14 Competitive STEM Summer Programs for High School Students
If you're a high school student interested in STEM, competitive summer programs can offer opportunities to explore advanced topics in a more rigorous academic setting. Many programs combine laboratory research, coding, engineering, data analysis, and project-based learning to introduce students to how STEM work is conducted in academic and research environments. These experiences can help you develop technical skills, strengthen your problem-solving abilities, and connect with peers who share similar academic interests.
What are the benefits of a STEM program?
Competitive STEM programs are often hosted by universities, research institutes, and government agencies, giving you access to resources and mentorship that are not typically available in high school. You can work alongside faculty, researchers, and advanced students while learning research methods, technical skills, and scientific communication. Some programs conclude with research papers, poster presentations, or symposia, allowing you to present your work and gain experience sharing ideas in academic settings. These opportunities can help you better understand different STEM fields and identify areas you may want to pursue in the future.
Below, we’ve narrowed down 14 competitive STEM summer programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: None
Acceptance Rate: 3%; 100 students
Dates: June 28 – August 8 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: December 10 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High-achieving high school juniors (see official site for detailed criteria)
The Research Science Institute is a highly competitive summer program focused on immersive scientific research. It starts with intensive classes that deepen your understanding of complex concepts and guide you in developing a structured research proposal. Next, you undertake independent research under the mentorship of experienced scientists, using institutional resources to analyze data, run computational models, and interpret results. Throughout the program, you engage with the research community through lectures, lab discussions, and interactions with active researchers.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application deadline: Rolling. 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, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students looking to get started in AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program.Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and have the opportunity to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students have the opportunity to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the programhere.
3. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free; limited need-based stipends available
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective (~3–5%)
Dates: June 8 – July 30
Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: U.S. citizens/permanent residents; high school juniors & seniors; must be 16+
SIMR is structured as a full-time lab placement where, after initial training, you’re assigned to a specific research group and spend most of the summer contributing to an ongoing project in areas such as cancer biology, neurobiology, genetics, or bioengineering. Your day-to-day work depends heavily on your lab but typically includes running experiments, analyzing results, and participating in lab meetings. Alongside this, Stanford runs lectures and career sessions that help you understand how different biomedical fields connect. The program ends with a formal poster presentation, where you’re expected to explain not just what you did, but why it mattered within the broader research question.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application Deadline: Varies by 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 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 psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost: $25 application fee; $750 stipend
Acceptance rate: 3%; 12 students
Dates: June 21 – August 6
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors | U.S. citizens or permanent residents | At least 17 years old by program start date
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is structured like a full research summer, where you spend several weeks building an independent project under faculty mentorship. You work in a Texas Tech lab or research group in areas like biology, neuroscience, epidemiology, or biomedical science. A big part of the experience is learning to manage a project over time, including planning, reading background literature, running the work consistently, and adjusting when results don’t meet your expectations. The program includes seminars and skill-building sessions, but your project remains the center of the summer. You end by presenting your research in a formal setting.
6. NIH High School Summer Internship Program HS-SIP
Location: National Institutes of Health campuses, primarily Bethesda, MD
Cost: No cost. A stipend is provided.
Acceptance rate: Approximately 7%; thousands of applications for roughly 300 spots
Dates: Minimum 8 weeks in summer; check website for updates
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
The NIH High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP) is a full summer research placement across NIH labs, where you work under scientists who are used to training interns. Projects vary widely, but most interns end up learning core lab habits: how to handle samples, follow protocols, keep a clean lab notebook, and make sense of data without forcing it to look perfect. NIH also runs seminars and career sessions alongside lab work, so you can explore different research paths in medicine, public health, and basic science. By the end, you can leave with both technical skills and a much clearer idea of what lab research feels like day to day.
7. Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Summer Internship
Location: Jupiter, FL
Cost: None; students are paid $14/hour
Acceptance rate: 4%
Dates: June 22 – July 31
Application Deadline: February 8
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
This summer research internship places selected students in a six-week, full-time research experience at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, where they collaborate with scientists on ongoing projects concerning brain structure, function, and development. Participants engage in laboratory activities, learn research methods, and prepare a written scientific abstract and final presentation summarizing their work. The program is designed to expose students to scientific workflows and technical skills relevant to research environments. Additionally, interns engage with other members of the MPFI research community, gaining insights into research methods and scientific careers.
8. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program
Location: New York City, NY
Cost: No cost; need-based stipend available
Acceptance rate: 32 Students
Dates: June 22 – August 6
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (must be at least 16 years old at program start)
SSRP is a summer research program based in laboratories, where high school students join small research teams guided by scientists and trainees from Rockefeller University and partner institutions. Depending on their placement, students might work in fields like molecular biology, genetics, neuroscience, immunology, or other laboratory areas. The program also features elective courses, guest lectures, and concludes with a symposium where students showcase their work. Designed to mirror real research processes, SSRP provides an inside look into how scientific investigations are conducted in a lab setting.
