15 STEM Internships for High School Students in Boston

Doing an internship while in high school can be a solid way to build your resume, strengthen your college applications, and gain practical insight into the field you plan to pursue. Whether you are planning to apply to selective colleges or are curious about working in a real lab or the tech industry, an internship can help you get started. An internship might give you the chance to analyze real data sets, shadow researchers, or design solutions to engineering challenges, taking your academic learning and practical experience beyond the school curriculum.

If you’re a high school student in Boston interested in STEM fields, there’s a number of opportunities you can consider. To help you get started, we’ve curated this list of 15 of the best STEM internships that can help you take that first step towards a college major and career in STEM. Covering a wide range of options, this list includes options in computer science, biotech, environmental science, engineering, and more. 

Note: Some of the programs listed below are located within a 1-hour commute of Boston. We’ve included them because of the strong practical experiences they offer. 

1. MITRE Student Programs (Interns & Co-Ops)

Location: Multiple sites in Bedford, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students will be paid (amount varies by program and location)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June – August (varies)
Application Deadline: February
Eligibility: High school students, U.S. citizens

With MITRE’s student programs, specifically the internships offered, you’ll spend the summer designing solutions to address challenges in the fields of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, or systems engineering. You will be matched with a mentor and join project teams supporting federal research and development. You’ll learn how to analyze data, test solutions, and present your findings to professional staff. The program also includes workshops on STEM careers, ethics, and communication. 

2. Ladder Internship

Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies with the program type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: Multiple 8–12-week cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling, varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students committed to 10–20 hours/week

Ladder Internships offers ambitious high school students a chance to intern with global companies in a virtual setup. You’ll join a high-growth startup focused on STEM fields such as health tech, data science, AI/ML, engineering, sustainability, and so on. As an intern, you may work on projects like research, product development, or technical marketing under the guidance of your startup mentor and a dedicated Ladder coach. You’ll end the program by presenting your work to the company. This internship also includes professional skills and group training sessions.

3. Boston University (BU) – RISE Internship

Location: Boston University Research Lab, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost: Application Fee $60; Tuition: $5,700; Service Fees: $485; limited need-based scholarships available (room and board are not included)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Late June – Early August
Application Deadline: February
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors

You’ll spend the summer working full-time in a university research lab under guidance from BU faculty and graduate mentors, gaining experience in fields like biology, chemistry, neuroscience, or engineering. The program combines hands-on lab work with structured workshops on topics such as research ethics, scientific communication, and career planning. You'll work on and complete an independent research project and present your research at a formal Poster Symposium before the session ends. Weekly sessions also offer support for college admissions and STEM career exploration.

4. Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center – YES for CURE Summer Program

Location: Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend varies with funding sources
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 7 - 11 weeks, dates vary
Application Deadline: February
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old

This program give you the chance to join a cancer research team at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute or one of its partner institutions. As an intern, you will spend 7-11 weeks learning lab techniques, data analysis, and cancer biology concepts while working on a mentored project. The program also includes professional development workshops, site visits, and college prep sessions. At the end of the program, you’ll present your findings to peers and scientists. This is a solid option for high school students in Boston who are interested in cancer or medical research.

5. Museum of Science – Summer Youth Internship Program

Location: Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students are paid $15.00/hour and may earn course credit or a stipend from their schools
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: Typically 7 weeks in the summer (3 days a week)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–19

This program gives you the chance to spend your summer working at the Museum of Science, where you’ll assist education staff with STEM programming and museum operations during exhibitions, events and public hours. Intern roles include behind-the-scenes support, where you help with exhibit maintenance, demonstrations, and visitor engagement. The internship includes structured training in teamwork, communication, and professionalism. You also receive mentorship from museum staff and get exposure to careers in science education and museum work.

6. MIT’s Research Science Institute (RSI)

Location: MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive 
Dates: July - August (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: December
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with high test scores

The Research Science Institute (RSI) is a fairly competitive summer program where 100 ambitious high school students from around the world are selected every year to explore advanced science and technology. If you’re interested in STEM research and innovation, this program gives you the chance to dive deep into practical scientific inquiry. During the first week, you’ll take intensive STEM courses with top professors to strengthen your theoretical foundation. For the remaining five weeks, you’ll work in state-of-the-art labs, using advanced equipment and receiving mentorship from leading researchers. You’ll conduct original research, collaborate with peers, and present your findings, gaining experience that goes beyond classroom learning.

7. Mass General Youth Neurology Education and Research Program

Location: Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) sites across Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students will be paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 30 - August 8
Application Deadline: November 1 - January 31
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors, Massachusetts residents

With this program, you’ll spend six weeks working full-time in a neurology lab under the mentorship of MGH faculty and staff, engaging directly with ongoing research. The program begins with a bootcamp on lab safety and professional expectations, after which you will participate in experimental protocols and data collection. Weekly sessions led by neurologists and neuroscientists will train you in brain science and provide career development support. You’ll work on a final research presentation summarizing your project to peers and mentors. The program also offers ongoing support, including networking, career guidance, and resume assistance, beyond the summer session.

