15 Free Science Summer Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in science, summer programs can be a worthwhile way to explore this field. Free science summer programs for high school students provide experience in labs, mentorship from experts, and exposure to professional environments. As a participant, you’ll develop practical skills, discover your career interests, and build connections with researchers and peers.
The fact that these programs are free makes them relatively accessible. Many of these summer programs are hosted by top universities, research institutes, and respected organizations, which ensures you’ll gain experience in a professional scientific environment. Whether you are interested in neuroscience, data science, biomedical research, or environmental science, these programs can help shape your academic and career journey. To help you get started, we’ve put together 15 free science summer programs for high school students.
15 Free Science Summer Programs for High School Students
1. NASA OSTEM High School Internship Programs
Location: NASA centers across the country
Cost/Stipend: Free | Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Spring: 16 weeks (mid-January – early May); Summer: 10 weeks (late May – August); Fall: 16 weeks (late August – mid-December)
Application Deadline: Fall: May 22; Spring: September 12; Summer: February 27
Eligibility: Full-time high school students with over 16 years of age; cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; must be U.S. citizens
The NASA OSTEM Internship Program involves you directly in ongoing projects across areas such as aerospace design, robotics, data analysis, and Earth science research. Depending on your placement, you can contribute to mission planning, test out new technologies, or support work on environmental monitoring. Paid internships are offered year-round, with in-person, hybrid, and virtual options available at NASA centers across the country. Each student is paired with a mentor (usually a scientist or engineer), who guides you through your assignments and helps you develop technical and research skills. Projects are structured to make meaningful contributions to NASA’s broader goals, rather than serving as practice tasks.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: 100% financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
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: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 8-12 weeks, devoting 10-20 hours/week
Ladder Internships connects you with start-ups for an 8-week remote placement, where you work on real projects that make an impact on the company. Start-ups span fields such as healthcare, AI, consulting, marketing, and journalism. You will be paired with a Company Supervisor who will provide mentorship throughout the program. The work is structured to encourage independent problem-solving while offering weekly guidance and feedback. Rather than an observer, you’ll actively contribute to projects that involve research, analysis, or developing tools for the company. By the end of the internship, you’ll present your work directly to the company leadership, gaining both technical and communication skills.
3. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Varies based on program | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: Varies depending on the yearly cohort; multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall, demonstrating a high level of academic achievement. (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation is a non-profit program that supports high school students from low-income backgrounds by providing access to 1-on-1 research opportunities. Modeled after the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, it allows you to work with PhD-level mentors to design and complete an independent project over the duration of approximately 12 weeks. At the end of the summer program, you will produce a full research paper, giving you exposure to similar processes that professional researchers follow. The available fields cover a broad range, including medicine, environmental science, engineering, biology, and more.
4. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Apprenticeship
Location: Various U.S. Army Research Labs and university research centers nationwide
Cost/Stipend: Free | Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Typically June – August; vary depending on the location
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are at least 16 years old; Site-specific requirements may apply
Through the AEOP High School Apprenticeship, you can spend part of your summer working alongside scientists and engineers in the U.S. Army research labs or at university partner labs. These are paid, full-time roles designed to give you hands-on research experience in STEM areas such as biology, materials science, engineering, and cybersecurity. Under the guidance of a mentor, you might run experiments, work with lab equipment, or analyze data while learning about professional research methods. In addition to your lab placement, the program provides access to workshops, career panels, and AEOP’s nationwide network of STEM students and professionals. Interns benefit from professional development resources included in the program.
5. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Available across all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and the Pacific Islands. Participants are placed at a location within a 45-minute commute of their home.
Cost/Stipend: Free | $3000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (about 3%); 27-33 students make it to the final cohort every year
Dates: June – August (flexible)
Application Deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors; At least 16 years old by the internship start date
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an 8-week free science summer program for high school students that gives you direct experience in environmental and aquatic science. Each participant, called a Hutton Scholar, is paired with a local mentor to take part in projects such as water quality monitoring, habitat restoration, and population studies of fish species. Depending on the placement, you may spend time both in the field and in labs, gaining skills in data collection and analysis. In addition to your project work, you’ll prepare progress reports and a final reflection, allowing you to document your learning while developing professional communication skills.
6. Meta Summer Academy
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 16 – July 25
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: High school sophomores; minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0; Year-round residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, or Redwood City
The Meta Summer Academy introduces high school students to both the technical and professional aspects of working in a large tech company. Over the duration of several weeks, you’ll participate in workshops and projects that focus on areas such as coding, teamwork, and digital media. The program focuses on workforce readiness, helping you to understand technical concepts and the wider career growth opportunities in the technology domain. You’ll also explore how data and analytics play a crucial role in user experience, social media, and content management. Mentorship and interactions with Meta employees offer insights into how technology and business careers intersect.
7. Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Program: AI Scholars
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 21 - July 19
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA students) who are at least 16 years old at the start of the program
At Carnegie Mellon University’s AI Scholars program, you spend 4 weeks on campus learning about artificial intelligence through lectures, workshops, and project-based teamwork. The program is fully funded and best suited for rising high school seniors who want to understand how AI concepts such as machine learning and neural networks are applied to real-world problems. You’ll work in a group to design an AI solution to a challenge, presenting your findings at the end of the summer program. In addition to technical training, you’ll attend sessions on STEM equity and college readiness, covering topics such as applying to universities and financial aid. Living on campus during the program also gives you insight into experiencing college life at a leading institution.
8. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 9 - July 31
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors as of the fall; graduating in this or next year, and at least 16 years old by June 9; applicants must reside in and attend high school in the U.S. and be U.S. citizens/permanent residents with a green card.
