12 Online Research Internships for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in research, online internships are a flexible and convenient option. Research internships will allow you to learn about the research process from experts and collaborate with like-minded peers. Online internships let you work from home, manage school responsibilities alongside projects, and save on commuting costs. They offer hands-on experience and help you build connections in your chosen field.
Such experiences can strengthen your college applications and help you develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are useful for your academic growth. Online research internships are available in various fields, from technology to the arts, offering a flexible way to gain insight into potential research career paths.
Here’s our curated list of 12 online research internships for high school students to help you explore these options!
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
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 internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Location: Virtual and in-person opportunities available in the Greater Seattle area, WA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; some projects offer stipends.
Application Deadline: April 22
Dates: Vary based on the opportunity but typically span 8 to 12 weeks between May and August.
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents living in the United States.
The Spark Summer Mentorship Program offers high school students hands-on internship experiences. You can choose up to five projects that match your interests. The program offers several remote projects where you can apply concepts like machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data visualization to practical challenges. During the program, you will collaborate with industry leaders, university professors, and mentors from various organizations. Topics in the 2024 program included extreme weather modeling, software engineering, detecting tick-borne infections and cancers, machine learning workflows, quantum technologies, semiconductor research (GaN/AlGaN), low-temperature electronics, competitive analysis, data engineering, and AI. The program is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of 3-5%. For tips on getting into this program, check out our guide here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,490
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple 8-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have prior experience with AI/ML or have completed a Veritas AI program
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.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: The program has no participation cost, but there is a $50 application fee. Need-based financial assistance is available.
Application Deadline: March 1
Dates: June 17 – August 9
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged 14 or older, including international students, can apply.
Stanford's Science, Humanities, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (SHTEM) Summer Internship offers high school and community college students the chance to collaborate on research projects in group settings. Each group works under the guidance of mentors, including Stanford students, faculty, and staff from the Stanford Compression Forum. The program focuses on the broad scope of research topics in engineering while emphasizing the role of humanities in STEM fields. During the program, you will work on projects that combine computer science, philosophy, design, biology, technology, engineering, and linguistics. At the end of the program, groups present their projects and findings. The program generally accepts around 60 students. To learn more about this program, check out our full guide here.
Location: Depending on the project, interns may work remotely or on-site at one of NASA's 10 field centers.
Cost/Stipend: There is no cost to participate, and interns may receive a stipend based on their academic level and the session length.
Application Deadline:
Spring: August 23
Summer: February 28
Fall: May 16
Dates: These internships are available in three sessions, with dates varying based on the opportunity:
Fall: 16-week program from late August or early September to mid-December
Spring: 16-week program from mid-January to early May
Summer: 10-week program from late May or early June to August
Eligibility: Full-time high school students who are U.S. citizens, at least 16 years old, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid internships for high school and college students. These internships provide training, mentorship, and career development, offering exposure to science, engineering, IT, business, and more. You can work on various projects, including engineering, astronomy, space science, robotics, and outreach. You will assist with tasks like designing experiments, analyzing data, and developing technologies while working closely with researchers. You may also help monitor celestial bodies, assist with mission preparations, and attend lectures from astronauts and experts in astronomy. This program will help you develop skills to support your future academic and career goals. You can find available internships by filtering for high school student opportunities. For tips on getting a NASA internship as a high school student, check out our blog here.
Location: Virtual or in-person at the University of Texas, Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost; this is an unpaid internship.
Application Deadline: February 22
Dates:
SEES distance learning modules: May 1 – July 1
Remote project work with mentor guidance: June 5 – July 5
Virtual projects: June – July 19
SEES Virtual Science Symposium: July 21 – July 22
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors who are U.S. citizens, will be at least 16 years old by July 5, and have not previously participated as SEES interns can apply.
The STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) High School Summer Intern Program is a collaboration between NASA and the University of Texas at Austin. If selected, you will gain access to SEES virtual learning activities, which must be completed to remain eligible for the internship. Interns will collaborate with NASA experts to analyze and visualize data, gaining practical experience in NASA research. Each year, project themes vary, and virtual internships follow timelines outlined in the project descriptions. Researchers at UT/CSR lead NASA-supported studies in astronomy, remote sensing, Earth systems, engineering, and planetary science. You could analyze air quality near your home, calculate star magnitudes, or use photometry software to identify exoplanets. Upon completing the program, you will receive a NASA certificate of completion. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend:
Application fee: $40
Program participation fee for accepted students: $850
The application and program participation fees can be waived based on financial need.
