10 Best Online Paid Internships for High School Students in 2024-2025
If you are a high school student looking to boost your profile before applying to college, an online paid internship is a great place to start! Not only do online paid internships help demonstrate your skills and ability to work well in a professional setting, but they also help you build knowledge and skills in your chosen field.
Here are 10 online paid internships for high school students that you can apply to in 2024-2025. In this list, you’ll find a variety of online paid (virtual) internships open to students from different regions. We’ve covered a range of fields so that there is something for everybody.
Note that these virtual internships span multiple subjects like journalism, tech, STEM, and wildlife conservation!
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Science Program is an 8-week, fully-funded summer research opportunity/virtual internship for talented high school students from underrepresented communities. Participants will engage in research under top neuroscientists, and take part in hands-on projects, scientific seminars, and weekly development sessions. The program is available both on-campus and virtually, accepts less than 10 students, offers an hourly stipend, and covers transportation costs. At the end, students present their research through an oral or poster presentation.
Location: Virtual and in-person options.
Dates: 8 weeks, June 2024 - August 2024 (in-person); 5 weeks, July 2024 - August 2024 (virtual).
Stipend: In-person participants receive an hourly stipend (amount varies), while virtual interns receive a stipend of $500.
Eligibility: - Juniors and seniors from around the country are eligible to apply to the 5-week, virtual program.- Juniors and seniors residing in Baltimore City and the metro area, who have a strong passion and interest in science and medicine, are from underrepresented groups and have an academically strong background are eligible for the in-person program.
Deadline: March 1, every year.
The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) collaborates with global communities to enhance K-12 education. It offers internship positions in communications, marketing, and public relations to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Interns may contribute to developing social media communications materials, including content creation, graphics, videos, and campaign brainstorming. They also assist in communication dissemination, strategy, and asset management. Specific duties, schedules, and requirements vary by position. Explore available opportunities here. If you’re interested in a graphic design role, you may be asked to provide a sample of your work during the application process.
Location: Virtual and in-person options (Washington, DC).
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old can apply.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024.
Dates: 10 weeks between May and August, with a flexible schedule for virtual internships.
Stipend: Students may receive a stipend.
The Smithsonian National Zoo offers a wide range of internship opportunities, which can include working with animal care staff and research in zoology medicine. Interns have the chance to work with various species while contributing to the zoo's mission of animal conservation and public education. These internships can offer valuable insight into the world of zoology through a combination of theoretical learning and practical application.
Location: Washington, D.C. with options for virtual or hybrid internships.
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: There is no information on this at the moment. Check their website for updates!
Dates: Varies (typically 8-12 weeks).
Stipend: All interns will be paid a stipend, the amount may vary.
The Mary Miller Summer Program, offered by PHC Group, provides paid internship opportunities for rising high school juniors and seniors. Interns support the team with social media projects, online community engagement, and technical assistance. Responsibilities will include conducting social marketing research and enhancing remote collaboration and relationship building. The internship involves creating social media posts, offering a chance to utilize graphic design skills. Applicants with strong proficiency in Microsoft Office and a knack for quick learning are encouraged to apply.
Location: Virtual.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors can apply.
Application Deadline: Not specified, but you are urged to apply as soon as possible.
Dates: Not specified, but the program is usually held in the summer.
Stipend: This is a paid internship, but information on the exact amount is not available.
With an acceptance rate of less than 5%, Spark SIP is a prestigious internship for aspiring CS majors. Open to all high school students interested in CS, the program offers research opportunities, interactions with scholars, and real-world experience through full-time summer internships.
Students select 5-6 projects to work on, covering areas like machine learning, computer programming, computer vision, and neural networks. Spark SIP also provides valuable resources for college applications.
Location: Various locations across the country, varies with the internship. Some of them are remote as well.
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 40 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks.
Application Deadline: May 1, 2024 (based on past year's dates).
Dates: 6-8 weeks, June to August.
Stipend: $500 for some projects.
