15 Texas Summer Internships for High School Students
Internships are one of the most effective ways for high school students to gain real-world work experience, build practical skills, and translate classroom learning into professional competencies that strengthen college applications and clarify future career paths.
What does Texas have to offer for high school students looking for summer internships?
In Texas, summer internships span a wide range of fields, from government and STEM research to business, technology, and creative industries, giving students early exposure to professional work environments and mentorship from experienced practitioners. Many of these internships are structured with project work, team collaboration, and skill development that help you understand what day-to-day work looks like in your field of interest.
To make your search easier, this list highlights 15 Texas summer internships for high school students, featuring opportunities across in-person, hybrid, and virtual formats that can help you explore careers and build experience.
P.S. If you're in Texas and want to go deeper on a specific field, 14 Technology Internships for High School Students in Texas is a direct companion to this list. And 14 Summer Internships for Rising High School Juniors is worth checking out if you want to compare Texas options against what's available nationally.
15 Texas Summer Internships for High School Students
1. Ladders for Leaders
Location: Austin, TX
Cost: Paid internship; exact amount varies per placement
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Specific size not publicly available
Application Deadline: March 6
Program Dates: June 15 to July 24
Eligibility: Open to high school students aged 16 to 18 with a competitive GPA and are residents in Austin/Travis & Williamson County area
The Ladders for Leaders Summer Internship Program connects Austin-area high school students with professional work placements at local businesses, nonprofits, and agencies in Austin, Travis, and Williamson counties. Prior to starting your internship, you'll complete the Ladders for Leaders University, which includes a set of webinars and in-person sessions on professionalism, financial literacy, communication, and career exploration. Over the 6 weeks of the internship proper, you'll work 20 hours per week with local business partners in various industries.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
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 8-week long internship program. In the program, you work with high-performing founders who have experience from companies like Google and Microsoft. Start-ups that offer internships across industries, including tech/deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s startups are, on average, high-growth companies, raising over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company.
3. Emerging Leaders Summer Internship Program (ELSIP)
Location: Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: Offers a $ 13-per-hour stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Application-based with limited slots
Application Deadline: February 28
Program Dates: June 1 to July 10
Eligibility: Open to currently enrolled Austin-area residents who are rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors and between the ages of 15 to 18.
ELSIP is a program brought to life by a partnership between the city of Austin, Bank of America, and the Quality of Life Foundation. Together, these organizations offer Austin-area rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors a 6-week paid summer internship opportunity. This program is geared towards giving you hands-on work and leadership experience with its partners. Throughout the internship, you'll be matched with a partner based on your career interests and accessibility to internship sites. This allows you to explore your career paths while gaining confidence and workplace readiness. As it covers a variety of career fields, ELSIP is a good, flexible option. In addition, ELSIP interns participate in two educational field trips.
4. Get Ready! Summer Internship Program
Location: Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: $13 per hour stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Application-based with limited slots
Application Deadline: February 28
Program Dates: June 1 to July 10
Eligibility: Open to currently enrolled Austin-area residents who are rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors and between the ages of 15 to 18.
Get Ready! is a summer internship program hosted by the city of Austin's Youth Initiatives Office. If you’re interested in science, technology, engineering, art, or math, Get Ready! offers STEAM-based opportunities that could be a good fit for you. The goal of the program is to increase your knowledge, engage in real-world projects, and gain hands-on experience in your future career fields. Placements vary based on your specific interest and availability, offering a decently individualized experience.
5. Aviation Department Summer Internship Program
Location: Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: Offers a paid stipend of $13 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Application-based with limited slots
Application Deadline: February 28
Program Dates: June 1 to July 10
Eligibility: Open to currently enrolled Austin-area residents who are rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors and between the ages of 15 to 18.
