15 AI Summer Research Programs for High School Students
As a high school student, AI summer research programs are a great option if you want to move beyond standard classroom theory and engage with the professional scientific community. These programs provide deep exposure to practical skills such as advanced Python programming, data modeling, and algorithmic development, while offering a rare glimpse into industry-standard research environments. Beyond the technical training, you’ll also get to build a network of connections that can last throughout their academic and professional careers.
What are the benefits of an AI research program?
Participating in an AI-focused research program allows you to apply complex concepts to various challenges. Depending on the program, you may find yourself programming autonomous vehicles, developing AI tools for medical diagnostics, or interrogating the ethics of large language models. Many of these opportunities are hosted by prestigious organizations and university labs, giving you access to supercomputing resources and datasets typically reserved for university-level researchers.
To help you navigate the options available, we’ve compiled this list of 15 AI summer research programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for free online AI programs, check out our blog here.
1. Carnegie Mellon University AI Scholars
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 20 – July 18
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: U.S. citizens/permanent residents who are in the 11th grade and at least 16 years old with demonstrated financial need/lack of access to computer science educations
This 4-week AI summer research program introduces high school students to the technical and ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence through college-level coursework. You work in small teams on research projects mentored by CMU faculty and graduate students, focusing on solving real-world challenges. The curriculum covers foundational computing, machine learning, and data science while exploring AI's impact on society. You’ll gain exposure to ongoing lab research and present your final findings at a formal symposium. The program also includes college readiness seminars and networking sessions with industry leaders.
2. Veritas AI's AI Fellowship
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students who have prior experience with Python or who have completed the AI Scholars program
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students passionate about AI with a supportive environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI Scholars program before pursuing the fellowship. The AI Fellowship program will allow students to pursue independent AI research projects. Students work on their research projects over 15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest.
3. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Stipend: $750
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12 students
Dates: June 21 – August 6
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and recent high school graduates who are 17 or older with demonstrated academic ability
The Clark Scholars Program is a fully funded summer research internship that allows high school students to conduct research with faculty. While the program covers many STEM fields, it also offers a Computer Science track that lets you focus on topics ranging from robotics to machine learning. You’ll spend your days in the lab, gaining hands-on experience with advanced equipment and research methodologies. The program includes weekly seminars, field trips, and social activities to foster a tight-knit cohort.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply here
Eligibility: High school students
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 AI, physics, data science, computer science, engineering, and more.
5. Stanford AI4ALL
Location: Virtual/Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Online: $4,120 | Residential: $9,800 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Online: June 15 – 26 | Residential: July 19 – 31
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Current 9th graders
Hosted by the Stanford Vision and Learning Lab, this AI summer research program aims to increase diversity in the field of artificial intelligence. You’ll be immersed in AI research through daily lectures from Stanford professors and hands-on afternoon research sessions. Small groups work closely with graduate student mentors on specific research tracks, such as Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Medical AI, and Robotics. The program places a heavy emphasis on the AI for Social Good framework, challenging you to consider the ethical implications of your technical work. It concludes with a research presentation to peers and faculty.
6. Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Stipend: Provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: <5%
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: High school juniors who are at least 16 years old and are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
The Simons Summer Research Program is one of the oldest research programs in the U.S., focusing on hands-on lab experience. You’ll be matched with Stony Brook faculty mentors to work on cutting-edge research in computer science, physics, engineering, and more. AI-focused students can work on algorithmic development, data mining, or computational biology projects. The program emphasizes hands-on work, treating students as junior members of the research team. Beyond the lab, you’ll attend weekly Lunch and Learn seminars and tours of Brookhaven National Laboratory.
7. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Location: Virtual/Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free for students with family income under $200,000; $2,400 otherwise
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 4 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: U.S. high school students in the 9th to 11th grade
BWSI offers several AI-intensive tracks, including Autonomous Air Vehicle Racing, Autonomous Cognitive Assistance, Serious Games Development with Artificial Intelligence, and Medlytics (Data Science for Health). You complete a rigorous online prerequisite course before either arriving on campus or virtually learning to build complex, functional AI systems. The program emphasizes project-based learning where you program autonomous vehicles or develop diagnostic algorithms using real-world datasets. You’ll collaborate in teams to solve engineering hurdles, culminating in a final competition or showcase.
8. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400 (financial aid available) + $45 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~50 students each session
Dates: Session A: June 15 – 26 | Session B: July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: U.S. high school students who are at least 14 years old
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) Summer Research Internship provides high school students with structured exposure to artificial intelligence applications in healthcare. During the program, you work with mentors to explore how machine learning models are developed and evaluated for medical imaging and clinical data. You gain experience reading scientific literature, working with curated datasets, and understanding the fundamentals of model training and validation. The internship emphasizes research methodology, ethical considerations in AI-driven healthcare, and clear scientific communication.
