15 Best Biology Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in biology, a structured program can be a smart way to move from classroom learning into research, lab work, and scientific problem-solving. These programs can expose you to practical skills, industry settings, university labs, biomedical centers, and mentors who work in the field every day. Several are hosted by major universities, biomedical centers, hospitals, and research organizations, making them valuable options if you want early exposure to advanced biology work. You may attend seminars, contribute to ongoing projects, build research posters, present your findings, and connect with peers who are equally interested in STEM.
What are the benefits of a Biology program?
A strong biology program can help you build practical skills such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, microscopy, tissue culture, literature review, data analysis, poster design, and scientific presentation. Depending on the program, you may work on projects in cancer biology, microbiology, genomics, synthetic biology, immunology, biomedical engineering, computational medicine, or environmental science. Some programs place you in active research labs, while others guide you through independent papers, AI-driven healthcare projects, or mentored investigations in molecular and clinical science. These experiences help you understand how biological research moves from an initial question through experiments, data analysis, interpretation, and final presentation.
For students ready to explore biology beyond the classroom, we’ve narrowed down 15 of the best biology programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for STEM research programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These 15 programs span cancer biology, genomics, neuroscience, immunology, fisheries biology, computational biology, biomedical engineering, and AI in medicine, so students with a wide range of biology interests can find a relevant option in person or online.
Several programs are free or paid, including JAX SSP ($7,500 stipend), Broad Summer Scholars ($3,600 stipend), Hutton Junior Fisheries ($3,000 stipend), Memorial Sloan Kettering ($1,200 stipend), Max Planck Florida ($14 per hour), and NIH HS-SIP (paid), while Veritas AI and Lumiere offer full financial aid for their virtual programs.
Programs vary significantly in depth and format, from eight-week hands-on lab placements, such as NIH HS-SIP and Stanford SIMR, to 15-week virtual research projects, such as Veritas AI and Medicine, so students can choose based on their experience level and availability.
Application deadlines for the most selective programs fall early, including Rockefeller SSRP (January 2), Broad Summer Scholars (January 21), JAX SSP (January 26), and Memorial Sloan Kettering (February 6), so students should begin preparing materials in the fall.
1. Research Science Institute
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: None except a $75 application fee (waivers are available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~2.5% applicants selected; 80–100 students/year
Dates: June 28 – August 8
Application Deadline: December 10
Eligibility: High school juniors who meet the RSI academic prerequisites, at least 16 by July 1 of the program year
Research Science Institute gives you a rigorous introduction to the full scientific research process, especially if you are interested in biology, chemistry, or interdisciplinary STEM fields. You begin by engaging with advanced seminars that strengthen your understanding of scientific theory and research methods. The core of the program places you in a mentored research setting, where your project may involve biological systems, molecular science, materials, or another lab-based area, depending on your placement. You learn how to read current scientific literature, define a research question, and build a detailed plan for investigation. The program concludes with written and oral presentations that mirror the expectations of a professional research conference.
2. Veritas AI’s AI + Medicine
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small group and 1:1 mentorship formats
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI’s AI + Medicine program is a strong fit if you want to explore biology through the lens of computational healthcare. You study how artificial intelligence is used in areas such as genomics, medical imaging, diagnostics, neuroscience, drug discovery, and treatment prediction. The program introduces machine learning concepts while helping you understand how models are trained, tested, and evaluated in medical contexts. Through interactive notebooks and structured assignments, you also build foundational programming skills that support your work with health-related data. Mentor-led sessions help you connect technical methods to real clinical and research problems. The final project asks you to apply AI tools to a specific medical challenge, giving you experience with both analysis and scientific communication.
