13 Tech Summer Internships for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in technology, a summer internship can be a strong way to explore the field beyond classroom learning. These internships allow you to apply skills such as coding, data analysis, and problem-solving while gaining exposure to how technology is developed and used in professional settings. You also get the opportunity to work with mentors, collaborate with peers, and better understand different roles within the tech industry.
Why should you participate in a tech internship?
Participating in a tech internship helps you build practical experience by contributing to projects, supporting research, or working alongside engineers and developers. You may explore areas such as software development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, or product design while developing technical and professional skills. These experiences can also strengthen your college applications by demonstrating initiative, a commitment to learning, and a clear interest in technology-related fields.
To make your search for an internship easier, we have listed 13 tech summer internships for high school students.
If you’re looking for online programs, check out our blog here.
1. Meta Summer Academy
Location: Meta Headquarters, Menlo Park, CA
Stipend: Stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 200+ students have participated since 2012
Dates: June 15 – July 24
Application Deadline: December 1 – February 14
Eligibility: 10th graders who are full-time residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
Meta Summer Academy is a six-week internship and career exploration program that introduces students to coding and the broader range of roles in the tech industry. Participants spend about 30 hours per week in programming that combines technical skill development with workshops focused on communication, teamwork, leadership, and self-reflection. The experience is designed not only to strengthen coding ability but also to help students understand how large technology companies operate and how different professionals contribute to product development. Because the program is rooted in local community access, it also serves as an early pipeline for students who may not otherwise have opportunities to explore the tech sector from the inside.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive selection process
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
The Ladder Internships offers highly motivated high school students the opportunity to intern at a high-growth startup. These typically include companies that raise an average of more than $1 million. When selected for this eight-week internship program, you would contribute to a startup by working on a project for it. Students have the opportunity to work across a wide range of industries, including technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, health technology, and more. You will have a manager to guide you through your project. You are expected to present the completed project to your employer.
3. Microsoft Discovery Program
Location: Microsoft offices in Redmond and Atlanta
Stipend: Stipends provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 31 at the Atlanta office and July 13 – August 7 at the Redmond office
Application Deadline: Opens in early February and is reviewed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who live and attend high school within 50 miles of Redmond, Washington, or live and attend high school around Atlanta, Georgia; you should have completed a pre-calculus or equivalent course before the internship
The Microsoft Discovery Program is a four-week internship designed to introduce graduating high school seniors to the range of roles involved in building technology products. Interns work in teams on a project tied to their assigned product group, gaining exposure to how software, design, and product decisions are made in a professional environment. Along the way, participants learn from Microsoft employees in areas such as software engineering, product management, and user experience design, while also receiving mentorship on workplace expectations and technical growth. The program emphasizes customer-centered thinking, encouraging interns to consider how user needs shape products. For students interested in the tech industry but unsure which role best fits them, the internship offers a broad introduction to both the collaborative and product-focused sides of the field.
4. SMUD High School Internship Program
Location: Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Sacramento, CA
Stipend: Stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; see the full list of qualifications here.
Dates: Six weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Not publicly available; interested students must contact the Sacramento Employment & Training Agency at SacramentoWorksFor.Youth@seta.net for more information
Eligibility: 11th and 12th graders who are at least 16 years old and have a minimum GPA of 2.5; you should be attending one of the high schools listed here.
SMUD’s High School Internship Program places students in departments across the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, where they gain exposure to both the public utility sector and a range of technical and operational careers. Depending on the placement, interns may work in information technology, engineering, vehicle maintenance, or other business and infrastructure-related areas that support utility operations. The program combines workplace experience with preparation activities, including orientation, work-readiness sessions, and interview requirements that help students understand professional expectations before the internship begins. Additional workshops and networking opportunities introduce participants to industry professionals and provide a broader view of careers connected to energy and public utilities.
5. Textron Aviation High School Internship Opportunities
Location: Across Textron Aviation locations in the US
Stipend: Stipends provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 8 – July 31 and orientation on June 4; spring and fall cohorts available
Application Deadline: Opens in January
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old
Textron Aviation’s high school internships give students the chance to explore how a large aviation company operates across technical, manufacturing, and business functions. Interns may be placed in departments such as information technology, engineering, aviation maintenance, manufacturing, or communications, depending on their interests and company needs. The program is part-time, with morning work hours, which makes it more manageable for students balancing other summer commitments. Beyond simply observing the workplace, interns contribute to day-to-day tasks and gain experience with the kinds of systems, tools, and workflows used in the aviation industry.
6. SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 60-65 students
Dates: June 22 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: 11th and 12th graders who are at least 14 years old by June 21 and are US citizens or permanent residents
Stanford’s SHTEM program allows you to work on multifaceted research projects in subject areas that interest you while also having the chance to discover other disciplines. These mentored projects span technology, computer science, engineering, and many other STEM fields. You will have the opportunity to work alongside Stanford staff, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students. In the process, you will learn what it is like to conduct research in an academic setting. Plus, you also develop a better understanding of the role that the humanities play in STEM research.
7. AFRL Scholars Program
Location: Various locations; see list here
Stipend: $506.80 weekly stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by projects and locations
Dates: Internships are scheduled during the summer months; exact dates vary by project and location. There are also limited internship opportunities in the spring and fall semesters.
