12 Online Biology Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in biology, an online program can allow you to explore your interest without having to travel long distances. Online biology programs are a great option for you to explore science beyond the classroom, from the comfort of your home. These programs combine academic rigor with flexibility, offering structured experiences in biology, biotechnology, and related fields. By participating, you’ll gain practical skills, mentorship, and exposure to potential career pathways without the financial burden of travel or accommodation. Prestigious universities and organizations host many of these programs, providing both credibility and access to experts.
To make the process easier, we’ve highlighted 12 online biology programs designed specifically for high school students.
1. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee; waivers are available | None
Acceptance Rate: Selective, around 10%
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 15 years old at the start of the internship
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) at George Mason University offers high school students the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research under the guidance of faculty mentors. Participants gain hands-on experience using advanced technologies while working in various fields, including biology, neuroscience, climate science, nanoscience, cybersecurity, and more. The program emphasizes building skills in scientific writing, communication, and problem-solving while connecting with STEM professionals. Students may have the chance to publish their work or present at conferences, with past projects covering topics from robotics and renewable energy to infectious diseases and exoplanet discovery.
2. Veritas AI Deep Dive: AI + Medicine
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. You can apply here.
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world.
Veritas AI is an artificial intelligence program for ambitious high school students founded by Harvard graduate students. The AI + Medicine Deep Dive explores how AI is revolutionizing healthcare and medical research. In this program, you work on practical projects that use AI and machine learning to help diagnose diseases, improve medical imaging, and interpret results to support patient care. The curriculum combines technical instruction with hands-on, project-based experience. More details, including the program brochure and application form, are available for review.
3. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: No information available
Dates: 5 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
The Johns Hopkins Virtual Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) is a five-week online program created for high school juniors and seniors interested in neuroscience. Conducted entirely virtually, it introduces you to brain science through interactive lectures, research-focused projects, and educational resources. You explore areas such as brain development, neurodegenerative disorders, and mental health conditions while also gaining exposure to core laboratory techniques and experimental approaches. The program emphasizes mentorship and career guidance, helping you understand both scientific concepts and professional pathways in neuroscience. With participants joining from across the country, JHIBS offers a collaborative learning experience and concludes with a certificate of completion.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on 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 that you can explore as a high schooler. 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.
5. The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) - Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $850 + $40 application fee (full financial aid available for both application and program fees)
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Students entering 9-12 grade in the fall, over the age of 14 by the start of the program
The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship is a two-week online program that introduces high school students to artificial intelligence in healthcare. Through technical lectures, you learn the fundamentals of AI and explore how these tools are applied in medical contexts. The program includes daily mentorship and collaborative projects that allow you to apply new skills in research settings. Guest speakers from academia, government, and industry share perspectives on the future of technology in medicine. Career-oriented “Lunch and Learn” sessions highlight opportunities at the intersection of AI and healthcare. After the core program, you may pursue extended research.
6. Boston Leadership Institute - Biomedical and Surgical Research Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,200; competitive need-based scholarships are available | None
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 7 – 18
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students
The Biomedical and Surgical Research Program is a three-week intensive designed for students interested in medicine, surgery, and clinical care. Participants develop surgical skills through activities like knot tying, simulated surgeries, and diagnostic procedures. Labs and dissections enable the study of body systems, implantation of mock pacemakers, and trauma care exercises. Research is integrated throughout the program, with students presenting on surgically treatable diseases while working with cow hearts, mammalian organs, and fetal pig specimens for hands-on experience.
7. Camp Zon by Zon Lab
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Paid program, fees not specified | None
Acceptance Rate: No information available
Dates: July 14 – 25
Application Deadline: April 27
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old, Massachusetts residents attending MA high schools
Camp Zon is a two-week, paid virtual research program for high school students with an interest in biology and medicine. Working in teams, you will design and analyze a research project on anemia using zebrafish as the model organism. Teams formulate hypotheses, design experiments, and analyze real-time lab data. The program offers lectures by scientists, training on how to read scientific papers, and coding exercises to visualize results. It also includes career mentoring, ending with a final team presentation. No prior research experience is required.