3. Texas Tech University’s Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee / $750 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 2–3% (Estimated); 12 students
Dates: June 21 – August 6
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (i.e., students graduating high school in the program year or the next) who are at least 17 by the start date and U.S. citizens or permanent residents
As one of the best biology programs for high school students, the Anson L. Clark Scholars Program places you in a research-intensive university environment where you can work closely with a faculty mentor on an original project. Possible biology research areas may connect to life sciences, health sciences, laboratory investigation, or interdisciplinary STEM topics. You spend the program developing a focused research question, learning relevant methods, and contributing to work that reflects your mentor’s area of expertise. Weekly seminars and ethics discussions add structure to the research experience, helping you understand how academic inquiry is conducted responsibly. Field trips and cohort activities broaden your exposure to different disciplines and career pathways.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote; you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on the program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; typically 1:1 mentor-student ratio
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (accepted students typically maintain an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as biology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. NIH High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP)
Location: NIH campuses across the country
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 10%; ~300 high school students annually
Dates: 8 weeks in summer between mid-June and mid-August
Application Deadline: Mid-February
Eligibility: High school students who are 18 and enrolled in an accredited educational institution, and are U.S. citizens and permanent residents
The NIH High School Summer Internship Program places you inside a biomedical research group working on active questions in health and life sciences. Under the supervision of a principal investigator, you may assist with laboratory experiments, computational analysis, literature review, or biological data interpretation. This high school biology program is especially valuable if you are interested in molecular biology, disease mechanisms, genetics, immunology, or translational medicine. You learn how research teams plan experiments, document results, and evaluate findings in a professional biomedical setting. Seminars and career programming introduce you to different scientific pathways across medicine, public health, and laboratory research.
6. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: $50 application fee applies; waivers are available / Limited need-based stipends are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 3% (est.); ~50–60 students
Dates: June 8 – July 30
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Current juniors and seniors who are 16 or older by the start date, attend high school in the U.S., and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents; not open to international students
This program offers a fully funded eight-week internship in which you explore eight core topics: immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, bioengineering, stem cell and regenerative medicine, cardiovascular biology, bioinformatics, and genetics and genomics. Throughout the summer, you will engage in hands-on activities like conducting bench research, attending joint scientific lectures, designing biomedical prototypes, and presenting your findings at a final poster session. These immersive experiences ensure you learn advanced technical skills, such as PCR and 3D printing. Furthermore, you will develop essential analytical skills, including critical thinking, literature review, and technical communication, smoothly preparing you for a future in biomedical science.
7. Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Student Program
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,200
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 2% (est.); approximately 20–30 students
Dates: June 29 – August 21
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who are 14 or older by June; hold a 3.5 science GPA; are authorized to work in the U.S.; live within 25 miles of the Manhattan campus; not open to international students
In this program, you will experience a highly selective, eight-week paid internship that pairs you one-on-one with a dedicated mentor to explore translational cancer research. Throughout the summer, you will dive into complex topics like cancer biology, immunology, computational biology, and pharmacology. You will participate in lab meetings, attend engaging journal clubs, conduct an independent biomedical research project, and showcase your findings at a culminating poster session. By working directly in state-of-the-art facilities, you will develop practical skills in hands-on laboratory techniques, experimental data analysis, and scientific communication. Ultimately, this unique program empowers you to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical medicine.
8. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Nationwide; students matched with a mentor within a 45-minute commute of their home
Cost: Free; $3,000 stipend paid in four bi-weekly installments of $750; all-expenses-paid trip to the Hutton Scholars Summit included
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified; competitive
Dates: Eight weeks in June through August; exact start and end dates determined between student and mentor
Application Deadline: January 25; applications open mid-November
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors ages 16+; U.S., Canadian, and Mexican residents; students from underrepresented backgrounds in fisheries are strongly encouraged to apply; past participants not eligible
The Hutton Program is a paid, eight-week summer internship sponsored by the American Fisheries Society, in which students are paired one-on-one with a local fisheries or aquatic science professional for a full-time fieldwork experience. Students work alongside scientists from state and federal agencies, universities, tribal fisheries, and nonprofits on projects spanning fish and mussel surveys, electrofishing, habitat assessment, eDNA sampling, and biological data collection and analysis. Each student completes bi-weekly timesheets, a mid-summer report, and a final written report throughout the internship. The program concludes with an all-expenses-paid Hutton Scholars Summit where students from across the country present their work and connect with fisheries professionals.
9. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Location: The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Stipend: Transit cards are provided, and need-based stipends may be awarded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 3%-10% (est.); 32 students each summer
Dates: June 22 – August 6
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors who are 16 or older at the start; open to international students
This program offers rigorous immersion in biomedical research, where you will explore advanced biological topics such as neuroscience, immunology, and genetics. During the seven-week experience, you will formulate a research question, learn complex laboratory techniques, analyze data, and design a poster to present your findings. SSRP is uniquely structured so you work in a small team guided by multiple scientist-mentors, directly mirroring a real university laboratory. Through this hands-on process, you will master experimental design, data analysis, scientific communication, and teamwork. Ultimately, you will gain authentic experience that prepares you for future scientific inquiry.
10. Stony Brook University’s Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~3–5% (est.); approximately 30–40 students per summer
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who are U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents and at least 16 years old by the start of the program
At Stony Brook University's Simons Summer Research Program, you will engage in a tuition-free, residential fellowship dedicated to hands-on biological research. You will explore diverse biology topics, including molecular biology, genetics, neuroscience, and ecology, under the guidance of faculty mentors. During the seven weeks, you will conduct original lab experiments, analyze complex data, attend seminars, and present a final research poster. The program uniquely places you directly inside active university research groups, granting rare access to advanced STEM laboratories as a high schooler. Ultimately, you will learn to navigate peer-reviewed literature, apply statistical methods, and communicate scientific findings effectively.
11. Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP)
Location: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Stipend: $3,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: <5%; ~20 students
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 21
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who attend high school in Massachusetts within commuting distance of the Broad Institute; applicants must have earned a B or better in science and math classes and be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or non-U.S. citizens with employment authorization; not open to international students without U.S. work authorization.
The Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP) is a competitive, six-week internship where you partner with Broad Institute scientists to conduct original biomedical research. During the program, you will explore cutting-edge biological topics, including cancer biology, genomics, chemical biology, and infectious diseases. You will perform active laboratory experiments, attend expert seminars, and present your research at a professional scientific poster session. A truly unique feature of this free initiative is its direct immersion into authentic, cross-disciplinary MIT and Harvard labs rather than relying on a scripted high school curriculum. Ultimately, you will develop practical laboratory techniques, statistical analysis abilities, and science communication skills that solidly prepare you for a future career in STEM.
12. Jackson Laboratory – Summer Student Program
Location: Bar Harbor, Maine
Stipend: $7,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Roughly 8–10%; around 40 undergraduate and high school students
Dates: May 30 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 26
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors; Bar Harbor, Maine campus only; no concurrent job, internship, or summer classes; not open to international students
In this program, you join an active research laboratory at JAX's Bar Harbor campus, working alongside an experienced scientific mentor on an independent, mentored project in genetics and genomics. Over 10 weeks, you help design and carry out experiments, analyze your data, and interpret results within ongoing studies of how genetics and genomics shape biological systems. A weekly journal club and professional development sessions deepen your understanding of how genomic research is conducted and shared. You close the summer by presenting your findings to JAX researchers, fellow participants, and family, immersing yourself in the daily practice of biomedical genetics research.
13. UC Irvine Cancer Research Institute – Summer Youth Science Fellowship Program
Location: UC Irvine campus, Irvine, California (Orange County)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~13%; approximately 20 students
Dates: June 29 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school juniors or seniors attending a school in Orange County; completed both a biology course and a chemistry course before the program begins; minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA
In this program, you join the Cancer Research Institute's six-week Youth Science Fellowship Program as a high school fellow embedded in a single UC Irvine laboratory under an assigned mentor, gaining early exposure to cancer biology. You spend roughly 30 hours weekly carrying out hands-on bench work on a research project under the guidance of faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, or technicians in basic or population sciences. You build foundational laboratory skills and strengthen scientific inquiry and communication alongside an active research team. Beyond the bench, you attend interactive scientific seminars and professional development workshops, plus advice on careers and the college admissions process.
