15 Psychology Internships for High School Students in New Jersey
Internships are a great way to gain exposure, enhance your resume, and develop practical skills that can set you apart in both college applications and future career trajectories. If you're a high school student in New Jersey, curious about how the mind works or considering a future in mental health, psychology internships can help you gain insight into the subject and explore the field in a hands-on manner.
In this blog, we've curated a list of 15 psychology internships for high school students in New Jersey.
1. Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 16 - August 15
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Open to local high school students who are enrolled in a U.S. high school and will be at least 16 years old by June 15
Through Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program, you can work directly on a faculty-led research project that investigates how the brain supports motor learning and skill retention. In this full-time, unpaid research experience, you’ll contribute to work that examines the role of cognitive strategies in enhancing and maintaining motor performance, going beyond basic muscle memory. Expect to assist in designing and running behavioral experiments, analyzing data, and working with programming tools, video game interfaces, or computational models. The research explores how people mentally represent and adjust movements and how this ties into broader cognitive processes. Internship durations vary based on the specific lab and mentor, and three spots are typically available for this particular project.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies based on program type
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!
If you’re interested in exploring how psychology applies in real-world settings like startups and tech companies, Ladder Internships may be worth considering. This is an eight-week, fully remote internship where you’re matched with a startup in fields that may include mental health tech, behavior-based AI, or consumer analytics. You’ll work on meaningful projects that align with the company’s goals, under the guidance of both your startup mentor and a dedicated Ladder coach. Many of these startups are early-stage and fast-growing, offering a firsthand look at how behavioral science intersects with innovation. You’ll also present your work to leadership, giving you experience in professional communication and reporting. Here is the application form, where you can also check all the available internship track options.
3. American Psychological Association (APA) – Remote Internship Program
Location: Multiple locations and remote options
Cost/Stipend: No cost; some internship positions may be paid
Dates: Internships are offered all year round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all high school students eligible to work in the U.S. (as verified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s eVerify service) and residing in one of the states where APA is already registered as an employer.
The APA’s remote internships lets you step into a professional environment where psychology is applied across fields like education, research, communications, and public policy. As a high school intern, you’ll be assigned to one of the departments and contribute to ongoing projects. This might include data analysis, preparing content for public education, or supporting digital tools tied to psychological research. The experience takes place virtually, allowing you to participate from anywhere. A supervisor will guide your work, and optional programming like workshops and peer discussions expands your exposure to careers in psychology. The program allows for real engagement with APA’s mission while helping you understand how psychological research connects to everyday decision-making and advocacy.
4. UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Typically 2 weeks in June (exact dates unspecified)
Application Deadline: February
Eligibility: Open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school
This two-week online internship offered by UT Southwestern introduces rising 10th through 12th graders to the wide range of careers available in mental health. Through pre-readings and live sessions led by professionals like social workers, psychiatrists, clinician-scientists, and neuropsychologists, you'll gain a clearer picture of what these roles entail and how they fit within the broader healthcare system. Topics span psychotherapy, brain science, community mental health, and interventional psychiatry, giving you a strong overview of the field. You'll also get the chance to hear personal stories about educational and career pathways in mental health, including how professionals finance and navigate advanced training.
5. SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers at Stanford University
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Program dates: 6 weeks in June–August
Application deadline: Typically in late February
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and seniors who are at least 14 years old by program start date
At Stanford’s SHTEM program, you’ll join interdisciplinary research teams working on projects that bridge science, technology, and the humanities. While not focused solely on psychology, the program includes topics like cognitive science, human behavior, and communication, often blending them with design, linguistics, and information systems. You’ll be placed into a project that matches your interests and skills, and work alongside faculty, staff, and students from Stanford’s Compression Forum. Projects might involve creating tools that analyze how people interact with media or understanding how human factors shape technology. The goal is to help you see how research involving psychology is deeply connected to other fields and how understanding human behavior is vital across disciplines.
6. Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) at Stanford University
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,595
Dates: June 16 – June 27
Application deadline: March 1 (rolling)
Eligibility: Open to high school students aged 14-18 years
CNI-X at Stanford is a two-week summer experience that introduces high school students to topics in psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry through lectures, collaborative projects, and mentorship. You’ll attend interactive sessions with researchers and clinicians from Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, covering areas like psychiatric epidemiology, clinical neuropsychiatry, and the biology of behavior. One key element of the program is a team-based capstone project where you work with peers to address a social or scientific issue related to mental health, which is then presented at the end of the session. The program also touches on practical skills like self-care and decision-making, which are especially relevant during your transition into college and adulthood.
7. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost; virtual interns are provided a $500 stipend
Dates: 5 weeks (June to August)
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Open to U.S. high school juniors and seniors
Designed for high school juniors and seniors, JHIBS is a virtual summer program that allows you to take part in research related to neuroscience and cognitive science. During the internship, you'll collaborate with scientists on ongoing studies that explore how the brain functions, how it develops, and how disorders may disrupt its processes. In addition to participating in lab activities and data-related tasks, you’ll attend sessions that explain broader scientific concepts and career paths in neuroscience and biomedical research. While you’ll be working remotely, the experience is designed to simulate a real lab setting, with mentors guiding you through your responsibilities. The program also aims to help you understand the academic pathway for careers in brain science.
8. Child Mind Institute Youth Mental Health Academy
Location: Remote, hybrid, and in-person options available
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Students will receive a stipend
Dates: 14 months (Starting in June)
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: High school students with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher can apply. Applicants should be from marginalized communities as defined in the FAQs here .
The Child Mind Institute Program is a 14-month, paid internship designed to support high school students from structurally marginalized communities who are interested in mental health. The program begins with a 5-week summer learning experience where students explore mental health topics through interactive workshops and complete a capstone project. During the school year, participants attend monthly sessions and receive continued mentorship. In the second summer, students complete a 100-hour internship at a research or community-based organization, working on real-world projects focused on youth mental health. Interns analyze data, develop recommendations for intervention, and build communication, research, and advocacy skills. This program allows students to demonstrate long-term commitment to the field while gaining hands-on experience and building strong foundations for future academic and career opportunities in psychology.
9. Summer Experience at the Coriell Institute For Medical Research
Location: The Coriell Facility, Camden, New Jersey
Stipend: $1,000
Dates: July 17 - August 17
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Before the start of the program, students must be 17 years old and should have a US citizenship.
The Coriell Institute Summer Experience is a selective internship program that introduces students to biomedical research through lab work and guided mentorship. For students interested in psychology, particularly those exploring neuroscience or behavioral genetics, this program offers exposure to the biological foundations of behavior and mental health. Interns can assist in labs focused on stem cells, cytogenomics, and molecular biology, gaining insight into how genetic and cellular research contributes to understanding human development and disease. The program also includes lectures, data analysis training, and a final research presentation, helping students build both technical and communication skills. Internship tracks include lab-based roles in production and research, as well as project management positions that offer experience in coordinating scientific work and supporting global research initiatives.
10. Medical Internship Navigating Diversity and Science (MINDS)
Location: Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, New Jersey
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Participants will receive a stipend
Dates: 6 weeks, July-August
Application Deadline: May (tentatively)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from underprivileged backgrounds, with a minimum 3.0 GPA, can apply.
The M.I.N.D.S. (Medical Internship Navigating Diversity and Science) program is a six-week paid internship designed for underrepresented or financially disadvantaged high school juniors and seniors interested in healthcare. For students interested in psychology, the program offers insight into how social, economic, and environmental factors affect mental and physical health. You will explore the study of social determinants of health and carry out a research project focused on health disparities in New Jersey. The program combines academic learning with exposure through medical simulations, field trips, and CPR/BLS certification. Interns also gain mentorship and develop professional skills that strengthen their college and career readiness.
11. Psychology Institute at Wake Forest University
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Online
Cost/: $3,400. Financial aid is available.
