15 Summer Internships for High School Students in Boston
If you’re a high school student in Boston looking to gain experience this summer, internships are a great way to obtain practical skills while potentially earning some extra money. Summer internships for high school students in Boston range from free research positions at MIT and Harvard to paid internships at other reputable organizations. Many programs open applications in November and close by January, meaning you need to start preparing the previous spring.
In this guide, we’ve listed the top 15 programs by prestige, mentorship, student outcomes, and the value they provide for college applications. We've also identified which opportunities welcome younger students versus those exclusively for rising high school seniors, so you can plan your internship strategy across multiple summers. The key is knowing which programs align with your goals, interests, and academic strengths, and then timing your applications accordingly.
Disclaimer: Some programs below are not traditional internships, but rather academic programs! They have been included for the practical experiences they offer.
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate: Moderately selective
Dates: July 14 (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: June 23
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Ladder Internships connects ambitious students with high-growth startups across diverse industries, including technology, artificial intelligence, healthcare, and sustainability. You'll work 10 hours per week on real projects that directly impact these companies, from developing market research strategies to creating content for product launches. The program pairs you with both a startup manager and a dedicated Ladder Coach, ensuring you receive comprehensive mentorship throughout your experience.
2. Museum of Science, Boston Youth Internship Program
Location: Museum of Science, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 6-7 weeks; July–August
Application Deadline: Typically February/March
Eligibility: High school students aged 14-19
Cost/Stipend: $15/hour + Free parking, museum access, show tickets, and discounts
This STEM education internship combines hands-on museum work with professional development. You’ll gain experience in communication, teamwork, and time management through daily interaction with guests and collaboration with fellow interns. This internship is ideal if you're curious about STEM, education, or nonprofit work, and want to test those interests in a supportive environment. It’s also one of the few summer internships for high school students in Boston that focuses equally on science, soft skills, and social impact.
3. Research Science Institute (RSI) at MIT
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June - August (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: December (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising seniors with exceptional PSAT scores
Cost/Stipend: Completely free + all expenses covered
RSI is a STEM research experience for high school students in the U.S., hosted by MIT and administered by the Center for Excellence in Education. The program begins with live lectures from scientists and Nobel laureates to deepen your theoretical understanding. Then you’ll work one-on-one with mentors, often MIT faculty or graduate students, conducting original research in fields ranging from genomics and materials science to theoretical mathematics or robotics. During the final week, you’ll present your findings through formal oral presentations and scientific papers, emulating the format of real research conferences.
4. Harvard Medical School Project Success
Location: Harvard Medical School and affiliated hospitals, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Varies
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Boston/Cambridge students, age 16+, underrepresented in medicine
Stipend: Paid internship; salary provided
Project Success offers a research internship for local high school students interested in pursuing a career in the biomedical field. You’ll be matched with a mentor, either a scientist or physician, at HMS or nearby research institutions. Interns work full-time on projects in cancer biology, immunology, neurobiology, or genomics, applying lab techniques and data analysis. Participants also attend weekly academic workshops covering scientific writing, public speaking, and career planning. You’ll participate in site visits to industry locations, such as biotech startups and hospitals, and have opportunities for ongoing networking through research symposia and alumni connections.
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 6 weeks, June to August
Application Deadline: February
Eligibility: High school juniors from underrepresented backgrounds
Cost/Stipend: Completely free + travel scholarships available
MITES Summer is a residential STEM academy program that introduces rising high school seniors to a semester’s worth of college-level coursework and research on MIT’s campus. Participants enroll in five classes, typically two STEM lectures (such as calculus, biology, or physics), a humanities elective, and a project-based elective, such as machine learning, genomics, or architecture. You'll also live in MIT dorms free of charge, attend recitations or office hours, meet with student mentors, and participate in workshops on college readiness, identity in STEM fields, and admissions strategy.
6. Dana-Farber YES for CURE Summer Program
Location: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 7 - 11 weeks, dates vary
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Massachusetts high school and undergraduate students, 16+
Stipend: Paid (varies by DF/HCC funding sources)
YES for CURE (Youth Engagement through Science for CURE) is a cancer research training program for high school students in Massachusetts. Hosted by the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, it offers underrepresented students the chance to work with cancer researchers, clinicians, and public health leaders at Harvard-affiliated institutions. Over the summer, students engage in full-time mentored cancer research (lab-based, clinical, or population-based) while also participating in weekly career development workshops, college preparation seminars, and site visits. Participants finish the summer by presenting their research projects at a formal scientific symposium.
7. Boston University RISE Program
Location: Boston University, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: June - August (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: February
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (fall grade 12), strong academic performance in STEM
Cost: $5700 tuition + additional fees (financial aid available)
This research program offers laboratory research opportunities where you'll work 40 hours per week alongside PhD researchers on projects. Over six weeks, you will work full-time under faculty or graduate-student mentors on projects in fields ranging from neuroscience and biomedicine to environmental science and engineering. The program culminates in a professional poster symposium where you'll present your findings.
