15 STEM Summer Programs for High School Students in Texas
If you are a high school student interested in science, a summer program can be a great option to explore. STEM programs in the summer offer you the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills, apply classroom knowledge to practical challenges, and gain experience in research, engineering, and technology. As a participant, these programs allow you to work with mentors, collaborate with peers, and develop critical skills that prepare you for both college and future careers.
Texas, with its strong presence in energy, aerospace, biotechnology, and technology innovation, offers a unique environment for students passionate about STEM. The state is home to major research universities, such as NASA's Johnson Space Center and Rice University, making it an excellent place for high school students to gain exposure to cutting-edge science and engineering. With highly experienced mentors and state-of-the-art resources, you can dive into the world of STEM while connecting with peers in your field of interest.
We’ve put together a list of 15 STEM summer programs for high school students in Texas.
1. Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Stipend: $6,800 (10 weeks), $6,120 (9 weeks)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective / Up to 12 students
Dates: June 2 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: Texas high school seniors who are 18 years or older by program start | U.S. Citizens or permanent residents or work-eligible visa holders
The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program is a 10-week opportunity for students eager to explore the biomedical sciences. Offered through the University of Texas and MD Anderson Cancer Center, the program places you in active research settings focused on areas like cancer biology and genetics. Working alongside experienced researchers and faculty, you’ll gain practical skills in lab methods, data collection, and analysis while contributing to a real research project. Beyond lab work, you’ll also attend seminars designed to broaden your understanding of biomedical research and the scientific process as a whole.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program type; full financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 4 - 6% / About 20 students
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter; Summer cohorts usually starts around mid-June and runs through mid to late August
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November); apply here
Eligibility: AI Scholars: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world | AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers tailored programs for high school students curious about artificial intelligence. For beginners, the AI Scholars Program is a 10-session bootcamp that introduces the core principles of AI, machine learning, and data science while letting you apply your knowledge through hands-on projects. If you’re looking for a more advanced experience, the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase pairs you 1:1 with mentors from leading universities to develop a personalized project. A bonus feature of this track is guidance from Veritas AI’s publication team, which helps you publish your work in recognized high school research journals.
3. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech University
Location: Texas Tech University campus, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee / $750 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective / Only 12 students per cohort
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 17 years old by the program start date | U.S. Citizens or permanent residents
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech University is a prestigious seven-week summer research experience for high school juniors and seniors. In the program, you will work alongside faculty mentors on projects aligned with your academic interests, spanning fields such as science, engineering, and the humanities. In addition to research, the program features seminars, discussions, and campus activities designed to introduce you to the rigor of college-level academics. Throughout the program, you’ll strengthen skills in research design, data analysis, academic writing, and public speaking. At the end of the program, you will finish a final paper and present your findings in a formal setting.
4. Horizon Academic Research Program - STEM Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program type; full financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective / 4 - 6 students per cohort
Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June – September)
Application Deadline: Varies as per cohort; Summer Cohort I: May 18; Summer Cohort II: June 22
Eligibility:High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) | Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders and only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students, covering STEM subjects from data science, machine learning and more. A unique feature of the program is that you can choose between pursuing quantitative or qualitative research, depending on your interests. Once you select a track, the program matches you with a professor or PhD scholar who will guide you through the research process. By the end of the program, you’ll complete a 20-page research paper, which may be submitted to established journals. Each student also receives a thorough project evaluation and a recommendation letter, providing valuable support for future academic and research opportunities.
5. Baylor College of Medicine’s Saturday Morning Science (SMS) Summer Research Program
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive / Approximately 40 students per cohort
Dates: June 11 – August 4
Application Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older by June 1 | U.S. Social Security card or a U.S. Permanent Resident card | Previous Saturday Morning Science participation or affiliation with certain undergraduate affiliate programs
The SMS Summer Research Program at Baylor College of Medicine is an intensive eight-week experience for high school students interested in science or medicine. Each week, you’ll spend about 40 hours in a research lab, working on a project guided by a faculty member, postdoctoral researcher, or graduate student. Beyond lab work, you’ll participate in research meetings to share progress and receive feedback, sharpen your skills in scientific writing and presenting, and attend weekly “Lunch and Learn” sessions on topics like research ethics, STEM careers, and college preparation.
6. University of Houston Mohan Lab Summer Internship
Location: University of Houston, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive / 15 - 20 students each year
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 26
Eligibility: Rising seniors (those who have completed 11th grade)
The University of Houston Mohan Lab Summer Internship is a competitive 8-9 week biomedical research program for rising high school seniors interested in biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and health-related fields. It begins with a 1–2 week training period to cover lab fundamentals, where you are guided by a graduate student or scientist mentor, you’ll contribute to active projects in biomedical engineering or health-related fields. The program concludes with a presentation of your work at a joint lab meeting, and select students may have the chance to continue with the lab afterward, assisting with manuscript preparation or advanced data analysis.