Dates: Applicants can choose from 2 one-week sessions: June 9–14 or June 16–21
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible
The Wake Forest University Psychology Institute is a week-long summer program that introduces high school students to key concepts in psychology through a mix of academic and hands-on learning. You will explore topics like brain anatomy, mental disorders, perception, neuroscience, and the psychology of addiction. Under the guidance of university faculty and professionals, you will conduct observational research and may take part in activities such as a sheep brain dissection. The program concludes with a presentation of research findings, helping students develop both scientific and communication skills. Participants receive a Wake Forest University Certificate of Completion. An online version of the program is also available.
12. Mercer County Student Internship Program
Location: Mercer County, New Jersey
Stipend: $15.14/hour. Unpaid internships that offer college credit are also available.
Dates: Usually starts at the end of May or June and goes on till the end of August
Application Deadline: May typically
Eligibility: High school students who are 15 years of age and live in or go to school in Mercer County
The Mercer County Internship Program offers paid summer internships for high school and college students, combining hands-on work experience with career development activities. Interns can indicate departmental preferences, with placements available in a wide range of areas, including Human Resources, Economic Development, Administration, and the Correction Center. For students interested in psychology, the Correction Center placement offers exposure to forensic psychology through opportunities to observe inmate interactions, conduct interviews, assist with mental health referrals, and support counseling efforts. All interns participate in workshops hosted by the Office of Personnel to strengthen workplace skills, explore professional paths, and enhance their overall career readiness. This program can be a stepping stone for students pursuing psychology and related social science fields. You can check the different departments that have available internships here.
13. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes – Topics in Psychology
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,080
Dates: July 7–18
Application deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 9-11 at the time of application
This summer course from Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes gives high school students the chance to study psychology in depth through an academically rigorous online program. You'll attend live online classes each weekday and complete several hours of independent assignments exploring topics like perception, cognitive development, psychological disorders, and major theoretical frameworks. The course places a strong emphasis on research methodology, introducing you to the tools psychologists use to design experiments and interpret data. Projects and readings encourage you to think critically about how psychological research applies to daily life and to evaluate its strengths and limitations. With a mix of lectures, group discussion, and small-scale research assignments, the program helps you develop both conceptual understanding and hands-on experience in psychology.
14. Rutgers University’s Pre-College Summer Scholars Program
Location: Virtual or in-person at Rutgers University, New Brunswick campus, New Jersey
Cost: $459–$1,096
Dates: Session I starts May 27, Session II starts July 7
Application deadline: May 18 (Session I) | June 29 (Session II)
Eligibility: Open to U.S. high school students who are 16 or older and have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0
At Rutgers University, the Pre-College Summer Scholars Program lets high schoolers enroll in real college courses, and one offering relevant to psychology is Logic, Reasoning, and Persuasion. This course focuses on how people construct, evaluate, and respond to arguments, which is essential in understanding how thought processes work. You'll explore what makes reasoning valid or flawed, how persuasive communication works, and how to identify assumptions behind common claims. These concepts are closely tied to cognitive psychology, especially in terms of how people make decisions and process information. Classes are taught by Rutgers faculty and include both in-person and online options, depending on your preference. Since these are credit-bearing courses, you'll also gain experience with the expectations of university-level academics.
15. Montclair State University’s Pre-College Summer Program
Location: Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey
Cost: $1,800
Dates: July 13–19 | July 20–26
Application deadline: June 13
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 9–11 at the time of application
In Montclair State University’s EcoMind Explorers program, you’ll spend a week studying how psychology intersects with environmental conservation. This on-campus experience introduces you to conservation psychology, a field that looks at how people think about nature, what influences environmental behavior, and how communication strategies can promote sustainability. You’ll participate in outdoor activities, hear from professionals in the field, and conduct your own observational study during a visit to a local zoo or science center. The curriculum blends elements of social, health, consumer, and environmental psychology with real-world applications like ecotourism and environmental messaging. You’ll also examine how conservation psychology is used in settings such as public agencies, nonprofits, and tourism.