Application Deadline: February 28
Dates: June 16 – 27
Eligibility: Students who will be entering grades 9–12 in the Fall, will be at least 14 years old by the program's start, and reside in the U.S. are eligible to apply.
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging offers a two-week summer internship for high school students interested in technology and AI, focusing on healthcare applications. You will tackle a practical problem in AI for medicine. During the program, you will attend lectures on AI in healthcare and work on research projects to develop relevant skills. You will receive mentorship from Stanford students and researchers and participate in Virtual Career Lunch and Learn sessions with guest speakers from academia, industry, nonprofits, and government. There may also be an opportunity for an extended independent research internship for interested students. About 25 students are selected each year, and those who complete the program will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Location: Internships are available in fully remote and hybrid formats, with in-person opportunities offered at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.
Cost/Stipend: The program is free to join, with a $25 application fee that can be waived based on financial need. However, transportation and housing costs are not covered, and the internship is unpaid.
Application Deadline: February 2
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Eligibility: Interns for remote internships must be at least 15 years old by the program’s start date.
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program allows high school students to collaborate with faculty researchers at George Mason University on their projects. Over the 8-week internship, you will gain practical experience with advanced technologies and equipment, improve your scientific writing and communication skills, and learn about STEM careers through discussions with professionals. ASSIP internships are available in remote, in-person, or hybrid formats, depending on the project's requirements as determined by the mentor. You may have your work published in scientific journals and presented at conferences. Research areas include astronomy, chemistry, bioengineering, environmental science, neuroscience, physics, and computer science. You can view previous research projects from various departments and institutes here. Learn more about this program here.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Virtual interns who complete the 5-week program will receive a $500 scholarship to support their education.
Application Deadline: March 1
Dates: July – August (5-week virtual summer research experience).
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors from underrepresented populations in the United States are eligible for the 5-week virtual summer research experience.
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) is a summer research program for high school juniors and seniors interested in neurological sciences. The program offers hands-on research experience and mentorship, focusing on supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds. JHIBS provides both in-person and virtual internship options. The virtual internship includes professional development workshops, networking, college prep classes, educational workshops, mentorship training, and learning basic lab techniques. The program's key components are collaborative projects, discussions, and final presentations. You can view past projects here. To learn more about this internship, check out our guide here.
Location: Virtual or in-person at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
Cost/Stipend: Free for all accepted participants; unpaid
Application Deadline: February 15
Dates:
Summer session: June 24 – August 21
Academic year session: September 15 – December 31
The ASPIRE Student Showcase capstone event will be held in May
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged 15 or older with a GPA of 2.8 or higher can apply. Applicants must also be permanent residents of one of these Maryland counties.
The ASPIRE program gives high school juniors and seniors the chance to explore STEM careers before choosing a college major. You’ll work with lab staff on projects that help develop both technical and interpersonal skills. Virtual participants will work online but must attend in-person sessions for onboarding, equipment returns, and troubleshooting. When applying, you'll select an area of interest, but the program will assign your mentor and project. You can choose up to three types of projects, including public relations, research and development, social impact, and more. To learn more about this program, see our guide here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free for all accepted participants
Application Deadline: May 12
Dates: July 29 – August 2
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th grade students
The WIE Rise Summer Research Program is open to all gender identities but designed with women high school students in mind. This online, week-long course introduces participants to engineering through research. Each day, you will study a new engineering discipline and learn about different research labs at the University of Maryland. The program includes instruction on reading and writing scientific research papers, simple at-home experiments, and engagement with current Maryland Engineering undergraduate students.
Location: Virtual
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
Application Deadline: April 14
Dates: July 15 – 26
Eligibility: High school students or rising college freshmen who are at least 16 years old and reside in Massachusetts
Zon Lab, based at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, offers a two-week virtual research experience focused on studying anemia using zebrafish. You will collaborate with a team to design a research project, create a hypothesis, and plan experiments. Afterward, the lab’s scientists will conduct the experiments live, and you will observe the process online. At the end of the program, teams will present their results. You will learn about cancer biology and blood development while building critical thinking and presentation skills. Throughout the experience, you will attend lectures from experts on topics such as basic biology and how research is applied in clinical settings. You will also learn how to analyze scientific literature, graph your data using basic coding, and receive career advice from Zon Lab scientists during a mentoring session and a career panel Q&A. You can view the sample schedule here.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 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. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD 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.