15 Best AI Programs + Internships for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in artificial intelligence, participating in a structured AI program or internship can help you move beyond basic tutorials and explore how the field is studied and applied. These opportunities often involve coding, data analysis, model development, or research projects that introduce you to areas such as healthcare, finance, robotics, or public policy. Many are hosted by universities, research labs, or established organizations and include mentorship from researchers, graduate students, or industry professionals.
Why should you attend AI programs and internships?
AI programs and internships allow you to work on defined technical projects, such as training machine learning models, analyzing datasets, or evaluating algorithmic performance. In addition to strengthening your programming and analytical skills, you may also explore topics like ethics, bias, and responsible AI development. These experiences can help you clarify your academic interests while building a foundation for future study or research in artificial intelligence.
In this blog, we’ve put together a list of the 15 best AI programs and internships for high school students.
If you’re looking for online STEM programs, check out our blog here.
1. Princeton University’s AI4ALL
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 9 – 30
Application deadline: April 9
Eligibility: 10th graders (rising 11th graders) who live in the U.S. and qualify as low-income
Princeton’s AI4ALL is an on-campus summer program focused on artificial intelligence through the lens of public policy, ethics, and social impact. You attend lectures led by Princeton faculty and researchers that introduce core AI concepts alongside discussions on regulation and responsible use. A major component involves working in small research groups under the guidance of graduate student mentors. Research topics are centered on public-interest applications and real-world societal challenges. The program features mentorship sessions and career talks from professionals at the intersection of AI, government, and policy. Participants also embark on a multi-day trip to Washington, D.C., to learn how AI influences public decision-making.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple 10- to 15-week cohorts in a year, including winter, fall, spring, and summer.
Application deadline: Rolling basis, depending on cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students; AI Fellowship applicants should either have been AI Scholars participants or have some familiarity with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI offers fully online programs that introduce high school students to artificial intelligence through structured coursework and research mentorship. The AI Scholars program is designed for beginners and covers Python, data analysis, and foundational machine learning concepts through guided lessons and applied projects. Students with prior experience may apply to the AI Fellowship, which focuses on completing an independent research project with one-on-one mentorship from university researchers. You move through the full research process, from forming a research question to dataset analysis and model development. Project areas often include healthcare, finance, environmental science, and social data analysis. You can check out past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. Carnegie Mellon University’s AI Scholars
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective with small cohorts; acceptance rate not officially disclosed
Dates: June 20 – July 18
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school juniors who are 16 or older and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
CMU’s AI Scholars program is a fully funded, four-week, on-campus summer experience for rising high school seniors. The program begins with a virtual Python pre-course that introduces essential coding concepts without requiring prior experience. Once on campus, you engage in faculty-led instruction covering foundational computing and artificial intelligence topics. Students work in teams on applied research projects while receiving mentorship from faculty members and graduate students. The curriculum also includes seminars on academic planning, college readiness, and equity in STEM. The program concludes with a collaborative capstone project presented at a public symposium.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial assistance offered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, spring, fall, and winter
Application deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply here
Eligibility: High school students; accepted students typically have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a remote research experience pairing students with Ph.D. mentors for individualized academic guidance. You’ll design and complete a full research project, progressing through topic selection, literature review, data collection, and analysis. Research areas span multiple STEM disciplines, including computer science, software engineering, and emerging technology fields. Students interested in artificial intelligence or tech-related topics can choose a focused AI research question. Mentors provide regular feedback to refine methodology and strengthen analytical rigor. The final deliverable is a formal research paper documenting your findings and research process. Completed projects may be suitable for future publication or academic submission.
5. Research Science Institute
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~2.5% applicants selected; 100 students/year
Dates: June 28 – August 8
Application deadline: December 10
Eligibility: High school juniors who meet the RSI academic prerequisites
Research Science Institute is a six-week, fully funded summer program combining advanced coursework with independent research. The program begins with an intensive week of lectures covering mathematics, science, and engineering topics, including computational and data-driven methods. You then spend five weeks conducting individual research guided by experienced mentors, which may include experimental design, theoretical modeling, or computational approaches, including AI-related applications. Participants are expected to produce both a written research paper and an oral presentation.
6. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Apprenticeship
Location: Various U.S. Army Research Labs and university research centers nationwide
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Typically June–August; varies by location.
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are at least 16 years old; Site-specific requirements may apply
The AEOP High School Apprenticeship places students in U.S. Army research labs or affiliated university laboratories for hands-on STEM research. These paid, full-time summer positions expose students to fields such as engineering, cybersecurity, biology, and computational science. Those interested in AI may work on projects involving machine learning, algorithms, or AI-driven decision systems. Under mentor supervision, students help with experiments, analyze data, and solve technical problems. They gain hands-on experience with professional research tools and methods. The program also includes workshops, career panels, and access to a nationwide STEM network.
7. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: Varies based on Department of the Navy (DoN) lab locations
Stipend: $4,000 (new participants); $4,500 (returning participants)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: June – August (8 weeks)
Application deadline: August 1 – November 1
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-12 (16+) who are U.S. citizens
SEAP places high school students in Department of the Navy laboratories for an eight-week summer research experience. As a federal intern, you’ll work directly with scientists and engineers on ongoing technical projects across disciplines such as computer science, engineering, physics, and applied mathematics. AI-related placements may involve coding, simulations, data analysis, or algorithm development. Interns assist with experiments and research tasks while learning laboratory and workplace protocols. Participants also attend lab tours, technical seminars, and briefings throughout the program.
