15 Summer Research Programs for High School Students

If you are a high schooler looking to explore your interests outside the classroom, a summer research program can be a great next step. This can be an opportunity to gain experience in data collection, analysis, presentation, and scientific writing. 

Research programs give you the chance to work alongside researchers, build technical skills, and get a taste of real-world lab and fieldwork. Summer research programs for high school students also offer workshops, mentorship, and college prep support to help you grow both academically and professionally. 

In this post, we have come up with 15 summer research programs for high school students. Whether you are interested in health science, AI, astrophysics, or paleontology, there's likely a program here that matches your goals. 

1. MIT’s Research Science Institute (RSI)

Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 100 students each year
Dates: June 22 – August 2
Application deadline: December 11
Eligibility: High school juniors with strong academic backgrounds; you can find detailed academic prerequisites here

This summer research program for high school students is hosted at MIT and blends coursework in scientific theory with hands-on research alongside experienced scientists. In the first week, you will attend intensive classes across disciplines like physics, biology, and engineering, while also learning how to model systems, interpret academic literature, and use research tools. You will then be paired with a research mentor and spend the next five weeks conducting original research in a university or industry lab. The program concludes with written reports and conference-style presentations evaluated by scientists.

2. Ladder Internship's CEO Internship Program + Mentored Research Program

Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts in a year; 8 weeks of internship + 15 weeks of research
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students

The Ladder Internships Combination Program blends two intensive experiences into one: an 8-week CEO Internship followed by a 15-week mentored research project. You will work directly with startup founders from top companies and universities on real-world deliverables that matter. During the CEO-led Internship, you will collaborate closely with your company coach, present projects, and get a taste of the startup world from the inside. Then, you will transition into a research mentorship where you will develop a college-level paper under the guidance of an expert in your chosen field. By the end of this summer research program, you will have a completed internship project, a research paper, and a letter of completion. 

3. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program

Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: $40 application fee (can be waived); $500 minimum stipend or stipends of $2500 and above provided on a need-based system
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~50 students accepted
Dates: June 8 – July 30
Application deadline: February 21
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program and are U.S. citizens/permanent residents

SIMR offers hands-on research opportunities across biomedical areas like neurobiology, cancer biology, bioinformatics, and stem cell science. Your time will be split between lectures and independent lab work, with most of the summer spent fully immersed in your assigned research institute. A key feature is the final poster session, where you will present your project to Stanford faculty, peers, and visitors. Throughout the summer, you will also attend joint lectures that expose you to current biomedical topics and research methodologies.

4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-week to yearlong cohorts each year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Academically strong high school students (accepted students typically have unweighted GPAs of at least 3.3 out of 4) 

The Lumiere Research Scholar Program gives you the opportunity to design and execute a 12-week independent research project with one-on-one guidance from a subject-matter expert. Lumiere’s curriculum is fully individualized; you choose your topic, develop a research question, and write a 15-page academic paper with consistent support from a mentor and a writing coach. Topics span disciplines such as machine learning, behavioral economics, reproductive politics, and chemical kinetics, though you are also free to propose your own. Throughout the program, you will receive feedback and make revisions, culminating in a final presentation at the Lumiere Research Symposium.

5. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee; $750 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12 students are accepted
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Highly qualified high school juniors and seniors who are at least 17 years old by the start of the program and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents

The Anson L. Clark Scholar Program at Texas Tech University, a selective seven-week summer research programhigh school students, is structured to reflect what it is like to be part of a professional academic research team. You will work directly with faculty researchers in fields like cancer biology, mechanical engineering, or history, depending on your interests and academic background. In addition to your research, you will attend weekly seminars and participate in discussions meant to deepen your understanding of the field. By the end of the summer, you will submit a formal research report and present your findings.

6. Stony Brook University’s Simons Summer Research Program 

Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: No tuition; optional residential fee: $2,360; students receive a stipend at the end of the program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~5%
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application deadline: February 7
Eligibility: High school juniors who are at least 16 years old and U.S. citizens or permanent residents 

At the Simons Summer Research Program, you will be paired with a faculty mentor at Stony Brook University and take on a defined role within a research team. This summer research program for high school students allows you to contribute to an existing project while learning technical skills in a lab environment. Over several weeks, you will build toward a formal research abstract and a poster presentation, which you’ll share at the program’s final symposium. You will also take part in tours, workshops, and group events designed to round out your experience. At the end of the program, you will share your findings at a poster symposium.

7. Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program

Location: The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME
Stipend: $7,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 24–28 students selected
Dates: May 31 – August 8
Application deadline: January 27
Eligibility: Current or graduated high school seniors who are at least 18 years old and are U.S. citizens or lawful residents

The Summer Student Program at Jackson Laboratory offers you the chance to take part in hands-on research in genetics and genomics, guided by an experienced scientific mentor. During the program, you will design and execute an independent project, working within broader research areas such as immunology, cancer biology, or bioinformatics. Throughout the program, you will engage in training and professional development sessions covering topics like science communication, genetic testing, data visualization, and peer review. Your experience will culminate in a presentation at a formal symposium attended by researchers, peers, and families. 

8. Broad Summer Scholars Program

Location: Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Stipend: $3,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12–20 students accepted each year
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application deadline: January 22
Eligibility: Rising seniors who attend a high school in Massachusetts, will be able to commute to the Broad Institute, have a B or higher in science and math, and are U.S. citizens/permanent residents or authorized to work in the U.S. 