9. Princeton Laboratory Learning Program (LLP)
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: ~5%
Dates: 5 – 6 weeks (Summer)
Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: U.S. citizens; local New Jersey high school students (16+)
Princeton University's Laboratory Learning Program provides motivated high school students with hands-on research experience in natural sciences or engineering. During a full-time summer, students join active Princeton research labs, working closely with faculty, post-doctoral researchers, and graduate students. The program involves developing a specific research question, conducting experiments or analyzing data, and participating in lab meetings and seminars. At its conclusion, students compile a research summary that showcases their findings and insights.
10. Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, New York, NY
Stipend: Paid stipend (~$1,000)
Acceptance Rate: ~3%
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Deadline: February 7
Eligibility: High school juniors at least 16 years old by program start (U.S. & international in the U.S.)
The Simons Summer Research Program is a distinguished internship for high school students, offering firsthand experience in scientific research. Participants are matched with faculty or graduate student mentors and join labs or research groups across fields such as science, mathematics, engineering, and computational disciplines. Throughout the program, students engage in lab work, attend weekly seminars, and participate in workshops focused on research skills and scientific communication. The program concludes with a poster session or symposium where students present their research alongside peers and faculty.
11. AEOP High School Apprenticeships
Location: Various U.S. Army Research Labs and university research centers nationwide
Stipend: Paid stipend
Acceptance Rate: ~8%
Dates: Summer (varies by site, ~6–10 weeks)
Deadline: Typically January–March (varies)
Eligibility: U.S. high school students (grades 9–12)
The AEOP High School Apprenticeship offers students a paid summer research opportunity at a university or U.S. Army–affiliated laboratories. Under the guidance of a scientist or engineer, you will work on projects in fields like materials science, regenerative medicine, cybersecurity, nanotechnology, or environmental engineering. Mentorship covers research techniques, laboratory procedures, and scientific communication skills. At the program's conclusion, you must submit a formal research abstract summarizing your project. The program also includes virtual workshops focused on STEM careers and college readiness.
12. Air Force Research Laboratory Scholars Program
Location: Air Force Research Laboratory sites across the U.S.
Stipend: $615.60 – $861.60/week (based on education level and credits earned)
Acceptance Rate: ~9%
Dates: Summer (varies by lab, ~8–10 weeks)
Deadline: January 10
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are at least 16 years old and have a minimum CGPA of 3.0/4.0
The AFRL Scholars Program offers a paid summer internship in which high school students are placed at U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory facilities. During the internship, you participate in active research across fields like aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence, physics, data science, or materials science. Your tasks may include analyzing datasets, supporting experimental design, assisting with simulations, or developing software. You are paired with a professional mentor who oversees your research work and introduces you to federal laboratory protocols. Some projects are directly related to mission areas such as autonomous systems or space research.
13. Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program
Location: The Jackson Laboratory (Maine & Connecticut)
Cost: $7,000 + housing, meals, travel
Acceptance Rate: ~6%
Dates: May 30 – August 7/10
Deadline: January 26
Eligibility: Current high school seniors who have completed Grade 12, are at least 18 years old, and are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents; undergraduate students can also apply
Every year, the Jackson Laboratory (JAX), a nonprofit biomedical research institution, hosts the Summer Student Program (SSP) to give high school students and undergraduates a hands-on, lab-based experience in biology. Over 10 weeks, participants work closely with a scientific mentor to develop an independent project focused on genetics and genomics. They also join weekly journal clubs with peers, attend professional development workshops, and network with industry professionals from JAX. The program offers opportunities to develop skills in genetic testing, data visualization, and scientific communication.
14. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400 + $45 application fee; financial aid available
Acceptance rate: Highly Selective; 50 students per session
Application Deadline: February 20
Dates: Session A: June 15 – 26 | Session B: July 6 – 17
Eligibility: High school students attending a U.S. high school (entering Grades 9–12 in Fall); Must be 14 years or older by the start of the program
The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship is a brief virtual program focusing on AI applications in medicine and imaging. It features lectures and guided projects centered on real healthcare scenarios. Participants learn how machine learning is used in tasks such as analyzing scans, developing clinical prediction tools, and supporting research workflows. The projects are well-structured, and participants are still encouraged to grasp the underlying logic of the models and understand the limitations of medical data. The internship also offers career sessions with professionals from research, nonprofits, and government sectors, demonstrating where health AI fits outside the tech industry. By the end, participants gain a clearer understanding of what “AI in medicine” entails in practice.