application fee; unpaid internship
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective 
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are 14 or older and U.S. citizens

The Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) at Stanford offers a virtual Summer Research Internship designed for high school students curious about how AI is applied in healthcare. During this program, you will learn foundational concepts of artificial intelligence and explore how these tools help address healthcare problems. You will work on a research project focused on applying AI to a medical challenge, with guidance from Stanford researchers and student mentors. Beyond the project, the program includes interactive sessions with guest speakers from nonprofits, academia, government, and industry, providing valuable career insights. You will also take part in collaborative group work and social activities. After the program concludes, you have the option to continue developing your research project.

8. University of Houston – Mohan Lab Summer Internship

Location: On-site at University of Houston, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid; no program fee
Application Deadline: March 28
Dates: June 2 - July 25
Eligibility: Rising seniors (completed 11th grade of high school) interested in computer science, biomedical engineering, or data science; prior programming experience (Python/MATLAB preferred) is recommended but not mandatory

The Mohan Lab Summer Internship at the University of Houston offers high school students a chance to explore the intersection of computer science and medicine. As a research intern, you’ll contribute to projects analyzing large-scale biomedical datasets, applying Python, machine learning, and AI algorithms to identify disease biomarkers, classify medical images, or interpret high-dimensional proteomic and genomic data. You’ll also get exposure to tools like spatial omics analysis, imaging mass cytometry, and bioinformatics pipelines, depending on your assigned project. Students have worked on topics like developing machine learning models to classify kidney diseases, applying convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to detect cell proliferation in tissue images, and creating Arduino-based biomedical sensors.

9. Kode With Klossy Virtual Camps

Location: Virtual (with some in-person camps in select U.S. cities)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Over 3000 scholars
Application Deadline: March 31
Dates: Multiple 2-week cohorts during summer (June–August)
Eligibility: Open to girls and non-binary high school students aged 13–18. No prior coding experience required.

Kode With Klossy is a free, beginner-friendly coding camp designed to empower girls and non-binary students to explore the world of technology. Over the course of two weeks, you'll learn to build tech projects in areas like web development, mobile app creation, data science, and machine learning. The virtual format features live instruction, mentorship from industry professionals, and collaborative workshops where you'll work with peers across the country. The curriculum emphasizes both technical skills and creativity, encouraging you to solve meaningful problems through code. By the end of the camp, you'll have built your own website, app, or data science project, along with gaining a strong foundation in teamwork and leadership in tech.

10. CISA Cyber and IT Internships

Location: Mostly virtual; some hybrid/on-site roles
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Application Deadline: Varies; applications open at different times throughout the year
Dates: Typically 10–12 weeks in summer (June–August), some year-round roles available
Eligibility: U.S. citizens, at least 16 years old

The CISA Cyber and IT Internship offers high school and college students experience in cybersecurity and information technology within a federal agency. As an intern, you'll work alongside cybersecurity professionals on projects such as automating security tools, analyzing vulnerabilities, developing scripts, and supporting critical IT systems. You may also participate in educational workshops, leadership talks, and technical lab tours. Whether paid or volunteer, this internship allows you to apply coding, cybersecurity, and analytical skills to protect critical infrastructure while gaining exposure to government cyber operations.

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