The Broad Summer Scholars Program allows you to spend six weeks working on a research project alongside scientists from MIT, Harvard, and top Boston hospitals. This summer research program for high school students places you in a Broad Institute lab where your work directly contributes to ongoing studies in fields like computational biology, cancer research, or psychiatric genetics. You will also attend lab meetings, scientific seminars, and training sessions designed to help you build research and presentation skills. The program ends with a formal poster session where you present your work to peers and professionals.

9. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)

Location: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Stipend: $15/hr
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 8 students are accepted
Dates: 8 weeks in June – August
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from Baltimore City public schools who are interested in behavioral or brain-related science. 

JHIBS is an eight-week summer research program for high school students focused on neurology and neuroscience. You will join a research or clinical team at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and work on a hypothesis-driven project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Alongside lab or clinical work, you will attend scientific seminars, participate in professional development workshops, and engage in weekly educational sessions designed to support your growth as a future researcher. A final oral or poster presentation will allow you to share your findings with peers and faculty at the end of the program.

10. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program

Location: Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Stipend: May be awarded to students experiencing financial hardship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 32 students selected
Dates: June 23 – August 7
Application deadline: January 3
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program

The Summer Science Research Program places you on a collaborative research team led by scientists from the Tri-Institutions: Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Weill Cornell Medicine. SSRP is structured to simulate a real research lab, with small teams working together on shared scientific questions. In the first week, you will learn core lab techniques and get introduced to your team’s focus area. From there, you choose a specific research question to investigate and spend several weeks conducting guided experiments and gathering data. Team leads and mentors will provide support throughout the program. The session wraps up with a poster presentation at a final symposium.

11. St. Jude High School Research Immersion Program

Location: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
Stipend: $4,800
Cohort size: Varies each year
Dates: June 2 – July 25
Application deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Current juniors who are at least 16 years old with a cumulative 3.0 GPA who attend a high school in the Memphis-Shelby County area or surrounding counties in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas

The St. Jude High School Research Immersion Program lets you engage in scientific research alongside a peer and a mentor across fields like laboratory science, psychology, epidemiology, and data science. Beyond lab work, the program includes a reflective component where you examine how science is shaped by perspective and explore questions like who contributes to scientific knowledge and how identity influences participation in the field. You will also work with an educator to craft a personal statement that connects your research experience to your future goals. The summer session will end with a public community exhibition where you present your research findings through a scientific poster.

12. UCSB Research Mentorship Program

Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Cost/Stipend: $5,175 (commuter) | $12,474 (residential); limited scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application deadline: March 17
Eligibility: High school students in the 10th or 11th grade with a minimum 3.80 academic weighted GPA

The UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP), a six-week summer research program for high school students, offers hands-on exploration opportunities under the guidance of university researchers. You will begin with a virtual orientation before heading to campus, where you will be matched with a faculty member, graduate student, or postdoc to investigate a topic of your choosing. The projects span over 25 disciplines, from ecology to media studies to chemical engineering, and evolve each year based on faculty research. Your daily work may include lab experiments, field studies, or data analysis. Alongside your research, you will attend GRIT talks by leading UC Santa Barbara scholars and enroll in two university courses focused on research methodology and academic communication. The program culminates in a formal symposium and a research paper, both of which will be part of your official college transcript.

13. George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)

Location: Virtual or at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee with need-based fee waivers available; no stipend 
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Students who are at least 15 years old

ASSIP offers virtual and on-campus research opportunities in various fields, including chemistry, engineering, computer science, statistics, medicine, and physics. You will choose a mentor in your preferred research area, contribute to research in the chosen track, and refine your scientific writing and communication skills over eight weeks. During the program, you will learn about career paths in STEM through discussion forums led by researchers, professors, and professionals. The program ends with a research symposium, where you will learn about peers’ research experiences. You may also get to publish your work or present it at scientific conferences.

14. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Internships 

Location: Various U.S. universities and labs
Stipend: Educational stipends offered; exact details not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 6 to 10 weeks in the May–August period; dates vary based on the opportunity
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students; additional requirements vary for each internship 

AEOP’s Internships are Army-sponsored research-based opportunities for high schoolers interested in STEM. If selected, you will engage in research under the guidance and supervision of a university researcher or a Department of Defence scientist. You may work on tasks like experimentation, data collection, analysis, and comparison of data sets. The precise responsibilities vary by site. During the program, you will also participate in workshops, online tutorials, webinars, and learning materials to develop professional skills and become better equipped for future STEM academics. 

15. Summer Science Program (SSP)

Location: Various research universities nationwide
Cost: $9,800; full financial assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~10%
Dates: 6 weeks; dates vary by program
Application deadline: February 21
Eligibility: High school juniors who have completed or will complete the relevant coursework for their research project by June

SSP is one of the longest-running summer research programs for high school students. Over five weeks, you will join a cohort at a top research university to explore fields like astrophysics, biochemistry, bacterial genomics, cell biology, or synthetic chemistry. Each track involves intense hands-on research and opportunities to build technical skills, whether you are calculating asteroid orbits, studying antibiotic resistance, or designing novel catalysts. You can expect to spend 60+ hours a week collaborating with peers and mentors, conducting experiments, and learning how to think like a scientist.

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