8. Texas Tech University’s Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Stipend: $750
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 12 students/year
Dates: June 21 – August 6
Application deadline: February 16
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents and at least 17 by the start date
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is a seven-week, fully funded residential research experience for high-achieving high school juniors and seniors. You are paired with a Texas Tech faculty mentor to conduct an independent research project in your chosen field. Projects may include computer science, data science, or AI-related topics, depending on mentor availability. Daily work varies by discipline and may involve data analysis, computational modeling, or literature-based research. The program includes weekly seminars, academic discussions, and a variety of enrichment activities. Students submit a formal written research report upon completing the program.
9. ASPIRE – Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Less than 10%
Dates: June 24 – August 21
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are 15 or older by June 1 | Minimum 2.8 GPA, and live in specific regions of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia | U.S. Citizens
The ASPIRE program provides high school students with research experience at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory. Participants are matched with mentors and assigned to projects in fields such as AI, computer science, engineering, or cybersecurity. AI-focused projects often involve algorithm development, data processing, or software-based problem-solving. Students document their work through reports, presentations, or digital research posters. Regular mentor meetings support technical progress and skill development. In some cases, mentorship continues beyond the summer term.
10. MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute
Location: Virtual and in-person at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free pre-requisite course; the summer program fee is zero for students with family income less than $150,000, and is $2,350 for other applicants.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Online Courses: Starts February 3 | In-person Summer Program: July 6 – August 1 or 2
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students, in grades 9 – 11, who live in the U.S. or will live in the U.S. during the program
MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute is a project-based STEM program that offers multiple AI-focused tracks in both online and on-campus formats. Before the summer session begins, you complete a required online prerequisite course during the spring to build foundational technical skills. The core program runs for approximately four weeks and centers on intensive, applied project work rather than traditional lectures. AI-related tracks may include autonomous systems, serious game design, or machine learning applied to remote sensing and data analysis. Most of the work is team-based, encouraging collaboration, problem-solving, and iterative design. Further, guest speakers and MIT-affiliated experts provide insight into real-world applications, ethical considerations, and system-level design challenges.
11. Stony Brook University’s Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: No tuition, but a residential fee of $2,450 applies to students who need university housing | Paid
Acceptance rate: ~5%
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application deadline: February 5
Eligibility: High school juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and at least 16 when the program starts
The Simons Summer Research Program is an on-campus STEM research experience for high school students at Stony Brook University. Research areas cover computer science, artificial intelligence, engineering, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Students become part of an active research group and contribute to ongoing projects under faculty guidance. They acquire hands-on experience with research tools, methods, and laboratory or computational techniques. Weekly faculty seminars introduce various STEM research pathways, while regular workshops aim to enhance research communication and technical skills. The program ends with students submitting and presenting a research abstract and poster.
12. Stanford AI4ALL
Location: Virtual or at Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Residential: $9,800 | Online: $4,120; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Residential: July 19 – 31 | Online: June 15 – 26
Application deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Current 9th graders/rising 10th graders over the age of 14 by the start of the program
Stanford AI4ALL is a fully virtual summer program that introduces high school students to artificial intelligence through collaborative, research-driven learning. As a participant, you’ll work in small teams on projects that connect AI methods to real-world societal and global challenges. The instruction spans key areas such as computer vision, natural language processing, robotics, and medical AI. Throughout the program, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and industry professionals provide mentorship and technical guidance. Ethical issues, bias, and equity in AI systems are integrated into both coursework and project discussions. Students also take part in career panels and interactive workshops focused on academic and professional pathways in AI.
13. Columbia University’s Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers (SHAPE)
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Residential fee: $10,705 | Commuter fee: $5,880; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 25 students/class
Dates: Session 1: July 6 – 24 | Session 2: July 27 – August 14
Application deadline: March 2 (Regular) | December 22 (Priority)
Eligibility: Current high school students; applicants must be 16+ for the residential program.
Columbia Engineering’s SHAPE program is a three-week, on-campus introduction to college-level engineering coursework. Students can choose from multiple course options, including artificial intelligence and programming tracks. The AI Builders course progresses from foundational concepts to applied topics, including neural networks, decision trees, and large language models. You will use Python to develop and evaluate intelligent systems via interactive assignments. The coursework covers bias, fairness, and ethical AI design through discussions and experiments. Lectures from researchers and industry experts offer practical insights. The program ends with a final AI project, which can be completed individually or in groups.
14. EDIT ML Summer Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Starts on June 15
Application deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school students with a demonstrated ability in computer science
The EDIT ML Summer Internship Program offers students hands-on experience in applying machine learning to solve biomedical and clinical problems. Interns engage in projects related to medical imaging, pathology data, electronic health records, or genomic datasets. The experience emphasizes coding, data analysis, and algorithm development using tools such as Python, R, and high-performance computing systems. Structured mentorship walks you through each research stage, with seminars on medical AI, pathology, and ethics, and requires you to keep detailed records of your work. The projects conclude with technical presentations to scientific or clinical audiences.
15. Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) Summer Research Internship
Location: Remote
Cost: Application fee: $45 + Program participation fee: $2,400; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~50 students
Dates: Session A: June 15 – 26 | Session B: July 6 – 17
Application deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school students who are 14 or older and U.S. citizens; those with prior experience in a healthcare project and/or strong math or computer programming skills are preferred
Stanford’s AIMI Summer Research Internship is a virtual program focused on applying AI to real-world healthcare challenges. You will examine how AI is currently used in medicine, imaging, and clinical research to enhance diagnosis and decision-making, and then participate in research-oriented projects that deploy AI solutions to address healthcare challenges. The program includes collaboration sessions, online group work, and opportunities to connect with peers through social activities. Mentorship is provided by Stanford student leads and research staff who guide both technical progress and research direction. Guest speakers from medicine, research, and industry share insights into careers at the intersection of AI and healthcare. Select participants may be invited to continue research through an extended academic-year opportunity following the summer experience.