8. Harvard Medical School – Project Success

Location: Harvard Medical School and affiliated hospitals/laboratories, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students will be paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 30 - August 15 (6-7 weeks in the summer)
Application Deadline: February 3
Eligibility: Open to Boston or Cambridge high school juniors and seniors, age 16+, with a GPA of 2.7 or higher

During this program, you will spend 6–7 weeks working in a Harvard Medical School or affiliated lab on an independent biomedical research project. You will also receive mentorship from faculty and graduate-level researchers while developing lab skills, data analysis techniques, and scientific writing abilities. The program includes seminars, workshops, and site visits to healthcare and biotech organizations, providing context for your research. The program ends with you presenting your work at a poster symposium attended by peers and professionals. 

9. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)

Location: MIT Lincoln Laboratory campus, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cost: $2,350 (tuition waived for families with income less than $150,000)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 4-week program in July
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who complete the prerequisite online coursework in Python, Git, and radar basics

This program begins with an online prerequisite course to develop foundational skills in topics such as AI, robotics, or cybersecurity. Upon successfully completing the curse, you will be invited to join the in-person program in July, where you engage in project-based, workshop-style learning on STEM problems of your interest, such as autonomous vehicles and satellite technology. You will work in teams, guided by MIT-affiliated instructors, and use professional lab spaces at Lincoln Lab to prototype and test solutions. The session culminates with final presentations or demonstrations of your project. 

10. Boston Children’s Hospital – COACH Summer Internship Program

Location: Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; studens will be paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer session (July–August)
Application Deadline: Varies by; applications generally open in the spring
Eligibility: Boston-area high school students (grades 9–12), referred by partner organizations

This hospital internship offers exposure to healthcare while you work across different departments. You’ll contribute to daily operations in areas like patient services, clinical support, and administration, helping you understand both the clinical and non-clinical sides of hospital work. During the program, you’ll be paired with a mentor and will engage in weekly workshops on professional skills and healthcare careers. Guest speakers will introduce you to different paths in medicine and public health, and you’ll gain insight into pediatric care through direct observation and support tasks. The program ends with a showcase where you present your work.

11. Massachusetts Life Sciences Center – High School Apprenticeship Challenge

Location: Multiple host organizations, Greater Boston area, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students will be paid $17/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: May to April the following year
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Massachusetts high school students, 16+, from underrepresented and low-income communities 

The High School Apprenticeship Challenge offers you paid internships in biotechnology and life sciences labs across Massachusetts. Over six weeks, you’ll work part-time or full-time with a host company, contributing to research, experiments, and real lab projects while building your professional skills. Some districts also include pre-internship lab training, where you’ll learn lab safety, basic techniques, and workplace readiness before starting your placement. Alongside practical experience, you’ll take part in networking events, industry tours, and mentorship opportunities that give you insight into careers in STEM fields. This program is designed to support underrepresented and low-income high school students.

12. The Broad Summer Scholars Program

Location: The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachuetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students will be paid $3600 + partial reimbursement for transport costs
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application Deadline: November 13 - January 22
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors, Massachusetts residents with a B grade or above in Maths and Science

The Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP) gives you the chance to spend six weeks at the Broad Institute working on original research in genomics and biomedicine. You’ll be matched with a Broad scientist and take on a project in areas like cancer biology, infectious diseases, psychiatric disorders, computational biology, or chemical biology. Along with daily lab or computational work, you’ll attend seminars, college readiness workshops, and professional development events. You’ll also sharpen your communication skills by preparing a poster and presenting your project to your mentor and peers. 

13. Vertex Pharmaceuticals – High School Summer Internship Program

Location: Vertex Learning Labs, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students will be paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 6 weeks; End of May/June - August
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: Public high school students in Boston

This biotechnology internship gives you the chance to explore science and business at Vertex, a leading pharmaceutical company in Boston. You’ll work on current projects that show how research translates into new medicines and therapies. In Vertex’s Learning Lab, you may get to conduct experiments using professional lab equipment while building core lab skills. The program also includes mentorship from Vertex employees and sessions that introduce you to scientific challenges and careers in STEM. You’ll gain insight into the biotechnology industry and develop professional skills.

14. Summer Teen Internship Program at the New England Aquarium

Location: New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students will be paid (amount not specified)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: June-August (7 weeks: 1 week of training + 6 weeks of work)
Application Deadline: Late March
Eligibility: High school students at least 14 years old and residing in Boston and Cambridge

The New England Aquarium’s Summer Teen Internship gives you the chance to explore marine and climate science while building professional skills. The program begins with a week of training, followed by six weeks of practical work and weekly workshops on public speaking, ocean advocacy, and career development. You’ll take on roles such as Visitor Services Assistant, where you’ll greet guests and share information, or Conservation Learning Guide, where you’ll lead activities, interpret exhibits, and talk with visitors about animals and ocean conservation. This program will help you gain confidence, develop communication skills, and contribute to protecting the ocean environment.

15. Tech Apprentice Program - Boston Private Industry Council

Location: Boston, Massachusetts 
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students will be paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: July-August (6–7 weeks)
Application Deadline: April
Eligibility: Boston public high school students entering grade 11 or 12 who have taken at least one tech course can apply.

The Tech Apprentice Program is a paid summer internship that introduces you to careers in technology. For 6-7 weeks, you’ll be placed at a local tech company, university, or government agency, where you’ll work on real projects such as help desk support, software testing, data entry, and inventory tracking. Alongside your tasks as an intern, you’ll take part in workshops that build skills in workplace communication, resume writing, and help you gain insight into the tech industry. With mentorship and practical experience, you’ll leave the program with stronger technical skills, professional confidence, and a clear sense of the possible career paths in technology.

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