11 Online STEM Internships for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in STEM subjects, then internships are a good way to explore the field while building professional experience. Through online STEM internships, you can work with real datasets, contribute to research projects, and build technical skills in areas such as coding, data analysis, and scientific communication. These experiences often introduce you to the tools, workflows, and problem-solving approaches used by professionals across disciplines such as engineering, computer science, and the natural sciences. Since these programs are virtual, they also allow you to collaborate with peers and mentors from different locations, making them accessible while still maintaining structured learning environments.
What are the benefits of a STEM internship?
A STEM internship allows you to apply theoretical concepts to problems, which can deepen your understanding of subjects like mathematics, science, and technology. You also develop technical skills such as programming, data interpretation, and research methodology, depending on the program's focus. Many online STEM internships emphasize collaboration, requiring you to work in teams, communicate findings, and manage project timelines. In addition, exposure to different STEM domains can help you identify areas of interest before choosing a college major.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 13 online STEM internships for high school students.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
1. Ladder Internships
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students
Ladder Internships is an online internship program where high school students work on project-based research or professional assignments under mentorship. You’ll be matched with a mentor based on your interests and complete a structured project over several weeks, often in areas like data science, engineering, or computer science. The program emphasizes independent work, requiring you to manage timelines, conduct research, and produce a final deliverable such as a report or presentation. Regular mentorship sessions provide guidance on both technical concepts and research methods. You also receive feedback on your work, helping you refine your problem-solving approach and how you communicate results.
2. NASA SEES (STEM Enhancement in Earth Science)
Location: Virtual (optional in-person component)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 15 – July 21
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: 10th and 11th graders
The NASA SEES program is an online STEM internship that focuses on Earth science research using data from NASA missions. You analyze and visualize satellite data while working on projects in remote sensing, climate science, and space-based observations. The program integrates technical instruction with research tasks, allowing high school students to apply concepts in data analysis, modeling, and scientific investigation. You also collaborate with scientists, university researchers, and subject matter experts, gaining insight into how mission-driven research is conducted. Additional components include virtual tours, career sessions, and exposure to different STEM pathways.
3. Johns Hopkins APL ASPIRE Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 23 – August 21
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors and seniors (15+) with a minimum 2.8 GPA
The ASPIRE program at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory provides high school students with exposure to a wide range of STEM fields through project-based work. In this internship, you’ll be paired with a mentor and contribute to projects that may involve coding, engineering design, research analysis, or technical communication. The work often requires you to apply problem-solving strategies, learn new tools or programming languages, and adapt to evolving project needs. Depending on the project type, you might focus on cybersecurity, data analysis, experimental lab work, or theoretical research.
4. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,299 (fee waivers available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students (15+)
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) is an online STEM internship program in which high school students conduct research across a wide range of scientific disciplines. You work directly with faculty mentors on projects that may involve data analysis, laboratory techniques, computational modeling, or field-specific methodologies. The program emphasizes scientific communication, requiring you to document your work and present your findings through reports or discussions. You also engage with advanced tools and technologies relevant to your research area, gaining exposure to current scientific practices. Throughout the internship, discussions and sessions introduce different STEM career pathways and research applications.
5. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 50 students/session
Dates: Session A: June 15 – 26 | Session B: July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school students (14+)
The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship introduces high school students to the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare and medical research. In this online STEM internship, you engage with topics such as machine learning fundamentals, medical imaging, and model evaluation through structured lectures led by researchers and clinicians. You work in small teams on a mentored research project, where you learn to define research questions, analyze datasets, and communicate findings. Dedicated project sessions give you time to apply technical concepts while building collaboration and problem-solving skills. The program also includes a speaker series featuring professionals from healthcare, industry, and policy, offering multiple perspectives on real-world AI applications.
6. NASA GeneLab for High Schools
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Maximum of 1,000 applications
Dates: June 1 – August 28
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors with a 3.0+ GPA who have completed at least one biology course and are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
NASA GeneLab for High Schools is an online STEM program that introduces you to space biology through data-driven research. You explore how biological systems respond to spaceflight by analyzing omics datasets, including genetic and protein-level data. The program emphasizes bioinformatics and computational biology, teaching you how to process and interpret large-scale biological data. Most of the coursework is self-paced, allowing you to engage with materials over an extended period while attending optional office hours for guidance. You can also choose to complete a capstone project, where you apply your learning and present your findings in a structured format.
7. MetroTech Institute Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $750 tuition for MTI Research Scholars | $4,000 stipend opportunity for 10th graders and up who have completed a chemistry course with a family income of 200th percentile or below (MTI Project Seed Scholars) | $500 for students who complete the assigned research (MTI Distinguished Scholars)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 18 – July 30
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students
The MetroTech Institute Internship Program is an online STEM internship program in which high school students participate in research or applied IT projects across multiple tracks. You may work on topics such as cybersecurity, molecular modeling, bioinformatics, or programming in Python, Java, or C++. Projects are conducted in collaborative research groups, with regular meetings and ongoing data submissions shaping the workflow. In some cases, you engage with high-performance computing resources, particularly for computational science and data-intensive work. The program also includes opportunities to contribute to research outputs and present findings at a student symposium.
8. Medicine Encompassed
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students
Medicine Encompassed offers high school students a flexible, online STEM experience centered on medical education and content development. In this program, you contribute to initiatives such as writing articles, editing materials, and creating educational resources on specific medical topics. Work is organized through committees, where each group focuses on a different area within healthcare or biomedical science. You are responsible for producing content that is both scientifically accurate and accessible to a broader student audience. The structure emphasizes collaboration, peer review, and science communication.
9. Smithsonian Digital Volunteers
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by project
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students
The Smithsonian Digital Volunteers program allows high school students to contribute to large-scale digital and research initiatives. You may work on tasks such as transcribing historical scientific documents, tagging biodiversity records, or helping organize archival data. These activities support ongoing research by making primary sources more accessible to scientists and the public. Some projects involve identifying and classifying images or contributing to databases like the Encyclopedia of Life. The work is typically self-directed, allowing you to select tasks and contribute at your own pace.
10. New York Academy of Sciences Junior Academy
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: September – November and February – April
Application Deadline: July 2 (fall); January 13 (spring)
Eligibility: Students aged 13–17
The Junior Academy is an online STEM internship-style program where high school students collaborate in global teams to solve real-world problems. You participate in Innovation Challenges that require you to apply research methods, design thinking, and data analysis to develop practical solutions. Work takes place on a dedicated virtual platform, where you engage in discussions, access resource libraries, and interact with mentors. Teams are self-formed, and you work alongside STEM experts who guide your approach and provide feedback throughout the process. Each challenge concludes with a structured evaluation in which solutions are reviewed by internal and external judges.
11. Girls Who Code Pathways Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – August 14
Application Deadline: April 10
Eligibility: Rising high school girls and non-binary students
Girls Who Code Pathways is an online STEM program where high school students build technical skills through guided, project-based learning. You can explore multiple tracks, including data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, web development, and game design. Coursework is flexible and self-paced, allowing you to complete coding projects while developing problem-solving skills. The program also includes optional workshops, career panels, and events with industry professionals that introduce real-world applications of technology. Alongside technical learning, the program highlights how computing skills connect to different career pathways.
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!