12 STEM Programs for High School Students in San Antonio, Texas
If you're a high school student looking to explore science, technology, engineering, or math before committing to it in college, a structured program can be a good option to explore. These programs often combine coursework, research, or lab work with mentor guidance, helping you build skills, gain exposure to new material, and develop connections. Whether your interests lie in biology, computer science, engineering, or aerospace, these programs can help you test out a field before deciding to pursue it further.
Why should you attend a STEM program in San Antonio?
San Antonio offers STEM programs through institutions like UT Health San Antonio, the Southwest Research Institute, and UTSA's Klesse College of Engineering. You could conduct hypothesis-driven cancer research, build and program robots, or work on a space science project alongside an engineer. Whether you live in San Antonio or are coming from out of state, you can find a program suited to your interests and experience level.
We’ve shortlisted 12 STEM programs for high school students in San Antonio, Texas.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These 12 STEM programs for high school students in San Antonio span biomedical research (UT Health, Greehey CCRI, Texas Biomedical Research Institute), engineering (UTSA PREP, St. Mary's), and military science (GEMS at USAISR).
Several highly selective programs, including VBRA, Greehey CCRI, and SwRI's YES Program, are free and provide stipends, though some, like VBRA, require school nomination rather than direct application.
Remote options like Veritas AI and the Lumiere Research Scholar Program let students build AI and research skills without needing to be based in San Antonio.
Most in-person programs require San Antonio-area residency or enrollment in a specific school district, such as the Northside ISD Summer Research Mentorship Program and the Valero Young Scientist Program.
1. Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy (VBRA)
Location: UT Health, San Antonio, TX
Cost/Stipend: None; a stipend is provided
Acceptance rate: Extremely selective; only ~20 students are accepted per cohort, and all must be school-nominated to apply
Dates: Seven weeks in summer (year 1), with academic-year commitment across three years
Deadline: School nominations close January 28; applications close March 6
Eligibility: Rising sophomores nominated by their high school in the Greater San Antonio Area, with 90%+ in math, science, and English (85%+ in Pre-AP, AP, or Dual Credit), who are at least 15 years old by June 15
Scholars in this three-year program at UT Health San Antonio spend their first summer in a seven-week research immersion, then return for faculty-mentored lab work in years two and three, building depth that few high school programs in the region can match. You will be paired with a biomedical scientist for the full arc of the program, working on literature searches, hypothesis formation, experiment design, data collection, and analysis. The research areas span molecular medicine, pharmacology, and neuroscience, covering Parkinson's disease modeling, aging, cardiovascular physiology, metabolic disease, and Alzheimer's epidemiology, among others. Academic-year enrichment activities and required presentations at your home school extend the experience beyond the summer months. At graduation from the academy, you will publish a formal research abstract and present your findings at an award reception.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12 – 15-week cohorts throughout the year
Deadline: Rolling enrollment; deadlines vary by cohort: Summer (May), Fall (September), Spring (January), and Winter (November); Application details here
Eligibility: High school students; AI Fellowship with Publication and Showcase accepts previous AI Scholars participants or those with some experience working with AI or Python
Veritas AI, founded and managed by Harvard graduate students, offers various online programs for high school students passionate about artificial intelligence. If you are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science, you can choose the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, you will learn about the fundamentals of AI and data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects. Another track for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. During this program, you will get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A key feature of this program is access to the in-house publication team to help you secure publications in high school research journals. You can check out some examples of previous projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. Greehey CCRI Donald G. McEwen Memorial Summer Research Program
Location: Greehey CCRI, UT San Antonio, TX
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 1 – August 7
Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old on the program start date, open nationwide and internationally
For ten weeks inside the Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, you will conduct hypothesis-driven research on childhood cancer under the mentorship of a principal investigator. The institute's research spans molecular oncogenesis, cancer genetics, hematologic malignancies, experimental therapeutics, pediatric preclinical testing, and biostatistics and bioinformatics, and your placement will fall within one of these active programs. Faculty labs currently investigate topics such as the role of the EWS::FLI1 fusion protein in disrupting pediatric cancer gene regulation, BRCA1-BARD1 complex function in homology-directed DNA repair, and telomere maintenance mechanisms in cancer cells, so your project could touch any of these areas depending on your match. Hands-on training covers methods in genomics, proteomics, structural biology, and molecular imaging, with mandatory health and safety coursework completed before you begin independent lab work. The ten weeks conclude with a research symposium where you present your findings to faculty and peers.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote! You can participate in the program from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, winter, fall, and spring. Options range from 12 weeks to a year.
Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: Students in high school who 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 across a wide range of subject areas for high schoolers to explore. The program pairs you with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the program, you will have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as computer science, data science, engineering, chemistry, psychology, physics, international relations, economics, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. GEMS San Antonio (Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science)
Location: U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, San Antonio, TX
Cost: Free; students receive a $125 stipend
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: Week 1: June 15 – 18; Week 2: June 22 – 25; Week 3: July 6 – 9
Deadline: Usually in the spring; keep an eye on the program website for details
Eligibility: U.S. citizens entering grades 6-12
Hosted inside the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, this free four-day program puts you in active Army research facilities for lab-based experiments in biomedical science, coding in both block and Python, engineering, robotics, and forensic science. Three course levels sort participants by grade band, with the Advanced track for 11th and 12th graders incorporating student-led experiments and a heavier emphasis on independent problem-solving. USAISR is the Department of Defense's primary laboratory for combat casualty care, and its five research pillars cover blood and shock resuscitation, hemorrhage and vascular dysfunction, organ support and automation technologies, wound progression and infection, and pain and sensory trauma. Hence, the lab context surrounding your work reflects real military medical science. Each session also includes teamwork and leadership skill-building alongside the technical content.
6. SwRI Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) Program
Location: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Highly selective, only 20 students selected
Dates: July 13 – 24
Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th graders
Twenty students are paired one-to-one with a working scientist or engineer at Southwest Research Institute, one of the largest independent R&D organizations in the country, for ten days of hands-on work on actual research projects using SwRI equipment and facilities. The institute's ten technical divisions cover space science and spacecraft instrumentation, AI and robotics, autonomous vehicle systems, cybersecurity, chemistry and chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and planetary science, giving your mentor a wide range of possible project areas. Facility tours across multiple STEM disciplines run alongside the lab work, and career exploration sessions led by SwRI professionals cover what day-to-day research employment looks like in fields from pharmaceutical development to heliophysics. Your project might draw on any of these divisions depending on your mentor assignment, from sensor design and signal processing to environmental chemistry or polymer science. You will present your completed project to peers and SwRI professionals at the close of the program.
7. Northside ISD Summer Research Mentorship Program
Location: UT Health, San Antonio, TX
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: First week of June to first week of August
Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: Current Northside ISD students who are not graduating seniors, at least 16 years old by June 1, and who have completed Biology and Chemistry; One math and one science teacher recommendation is required
This full-summer internship at UT Health San Antonio places you in a faculty research lab where your responsibilities cover the complete research cycle, from literature searches, hypothesis formation, experiment design, data collection and analysis to formal presentation of findings. UT Health San Antonio's research enterprise includes the Mays Cancer Center, the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, and departments spanning molecular medicine, pharmacology, cell systems and anatomy, and biochemistry, providing a diverse landscape of research areas to pursue. Because students are selected by Northside ISD rather than by UT Health SA, the application and matching process runs through your district science coordinator. You will leave with presentation experience and a research contribution tied to an active faculty project.
8. Valero Young Scientist Program
Location: Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Highly selective, only ~50 students chosen
Dates: June 22 – July 17
Deadline: Usually in the spring; keep an eye on the program website for details
Eligibility: San Antonio area rising high school juniors and seniors
During this four-week program on the Texas Biomedical Research Institute campus, you will perform hands-on experiments in a designated learning lab that mirror the techniques used by the institute's infectious disease researchers, covering culturing bacteria, titration, and gene editing. A contact tracing project models the mechanics of disease outbreak and containment, and you’ll also learn how to maintain a professional-level lab notebook throughout the program that carries over into your academic years. The institute's research centers on infectious disease, genetics, and environmental science, and you'll engage with its scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students through panel discussions exploring career pathways across these fields. Parallel sessions develop networking, communication, and presentation skills through exercises the program calls "Prepping for Your Future." The four weeks close with a Student Showcase where you present a collaborative research project to an audience of parents, mentors, and peers.
