13 Best Online Internships for High School Students
If you are a high school student eager to gain experience in a field of your choice, internships are an excellent way to start. They provide real-world experience through industry exposure, practical projects, and networking opportunities. Online internships, in particular, make this learning accessible from anywhere – delivering hands-on engagement, enabling you to develop valuable skills, and strengthening your resume for college with the flexibility of working remotely.
Whether you’re interested in technology, business, healthcare, or scientific research, we’ve compiled a list of the 13 best online internships for high school students. Read on to discover how these opportunities can support your academic and career interests!
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Ladder Internships is a highly selective virtual program designed for ambitious high school students. During the 8-week program, you will work with high-growth startups that raise over a million dollars on average. Internships are available across various industries, including tech, deep tech, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Find all the available options here on the application form. You will collaborate closely with a startup manager and a Ladder coach on impactful projects for the company and present your work towards the end.
2. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Location: Virtual and in-person across NASA facilities, depending on the internship
Stipend: Interns can receive a stipend based on session length and academic level
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Eligibility: Full-time high school students who are US Citizens, at least 16 years old, and fulfill the minimum requirement of 3.0/4.0 GPA
Application deadline: May (Fall session) | September (Spring session) | February (Summer session)
Program dates: Three cohorts - Fall (16-week program, from late August or early September to mid-December) | Spring (16-week program, from mid-January to early May) | Summer (10-week program, from late May or early June to August)
NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid internships at its locations across the country in various subjects and disciplines, including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, and more. The internships provide students with an opportunity to contribute to ongoing projects under the guidance of a NASA mentor.
The program offers training, mentoring, and career development opportunities along with the chance to work with the best science, engineering, financial, information technology, and business minds. Throughout the internship, you may design experiments, analyze data from snap missions, or develop new technologies, which will help you gain valuable experience and insight into NASA’s work.
3. Internships at Medicine Encompassed
Location: Virtual
Stipend/Cost: No cost or stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Moderately selective
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply
Application deadline: Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis
Program dates: Internships with ME are open year-round
Medicine Encompassed is a student-run nonprofit organization that provides internships for students interested in biology, STEAM, and various branches of medicine. They offer multiple positions across their 18 committees, where you will contribute to their inclusive medical curriculum, the Project Cultivation outreach initiative, and other committee-specific projects.
As an intern, you can work in any department, including writing, editing, sponsorships and partnerships, graphic design, marketing, and social media, as well as resource creation. Your tasks will involve researching medical topics, creating multimedia content in various styles, editing medical resources and social media posts, and producing study guides and links for students.
4. Girls Who Code Summer Programs
Location: Virtual
Stipend/Cost: No cost or stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not competitive
Eligibility: Female and non-binary students in high school
Application deadline: Applications typically close in March
Program dates: Summer Immersion - 2 weeks from July to August | Self-paced - 6 weeks in the summer
Girls Who Code is an organization that aims to address the gender gap in computer science and technology-related fields. They offer two virtual summer programs for female and non-binary high school students that teach coding through practical, real-world projects in game design, cybersecurity, data science, web development, and artificial intelligence.
The two programs offered are:
Summer Immersion Program : This is an intensive 2-week program that dives into the world of tech and game design, covering beginner to intermediate CS concepts, the step-by-step design process, and the basics of UX design. You’ll attend live virtual classes sponsored by industry-leading companies like MetLife, Bank of America, Logitech, and Synchrony.
Self-Paced Program : In the 6-week self-paced program, you’ll work at your own pace and learn coding languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. The live events help build a community while also aiding in exploring web development, cyber security, data science, and artificial intelligence.
5. John Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
Location: Virtual and in-person options. The in-person program will be held at the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology on the East Baltimore campus
Stipend/Cost: No cost or stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Eligibility: US High school juniors and seniors from
Application deadline: March 1
Program dates: 5 weeks in the summer
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences is a highly prestigious program that cultivates your interest in neuroscience. As part of the program, you are expected to engage in hands-on research projects under the guidance of leading researchers in the field, who will also instruct you in basic laboratory techniques and experiments. Additionally, you will attend various activities such as educational presentations, professional development training, mentorship training, and more.
6. Internships at the American Psychological Association (APA)
Location: Virtual
Stipend: Some internships are paid
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Moderately selective
Eligibility: High school students. Specific requirements vary by role
Application deadline: Rolling; opportunities open throughout the year
Program dates: Year-round in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
The American Psychological Association (APA), the largest organization of psychologists in the US, offers internships for students to explore the day-to-day workings of psychology-focused offices. Internships are available in policy, communications, operations research, IT, and financial services. During the internship, you’ll participate in research, writing, web-based projects, administrative tasks, and other special projects, depending on the assigned offices’ needs and your skills and interests. You’ll gain practical experience and report to a supervisor while also attending workshops and discussions.
Both paid and unpaid internships are offered and will require a cover letter, resume, and writing sample.
