15 Engineering Research Programs for High School Students in California
If you are a high school student in California, interested in engineering, then research programs are an exciting way to explore the cutting edge of science and technology while in school. These programs offer you the opportunity to work on real projects while learning directly from experienced mentors and meeting like-minded peers. From robotics and renewable energy to predictive modeling and engineering design, the opportunities span multiple disciplines.
Many of these programs are hosted by top universities and research institutions in California, offering access to advanced resources and professional networks. These local programs often allow you to avoid the cost of long-distance travel. Such programs can help you learn more about your fields of interest and develop valuable skills, without having to travel too far.
To help you decide, we’ve compiled a list of 15 engineering research programs for high school students in California.
15 Engineering Research Programs for High School Students in California
1. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program
Location: Multiple locations nationwide, including California
Stipend: $501.60/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Varies by project
Application Deadline: January 10
Eligibility: Students who are U.S. citizens and at least 16 years old with a minimum 3.0/4.0 GPA
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program provides paid internship opportunities where you’ll work alongside top scientists and engineers on research projects. This program introduces high school students to fields such as aerospace technology, materials engineering, and computer science. You’ll gain first-hand lab experience while contributing to projects that push the boundaries of innovation in national defense and advanced technology. In addition to building technical skills, you’ll also develop professional connections that support their academic and career paths.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies according to program; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort; fall application deadline is August 31
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with 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 get a chance to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance 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.
3. USC's Young Researchers Program
Location: USC Dornsife, Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 50 students
Dates: June 16 – July 25
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who attend public schools in the Los Angeles, Lynwood, Compton, or Inglewood Unified School Districts
The Young Researchers Program is an engineering research program for high school students in California, where you’ll be matched with a graduate mentor to carry out a research project in their area of expertise. Your work will involve both independent tasks and guided experimentation. Alongside your research, you’ll join weekly seminars that cover academic skills, scholarship opportunities, and career exploration in STEM. You’ll also get to visit research facilities and scientific sites, such as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory or Catalina Island, for environmental studies. The program concludes with a public poster symposium, where you present your findings to faculty, peers, and family.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies according to program; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort; fall application deadline is August 24
Eligibility: High school students
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you one-on-one with a PhD or postdoctoral mentor to develop an independent research project. The first week focuses on selecting a topic and refining a research question, followed by an extended period of investigation and academic writing. You’ll work through multiple drafts of a college-level research paper, receiving direct feedback at each stage. Possible research areas include engineering, computer science, astrophysics, neuroscience, mathematics, and other STEM disciplines, with the option to propose a custom topic. The program ends with a final evaluation, graduation ceremony, and symposium where you share your work. You can find the application here.
5. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Internships
Location: Multiple locations nationwide, including California
Cost/Stipend: Stipend is provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 6 – 10 weeks from May to August
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens/legal residents
The Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) gives you the chance to work directly in Army-sponsored labs and university research centers. In this program, you can explore fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, synthetic biology, and advanced manufacturing. With mentorship from professional scientists and engineers, you can gain experience, apply classroom knowledge in real projects, and build a network that supports future STEM goals.
6. NASA’s OSTEM Internships
Location: Virtual/NASA centers across the country
Cost/Stipend: Paid and unpaid internships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Spring, summer, and fall cohorts
Application Deadline: Spring: September 12; Summer: February 27; Fall: May 22
Eligibility: Students who are 16 or older at the time of application, have a minimum 3.0/4.0 GPA, and are U.S. citizens
NASA’s internship programs offer high school and college students the opportunity to work alongside leading scientists, engineers, and professionals in fields ranging from technology and aeronautics to business and finance. These internships provide experience, mentorship, and career development while contributing to NASA’s mission of advancing science, technology, and space exploration. You can participate full-time or part-time at NASA centers and facilities, gaining technical skills, building your resume, and exploring career paths in a real-world setting.
7. UCLA Engineering Design Summer Institute
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: $2,881 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Session A: June 23 – July 11; Session B: July 14 – August 1
Application Deadline: June 13
Eligibility: 9th-11th graders who are at least 15 years old with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and a basic knowledge of engineering and/or science
In this 3-week engineering research program, you’ll work in teams to design, build, and test devices such as go-karts, microcontroller projects, or autonomous rovers. Each track introduces you to discipline-specific tools and methods, such as Computer Aided Design, Finite Element Analysis, electrical circuit design, or programming microcontrollers, while emphasizing the complete design-build-test cycle. The program also integrates technical communication skills, requiring you to document your process in reports and present your results. You’ll also participate in final competitions, providing a practical way to test your design choices under performance constraints.
8. California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS)
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz, CA
Cost/Stipend: $44 nonrefundable application fee + $5,256 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 160–200 students per campus
Dates: July 6 – August 1 (UCI, UCSD) or August 2 (UCD, UCLA, UCSC)
Application Deadline: February 7
Eligibility: California-based high school students—rising 9th-12th graders. Accepted students typically have a 3.5 GPA or above
At COSMOS, a 4-week intensive program, you’ll select a specific study tied to the host campus’s faculty expertise, such as engineering design, computer science, or applied mathematics. You’ll work in university labs and classrooms under the guidance of faculty, researchers, and graduate students, gaining practical experience with scientific methods and tools. The curriculum is hands-on and often project-based, combining lectures with laboratory work and collaborative problem-solving. Beyond academics, you’ll have access to campus resources such as libraries, computing facilities, and research equipment.