Application Deadline: October 10 – January 10
Eligibility: Open to upper-level high school students who are US citizens; check the more detailed eligibility requirements here.
As an intern at the Air Force Research Laboratory, you'll work on research projects using cutting-edge methodologies and technologies. This role provides opportunities to collaborate with and learn from AFRL's scientists and engineers. The AFRL lists various research areas, including 3D reconstruction and relative localization of a tumbling RSO, an ab initio study of point defects in 2D materials, accelerated aging of spacecraft materials, and adaptive optics for space domain awareness. You can apply to multiple locations and specify up to 3 topics of interest for each location.
8. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: Various Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories
Stipend: $4,000 for new participants; $4,500 for returning participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Only 300 students are selected across more than 38 of the DoN laboratories.
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer; if required, internships may be extended by up to 2 additional weeks.
Application Deadline: August 1 – November 1
Eligibility: 10th to 12th graders and graduating seniors who are US citizens and at least 16 years old on the first day of the internship
If selected for this highly selective and competitive apprenticeship program, you will be placed in a Department of Navy laboratory, where you will conduct naval research. You will have the opportunity to be trained by some of the most talented scientists and engineers while growing your knowledge about naval research and technology. Best suited for STEM enthusiasts, the program exposes you to research in the field and the changes happening in science and technology. Many past interns have even chosen to pursue careers within the Department of the Navy (DoN).
9. High School Internship Program at the U.S. National Science Foundation AI Research Institute for Advances in Optimization
Location: AI4OPT – CODA Building, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: Not publicly available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 14 – August 15
Application Deadline: Not publicly available
Eligibility: Rising 10th to 12th graders with experience in Python
The NSF AI4OPT offers this internship program to high school students with a passion for computer science, mathematics, or engineering. It involves you in AI research projects in machine learning, natural language processing, and more, helping you develop an in-depth understanding of artificial intelligence. Plus, it allows you to work with and learn from AI researchers, data scientists, and engineers. The overall structure is more research-oriented, which makes it a strong option for students interested in advanced AI study.
10. AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: A non-refundable application fee of $45 and a program participation fee of $2,400 (limited number of need-based financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 50 students per session
Dates: Session A: June 15 – 26 or Session B: July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: December 15 – February 21; February 13 for those who need to apply for financial aid
Eligibility: 9th through 12th graders who live and attend a high school in the US and are at least 14 years old
Hosted by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging, this two-week virtual program introduces students to the use of AI in healthcare and medical imaging. You’ll attend lectures on topics such as clinical applications of AI, medical datasets, model evaluation, and health-focused machine learning methods, then apply those ideas through guided projects. Students are placed in small teams for a mentored research experience, giving them a chance to work collaboratively on a health AI problem. The program is academic in tone and focuses more on research and applied technical learning than on workplace immersion.
11. NIST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Location: NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, or NIST, Boulder, CO
Cost/Stipend: No stipends provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; only 35 students were selected out of the 338 applicants
Dates: Mid-June – Early August (exact dates change each year)
Application Deadline: January 26
Eligibility: 11th and 12th graders who are US citizens living within a 50-mile radius of NIST Boulder or NIST Gaithersburg and have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Students selected for SHIP work closely with scientists and engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and also complete an individual project. With the program offered across its laboratories in Maryland and Colorado, you could opt to work in the communications technology laboratory (CTL) or the information technology laboratory (ITL). At CTL, you get to do projects related to wireless networking, advanced radio frequency technologies, and public safety communications. Your work in ITL will revolve around networking and communications, computer security, software engineering, and human interaction with computers.
12. Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship and Internship
Location: Amazon offices
Cost/Stipend: A scholarship of up to $40,000 (up to $10,000/year) towards an undergraduate degree.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 400 students per year
Dates: Varies based on the internship opportunity
Application Deadline: January 26
Eligibility: 12th graders who are enrolled in or have completed a computer science course, are legally authorized to work in the US, have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.3 on a 4.0 scale, and demonstrate financial need.
The Amazon Future Engineer program combines financial support for college with a summer internship component, making it different from most high school opportunities on this list. Selected students receive a scholarship toward a future undergraduate degree in computer science or a related field, and they also become eligible for a paid internship experience at Amazon during college. This internship provides participants with exposure to the technologies, platforms, and project environments used at a major technology company, while also offering opportunities to learn from engineers and connect with senior leaders. Although the internship itself does not take place during high school, the program is still highly relevant for seniors planning to pursue computing-related majors.
13. STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES)
Location: The University of Texas, Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: $2,000 for students who have to pay for participation; some students get tuition support, while others get both tuition and travel support
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: The internship is scheduled July 5 – 18; the program also includes learning and virtual project modules. Check dates here.
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: 10th and 11th graders who are US citizens and will be at least 16 by July 5
The University of Texas Center for Space Research invites high school sophomores and juniors to work on research projects centered around the nation’s aerospace industry. As an intern, you get the chance to collaborate closely with NASA staff and experts from academia and industry. You gain experience in fields such as aerospace, astronomy, planetary science, and related areas. This helps you develop technical skills such as data analysis, engineering design, and systems modeling. Additionally, you will improve your teamwork, communication, and professional skills by the end of the program.
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
With Veritas AI, which was founded by Harvard graduate students, you can work 1-on-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we have had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. Check out a past student’s experience in the program here. You can apply here!
Image source - Ladder Internships