7. Generation Human Rights (GenHR) Student Internship
Location: Virtual
Stipend/Cost: No cost or stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly competitive
Eligibility: High school students with strong writing and research skills
Application deadline: Varies depending on the type of internship opportunity
Program dates: Opportunities are available during the spring, summer, and fall cohorts
Generation Human Rights (GenHR), a non-profit organization, offers remote internships to high school students interested in deepening their knowledge of human rights. The selected interns provide programmatic and research support to multiple ongoing and future initiatives. Some tasks may include finalizing and promoting outreach, creating the next stage of a project, and conducting background research for different human rights-based curricula. You may also be involved in managing social media content, documenting key points during events and meetings, and conducting research on grants.
You can apply by emailing a brief cover letter, a resume, and a writing sample to elana@generationhumanrights.org.
8. 826 National Youth Writing Internships
Location: Virtual
Stipend/Cost: No cost or stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Moderately selective
Eligibility: Varies according to different roles
Application deadline: Year-round. Check the portal here for more details
Program dates: Varies according to different roles
826 National Youth Writing, the largest youth writing network in the US, offers virtual internships to high school students in field operations and communications.
- Field operations – The hands-on experience involves supporting and working on the smooth execution of various projects and initiatives aimed at advancing their mission of empowering young writers.
- Communications – The communication intern will help increase social media presence and digital visibility, generate content, and engage with audiences online.
9. AFSF Summer Design Institute
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,500. Need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Moderately selective
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply
Application deadline: Not mentioned. You can sign up here to receive details on the upcoming session
Program dates: Session 1: June 9 – 27 | Session 2: July 7-25
The AFSR Summer Design Institute provides high school students interested in design and urban development with an opportunity to participate in a three-week virtual summer program. During the program, you’ll learn 3D modeling, video, and animation, and work with multiple computer-aided design tools, including SketchUp and the Autodesk family of modeling software.
The program provides one-on-one mentoring with a professional architect or engineer who will guide you throughout the internship. You can also build a portfolio of photo-realistic and video renderings of your original 3D designs, which can strengthen college applications and showcase your skills for future opportunities.
10. Joint Science Education Project (JSEP)
Location: Virtual
Stipend/Cost: No cost or stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Moderately selective
Eligibility: US-based High School Juniors (at the time of application)
Application deadline: January
Program dates: 1 week in late July or August
The Joint Science Education Project (JSEP) is a collaboration between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States that brings together students and teachers from these countries to study polar environments and the human dimensions of rapid Arctic change. This one-week remote internship engages students in scientific and engineering methods under the mentorship of international teachers and scientists.
As an intern, you’ll learn about polar research, virtually visit polar research stations, attend discussions with leading polar scientists, and understand scientific questioning. The program requires the completion of an inquiry-based research project that will be presented at the virtual project symposium.
After finishing the remote program, you can return the following year for their field-based program, where you spend 3 weeks in Greenland for a fully paid stipend-based program.
11. Internships at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)
Location: Remote and in-person options are available
Stipend: Varies by internship; some positions offer a stipend based on financial need, while others are unpaid
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Highly selective
Eligibility: High school students who have the right to work in the US
Application deadline: July - Fall internship | November - Spring internship | March - Summer internship
Program dates: September - December (Fall) | February - May (Spring) | June - August (Summer)
If you are interested in foreign policy and international relations, an internship with FPRI would be a valuable opportunity. The internships are divided into three main areas: research, communications, and operations. The program will help you develop industry-specific skills in foreign policy and relations while sharpening your critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills. You’ll attend weekly foreign policy seminars and connect with industry members. The program also provides an opportunity to work on a research paper for publication in FPRI’s intern corner.
12. QuantHub’s High School Data Scholars
Location: Virtual and in-person opportunities are available
Stipend: $1,200 Scholarship upon successful completion of the program
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Moderately selective
Eligibility: High School students enrolled in Alabama who are at least 16 years old by May 1
Application deadline: April 1
Program dates: June 9 – August 1
Quanthub’s High School Data Scholars is an internship and skill-based initiative that aims to increase interest in data analytics and data science. During this summer internship, you’ll put your data skills to work in one of the following areas of your choice: business innovation, tech and engineering, medicine and healthcare, sports, and community and social impact.
The program aims to enhance your expertise in advanced data visualization and storytelling, statistical analysis and decision-making, and ethical stewardship of data and AI. You will also attend practical workshops on the basics of SQL, Python, prompt engineering, generative AI, and more.
You are expected to commit 10 hours/week to the internship assignment and an additional 5-10 hours/week to skills training and program activities.
13. EnergyMag Research Internships
Location: Virtual
Stipend/Cost: No cost or stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Moderately selective
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have taken at least one honors science or honors English class, with a minimum GPA of 3.25
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. You can apply here
Program dates: Flexible
If you are looking to gain research experience in the renewable energy sector, EnergyMag offers a few virtual research internships for high school and college students. The program is designed to build research and analytical skills in both science and business while working alongside a mentor. Internships can be half-time (2-8 weeks, 20 hours per week) or quarter-time (1-9 months, 8 hours per week).
As an intern, you will work from home and maintain regular contact with your assigned mentor via text, voice, and email. Depending on your graduation date, academic record, and experience, you may be asked to research and analyze a specific company, technology, a defined market, or other similar tasks. You will need to investigate the topic, connect with individuals who have relevant information, analyze and synthesize the gathered data, and produce a draft analysis report, which will be published on the website with your name.