8. Columbia University - Cell and Molecular Biology of Medicine
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY / Virtual
Cost: 1-Week Online Program Cost: $2,815 per session | 2-Week Online Program Cost: $3,965 per session
Acceptance Rate: No information available
Dates: July 7 – July 18 | July 21 – August 1 | August 11 – August 15 (Online format)
Application Deadline: Early Registration: March 3 | General Registration: March 17. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in grades 9–12 in the Fall are eligible to apply. Applicants must be 15 years of age or older
This Columbia University program lets you investigate how drugs save lives by acting on cellular and molecular systems. You study the drug development cycle, which begins with discovery and design, followed by the development of delivery methods and the body’s breakdown processes. Key concepts include therapeutic effects, molecular interactions, toxicity, and the ethical considerations in pharmaceutical science. The course integrates classic treatments, such as insulin therapy and aspirin, with newer approaches, including CAR T-cell therapy. A team project on a specific medical condition concludes the course, giving you hands-on experience in applying these ideas to real-world treatments.
9. Boston Leadership Institute - Biotech Research: Online
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,200; competitive need-based scholarships and full tuition scholarships are available | None
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 30 – July 11
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: All high school students
The Biotech Research: Online program offers high school students an intensive summer experience in molecular biology. Lab kits are sent to your home, allowing you to perform hands-on experiments like bacterial transformation to manipulate DNA, micropipetting to develop essential lab skills, and a simulated ELISA test to identify COVID-19 antibodies. The curriculum also examines biotechnology’s role in global markets through a workshop on Big Pharma and investing. The program concludes with an independent research project on a genetic disease, presented at a closing ceremony.
10. Columbia University - The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY / Virtual
Cost: 1-Week Online Program Cost: $2,815 per session | 2-Week Online Program Cost: $3,965 per session
Acceptance Rate: No information available
Dates: July 7 – July 18 (Online format)
Application Deadline: Early Registration: March 3 | General Registration: March 17. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in grades 9–12 in the Fall are eligible to apply. Applicants must be 15 years of age or older
In this Columbia University course, you examine how learning and memory shape your daily life and long-term identity. You explore the types of memory, from short-term recall to complex reasoning, and investigate disorders such as dementia and amnesia. The course introduces the cellular and molecular processes that underlie memory formation, linking these concepts to mental health issues like depression, addiction, and PTSD. You also study how neuroscientists design experiments to understand how the brain stores and retrieves experiences. Sessions combine lectures, discussions, videos, and interactive activities to deepen your understanding.
11. Stanford EXPLORE
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,800
Acceptance Rate: No information available
Dates: July 7 – July 25
Application Deadline: Registrations open on March 1
Eligibility: Students currently in 9th-12th grade
The Stanford EXPLORE Lecture Series gives you the opportunity to engage with college-level science lectures presented by Stanford’s School of Medicine. Across four weeks, you learn about current research in areas such as neuroscience, immunology, stem cell biology, and bioengineering. Graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty lead sessions that introduce key concepts alongside recent scientific advances. The program also provides a perspective on academic pathways in medicine and graduate studies. Although there are no assignments or exams, the material is rigorous, making prior knowledge in biology and related sciences beneficial.
12. Cancer Biology: Discovering Molecular Mechanisms & Novel Therapeutic Strategies at Brown University
Location: Virtual
Cost: $6,238 (6-week online program)
Acceptance Rate: No information available
Dates: June 16 – July 25
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18 by June 15
This fully online course introduces you to cancer biology while giving you the opportunity to conduct independent research. You begin with lectures on cancer metabolism, stem cells, and therapeutic resistance, while also learning how to review literature and generate testable questions. Using these skills, you propose and design a project that addresses an open question in the field. Weekly live sessions center on small group activities where you share ideas and refine your experiments. Assignments include analyzing unpublished research data and applying key scientific techniques.
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