Stanford’s SIMR places you in a university research lab for 8 weeks, where you focus on biomedical topics such as cancer biology, stem cells, immunology, or neurobiology. You’ll be paired with a faculty mentor, postdoc, or graduate student who will guide your research project from beginning to end. Daily work involves lab techniques, data collection, and analysis, giving you direct experience of how research is performed. If you prefer a structured curriculum rather than a lab placement, the program also includes an option of a boot camp in bioengineering. Throughout the summer, you’ll attend seminars on medical research and professional development, as well as discussions on careers in science and medicine.
9. Texas Tech University's Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: Free | $750
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 22 - August 7
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: High school students who will be at least 17 years of age by the start of the program and are graduating this year or the next year
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is a 7-week residential research program at Texas Tech University for a very small cohort of high school juniors and seniors. The program is highly competitive as only 12 students are selected every year. Each scholar is paired with a faculty mentor to work on an independent research project based on the area of their personal interest, ranging from science to the humanities. Daily work may involve experiments, data analysis, or scholarly research, depending on your chosen field. In addition to your project, you’ll attend weekly seminars, field trips, and group discussions to broaden your academic perspective. The free science summer program for high school students includes a stipend of $750, which is awarded after submission of a final written report summarizing your work.
10. MIT’s Research Science Institute
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 100 students/year; highly selective
Dates: June 22 – August 2
Application Deadline: December 11
Eligibility: High school juniors. Check the website for recommended standardized test scores
The Research Science Institute at MIT offers high school students from around the globe a blend of intensive STEM coursework with independent research opportunities. The 6-week program begins with a week of lectures and seminars covering advanced scientific topics, followed by a 5-week research placement under the mentorship of faculty or researchers. During this time, you’ll conduct experiments, review academic literature, and prepare both a written paper and an oral presentation of your findings. RSI provides access to MIT’s laboratories, computing facilities, and libraries, along with evening lectures delivered by leading scientists, including Nobel laureates. Cultural and social activities are included, and the program concludes with a symposium where all students formally present their research.
11. Bay Area Youth Science (BAYS) Program at UCSF
Location: University of California, San Francisco
Cost/Stipend: Free | $5,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Late March
Eligibility: Open to KIPP-SFCP students who are rising juniors and seniors, and at least 16 years old
The BAYS Program at UCSF offers paid internships for rising juniors and seniors interested in biomedical research fields such as cancer biology, infectious disease, drug discovery, and protein biophysics. After an initial orientation featuring virtual talks and panels with scientists, you’ll join a UCSF lab where graduate students and postdoctoral researchers mentor you through hands-on projects. During the week, you’ll focus on lab work, while Fridays are devoted to courses on topics like science communication, financial literacy, and college readiness. At the end of the summer, participants present their research at a public symposium, sharing their findings with UCSF faculty and partners. After the summer, this free science summer program for high school students continues to provide support through academic year workshops focused on college applications.
12. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center – Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Cost/Stipend: Free | $6,800
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 2 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: Current Texas high school seniors who are at least 18 years old by the program start
This 10-week internship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston introduces high school students to biomedical research and allied health careers following a full-time lab placement. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, you’ll contribute to research projects while learning lab techniques, experimental design, and data analysis in one of the nation’s leading cancer research centers. You’ll also attend seminars delivered by scientists, explore career opportunities, and take part in activities such as poster presentations and elevator pitch competitions. A formal closing event allows you to present your research findings to peers and faculty. Participants receive a stipend of $6,800 for their work during the program.
13. University of Chicago’s DSI Summer Lab
Location: John Crerar Library at the University of Chicago, Hyde Park campus, IL
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 12
Eligibility: Current high school seniors starting college in the fall and residing in Chicago; applicants familiar with at least 1 programming language are preferred
The University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute Summer Lab is an 8-week, paid program where high school students from the Chicago area collaborate with mentors on research projects that apply data science to real-world issues. You’ll be placed in interdisciplinary labs spanning across fields like computer science, public health, climate policy, and social sciences, where you’ll practice data analysis, modeling, and visualization. Weekly professional development workshops and guest lectures introduce you to career paths in data science and related fields. At the end of the summer, students present their research in a symposium. The free science summer program for high school students further helps to foster a sense of community through cohort activities and networking opportunities.
14. sci-MI Neuroscience Mentorship Program
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: July 1 – August 10
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students; preference is given to students who are underrepresented in neuroscience or who have no prior research experience
The sci-MI Neuroscience Mentorship Program is a free, 5-week virtual opportunity that allows high school students to explore the field of neuroscience through independent research and guided mentorship. You can opt for synchronous sessions, featuring live lectures and personal mentor support, or an asynchronous format that allows you to make progress at your own pace while accessing program resources. Every week, you'll participate in journal clubs where you review and discuss scientific articles, along with lectures that introduce core neuroscience concepts. You can develop your own research project using open-access data and software, concluding with a final presentation and a written paper.
15. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: George Mason University, VA(Remote or in-person)
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students must be at least 15 years old for remote internships and at least 16 years old for in-person or hybrid wet-lab internships
ASSIP at George Mason University is an 8-week, research-focused experience for high school students with a strong interest in STEM. Participants join ongoing projects in fields such as neuroscience, robotics, environmental science, cybersecurity, and bioengineering, working directly with faculty and researchers. You’ll receive training in advanced lab methods, data interpretation, and research communication, while also attending workshops on scientific writing and career planning. A key feature of ASSIP is the opportunity to share your work through a poster presentation at the program’s conclusion, and in some cases, projects may lead to conference presentations or journal publications. The program also includes forums where you explore various STEM career paths and hear from professionals in the field.
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