14 Biology Summer Programs for High School Students in Massachusetts
Biology programs offer a great opportunity for young learners to explore their interests during the summer break. These programs provide you with exposure to practical lab techniques, field research, and practical applications of biological concepts. Many are hosted by leading universities and research institutions, giving experience, mentorship from experts, and opportunities to build connections with peers and professionals in the field. If you are considering a future in biology, medicine, or environmental science, summer experiences can serve as a strong foundation for academic and career growth.
Massachusetts, with its concentration of world-renowned universities, hospitals, and biotechnology companies, is an ideal location for aspiring biologists to engage in summer learning. You can benefit from the state’s cutting-edge research ecosystem and exposure to professionals working in biomedical research, genetics, ecology, and biotechnology. These biology programs are suited for those living or studying in the state, as well as out-of-state students eager to experience its vibrant scientific and academic environment.
To help you find the right fit, we’ve curated a list of 14 biology summer programs for high school students in Massachusetts.
If you are looking for programs in Massachusetts, check out our blogs here and here.
1. Massachusetts General Hospital - Youth Neurology Education and Research Program
Location: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: June 30 – August 8.
Application Deadline: November 1 - January 31.
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and recent high school graduates who are living or studying in Massachusetts at the time of the program are eligible to apply.
The Mass General Youth Neurology Education and Research Program provides Massachusetts high school students with an immersive summer experience in neurology and neuroscience. The program begins with a “bootcamp” to onboard interns, covering research and clinical training, professional expectations, interactive skill-building sessions, networking, and the start of one-on-one mentoring. You will then be paired with a lab under the guidance of MGH Neurology faculty, contributing to ongoing research projects and gaining hands-on laboratory experience. In addition, you will attend weekly didactic sessions led by leading neurologists and neuroscientists, with occasional field trips and networking events. The program concludes with final presentations, where you will showcase your research to peers, mentors, and the MGH Neurology community.
2. Veritas AI - Deep Dive: AI + Medicine
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply. Completion of the AI Scholars program or prior Python experience is required.
The Veritas AI + Medicine Deep Dive is a 10-week course where you’ll learn how AI is transforming the healthcare and medical industries. Through projects, you will use AI and machine learning models to diagnose diseases, sharpen medical scans, and develop tools that aid doctors and patients in understanding outcomes. The course curriculum is designed to help you understand the applications of AI in various fields such as genomics, hospital admissions, drug discovery, and neuroscience. You’ll engage with AI experts, lectures, and programming notebooks throughout the program.
3. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Massachusetts.
Stipend: $3,000.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: Start and end dates are flexible and determined by the selected student and their mentor. Students work 32-hour workweeks.
Application Deadline: November 21 - January 25.
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 years old by their internship start date are eligible to apply.
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an eight-week, paid summer internship designed to engage high school students and inspire a more diverse next generation of fisheries professionals. The program provides you with hands-on experience under the guidance of fisheries mentors. Each of you will be matched with a mentor and participate in a unique internship tailored to your location and interests. You will gain practical experience in a variety of settings, including the field, boats, laboratories, and offices, through activities such as fish population surveys, habitat restoration, electrofishing, snorkelling, specimen analysis, water quality testing, data processing, and assisting with educational programs. Attendance at the Scholar’s Summit counts as one week of the internship, rounding out a comprehensive, experiential learning opportunity in fisheries and aquatic science.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program - Biology Track
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer. 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.
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 you with PhD 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, medicine, and neuroscience. You can find more details about the application here.
5. Broad Institute - Broad Summer Scholars Program
Location: Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA.
Stipend: $3,600.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: June 29 - August 7.
Application Deadline: Late-January.
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors are eligible to apply. Applicants must attend a high school in MA within commuting distance to the Broad and have earned a B or better in science and math classes.
The Broad Summer Scholars Program offers high school students the opportunity to spend six weeks at the Broad Institute, engaging in original research under the mentorship of experienced scientists. You will work on advanced projects across areas such as cancer biology, infectious diseases, computational biology, chemical biology, and psychiatric research. Alongside your research, you will attend scientific seminars, receive training in poster design and presentation, and present your findings at a community-wide poster session. The program also includes career exploration activities, a college fair, social events, and access to academic support such as tutoring. You will also receive partial reimbursement for transportation costs and gain exposure to both experimental and computational research techniques.
6. UMass Chan Medical School - High School Health Careers Program
Location: UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA.
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: June 28 - July 24.
Application Deadline: November 15 - March 2.
Eligibility: Massachusetts residents who are sophomores or juniors in a Massachusetts high school are eligible to apply.
The High School Health Careers Program is a four-week, tuition-free residential program designed for high school students interested in exploring careers in biomedical research, biotechnology, and the health professions. The program aims to strengthen your academic, communication, and analytical skills through an integrated curriculum covering biology, mathematics, English, information technology, and contemporary health issues. You will take part in enrichment classes, field trips, and seminars, and complete a Health Disparities Research Project focused on a cultural group in Massachusetts. The program also includes internship experiences that allow you to observe physicians and healthcare professionals in real-world settings. Upon successful completion, you will receive a Certificate of Achievement and a stipend.
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Research Science Institute
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Less than 2.5%; 100 students.
Dates: June 22 - August 2.
Application Deadline: December 10.
Eligibility: High school juniors are eligible to apply. Applicants must be 16 years of age by July 1 of the program year.
The Research Science Institute (RSI) is a rigorous, cost-free program in science and engineering. RSI integrates advanced coursework in scientific theory with hands-on research experiences in science and technology, including biology. Over six weeks, you will engage in the complete research process—reviewing current literature, designing and executing experiments, and presenting your findings through written papers and oral presentations. The program begins with an intensive week of STEM instruction led by MIT faculty, followed by a five-week research internship under the guidance of experienced mentors. You will have access to MIT’s extensive research and computing resources, attend evening lectures featuring leading scientists and Nobel laureates, and participate in field trips to research institutions and cultural sites around Boston.