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, a national lab under the US Department of Energy, offers an internship program for graduating high schoolers. Interns work on projects with the lab's research or engineering staff, with options for remote internships. Participants engage in experimental or computational plasma physics projects, exploring plasma physics, fusion energy, and related fields. The program requires a commitment of 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday.
Location: Virtual.
Eligibility: Graduating seniors in the US who are at least 16 years old at the time of application can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Dates: 8 to 10 weeks in the summer (Monday–Friday) after graduation. The exact dates of the internship depend on the student’s school schedule. Some internship options run during school semesters.
Stipend: Stipend is offered, but information on the exact amount is not available.
The American Psychological Association (APA), the largest organization of psychologists in the U.S., offers internships for students interested in applying psychological knowledge. Internships are available in policy, communications, operations research, IT, and financial services. Responsibilities vary by office and intern skills, including research, writing, web projects, and administrative tasks. Interns gain practical experience and report to a supervisor. Both paid and unpaid internships are available, requiring a cover letter, resume, and writing sample. This opportunity provides insight into professional psychology within a respected organization.
Location: Remote or Washington, D.C..
Eligibility: High school student, specific details vary based on the internship.
Application Deadline: Rolling, see the application portal for open opportunities.
Program Length: Year-round.
Stipend: No cost. Some internships are paid.
If you're keen on foreign relations and international policy, the FPRI’s internship provides valuable field experience. The internships are divided into three main areas: Research, Special Events/Development, and Operations, allowing you to choose your preferred focus. Throughout the program, you'll be matched with a scholar or professional and trained in industry-specific skills. Additionally, you will have the chance to write a research paper that may be published on FPRI’s Intern Corner. Summer interns can also attend weekly seminars on foreign policy and career development.
Location: Virtual.
Eligibility: All students are eligible, including international students. However, the program does require that you have authorization to work in the U.S.
Application Deadline: May 12, 2024.
Dates: June – August.
Stipend: Paid.
CLARIFY is an internship initiative by City Limits, the oldest nonprofit news agency in New York City. The program aims to involve students in public service journalism and help them hone their civic engagement, news and media literacy, and research, writing, and interviewing skills.
For the program, 10-15 selected interns will be involved in multiple aspects of reporting and news writing, including research, media ethics, interviewing, photojournalism, and more. The cohort will work together and individually on reporting local issues. Although most work and sessions are conducted online, interns may occasionally have to travel locally to interview sources.
Location: Virtual.
Eligibility: NYC junior, senior, and graduating high school students.
Application Deadline: Applications will open soon. Keep checking the Apply page to stay updated or email the team to learn more.
Dates: 10 days in July typically.
Stipend: $500.
Zon Lab, located in Boston’s Children’s Hospital, runs a two-week virtual research experience that teaches students about research using zebrafish. Students will work in teams to design a research project to study anemia using zebrafish as an experimental organism. Teams will generate a hypothesis, design experiments, and perform analysis, following which the lab’s scientists will perform the experiments live in the lab while students watch online. At the end, teams will present their findings.
Students will further attend lectures, read scientific literature, and learn coding to graph data. In-person tours of the lab may also take place at the end. You can check the sample schedule here.
Location: Virtual.
Eligibility: High school students or rising college freshmen at least 16 years of age and residing in Massachusetts.
Application Deadline: April 14, 2024.
Dates: July 15, 2024 - July 26, 2024 (2 weeks).
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified).
Bonus - AI Internship Program by Veritas AI
The AI Internship Program by Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the 8-week internship, students have the opportunity to work with VC-backed startups on real-world AI/ML projects. Students work directly with mentors from Harvard, Wharton, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and more. This program is a great opportunity for students who have prior experience with AI/ML and are looking to gain real-world exposure to a career in the field. Students get a chance to network with industry professionals, work closely with company leadership, and receive a letter of completion from the company at the end of the internship. You can learn more about the program here and apply here.
Cost: $2,490
Application Deadline: October 20, 2024
Internship Date: The start date for the cohort is November 11, 2024
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have prior experience with AI/ML or have completed a Veritas AI program
One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are interested in research, consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source: Princeton logo