15 Math Research Opportunities for High School Students
If you’re a high school student who enjoys solving problems, thinking deeply, and exploring new ideas in math, a research program can be a great way to grow your skills. These programs go beyond what you learn in school. These let you explore topics like number theory, algebra, logic, and computer science while working with professors, researchers, and other students who love math too.
In this blog, you’ll find 15 math research programs designed for high school students. Some are online, while others take place on college campuses during the summer. A few even last for several months or run all year. Whether you're just starting or already have some experience, these programs will help you build important skills like proofreading, problem-solving, and teamwork. They can also make your college applications stronger and show you what doing real math research is like.
1. Carnegie Mellon’s Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)
Location: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Cost: Fully funded
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly competitive
Program Dates: June 21–August 2
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school juniors from underrepresented communities who are 16 or older when the program begins can apply.
SAMS is a six-week summer program designed for high school juniors who wish to explore math and science in greater depth. It’s free and run by Carnegie Mellon teachers for students who may not always have the same opportunities as others. You will take classes, work on research projects, and learn how to plan experiments, collect data, and understand results. You will also go to talks and group meetings and share your work at a research event at the end. Before the program starts, you will join online sessions to build skills like time management, writing, and how to use computer tools.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
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.
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 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.
3. Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)
Location: Virtual, you can participate from anywhere in the world!
Cost/Stipend: $3550; Need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Selective
Program dates: Likely in June-July
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
SUMaC is a summer program for high school juniors and seniors who enjoy math and want to learn more. In the program, you will solve tough math problems in groups, study advanced topics, and learn how math research works. You will focus on subjects like abstract algebra and number theory or algebraic topology. You will explore things like how shapes can or cannot be made with a compass and straightedge, and how to find patterns and symmetry in different structures. You will also learn how to write clear mathematical proofs and explain your ideas step by step. At the end, you will share your discoveries and show what you learned.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Location: Remote—you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility: Must be a current high school student with strong academic performance (typically a 3.3 GPA or higher); No prior experience in your field of interest is required
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), fall (September - December), winter (December - February), and spring (March - June).
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler.The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
5. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Fully funded
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very Selective
Program Dates: June 22–August 2
Application Deadline: December 11
Eligibility: Strong grades and test scores;have at least 740 in PSAT math and 700 in reading, or 33 in ACT math and 34 in verbal
RSI is a summer program that lasts six weeks and is for high school students who are interested in science and research. In the first week, you will take science and math classes taught by professors from MIT. For the next five weeks, you will work on your research project with help from real scientists and researchers. You will learn how to read and understand scientific papers. You will make a research plan, collect and study data, and explain what you found in a written report and a presentation. You will also go to evening talks given by top scientists, math experts, Nobel Prize winners, and business leaders. At the end of the program, a group of scientists will choose the best projects and give special awards for strong work.
6. Summer Math Program for Young Scholars
Location: New York University (NYU), New York
Cost/Stipend: $1,750. Limited scholarships are available
Program dates: August 11–29
Application deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Current students in grades 9, 10, or 11 with at least a B- in Algebra I can apply
This three-week summer program at New York University helps high school students learn math that is not usually taught in school. You will study topics like number theory, graph theory, knots and surfaces, and computer science. You will learn through lectures, solving problems, and playing math games. Each day, you will see how math is used in science and get help with the college application process. The classes are taught by NYU math professors, and you can also hear from guest speakers who work in math.
7. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University
Cost/Stipend: Free; Students will receive a $750 stipend.
Dates: June 16 to August 1
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 17 years of age by the program start date and should graduate in this or next year (U.S. and international)
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech University is a seven-week summer research program where you can work directly with a professor on a math research project. You will explore advanced topics, read research papers, solve challenging problems, and learn how to write and present your findings. Along with research, you will join weekly seminars, enjoy social activities, and go on weekend trips. The program covers your meals. housing, and activities, and you will receive a stipend upon completing the program. You will need to pay for your travel and personal expenses. This program is a great way to build research skills, learn how to think like a mathematician, and connect with mentors who can guide you in the future.
8. University of California, Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program
Location: On Campus
Cost: $4,700 (commuter option), $6,599 (housing option)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Selective
Program Dates: June 16 - August 1
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: High school students in the 10th or 11th grade who have a minimum GPA of 3.8 and must have completed a minimum of 12 academic semester courses (or the equivalent in UC a–g requirements)
UC Santa Barbara’s Research Mentorship Program is a six-week summer program where you will work closely with a mentor on a research project you choose. You will learn how to ask research questions, find and read information, collect and study data, and share your results. You will also learn research skills that can help you in college and future jobs. If you choose to do math research, you might explore topics like number theory, logic, statistics, or how math is used in science or computers. You will practice solving problems, writing proofs, and utilizing tools such as coding or graphing software. This is a great opportunity to see how math is applied in real-world research and collaborate with experts in the field.