8. Tufts University - Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars
Location: Tufts University, Medford, MA.
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: July 1 - August 15.
Application Deadline: Applications will be available in February.
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 years old by the start of the program are eligible to apply. Applicants must reside in one of the following cities or towns in MA: Medford, Somerville, Arlington, Cambridge, Malden, Everett, Melrose, Revere, Chelsea, Winchester, Boston and Quincy.
The Tufts University Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars (TUBERS) Program offers high school students the opportunity to engage in advanced biomedical research at Tufts University. Over the course of approximately six weeks, you will work in university laboratories to investigate biomedical questions, study cellular and tissue systems, and develop new research methods. Under the mentorship of faculty and graduate researchers, you will gain experience in experimental design, data analysis, and hypothesis testing while deepening your understanding of a specific area of biomedical engineering. You will also be encouraged to present your research findings to peers, faculty, and family, and you can also submit your work to regional or national science competitions.
9. MGH Institute of Health Professions - Aspiring Physician and Medical Scientist Summer Program
Location: MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA
Cost: $4,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 25 students
Dates: Session I: July 20 - 31 | Session II: August 3 - 14
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply
The MGH IHP Aspiring Physician and Medical Scientist Summer Program is designed for high school students interested in careers in medicine or medical research. This selective program provides hands-on experience in clinical skills and research, guided by faculty from MGH IHP and Harvard Medical School. Limited to 25 participants, it offers personalised mentorship, exposure to real-world healthcare environments, and a certificate of completion to strengthen college applications. Over two weeks, you will engage in a range of interactive sessions covering anatomy and physiology, emergency medicine, CPR certification, research methods, and wilderness medicine. The curriculum also includes focused modules on obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, surgery, and neurology, culminating in research presentations and discussions with medical professionals.
10. Northeastern University - Drug Discovery to Clinical Care
Location: Northeastern University, Boston, MA.
Cost: $6,895. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 15-30 students.
Dates: July 20 - August 1.
Application Deadline: Priority Application Deadline: January 15 | Regular Application Deadline: February 28 | Late Application Deadline: March 15.
Eligibility: Rising juniors or seniors in high school are eligible to apply.
This two-week summer interactive program introduces you to the full life cycle of medications—from drug discovery and development to clinical use. You will engage with researchers and pharmaceutical professionals, visit manufacturing facilities, and take part in hands-on activities such as medication compounding. The program also explores key aspects of pharmacology, including therapeutic applications, toxicology, and drug delivery. Through this experience, you will gain foundational knowledge in pharmaceutical and clinical research, develop practical skills relevant to patient care, and explore potential career paths in pharmacy and biomedical research. The program also emphasises teamwork and communication.
11. University of Massachusetts Amherst - SC-Research Intensives
Location: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
Cost: Base Cost: $6,240 ($1,040/credit); Term Fee: $85. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: June 29 - August 9.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply.
The Research Intensives program at UMass Amherst offers high school students the opportunity to conduct hands-on research in professional laboratory settings under the mentorship of faculty, graduate, and undergraduate researchers. You will assist in ongoing studies, learn key research methodologies, and gain practical experience in biochemistry and related fields. Throughout the program, you will contribute to active research projects and conclude your experience by presenting your work in a formal poster session to faculty, peers, and families.
12. Tufts University - Tufts College Experience: Biology Track
Location: Tufts University, Medford / Somerville, MA.
Cost: Residential: $11,790 | Virtual: $8,520. Limited need-based scholarships are available.
Acceptance rate: Highly selective.
Dates: July 5 - August 14.
Application Deadline: December 1 - May 1.
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10-12 are eligible to apply. Applicants must be age 15 at the start of the program.
The Tufts College Experience program offers high school students the opportunity to experience college life firsthand by enrolling in six to eight credits of undergraduate-level courses, including biology, at Tufts University. Designed to reflect the academic and social aspects of college, the program allows you to choose your own classes, engage with Tufts faculty, and explore subjects at a collegiate level. Alongside rigorous coursework, you will participate in College Prep 101—weekly sessions that guide the college application process, insights from current Tufts students, and visits to leading universities in the Boston area.
13. Harvard University - Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Cost: $3850. Need-based financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 120 students.
Dates: June 23 - August 8.
Application Deadline: Early: January 7 | Regular: February 11.
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old at the start of the program are eligible to apply. High school mathematics and biology, and college-level or AP chemistry highly recommended.
This introductory biology course emphasises problem-solving to explore the core concepts of molecular and cellular biology, including structure-function relationships, energy transformation, metabolism, genetics, and cell division. The course focuses on understanding cells as systems that capture and convert energy and process molecular information. Required laboratory and discussion sections reinforce lecture material, promote experimental design skills, and encourage the development of critical thinking.
14. University of Massachusetts Amherst - Botanical Breakthroughs: Exploring Biochemical Properties of Plants
Location: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
Cost: Residential: $3,907 | Commuter: $2,262.
Acceptance rate: Selective.
Dates: June 29 - July 12.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores to seniors are eligible to apply.
This two-week summer program introduces high school students to the study of plant-derived products and their applications in medicine and human health. Utilising resources such as the Plant Cell Collection Library, the herbarium, and research greenhouses, you will work closely with faculty and staff from the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology to explore current research and gain hands-on laboratory experience. You will engage in daily lab work and participate in field trips across campus, culminating in poster presentations that showcase your findings. The program also guides how to highlight pre-college research experiences on resumes and applications. It is well-suited for students interested in medicine, pharmaceuticals, plant biology, drug design, or anyone curious about the role of plants in science and health.
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