8. Broad Institute Summer Scholars Program
Location: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June - August (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: November-January
Eligibility: Rising high schoolers in Massachusetts, with a strong science/math background
Stipend: $3,600; partial reimbursement for transport costs
The Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP) offers a chance for rising high school seniors to conduct original genomic and biomedical research alongside Broad scientists. Over six weeks, you’ll engage in lab or computational work focused on areas like cancer biology, psychiatric disorders, infectious diseases, or chemical biology. In addition to daily research, you will attend scientific seminars, develop communication skills through poster presentations, engage in college readiness workshops, and socialize with peers.
9. Beaver Works Summer Institute, MIT (UAS-SAR)
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: July, 4 weeks
Application Deadline: March (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who complete the prerequisite online coursework in Python, Git, and radar basics
Cost: Program is free, but a $2,350 fee applies to families earning ≥ $150,000
The UAS-SAR course is an advanced high school STEM offering that combines UAV engineering with radar system development. This summer program challenges you to design and build a small drone, equip it with a synthetic aperture radar sensor, and process the radar imagery captured. You will learn concepts in signal processing, geolocation, and flight dynamics. To qualify, you must first complete an online prerequisite course, where you’ll learn radar principles, Python programming, and collaborative coding using GitHub. Students who successfully complete this pre-course are invited to apply for the in-person summer experience. If you're serious about aerospace, electrical engineering, or signal intelligence, this course offers university-level training before college.
10. Harvard Secondary School Program
Location: Harvard Campus, Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 4-week or 7-week programs (June - August)
Application Deadline: December - February (4-week), April (7-week) (tentative dates)
Eligibility: Rising college freshmen, age 16 -18
Cost: $4,050-$14,950 depending on format + $75 application fee (financial aid available)
This academic program allows you to take Harvard courses for credit alongside college students. You'll experience university-level coursework while living on Harvard's campus and building relationships with professors and peers. You'll also earn Harvard transcripts that will accompany your college applications. This is not a traditional internship, but the program’s practical components make it a good way to prepare for future careers, especially academic ones.
11. Boston Children's Hospital COACH Program
Location: Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions through community partnerships
Eligibility: Boston-area high school students (grades 9–12), referred by partner organizations
Stipend: Paid internship (specifics not disclosed)
This hospital internship program provides healthcare experience across multiple departments. You'll gain exposure to the medical profession and healthcare delivery while contributing to hospital operations in areas such as patient services and clinical support. Throughout the summer, participants join peer cohorts for weekly professional development workshops, mentorship, and a capstone career showcase. For students interested in healthcare, this is one of the solid summer internships for high school students in Boston.
12. Massachusetts Life Sciences Center High School Apprenticeship Challenge
Location: Life sciences companies and research institutions across MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: Various start dates
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Age 16+, qualifying Massachusetts schools
Stipend: $17/hour (up to $4,080 total)
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) High School Apprenticeship Challenge matches students with paid internships at companies ranging from biotech startups to research labs. Before you start your placement, you’ll complete an MLSC-sponsored bioscience training course, which covers the basics of lab safety, documentation, pipetting, and more. Internships typically run for 6 weeks during the summer, but students can also apply for part-time placements during the academic year. The competitive hourly wage and rolling admissions make this program accessible to high school students in Boston and the state of Massachusetts.
13. Vertex Pharmaceuticals High School Internship
Location: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 6 weeks; End of May/June - August (tentative)
Application Deadline: October - March
Eligibility: Boston Public Schools students
Stipend: Paid internship (rate not specified)
This biotech internship offers laboratory and business experience at a pharmaceutical company, where you'll work on projects while gaining exposure to drug development processes. You'll see how scientific research translates into treatments and therapies. This is a great summer internship for high school students in Boston interested in a career in biotechnology or pharmaceuticals.
14. Judicial Youth Corps Boston Program
Location: Suffolk County courts, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: July-August (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Boston residents in grades 10-12
Stipend: Paid internship
This legal system internship provides insider exposure to Massachusetts courts and legal processes. You may work with court personnel while learning about law enforcement, legal procedures, and criminal justice systems. The experience offers insight for students interested in law or public service careers, providing exposure to the judicial system that few high school students receive. The government setting and legal focus make this one of the more niche summer internships for high school students in Boston.
15. MFA Boston STEAM Team Fellowship
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 12‑month fellowship (with summer engagement); July (tentative)
Application Deadline: February, rolling through May
Eligibility: Boston public school rising sophomores and Boston residents
Stipend: $15/hour
This arts-STEM program combines creative expression with technical skills in an art museum setting. You'll develop projects integrating art, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while gaining professional experience in cultural institutions. The interdisciplinary approach appeals to students interested in the intersection of creativity and technology, offering an experience that stands out on college applications and demonstrates your ability to think across traditional academic boundaries. This is one of the most creative summer internships for high school students in Boston, ideal for students who want to blend artistic expression with technical skills.