15 Political Science Research Opportunities for High School Students
If you're a high school student interested in politics, public policy, or law, many research-focused programs can help you explore these fields in a structured and engaging way. These opportunities allow you to study how political systems work, examine real-world issues like justice, power, inequality, and democracy, and learn how to gather and analyze information. In many of these programs, you'll work on a research project where you choose a topic, ask important questions, and use evidence to build your argument. You’ll also learn how to read political texts, study policy impacts, and present your findings.
Whether you’re joining a summer internship, taking a college-level course, or working with a nonprofit, these programs give you real experience in political research. You’ll learn how to collect data, write strong research papers, and connect theory with current events. Many programs also include guidance from mentors or professors, which helps you grow as a researcher and thinker. These experiences not only build valuable academic skills but will also help you understand how political ideas shape the world and how research can be used to make change.
1. Internships at the Foreign Policy Research Institute
Location: Remote and in-person (Philadelphia, PA) options available
Cost: Fully funded
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Program Dates: Spring: February to May, Summer: June to August, and Fall: September to
December
Application Deadline: Not specified. Click here for more details.
Eligibility: High school students authorized to work in the US are eligible to apply
This research internship at FPRI could be a good fit for you. As a research intern, you’ll work closely with a mentor who will guide you through research projects. You’ll learn how to gather information, analyze sources, take clear notes, and write about complex topics in a simple way. You’ll also get to attend weekly talks on foreign policy and careers, where you can learn from professionals in the field. If you choose, you can write a research paper on a topic you care about, and if it’s strong, it might be published on FPRI’s Intern Corner. This internship helps you build skills like critical thinking, time management, and clear writing.
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, You will work closely with your managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present your work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. U.S. Senate Page Program
Location: Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; monthly stipend based on a $35,360 annual salary.
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Program Dates: Summer Session I: June 8–June 27, Summer Session II: July 8–August 1, Fall 2025: September 1–January 23, and Spring 2026: January 25–June 5
Application Deadline: Click here for details.
Eligibility: U.S. citizens/permanent residents (with SSN), 16-17 years old by appointment date, rising juniors/seniors, 3.0 GPA minimum, health assessment & insurance required
The U.S. Senate Page Program gives high school juniors a chance to work in Washington, D.C., and learn how the government works. As a page, you’ll help senators by handing out messages, getting the Senate Chamber ready, and keeping track of votes. You’ll be sponsored by a senator and take part in real tasks that help the Senate run every day.
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: You must be currently enrolled in high school. Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4.). No previous knowledge of 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. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University
Cost/Stipend: Free program; $750 stipend at the end of the program.
Acceptance rate/Cohort Size: Highly Selective
Program Dates: June 22–August 7
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 17 years of age by the program start date and should graduate in 2025, along with being a US citizen
The Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech University is a seven-week summer research program for high school juniors and seniors. If you are interested in history and politics, you will study topics like modern American politics, conservatism, and how the South and West shaped U.S. politics after 1945, especially in places like Texas. You will do hands-on research, build skills like critical thinking, writing, and analysis, and take part in weekly seminars, field trips, and group activities. You’ll also learn how to work with others and share ideas.
6. Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) by ABA
Location: Various locations in California, Illinois, and Texas, and cities like DC, Miami, and New York. Applicants can specify geographic and legal preferences, but not specific courts
Cost/Stipend: Interns receive a $2,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Program Dates: May–June
Application Deadline: January 10
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The ABA’s Judicial Intern Opportunity Program lets high school students work with federal or state judges. It’s a great way to see how courts work and to learn what it’s like to have a job in law. You’ll help with legal research, watch real cases, and learn how judges make decisions. You’ll build skills like reading and understanding legal texts, writing clearly, staying organized, and thinking carefully about problems. You’ll also get to ask questions and learn directly from people who work in the legal system every day. This program is a good step if you’re considering a career as a lawyer or judge.
7. U.S. Department of the Treasury Headquarters Student Internship Program
Location: Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate: Moderate
Program Dates: Spring Session: January to May, Summer Session: May to August, and Fall Session: September to December
Application Deadline: Spring Session: Apply in October, Summer Session: Apply in December, and Fall Session: Apply in June
Eligibility: High school U.S. citizens who are enrolled or accepted at an accredited institution and maintain eligibility throughout the internship.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury Student Internship Program allows high school students to work in Washington, D.C., and learn about how the government manages finances and policy. You’ll look at data, do research, and write short summaries of what you find. You’ll work with Treasury staff and other government teams. Through this program, you’ll build skills like understanding data, writing clearly, staying organized, and thinking carefully about policies. You’ll also learn how the government makes decisions about the economy and international issues. This is a good way to explore careers in public service, economics, or international relations.
8. University of Pennsylvania’s Social Justice Research Academy
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $9,949 + $100 application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Average
Program Dates: July 5 - July 26
Application Deadline: TBD
Eligibility: Open to current 9th–11th grade students
The University of Pennsylvania’s Social Justice Research Academy helps high school students learn about inequality and social change. You’ll study how history, politics, and society shape issues like gun laws, women’s health, LGBTQ+ rights, poverty, and more. Penn professors will guide you through talks and workshops where you’ll build skills like research, public speaking, and critical thinking. You’ll work on a final project by asking a question about one of the topics and doing your own research. Past students have looked into things like how Asian Americans are shown in movies or how housing rules affect poor neighborhoods. You’ll also visit Penn’s library and places in Philadelphia like the National Constitution Center and local nonprofits.