9. Sally Ride Science Academy Summer Workshops
Location: Sally Ride Science Academy, San Diego, CA
Cost/Stipend: $175–$275 per course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information unavailable
Dates: July 7 – July 25
Application Deadline: June 16
Eligibility: K-12 students
The Sally Ride Science Academy offers summer workshops for high school students to explore cutting-edge STEAM fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, space exploration, epidemiology, marine biology, sustainability, and digital media. Led by experienced instructors and inspired by the stories of pioneering women in science, these workshops let you step into the role of scientists, engineers, and innovators. You’ll gain practical skills, deepen your knowledge, and discover new career possibilities while working on engaging, real-world projects.
10. UCSB Summer Research Academies
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Cost/Stipend: $8,774 (residential), $2,775 (commuter). Scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 25 – July 25
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: 9th, 10th, or 11th graders with a minimum 3.60 academic weighted GPA
At UCSB’s Summer Research Academies, you’ll select a track like complex systems, genetic engineering, or predictive modeling, and work under the direction of a faculty researcher. The schedule integrates lectures, labs, and discussions with the GRIT talks series, where you hear directly from UC Santa Barbara researchers about their current work. In the early weeks, you’ll form research teams, develop a focused question, and design experiments or models to address it. Later, the emphasis shifts toward data analysis, technical writing, and preparing for the capstone seminar. The program concludes with a formal presentation of your findings, supported by a written technical report.
11. Fundamentals of Engineering at Berkeley
Location: Summer Springboard, San Diego, CA
Cost/Stipend: $5,998 (residential), $3,298 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information unavailable
Dates: Session 2: June 22 – July 4; Session 4: July 6 – July 18; Session 6: July 20 – August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.0 GPA
Berkeley’s engineering research program for high school students in California combines mechanical, structural, civil, and biomedical engineering in a series of hands-on design challenges. You’ll learn to apply engineering principles to create functional prototypes, such as an artificial limb or a scale model structure that meets code, zoning, and budget requirements. The course introduces standard problem-solving methods used by engineers and encourages you to balance technical constraints with creativity. Site visits to facilities like the Tesla Fremont Factory and Circuit Launch provide insight into real-world applications and current industry practices.
12. Berkeley Engineering Youth Academy
Location: Virtual/University of California, Berkeley, CA
Cost/Stipend: $7,000 (until April 1); $7,500 (regular price)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 students are accepted
Dates: May 17 – June 15 (online), June 23 – July 11 (in-person)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students (age 15+ by the start of the program) with a basic understanding of STEM
In this 8-week hybrid engineering research program for high school students in California, you’ll move from concept development to building a functional prototype. The first phase takes place online, where you focus on computer-aided design using Fusion 360 and the fundamentals of additive manufacturing. In the second phase, you work on campus at UC Berkeley, applying these skills in laboratory sessions that guide you through the engineering design process. You’ll design, 3D print, and refine your own project while receiving feedback from instructors and interacting with undergraduate and graduate students. The program ends with a presentation of your prototype during the Completion Ceremony.
13. UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP)
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Cost/Stipend: $12,474 (residential), $5,175 (commuter). Scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 4–6%
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: 10th or 11th graders with a minimum 3.80 academic weighted GPA
RMP is an engineering research program for high school students in California, where you’ll work alongside a graduate student, postdoctoral researcher, or faculty mentor to carry out a university-level research project. The process begins with a virtual orientation, where you’ll be introduced to available projects and learn the foundational skills needed for your field. Once on campus, you dedicate 35–50 hours per week to lab work, data analysis, field studies, or literature review, depending on your project. You’ll also take two university courses, one on research methods and one on presentation techniques, earning eight academic credits. The summer ends with a formal symposium, where you present both your technical paper and your findings to an academic audience.
14. SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers and Community College Students
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $50 application fee. Unpaid internship, need-based financial assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: The previous cohort had around 30 students
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 14 years old, or full-time community college students aged 17–21
In this 8-week online program for high school students, you’ll join a team working on projects that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. You’ll be matched to a project based on your current skills and interests, while also being introduced to unfamiliar fields. Faculty, graduate students, and staff will provide mentorship as you contribute to the research process, from exploration to problem-solving. The program emphasizes the integration of human and creative perspectives into STEM research, showing how technical innovation can draw on insights from the humanities.
Note: Currently on hold, please check the website for further updates.
15. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $3,080 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Typically 16 students per class
Dates: Session One: June 16 – June 27; Session Two: July 7 – July 18
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 8–11
Offered fully online, this two-week program allows you to focus intensively on a single subject, with options spanning more than 70 courses, including topics in engineering, mathematics, computer science, and the humanities. While not for credit, the courses are designed and taught by Stanford-affiliated instructors, presenting material beyond the typical high school curriculum. Live, synchronous sessions in small groups give you the chance to participate in discussions, problem-solving, and collaborative exercises.