12 Online Computer Science Internships for High Schoolers
Internships offer high schoolers the chance to gain practical, real-world experience in their chosen field before entering college. When it comes to a field like computer science, an internship can can teach you how to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations. Internships also expose you to industry professionals, providing mentorship, networking opportunities, and insight into potential career paths in the field.
Internships, however, can often come with a cost attached — whether that’s for transport or stay, and sometimes even to apply or register. A virtual internship offers all the benefits of an in-person experience, but with no travel or cost! Online internships, apart from being convenient and accessible, also broaden the scope of your search.
Here are 12 online internships for high school students interested in computer science!
Location: Virtual! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. Summer cohort: April 14, 2024 (Regular Admission 1) | May 12, 2024 (Regular Admission 2).
Eligibility: Open to all high school students, who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. These internships are also open to undergraduates and gap-year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective program that offers high school students the opportunity to intern with nonprofits and startups around the world in a virtual setup. Founded by Harvard alumni, this program gives students the freedom to choose which field they wish to work in, from a wide range of industries, including AI, technology, computer science, engineering, health tech and more. These internships provide a structured pathway for you to engage in real-world research and innovation, ensuring a balance between academic enrichment and practical skill development.
It includes one-on-one communication and time management training, among other skills, and group training sessions with fellow interns. You will be paired with a manager at the startup and with a dedicated Ladder coach, who serves as a second mentor.
2. SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers at Stanford University
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 17, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Eligibility: Students who will be in grades 11-12 at the time of application OR full-time community college students (within the first three years of community college) are eligible to apply.
This prestigious summer internship offers valuable insight into a number of fields. The program aims to provide students with early exposure to research beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. As an intern, you will be engaged in projects and collaborative work, which will provide hands-on experiences and equip you with technical skills. Stanford's distinguished faculty and industry experts will be your guides as you deepen your understanding of technology's ever-evolving landscape.
The emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration mirrors the real-world scenarios in tech industries. Themes will span and combine the science of information and communication, engineering, the arts, linguistics, psychology, biology, neuroscience, computer science, technology, philosophy, and design, among other areas. The networking opportunities within Stanford's community and the chance to contribute to meaningful projects make this internship a worthwhile experience.
3. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Location: NASA centers across the country. Virtual options are offered as well.
Cost/Stipend: No cost. A stipend will be awarded based on academic level and session duration.
Dates: Spring session (Mid-January to Early May), Summer session (Late May to August), Fall session (Late August to Mid-December).
Application Deadline: May 26 (Fall), August 30 (Spring), October 20 (Summer).
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
- Be a full-time student (high school through graduate level) or a part-time college-level student enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours.
- Be at least 16 years of age at the time of application (no exceptions).
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid internships to high school and college students across its numerous sites around the country. These internship programs are tailored to provide hands-on experiences, allowing you to engage with state-of-the-art technologies used in space exploration, satellite communication, and aerospace engineering — all of which have integral computer science components. They also offer an opportunity to gain practical work experience while working side-by-side with mentors who are NASA’s top research scientists, engineers, and individuals from many other professions.
Internships may be full-time or part-time; they may be in-person at a NASA center or remote. You can check out a complete list of positions here - you may have to use the “Filter” option to see remote opportunities open to high school students.
Location: Both in-person and virtual options are available.
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 25, 2024 - August 22, 2024. Some students and mentors may decide to continue their internship through the academic year, in which case the internship can run from September this year to May next year.
Application Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Summer 2024 cohort)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 15 years old and have a minimum 2.8 GPA can apply. The applicants should have a permanent residency in the Washington-Baltimore Metro area.
The ASPIRE program is offered by Johns Hopkins’ Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in both in-person and virtual formats. It’s perfect for high schoolers interested in exploring STEM careers before committing to a field of study in college. The program’s general acceptance rate is 15-20%. In your application, you must choose your field of interest from a diverse list of areas, from Computer Science and Engineering to Physics and Information Technology & Cybersecurity. As an ASPIRE intern, you will be paired with APL staff mentors to complete projects, solve problems, and learn and apply crucial technical and interpersonal skills in a hands-on, professional environment.
You will be expected to work on ASPIRE tasks for 40 hours per week. The program will end with all students submitting digital posters of ASPIRE projects. Those who will continue to intern through the academic year will need to follow the guidelines discussed here.
Note: While the entire internship can be virtual, you will be required to come physically to the site for mandatory in-person onboarding, equipment returns, and extreme IT troubleshooting.
5. George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Fairfax, VA. Fully remote, fully in-person, or hybrid options are available.
Stipend: None, but the application costs $25 (which may be waived based on financial needs).
Dates: June 18, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: The application period typically ends in February.
Eligibility: Anyone who is at least 15 years old at the start of the program can apply.
George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) is an 8-week internship where participants work with faculty researchers and gain hands-on research experience. Applicants can browse the prospective mentor list to choose their area of interest and check which mentors offer remote internship opportunities. During the program, interns get to use cutting-edge equipment and technologies, hone their scientific writing and communication skills, and explore STEM careers. Among the various interdisciplinary areas available, the domains in computer science include computer simulations, computer modeling, machine learning, cybersecurity, data mining, data science for social good, and more.
The program ends with the annual ASSIP Research Symposium and Celebration. A key advantage of this program is that you could have the chance to present your research at a conference, and get your work published in scientific journals! You can check previous ASSIP research here.
6. Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 17, 2024 - June 28, 2024
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
Eligibility: High school students in the U.S. who are over the age of 14 can apply. Students with strong math or computer programming skills or experience with a healthcare project are encouraged to apply.
Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) Summer Research Internship is meant for students interested in exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare. The program typically has a cohort of around 20 high school interns. In the course of two weeks, the program offers students a combination of introductory and technical lectures on the fundamentals of AI in healthcare, mentoring activities with Stanford student leads and researchers, and hands-on group work sessions on research projects.
As an intern, you will also be expected to participate in social activities virtually and career sessions with guest speakers from academia, industry, non-profit, and government. An extended independent research internship opportunity could be offered to interested participants.
7. Oxford Scholastica Online Computer Science and Coding Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Depends on the role selected
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Eligibility: Students can be between 15–18 years to participate in the internship programs.
This research internship offered by Oxford Scholastica offers students a chance to explore technological advancements in the field of computer science. During this month-long online program, a global team of coding interns will collaborate with the guidance of an academic researcher. As an intern, you will actively research a rapidly evolving field and co-author a research paper with your mentor for publication in an academic journal. At the end of the program, you will gain substantial work experience in computer science, accompanied by a letter of recommendation, solidifying the foundation for a successful career.
Learning from experienced mentors through the comfort of your own home and your own flexible schedule is the best opportunity to lay a strong foundation for your career in CS. You can go through the available internships on their website here!
Note: Due to the nature of these internships, spots are extremely limited, so we suggest you apply as soon as possible.
8. Girls Who Code (GWC) Summer Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost, $300 need-based grant provided (for eligible students in the U.S.)
Dates: 2 weeks, typically in July, but may vary depending on the program.
Application Deadline: Applications open by mid-January 2024. Early acceptance is due by mid-February 2024. General application deadline in late March 2024.
Eligibility: All female and non-binary high school students from all over the world are eligible. No previous computer science or coding experience is needed.
Girls Who Code addresses the gender gap in technology through their summer program, offering hands-on projects and networking opportunities with women in tech. There are two available options for interested students. The first is a two-week Immersion Program introducing beginners to intermediate CS concepts, the iterative design process, the basics of UX design, and an overview of the tech industry. The second is a six-week self-paced program that allows high school students to explore web development using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript or delve into intermediate Python applications, focusing on cybersecurity or new data science courses.
The program prioritizes diversity, with half the participants from underrepresented groups, and individuals from low-income households who identify as girls, women, or non-binary. As a part of this supportive community, you will build professional connections and prepare for a career in technology.
9. Spark Summer Internship Program (Spark SIP)
Location: Various locations across the country, depending on the internship. Some may be remote.
Stipend: $500
Dates: June to August (6-8 weeks)
Application Deadline: May 1, 2024 (based on past year's dates)
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 40 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Must be U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents.
With an acceptance rate of about less than 5%, Spark SIP is a prestigious internship opportunity for aspiring computer science majors. A program open to all high schoolers interested in CS and related disciplines, the Spark SIP program allows students to explore research opportunities in the field, interact and learn from scholars and leaders, and gain real-world experience through full-time summer internships.
The program allows you to work on real-world applications of concepts in machine learning, computer programming, computer vision, and neural networks. Moreover, SPARK provides opportunities and resources that can be used during and after college applications!
10. Microsoft TEALS Virtual Volunteer
Location: Both in-person and virtual opportunities are available.
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Vary based on the role selected.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Must be pursuing a CS degree or an equivalent professional certificate to volunteer for a teaching assistant role. High school students are eligible to be teacher assistant volunteers.
TEALS, a Microsoft Philanthropies initiative, establishes sustainable computer science (CS) programs in high schools, prioritizing students underrepresented in CS education due to race, gender, or geography. This program facilitates CS learning by pairing teachers with industry volunteers and proven curricula. To overcome the lack of local CS professionals in underrepresented communities, TEALS volunteers can teach remotely. High school students may be eligible to be teacher assistant volunteers at Microsoft who support the class bi-weekly, working on assignments, providing resources, and assisting either the teacher or another volunteer during lessons.
You can register for volunteer info sessions here before applying to volunteer with TEALS!
11. Colorado School of Mines: CS@Mines Internship
Location: Both in-person and remote opportunities are available.
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: TBD
Application Deadline: Feb 15, 2024
Eligibility: High school students with an interest in computer science are eligible to apply. Prior training in CS is not required.
Colorado School of Mines’ Computer Science unit – CS@Mines offers unpaid summer internships for high school and community college students in Summer 2024. CS@Mines has approximately 2–4 openings for academically talented individuals interested in participating in summer research projects related to computer science. This program offers remote options; interns can expect to commit 5–20 hours per week (averaging about 10 hours). Over the 6-week duration of the internship, you will collaborate in small teams led by a Mines Computer Science undergraduate student. This experience will give you hands-on experience and professional connections in the field.
12. Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI)
Location: Typically a residential program, virtual options are available too.
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Usually runs from June to August.
Application Deadline: March (based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school seniors planning to attend a 4-year institution in the US or Canada with a passion for computer science and intending to pursue a degree in it or a related department are eligible to participate.
Google's Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI) is a three-week introduction to computer science (CS) for graduating high school seniors with a passion for technology — especially students from historically underrepresented groups in the field. This highly prestigious and competitive program is designed to be intensive, interactive, and hands-on, providing participants with an understanding of programming fundamentals directly from Google engineers. As a part of CSSI, you will immerse yourself in the innovative environment and gain valuable exposure and insights into Google’s internship programs and technical career opportunities.
You will engage in classes taught by Google engineers, dive into its distinctive office culture, gain valuable mentorship from employees, and forge new friendships with fellow students, interns, and engineers. The program features a specially designed project-based curriculum.
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries, with a large number of them in tech. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.