9. New York City Office of the Mayor Internship Program
Location: New York City
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $16.50 per hour (paid hourly)
Acceptance Rate: Low
Program Dates: July 7–August 29 (summer term)
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: You must be at least 6 years old, live in New York City (for fall and spring internships), have work papers at the time you apply, and be in high school or already accepted into college
The New York City Office of the Mayor Internship Program lets high school students work in city government and learn how it runs. You’ll be placed in a department that matches your interests. There, you’ll help with research, take notes at meetings, look at data, write short reports, and help at events. You’ll also join a speaker series every two weeks where you’ll hear from deputy mayors, commissioners, and other leaders. This will help you understand how the city makes decisions. You’ll work with other interns on a service project that helps local communities. You’ll build skills like writing, teamwork, problem-solving, and communication.
10. Internships and Career Development—USC Center for the Political Future
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate: Moderate
Program Dates: June 1 - August 1
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: You must be a high school student with at least a 3.0 GPA. Seniors who are about to graduate cannot apply
The USC Center for the Political Future offers a summer internship for high school students who want to learn about politics, policy, and public service. You’ll do work similar to college-level internships. During the program, you’ll watch and review recordings from the Center’s Climate Forward Conference and complete assignments based on what you learn. You’ll build skills like critical thinking, research, writing, and analysis. At the end of the program, you’ll write a full summary and analysis of the conference. This internship helps you understand how political research and public service work in real life.
11. Political Science Summer Institute, UCLA
Location: In-person program at the Department of Political Science at UCLA
Cost: Program fee: $1,995.00, registration fee: $350.00, IEI fee: $61.00, and document fee (for first-time Summer Sessions students): $50.00. Qualified students attending grades 9th–11th in Spring 2025 in the state of California may be eligible for Summer Scholars Support, a need- and merit-based scholarship offered by the UCLA Summer Sessions Office.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Competitive
Program Dates: June 23–July 11
Application Deadlines: June 13
Eligibility: You must be a California high school student (grades 9–11 in Spring 2025) and at least 15 years old
The UCLA Department of Political Science offers a three-week program for high school students who want to learn about politics. You’ll study topics like American politics, international relations, political theory, and how different countries govern. You’ll learn skills like critical thinking, research, writing, and understanding how people and governments make decisions. You’ll also hear from professionals during a career panel and learn about jobs in the field. The program mixes history with current events and shows you how social scientists study politics. You’ll earn five college credits and get support from mentors along the way.
12. Summer@Brown—Political Science Courses
Location: In-person at Brown University (Providence, RI), virtual, or hybrid.
Cost: The cost ranges from $2,816 to $9,870, based on the course type and length. Some financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly Selective
Program Dates: Session I from June 29 to July 11 and Session II from July 13 to July 25. The online session will run from June 23 to July 18
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students who are in grades 9–12 and aged 14–18 by the program’s start date
Brown University’s Pre-College Programs let high school students take college-style classes without worrying about grades or credits. You can choose from over 300 courses, including subjects like political science, economics, philosophy, and science. If you are interested in political science, you can take classes like Power and the Production of History, The Political Economy of U.S. Cities, or The Racial Politics of Skepticism. These classes help you understand topics like government, democracy, and public policy. You’ll join daily three-hour classes, work on group projects, and do your research. You’ll learn skills like critical thinking, public speaking, writing, and research. When you finish, you’ll get a certificate of completion.
13. The Supreme Court and American Politics Course
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Both free and paid options available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Application Deadline: N/A
Program Dates: 8 weeks
Eligibility: Not Specified
The University of Baltimore School of Law offers this 8-week course that looks at how the Supreme Court works with different parts of the government. You’ll learn about important legal issues and how they shape life in the United States. Each week, you will watch video lessons and join talks with experts like Gilda Daniels, Garrett Epps, and Ron Weich. The course will help you build skills like understanding legal ideas, thinking clearly about court decisions, and connecting law to everyday life. You can take it for free or pay if you want a certificate. You can also move through it at your own pace.
14. Pasquines Internship
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Program Dates: not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: The applicant must be a high school student
Pasquines is a nonprofit news group run by volunteers that focuses on the U.S. territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. They work to make sure these places are part of national conversations about politics, policy, and innovation. As a virtual intern, you can join any time of the year and set your own schedule. You’ll build skills like writing, reporting, and research. You’ll learn how national policies affect local communities and work with others who care about politics and change.
15. Moral Foundations of Politics Course
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Application Deadline: Not specified
Program Dates: Not specified
Eligibility: Not specified
The Moral Foundations of Politics course on Coursera is a good place to start if you want to understand the ideas behind political systems. You’ll learn about major political theories like utilitarianism, Marxism, and the social contract, from their history to how they apply today. The course is taught by Ian Shapira, a political science professor at Yale University. You can take the course for free or pay if you want a certificate. You will learn skills like critical thinking, reading complex texts, and understanding how different political ideas shape the world. You can move through the lessons at your own pace.