The Aviation Department Summer Internship Program is another program under the City of Austin’s Youth Initiatives Office. If you’re interested in a future career in aviation or airport operations, this is one to look out for. This internship introduces you to how a major international airport operates behind the scenes. You'll work first-hand in the administrative functions of an airport, such as business, security, engineering, and operations. Internships here will place you at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Campus. As one of the fastest-growing airports in the U.S., it’s one of the most pivotal places to bet your hedges on early career development. Within the Aviation Department Divisions, you have your choices between Ground Transportation, Property Management, Finance, Planning & Engineering, Security, and the Visitor’s Center.
6. Austin Chamber Summer Internship Program
Location: Between 40 businesses and organizations across Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: Offers a $2,000 stipend for living expenses
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Accepts only 68 interns for the summer
Application Deadline: February 6
Program Dates: Runs from June 8 to July 24
Eligibility: Students in Austin ISD entering grades 10-12
The Austin Chamber of Commerce Summer High School Internship Program is run in partnership with Austin ISD and the Austin Ed Fund. You'll be placed in paid internships with local businesses, nonprofits, and organizations across the city for the summer. Over the course of six weeks, you'll work 20 hours per week in roles tailored to your interests. Alongside the 2 interns who will work in the Chamber, other fields include marketing, tech, community engagement, and customer service. In addition to the on-the-job training, you also get to participate in two days of professional career training. Opportunities are varied, spanning around 40 businesses and organizations in Austin, TX. Overall, this is a valuable opportunity with a wide range of fields to choose from.
7. Automotive Internship Program
Location: Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: Offers a paid stipend of $13 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Application-based with limited slots
Application Deadline: February 28
Program Dates: June 1 to July 10
Eligibility: Open to currently enrolled Austin-area residents who are rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors and between the ages of 15 and 18.
The Automotive Internship Program is a summer internship opportunity under the city of Austin’s Youth Initiatives Office. You can select opportunities related to your interests such as sales, management, customer service, mechanics, and finance. Through this program, you'll learn about the business, administrative, and logistical side of the automotive industry. The program partners with five Austin-area car dealerships to host interns. You can expect to work with Audi South Austin, BMW South Austin, Henna Chevrolet, Nyle Maxwell Family of Dealerships, and Onion Creek Volkswagen. Overall, this is an ideal summer internship opportunity if you’re interested in future work in the automotive industry.
8. Travis County Internships
Location: Austin, TX
Cost: Varies per posting
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly available
Application Deadline: Not specified
Program Dates: Typically runs through the summer months
Eligibility: Must be actively enrolled in a high school
Travis County in Austin offers students both paid and unpaid internships year-round. Including the summer, you have the opportunity to apply for Student Intern 1 classifications, which are unpaid internships, or Student Intern 2 classifications, which are paid opportunities for high school students. This is a Texas summer internship for high school students that puts you directly in county government. Depending on your placement, you'll likely conduct research for your department, participate in field excursions, sit in meetings and planning sessions, participate in department events, and network with other departments. Overall, opportunities under Travis County are diverse and can get you a strong head start in county-level government work.
9. MD Anderson Cancer Center Summer Program
Location: Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Comes with a $7,200 stipend for participation in the 10-week program
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; accepts only 6 students
Application Deadline: January 14
Program Dates: Runs from June 1 to August 7
Eligibility: Open to current Texas high school seniors who are aged 18 by program start
The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program is a highly selective, in-person summer research internship based in Houston. You'll be placed in authentic biomedical research environments under the University of Texas’ research labs and campus facilities. This Texas summer internship for high school students is a 10-week program that offers hands-on research experience and gives you a glimpse of real research workflows. With only a very small number of students chosen each cycle, this internship offers close mentorship and immersive skill-building for a future career in STEM or healthcare education.
10. The University of Texas at Austin SEES Internship Program
Location: Hybrid, Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: Free!
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Typically around 10% of applications
Application Deadline: February 22.