9. UTSA Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP)
Location: UT San Antonio, TX
Cost: $500
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: June 9 – July 9
Deadline: January 14
Eligibility: Middle and high school students, grades 6-12
PREP delivers a multi-level STEM curriculum across four summers at campuses including UTSA Main, UTSA Downtown, St. Mary's University, and Texas A&M University-San Antonio, with coursework progressing from logic and an introduction to engineering in year one through algebra, engineering physics, probability and statistics, and technical writing in subsequent levels. Each level runs four weeks of in-person instruction, and you will build prototypes, work through collaborative design projects, and present your results at a culminating symposium. Guest speakers and field trips connect the material to working STEM careers. By Level 5, students who have completed the earlier tiers become eligible for a four-and-a-half-week internship working alongside UTSA professors in their research labs, which cover areas such as AI-powered robotics, autonomous vehicles, 5G networks, and cybersecurity within the Klesse College of Engineering. Past cohort projects at the symposium level have included building a medicine cooler and designing original engineering prototypes.
10. UTSA Klesse College Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Camp
Location: UT San Antonio - Klesse College Camps, San Antonio, TX
Cost: $600 for the day camp, $800 for overnight
Acceptance rate: Open enrollment, but limited batch size
Dates: June 29 – July 3
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students
Over one week at UTSA's Klesse College of Engineering, you will take a robotics project from initial coding through circuitry and physical assembly, working alongside members of the university's Robotics and Automation Society who participate in the technical build. The week follows a FIRST Robotics team format led by electrical engineering faculty, and it closes with a group competition where each team's robot is tested against the others. Faculty-led lessons, workshops, and tours of active research labs show how AI is applied in current industry and academic work, with the department's research touching AI-powered robotics, autonomous vehicles, 5G communication networks, cybersecurity, and UAV systems. The camp draws about 35 high school students per session. Lab tours cover the same facilities where UTSA's undergraduate and graduate researchers work on funded projects in machine learning, sensor fusion, and robotic process automation.
11. St. Mary's University SET Tech Camps
Location: St. Mary's University School of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET), San Antonio, TX
Cost: $50
Acceptance rate: Limited to ~18 students per camp
Dates: Various one-week camps running June through July
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students at least 14 years old by June 1
These week-long camps, taught by St. Mary's faculty with assistance from university students, rotate through computer science and engineering topics including Python for data analytics, mobile app development, cybersecurity, AI for social media safety, robotics, and 3D printing. Each camp caps at roughly 18 participants and runs a full day with lab sessions. You will tour St. Mary's technology facilities, including the drone lab, cybersecurity museum, data security lab, manufacturing labs, and anatomy tables over the course of the week. Each camp culminates in a student project presented to family and friends on the final afternoon, with an extra hour built into Friday to show your work. You may apply to up to three camps within the same summer.
12. St. Mary's University Engineering and 3D Printing Camp
Location: St. Mary’s University campus, San Antonio, TX
Cost: $300
Acceptance rate: 18 students; first-come, first-served
Dates: July 7 – 10 or July 21 – 24
Deadline: June 30
Eligibility: Incoming 9th-12th grade students, ages 14-18
Across four days in St. Mary's Department of Engineering, you’ll work through foundational engineering concepts in CAD modeling, 3D printing, structural analysis, fluid dynamics, electrical engineering, and thermodynamics, with each topic anchored to a hands-on build. The camp's activities include building prototypes like racing cars, bridges, batteries, and light bulbs, and you will present your engineering concepts to the group and compete against other participants at the end of the week. The cohort is capped at 18 students, which keeps instruction close to the equipment and the faculty accessible throughout. All work takes place in St. Mary's engineering facilities, including access to 3D printers and laser scanning equipment. You will leave with a working prototype and presentation experience.
Frequently asked questions
1. What are the best STEM programs for high school students in San Antonio?
Strong options depend on interests. Students interested in biomedical research might consider VBRA or the Greehey CCRI Summer Research Program; those interested in engineering might look at UTSA PREP or St. Mary's SET Tech Camps; and students interested in AI might consider Veritas AI or UTSA's Robotics and AI Camp.
2. Are there free STEM programs for high schoolers in San Antonio?
Yes, several programs are free, including VBRA, the Greehey CCRI Summer Research Program, GEMS San Antonio, SwRI's YES Program, the Northside ISD Summer Research Mentorship Program, and the Valero Young Scientist Program.
3. Do any STEM programs in San Antonio require school nomination rather than a direct application?
Yes, the Voelcker Biomedical Research Academy requires high school nomination, and the Northside ISD Summer Research Mentorship Program is limited to current Northside ISD students selected through the district rather than UT Health San Antonio directly.
4. Can students outside San Antonio participate in these STEM programs?
Most in-person programs require San Antonio-area residency or school enrollment, though the Greehey CCRI Summer Research Program is open nationally and internationally, and virtual options like Veritas AI and the Lumiere Research Scholar Program have no geographic restrictions.