TL;DR: Finished an AI or computer science project and wondering where it could be published? High school research journals are a great place to start, since they publish papers written by students like you. We cover five that welcome AI and CS work: CJSJ, IJHSR, JEI, NHSJS, and OJSS. Some are free and some charge a fee, so it's worth checking before you submit. The right pick mostly comes down to what your paper shows and how soon you'd like an answer. And if you're planning your first AI paper, a Veritas AI mentor can help you get it ready.
Getting your first paper published is a big step, and picking the right journal makes it a lot easier. The high school research journals that take AI and computer science papers differ in who reviews your paper, what you pay, and how long you wait.
Which high school research journals accept AI and computer science papers?
Five high school research journals clearly accept AI and computer science papers: CJSJ, IJHSR, JEI, NHSJS, and OJSS. We picked these five because each one takes students' AI or CS papers and posts clear rules for authors. Here are the facts for each, as of November 2026, in alphabetical order.
Columbia Junior Science Journal (CJSJ)
AI and CS papers: yes. Recent volumes include machine learning projects.
Who reviews: Columbia undergraduates choose the finalists in three rounds each fall.
Cost: no fee listed.
Timing: submissions usually open in early summer and close at the end of September. Research papers are 2 to 3 pages, and you must still be in high school. CJSJ has published only 9 to 13 papers in each recent volume, so it's very selective.
International Journal of High School Research (IJHSR)
AI and CS papers: yes, through its Engineering and Computer Science journal, which covers AI, machine learning, and data science.
Who reviews: the editor-in-chief checks your paper first, then two or more outside reviewers read it.
Cost: free to submit, then $350 only if your paper is accepted.
Timing: about 3 to 6 months from submission to publication. Your paper can have up to 15 pages of text.
Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)
AI and CS papers: yes, when your model helps test a scientific hypothesis.
Who reviews: your paper goes through scientific review, then copy editing, then publishing.
Cost: $49 when you submit, with no publication fee. The fee isn't refundable.
Timing: JEI works on papers in the order they arrive, and its timeline page doesn't give a typical wait.
National High School Journal of Science (NHSJS)
AI and CS papers: yes. NHSJS has a whole machine learning section of published papers.
Who reviews: 1 or 2 graduate students, postdocs, or scientists, then a member of its Scientist Advisory Board.
Cost: NHSJS mentions an article processing charge that it won't refund if your paper is rejected. It doesn't post the amount, so ask before you submit. Optional Fast Track stages cost $280 each.
Timing: the median wait for a first decision is 8 weeks.
Oxford Journal of Student Scholarship (OJSS)
AI and CS papers: yes. OJSS takes papers in every field, including computer science.
Who reviews: OJSS's editors screen your paper first, then a reviewer from its team of PhD holders reads it.
Cost: $230 only if your paper is accepted. An optional Fast Track costs $250 when you submit, isn't refundable, and doesn't guarantee acceptance.
Timing: the first review decision usually takes 8 to 12 weeks, or about 2 weeks with Fast Track. OJSS takes high school and early undergraduate students, and most papers run 2,000 to 8,000 words.
Which high school research journal is right for your AI paper?
To pick a journal for your AI paper, start with what your paper shows. AI papers usually fall into one of two kinds. In the first, you build a model and show how well it works, like an image model that sorts healthy and diseased leaves. IJHSR, NHSJS, and OJSS all take papers like this. In the second, you use a model to answer a science question, like whether drought makes tomato leaves lose their color faster. Those three journals take this kind too, and so does JEI. CJSJ is also an option if your paper fits in 3 pages and you can finish it by the end of September.
JEI turns down AI papers whose only finding is that the model works well. Its rules say your model has to help test a scientific hypothesis (JEI guidelines for machine learning projects). So "my model will be 95% accurate" won't qualify, but "tomato leaves under drought lose their green color faster than watered leaves" can, with your model measuring the color. A mentor can help you turn your project into a question like this. In Veritas AI's AI Fellowship, students who know some Python plan their own AI study with a mentor over 15 one-on-one sessions. Then a publication specialist works with them for 4 sessions to prepare a paper for submission.
How to tell if a high school research journal is legit
A trustworthy research journal tells you who runs it, how review works, and what you'll pay, all before you submit. Many university libraries point researchers to the Think. Check. Submit. checklist for this. Here are 4 checks based on it.
Find the publisher. The journal should name its publisher on its site and give you a way to contact them. IJHSR, for example, names its publisher, a nonprofit called Terra Science and Education.