9. Princeton AI4ALL
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 3 weeks in July
Application Deadline: April 9 (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising U.S. 11th graders who are classified as low-income
Similar to its Stanford counterpart, Princeton AI4ALL focuses on the technical foundations of AI with a specific lens on policy and ethics. You participate in small-group research projects mentored by Princeton graduate students and faculty. The curriculum includes Python programming, data science, and an introduction to deep learning frameworks. You’ll also go on a field trip to Washington, D.C., where you’ll visit both private and public organizations and meet with policymakers to understand the intersection of AI and policy. The program also features guest speakers from industry and government to discuss the future of AI regulation and development.
10. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Location: Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 32 students
Dates: June 22 – August 6
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old
SSRP is a mentored summer research program where high school students conduct authentic scientific research in a university laboratory. You work in teams led by Rockefeller scientists to tackle complex biological and computational questions. For those interested in AI, projects often involve computational modeling, neural network analysis of biological data, or bioinformatics. The program requires a full-time commitment (35 hours/week) and follows a rigorous syllabus of lab work and seminars. At the end of the program, you’ll present a poster at the end-of-program symposium.
11. UT Dallas Summer Research Internship
Location: The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
Cost: $1,100 (discounted fees available for eligible students)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Academically advanced 10th and 11th-graders who are 15 or older
This intensive internship places students directly in computer science research labs, where they work 20-40 hours per week. You’ll be paired with faculty mentors to conduct simulations, read academic papers, and develop software for specific research goals. Potential projects include machine learning model optimization, data visualization, and app development for research data collection. This summer research program is a lab-integrated experience where you contribute to active university projects. A formal write-up and recommendation letter are provided based on your performance and contributions.
12. UCSD Research Experience for High School Students (REHS)
Location: University of California, San Diego, CA
Cost: $2,000 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~40 students
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school students; individual research projects may have specific requirements
This summer research program, hosted by the San Diego Supercomputer Center, integrates high school students into established computational research projects. You learn to formulate hypotheses, test them using supercomputing resources, and conduct computational experiments in fields like AI-driven bioinformatics or climate modeling. You attend regular lab meetings and participate in group discussions alongside graduate students. The experience emphasizes work-readiness and the acquisition of technical skills in a professional research environment. The program culminates in a scientific poster session where you present your findings to the UCSD community.
13. Data Science Institute Summer Lab
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Stipend: $5,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 12
Eligibility: Chicago-area high school students
This immersive AI summer research program pairs high school students with faculty mentors to conduct rigorous, interdisciplinary research in computer science, machine learning, and AI-driven social impact. You’ll be treated as junior research assistants, working 40 hours per week on projects that range from climate policy modeling to biomedical data analysis. The curriculum includes a workshop covering essential technical skills like Unix, Git, and Python for Data Science. The program culminates in a final research symposium where you present your technical findings and methodologies to the university community.
14. University of Florida Student Science Training Program (UF SSTP)
Location: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Cost: $5,500 (scholarships available for Florida high schoolers) + $50 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~90 students
Dates: June 7 – July 25
Application Deadline: April 1 (out-of-state/international students) | April 15 (Florida students)
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who are at least 16 years old
UF SSTP is a long-standing summer research program where you spend 30 hours per week in a university research lab. You’ll be matched with faculty mentors based on your interest in AI, computer science, or engineering. The program includes a daily lecture series on current research and a formal honors seminar course. You’ll need to produce a scientific research paper, a poster, and two oral presentations based on their lab work. This program is highly structured and focuses on developing the professional communication skills necessary for a career in academic research.
15. NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES)
Location: Virtual/UT Center for Space Research, Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Online component: Moderately selective | Onsite component: Highly selectiveDates: Online: May 15 – July 3 | Onsite (for select students): July 5 – 18 | Symposium: July 20 – 21
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors who are at least 16 by the start of the program and are U.S. citizens
The STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) program offers a specific track that teaches you to analyze satellite data using AI. You’ll work with NASA scientists and University of Texas researchers to process vast datasets related to climate, planetary science, or COVID-19 tracking. The program begins with an intensive virtual training period in Python and data science. You then collaborate on a specific research team to develop machine learning models that predict environmental changes or identify celestial objects. The internship culminates in a virtual symposium where you present your research posters to NASA personnel.
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