14. Max Planck Florida Institute (MPFI) High School Internship
Location: Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, Florida
Stipend: $14/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~5%; 6–8 students
Dates: June 22 – July 31
Application Deadline: February 8
Eligibility: Students entering junior or senior year at a Palm Beach or Martin County high school, residing in Palm Beach or Martin County, 16 years or older by the program start date, and legally authorized to work in the U.S.; not open to international students
The Max Planck Florida Institute (MPFI) High School Internship is a paid, six-week summer program offering you the unique chance to work alongside renowned scientists in world-class laboratories. You will explore complex biology topics like brain structure, neural circuit function, brain development, and advanced neuroimaging. Throughout the internship, you will actively participate in ongoing research projects, perform hands-on wet lab techniques such as genetic engineering, write a scientific abstract, and deliver a final presentation. This direct mentorship model stands out by fully immersing you in professional scientific discovery. Ultimately, you will build essential skills in precise laboratory methods, experimental data collection, critical thinking, and scientific communication.
15. RISE Research – Summer Science Program
Location: Residential university campuses across the United States
Cost: $11,800; need-based financial aid is available; a limited number of $3,000 lost-wages stipends are available by request at admission
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Roughly 10%; 3 students per team
Dates: Approximately five weeks between June and August
Application Deadline: January 29, international applicants; February 19, domestic applicants
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (rising seniors), ages 15–18 during the program; completion of required coursework for credit and a grade by June, with biology, chemistry, and strong algebra skills required for the Biochemistry track
As a Biochemistry participant, you join a team of three to complete the "Fungal Inhibitor Design" project, characterizing an enzyme implicated in fungal crop infection and designing a molecule to inhibit it. You run bench techniques including affinity chromatography, gel electrophoresis, and enzyme kinetics assays, then move to computational work using homology modeling, ligand docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. Bioinformatics tasks such as sequence alignment and binding-motif prediction connect your wet-lab data to structural analysis. Across roughly 60 research hours per week for five weeks, you build hypothesis-driven reasoning, data interpretation, and scientific-writing skills. You finish by producing a research poster and written report on a previously unmodeled enzyme, working alongside Ph.D. scientist-educators.
Frequently asked questions
1. What are the best biology programs for high school students?
Strong options include RSI at MIT for competitive independent STEM research, Stanford SIMR and Memorial Sloan Kettering for biomedical and cancer biology, Broad Summer Scholars for genomics research at MIT and Harvard, Jackson Laboratory for genetics research with a $7,500 stipend, and Veritas AI and Lumiere for virtual independent research in AI-driven medicine or biology.
2. Are there free or paid biology programs for high school students?
Yes, JAX SSP provides a $7,500 stipend, Broad Summer Scholars provides $3,600, Hutton Junior Fisheries provides $3,000, Memorial Sloan Kettering provides $1,200, Max Planck Florida pays $14 per hour, and NIH HS-SIP is also paid. RSI, Stanford SIMR, and SSRP are free to attend, and Veritas AI and Lumiere offer full financial aid.
3. Which biology programs are most selective?
Memorial Sloan Kettering accepts an estimated 2 percent of applicants, RSI accepts roughly 2.5 percent, and Rockefeller SSRP and Broad Summer Scholars each accept fewer than 5 percent. JAX SSP and Stanford SIMR are also highly competitive with small cohorts relative to their applicant pools.
4. When should I apply to biology programs for high school students?
Rockefeller SSRP closes January 2, Broad Summer Scholars closes January 21, Hutton Junior Fisheries closes January 25, and JAX SSP closes January 26. Memorial Sloan Kettering closes February 6, Stanford SIMR closes February 21, and Clark Scholars closes February 16. Students should begin preparing materials in the fall to avoid missing the most competitive deadlines.