Look for a clear review process. The journal should say who reviews papers and how many reviewers read each one. Be careful with any journal that guarantees acceptance or promises a very short review.
Find every fee before you submit. A good journal says what each fee is for, when you pay it, and whether waivers exist. A paid fast track should only speed things up, and NHSJS says its Fast Track doesn't guarantee acceptance.
Read a few published papers. Pick two or three recent AI or CS papers. If they're about as careful as yours, the journal is a good match.
Can you use AI tools like ChatGPT to write your paper?
Each journal has its own rules on using AI tools like ChatGPT while you write, so read its policy before you start.
CJSJ: CJSJ follows the AI policy of the journal Science, so an AI tool can't be an author. If you used one, name it in your cover letter and acknowledgments. Then give the tool, its version, and your prompt in your Methods.
IJHSR: You can get grammar suggestions after you've written your own text. You can't use AI to write any section or interpret your results. You need an AI Acknowledgement statement in every paper, even if you used no AI.
NHSJS: You can use AI to write and debug code, run analyses, and search for papers. You can't use it to draft, reword, or translate any of your writing, even text you edit later. You list every AI use in a statement after your Acknowledgements (NHSJS AI policy).
OJSS: OJSS won't consider papers that include AI-generated writing.
To keep your AI disclosure accurate, write down each AI tool you use and what it did, as you go. If a journal doesn't spell out its AI rules, ask the editors before you submit.
How to submit a paper to a high school research journal
To submit to a high school research journal, pick one journal, follow its rules exactly, and leave time to revise. Here are 4 steps.
Choose your journal before you format. Each journal has its own template and page limit. A CJSJ research paper is just 2 to 3 pages. IJHSR allows 15 pages of text, not counting tables and figures. NHSJS allows up to 20 pages, counting figures and tables. OJSS papers usually run 2,000 to 8,000 words. You can learn the standard sections when you write an AI research paper in high school.
Line up your adult contact. At JEI, an adult who isn't a student author has to submit the paper. IJHSR says a mentor should guide you. At CJSJ and OJSS, you don't need a mentor.
Get approval before you study people or animals. JEI asks for approval paperwork when you submit a study with people or vertebrate animals. NHSJS asks for an Ethical Considerations section that covers consent and privacy.
Answer every reviewer comment. Change your paper where a reviewer is right. Where you disagree, explain your reasoning politely and clearly.
FAQs
Does publishing in a high school research journal help with college admissions?
What stands out to colleges is the research behind a published paper and how well you can explain it. You can read what high schoolers can build with AI research for real examples. If you've never coded and want your first AI project, you can begin with Veritas AI's AI Scholars. In a class of 5 students per mentor, you'll learn Python and the basics of AI. Then you and a small team build a real AI project together.
Can you submit the same paper to more than one journal?
Usually not at the same time. JEI lets each student have only one paper under review there at a time, and OJSS doesn't allow concurrent submissions. IJHSR won't publish work that's already been published. To stay safe, send your paper to one high school research journal at a time and wait for its decision.
What if you can't afford a journal's fee?
Three of these journals offer help. JEI gives a limited number of fee scholarships each year to students whose family, mentor, and school can't cover the $49. You apply after your paper is written, and JEI reviews requests weekly. In the US, IJHSR offers reduced-fee or full-fee scholarships to students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Schools can also pay JEI's fee for their students. OJSS considers partial fee reductions if you ask when you submit.
Can middle school students publish research?
Yes, they can. JEI publishes research by middle school students as well as high schoolers. CJSJ and IJHSR are only for high school students, and OJSS takes high school and early undergraduate students.
Sources
Each journal's own pages have the latest fees and rules.
CJSJ home page and CJSJ guidelines: this cycle's dates, page limits, and the AI policy.
IJHSR submission guidelines: fees, scholarships, formatting, and the AI policy.
JEI submission FAQ and JEI fees: who submits, the $49 fee, and scholarships.
NHSJS peer review, NHSJS submission guidelines, and the NHSJS AI policy: review times, Fast Track, page limits, and the article processing charge.
OJSS submission guidelines: who can submit, length, concurrent submissions, and the AI policy.
Plan Your First AI Paper With Veritas AI
If one of these journals is your goal for an AI paper, Veritas AI can help you do the research first. Veritas AI mentors work with students from a first research question all the way to results they can write up. The 200+ mentors include researchers at Anthropic, Meta, and NVIDIA, and they've taught 3,200+ students in over 160 countries. Based on Veritas AI internal data, Veritas AI students got 79% of the papers they submitted accepted. You can see which Veritas AI program suits your project.