Program Dates: Online: May 15 | Onsite: July 5. Program ends by July 18
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 10-11 with a strong academic record and a demonstrated passion for STEM
STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) is a competitive STEM program focused on Earth and space research. As you work together with scientists and engineers on on-site projects, you’ll learn to investigate natural hazards and concepts in climate science, and how to interpret satellite data. At the end of the program, you’ll participate in the SEES Virtual Science Symposium, where you’ll present your final research. This is a hybrid program, offering distance learning alongside hands-on on-site experiences. Overall, SEES is a strong choice for you if you’re interested in future careers in Earth and space science.
11. University of Houston Mohan Lab Summer Internship
Location: Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid internship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly available
Application Deadline: March 26
Program Dates: Runs from June 8 to July 31
Eligibility: Open to rising seniors
The Mohan Lab Summer Internship (MLSI) program is ideal if you’re interested in future biomedical, bioengineering, data analytics, and neuroscience. You start with 1-2 weeks of instruction, where you’ll be introduced to basic laboratory techniques. Alongside this, you'll be a part of the bench research guided by a scientist or graduate student over a period of 8 weeks. At the end of the 8-week program, you'll present your findings as an oral presentation. Additionally, depending on the project, your work may also contribute to research publications.
12. Houston Bar Association Communities In Schools Summer Legal Internship Program
Location: Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Offers $10 to $12 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly available
Application Deadline: Varies yearly
Program Dates: 8-week summer program; exact dates vary
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and seniors from CIS-supported Houston campuses
The Communities in Schools (CIS) of Houston partners with Houston-area law firms, corporate legal departments, and public interest agencies to facilitate summer internships for high school students attending at-risk schools. Throughout the eight-week program, you'll work alongside legal professionals and learn directly from their practice. You can look forward to mentoring from professionals who work at Houston-area law firms, corporate legal departments, and public interest agencies. Overall, this is a strong opportunity to boost job readiness as you gain exposure to professional legal environments.
13. Build Up High School Internship
Location: Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship, exact amount varies
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Unavailable
Application Deadline: April 15
Program Dates: 8 -week program in the summer; dates vary by location.
Eligibility: Open to a rising high school junior, senior, or graduating senior legally entitled to work in the U.S, with an interest in construction and the built environment
Build Up is a summer internship program that includes highly complex and technical projects. It is ideal if you’re looking for exposure in the construction industry. During the program, you'll work full-time between 35-40 hours per week onsite with a project team building a major commercial construction project. You’ll participate in tasks like document control, quality inspection, safety training, and other real management tasks that mirror best practices in the industry. Alongside these, you'll also complete an 8-week capstone project to be presented at the end of the program.
14. Texas Department of Transportation (DOT) Grants and Internships
Location: Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship offering $15-18 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Unavailable
Application Deadline: Accepts on a rolling basis
Program Dates: Offered year-round
Eligibility: Open to students at least 16 years of age, currently enrolled as a student, and are eligible to work in the U.S.
This year-round internship program allows you to dive into the transportation sector through a variety of lenses—whether your interests lie in infrastructure maintenance, environmental impact, or the complex world of public funding and finance. Depending on your specific placement, you'll collaborate with seasoned professionals on high-stakes projects. You’ll tackle responsibilities such as route planning, participating in budget strategy sessions, or providing technical support for real-world DOT operations. While some roles lean toward field-based maintenance and repair, others focus on data analysis and project coordination, ensuring you gain a realistic view of how a major state agency functions. You’ll also have the chance to build a professional circle that spans the entire state while developing a resume backed by actual government operations.
15. Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
Location: Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship; exact amount varies per placement
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 750 positions annually
Application Deadline: Varies per year
Program Dates: June 9 to August 1
Eligibility: Open to students aged 14 to 17 who live in or attend school in Travis County
The Texas summer internship for high school students is a paid work experience that connects students with real workplaces throughout Travis County. Over the course of a 7-week session, you'll be placed with employers like government agencies, nonprofits, and small businesses.
Internships offered are paid work opportunities, with compensation varying by placement. The application also includes an eligibility screening process, during which you’ll participate in job readiness training. Overall, SYEP is a valuable summer internship experience because it offers real-world work exposure across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
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