10 Biology Internships for High School Students in New York City (NYC)
If you're a high school student in New York City interested in biology, internships are a great way to gain hands-on experience in labs, hospitals, research centers, or conservation projects. Whether you're assisting with experiments, analyzing data, or learning from scientists and healthcare professionals, these opportunities let you apply what you've learned in the classroom to real-world settings
Many internships in NYC help you build skills, grow your network, and explore potential pathways in biology, from biomedical research to environmental science.
To help you find the right fit, we’ve selected 10 biology internships for high school students in New York City that offer strong mentorship, practical experience, and meaningful insight into the life sciences.
1. Biorocket Research Internship at Genspace
Location: Genspace, New York City
Cohort Size: 12
Dates: February 27 – August 15
Application Deadline: Early January
Eligibility: Must be 16 years of age or older, living in or attending a NYC public or charter school within 45 minutes of Genspace (exceptions possible)
Cost/Stipend: $2,000 stipend
This 6-month program blends after-school science classes with summer lab research at Genspace, a community biology lab. You’ll learn lab techniques in molecular biology and genetic engineering while contributing to a mentored research project.
Along the way, you’ll participate in science communication workshops, biotech field trips, and career exploration activities. The program fosters creativity and public speaking through improv training. Genspace encourages students from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
Location: Wave Hill, Bronx
Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: December
Eligibility: Enrolled in high school and at least 16 years old, and is a New York City resident eligible to work in the US
Cost/Stipend: $2,275 stipend through NYC SYEP
The Wave Hill Forest Project offers a paid summer internship for high school students in NYC to gain hands-on experience in urban ecology. As an intern, you’ll work on ecological restoration projects, such as building trails, removing invasive plant species, and helping to restore the woodlands at Wave Hill.
You’ll gain hands-on fieldwork skills, collaborate with a team, and learn about environmental management while making tangible contributions to local conservation efforts. Additionally, field trips to partner organizations and community engagement opportunities further expand your learning experience.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
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!
Cost/Stipend: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form.
Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
4. BRAINYAC – Columbia University Zuckerman Institute
Location: Columbia University Zuckerman Institute, New York City
Dates: January – August
Spring Training: Weekend sessions in winter and spring
Summer Internship: 7-week full-time research apprenticeship during the summer
Application Deadline: October
Eligibility: 10th or 11th-grade student living in New York City enrolled in one of the following partner programs - S-PREP, BioBus, Lang Youth Medical, Columbia Secondary School, Double Discovery Center; Priority is given to students from Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx
Cost/Stipend: Free; participants receive a stipend.
BRAINYAC places you in active neuroscience labs at Columbia University, where you work directly with scientists on ongoing research. You are matched with a mentor, typically a PhD student, postdoc, or principal investigator, who guides you through lab techniques, scientific questions, and a research project.
You’ll gain firsthand experience with tools used in brain science and insight into how discoveries are made in a university lab setting. BRAINYAC does not include public presentations, but the mentorship and immersion in academic research provide strong early exposure to the field of neuroscience.
5. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Nationwide, including New York (within a 45-minute commute of the student’s home)
Cohort Size: Varies
Dates: 8 weeks during the summer, but exact start and end dates are flexible and arranged between the student and their mentor
Application Deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program
Cost/Stipend: $3,000 stipend
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program offers 8-week paid summer internships for high school students with an interest in fisheries and aquatic science. Sponsored by the American Fisheries Society, you’ll be paired with a professional mentor in your area and assist with fieldwork and lab activities. Interns help with habitat monitoring, water sampling, and fish population surveys. The experience emphasizes environmental conservation and hands-on biology.
6. Alley Pond Field Biology Internships
Location: Alley Pond Park and other sites in Queens, New York City
Dates: October-November (Fall); March-May (Spring); July-August (Summer)
Application Deadline: August (Fall); January (Spring); May (Summer)
Eligibility: At least 14 years old and currently in high school, and must be able to participate in outdoor activities for at least 2 hours
Cost/Stipend: $150 program fee after acceptance; financial aid available upon request
Get hands-on experience in environmental science through fieldwork in Queens, New York City. With the guidance of environmental professionals, you will carry out biodiversity surveys, observe bird behavior, collect soil and water samples, identify macroinvertebrates, and participate in coastal seining and planting native flora.
Students work closely in small groups and present their findings at the end of the session. Site visits take place across Alley Pond Park and nearby green spaces, providing you with the necessary exposure to diverse urban environments.
7. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center HOPP Summer Student Program
Location: Main Campus of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY
Cohort Size: 20
Dates: June 30 – August 22
Application Deadline: February 7
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who live within 25 miles of MSK’s Main Campus (NY, NJ, or CT residents) with a minimum 3.5 GPA in science subjects and at least 14 years old; Should be legally authorized to work in the U.S. and be able to commit to the full 8-week program
Cost/Stipend: $1,200 stipend
This internship for high school students in NYC is an 8-week research-focused program on cancer and biomedical science. You get placed in active research labs at MSK in Manhattan, where you work on a self-directed project aligned with any ongoing research. In addition to lab work, you may also attend professional development sessions that introduce you to careers in science, medicine, and translational research. This aims to provide students with a broader understanding of the biomedical field.
8. Biological Field Station Internships for High School Students
Location: Biological Field Station, Otsego Lake, New York (with daily shuttle from SUNY Oneonta)
Cohort Size: 1–3 high school students
Dates: Late May through August (9 weeks total)
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: New York State residents aged 16 or older
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $3,000 stipend upon successful completion
This 9-week summer internship involves fieldwork on Otsego Lake and the surrounding watershed, including water sampling, plant and fish surveys, and data collection. Lab duties range from analyzing water chemistry to identifying zooplankton and dissecting fish.
Throughout each day, you will work on a combination of individual and group projects to create a technical report. You’ll present your findings through a research poster accompanied by a 10–20-minute presentation. Weekly seminars cover local ecology and hydrology topics led by BFS staff and faculty.
9. Summer Science Research Program by The Rockefeller University
Location: The Rockefeller University, New York City
Cohort Size: 32
Dates: June 23 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 3
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors; must be at least 16 years old by the program start date
Cost/Stipend: No cost; needs-based stipends are available
This prestigious 7-week internship places students in biomedical research labs at top institutions. You will join dedicated RockEDU labs as part of small research teams led by scientists from Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Weill Cornell Medicine.
You’ll explore a specific scientific topic, learn lab techniques, and pose your own research questions by the second week. You’ll spend the following weeks conducting experiments, analyzing results, and preparing a final poster presentation for a symposium at the end of the program. The program does not allow you to use your research for competitions, but it provides valuable mentorship, peer collaboration, and insight into biomedical research.
10. NYU GSTEM Summer Research Program
Location: New York University (NYU), New York City
Cohort Size: 40
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Current 11th-grade high school students with a strong academic record
Cost/Stipend: $5,500; Optional Housing with Meal Plan: $3,840; Need-based financial aid and full-tuition scholarships available
NYU GSTEM is a competitive 6-week summer research internship for high school students in NYC interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. During the program, you are paired with a professor or researcher from institutions like NYU, Columbia, or Hunter College and work on an individual research project in a STEM field of your choice.
Biology projects include topics like brain imaging techniques, auditory processing, and behavioral studies. You gain experience working in real labs and learn practical skills such as data analysis, lab techniques, programming, scientific writing, and public speaking. The program includes a structured orientation and mentorship from active researchers, culminating in a final research symposium where you must present your work. NYU GSTEM also offers summer housing, along with optional evening and weekend social activities, such as Broadway shows and museum visits.