9. UC Irvine’s Math ExpLR Summer Research Program
Location: University of California, Irvine
Cost/Stipend: Free. A stipend is provided
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Competitive
Program Dates: June 17 - July 25
Application Deadline: February 17
Eligibility: Applicants must currently be high school students and not graduate in spring.
This six-week program in mathematical biology lets you work with UC Irvine college students and a research mentor on a project in computational biology. You will learn how to use math to study real-life problems in biology. Each week, you will go to workshops that help you build important skills like giving clear presentations, writing math on the computer, using models to solve problems, and writing a research paper. You will get experience doing math research and sharing your work with others.
10. CUNY’s STEM Research Academy
Location: CUNY Campus
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Program Dates: Not specified. Click here for more details.
Application Deadline: usually in the fall (tentatively, based on the previous year’s deadline)
Eligibility: You must be a sophomore or junior in a NYC public school with good grades. You should have at least 75 on the ELA Regents and 80 on the Math Regents. The program is primarily designed for juniors but is open to all high school students.
The STEM Research Academy is a two-part program for NYC high school students. In the spring, you will take a college-level science course through CUNY’s College Now program. If you finish it, you can join a six-week summer research experience where you will work with CUNY professors on real science or math projects. You will learn how to read research papers, ask questions, collect data, and explain what you discover. This program helps you grow your interest in STEM, build research skills, meet other students, and make your college application stronger.
11. MIT PRIMES
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA | Virtual (PRIMES-USA) | Online (CrowdMath)
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: Extremely selective
Program Dates: Year-long with four phases. Click here for more details
Application Deadline: For the next year, applications will open in October.
Eligibility: MIT PRIMES is for high school students in the Greater Boston area. PRIMES-USA is for high school juniors and sophomores across the U.S. PRIMES Circle is for public school students in Boston. CrowdMath is open to all high school and college students around the world.
MIT PRIMES is a year-long research program where you get to work with MIT researchers on advanced problems in math, computer science, or computational biology. You will practice writing math proofs, designing algorithms, and solving tough problems. You can join different parts of the program depending on where you live. MIT PRIMES is for students near Boston. PRIMES-USA is for students from anywhere in the country. PRIMES Circle is a math program for Boston students, and CrowdMath is an online group project open to all. You will also get the chance to share your work at a special conference.
12. Ross Mathematics Program
Location: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN
Cost/Stipend: $7,000. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Competitive
Program Dates: June 15–July 26
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Students aged 15–18, but in rare cases, younger or older students are accepted
The Ross Mathematics Program is a summer program for high school students who really enjoy math. It focuses on deep thinking and problem-solving instead of math contests. You will spend each day working on challenging math problems, learning abstract ideas, and writing clear proofs. You will study one main topic in depth over several weeks, which helps you build a strong understanding. You will work closely with teachers and other students, learn how to explain your ideas clearly, and become part of a math community that learns together.
13. Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists (PROMYS)
Location: Boston University, Boston, MA
Cost: Free for students whose annual family income is under $80,000. Up to $7,000 for the six-week residential program, depending on financial aid award
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Selective
Program Dates: June 29 – August 9
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: High school students who are 14 or older, have finished 9th grade, and are not yet in college can apply
PROMYS is a six-week summer program for high school students who love math. Each day, you will go to a number theory lecture and then join an advanced seminar that you choose. Past seminar topics have included graph theory, Galois theory, and dynamical systems. You will also work in a group of four on a research problem made just for PROMYS. A mentor will guide your group as you solve the problem, write about your results, and give a final presentation. Some students have even published their work or shared it at math conferences.
14. University of Maryland MathQuantum Fellowships
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Application Deadline: February 14
Program Dates: July 25 – August 6
Eligibility: High school students
The MathQuantum Fellowships at the University of Maryland help you learn about quantum information science using math. The program is for high school students who either want to explore quantum topics or already know a little and want to build stronger math skills. You will take part in a two-week online program with lectures, group talks, hands-on work, and a small research project. With help from a mentor, you will learn how to do research that combines math and quantum science. Some students may also get to join a free summer camp on quantum computing.
15. California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS)
Location: University of California, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, or Santa Cruz, CA
Cost/Stipend: $5,256 + $44 nonrefundable application fee. Financial aid provided
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Competitive
Program dates: July 6 – August 2
Application deadline: February 7
Eligibility: COSMOS is only for California high school students. Students going into grades 9 through 12 in Fall 2025 can apply
COSMOS is a four-week summer program where you live on a university campus and work on science and math projects. You will team up with professors, researchers, and other students to do hands-on work in labs. The program is split into groups called clusters, each focusing on a different topic. If you are interested in math, you can choose clusters that explore number theory, machine learning, math modeling, or how math is used to study biology and disease. You will learn how to ask questions, build models, solve problems, and explain your ideas clearly.