7. DACCPM Summer Research Program
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective / 35-50 students per cohort
Dates: June 2 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: High school students must be 18 or older by the start of the program
The DACCPM Summer Research Program is a 10-week opportunity for high school students interested in healthcare and medicine. You’ll take on an individual research project, conduct literature reviews, and receive training in data management. Throughout the program, you’ll strengthen your skills in statistical analysis, scientific writing, and presenting research. The experience culminates in a final symposium where you’ll showcase your project, with your abstract included in the annual CATALYST Summer Program book. In addition, you’ll attend workshops on graduate school preparation and explore diverse medical career paths.
8. NASA and UT Austin’s SEES High School Summer Intern Program
Location: University of Texas, Austin, TX (hybrid)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive / About 50 students on-site
Dates: May 19 – July 1 (online), July 6 – 19 (on-site)
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors | Must be 16 by July 5 of application year | U.S. Citizens
SEES is a STEM internship supported by NASA and hosted by UT Austin’s Center for Space Research. You will first complete online modules (e.g., Earth & Space science and sometimes Python) before engaging in project-specific remote mentoring. In July, the program transitions into an on-site research phase where you will work directly with scientists on topics like remote sensing, interpreting satellite data, geodetic techniques, or climate and natural hazard modeling. Along the way, there are evening and field-session activities, hands-on investigations, and a final virtual science symposium where you will present your work.
9. PATHS-UP Young Scholars Digital Health Summer Program
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective / 12 students annually
Dates: June 9 – 26
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors in Houston, TX
The PATHS-UP Young Scholars Digital Health Summer Program at Rice University is a fully funded, three-week immersive summer internship for Houston-area high school sophomores and juniors that introduces them to the field of digital health and biomedical innovation. In the program, you will explore how technology intersects with healthcare through hands-on modules, workshops, and faculty-led projects and be introduced to digital circuitry, computer science, physics, and engineering research. You’ll work alongside peers and mentors to develop ideas and prototypes addressing real-world health challenges, learning about sensors, data analytics, mobile health, and the design and evaluation of medical devices or software.
10. UT Computer Science Academy for Women
Location: University of Texas, Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective / Typically 40-50 students
Dates: June 8 – 14
Application Deadline: Typically mid-January
Eligibility: Female high school students entering 11th-12th grade
The Academy for Women is a one-week residential program run by UT Austin’s Computer Science department, designed to encourage female high school students to explore computing and tech fields. Over the week, you’ll learn the basics of C++ programming, work with Arduino microcontrollers to build LED projects, and engage in modules around teamwork and project management. Alongside academic labs, you’ll meet UT faculty, interact with current college students, tour labs, and participate in workshops and social activities. The program aims to address gender disparities in technology and create a supportive community for girls interested in computer science.
11. Rice University Sustainable Futures Academy
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective / Relatively small cohorts
Dates: July 7 – 11
Application Deadline: Typically in early June
Eligibility: High school girls currently in 10th or 11th grade; boys and non-binary students in 10th grade can apply
Sustainable Futures Academy is a one-week STEM program for high school students with an interest in sustainability and engineering. You’ll engage in engineering challenges, building things like landing capsules and roller coasters, learning about circuits using Micro:bits, experimenting with motion via TI Nspire Rovers, and exploring green-design principles. Alongside lab work, faculty and graduate students lead discussions and real-world connections to how sustainability impacts daily life. The academy emphasizes interactive learning, problem solving, and understanding how different scientific components and engineering designs interact with environmental challenges.
12. The Health Museum – Global Teen Medical Summit
Location: In-person at The Health Museum and across medical / hospital labs in Houston, Texas.
Cost: Tentatively, $1,650 - $1,750; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective / Around 40 students per summer
Dates: One week in mid-July
Application Deadline: Generally late May/early June
Eligibility: High school students, ages 14-18
The Global Teen Medical Summit is a week-long program in Houston where high school students explore current issues in medicine and bioscience through hands-on activities and hospital visits. You’ll tour labs, hospitals, and innovation centers, participate in group projects like ethical case studies and design challenges, and learn directly from healthcare professionals. The program also includes simulated medical procedures, behind-the-scenes lab tours, and opportunities to present your team’s research or solutions. You will stay in local college dorms, join social and team-building events, and can apply for scholarships to help cover costs.
13. Rice University’s ELITE Tech Camps
Location: Rice University Campus, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Residential: $3,800; commuter: $1,799
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective / 100 - 200 students per session
Dates: Residential: June 21 – 27; June 28 – July 4; July 5 – 11; July 12 – 18 | Commuter: June 22 – 26; June 29 – July 3; July 6 – 10; July 13 – 17
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students in grades 8-11
Rice ELITE Tech Camp (Emerging Leaders in Technology & Engineering) is a pre-college engineering program for high school students offered by Rice University’s Center for Engineering Leadership. Over one-week sessions, you engage in intensive technology-oriented courses with a mix of technical labs, project work, and leadership training. Courses run across themes like data analytics, deep learning, IoT (Internet of Things), 3D modeling & printing, Python or C++ programming, and smart cities. Alongside lab training, you’ll join career development workshops that focus on areas such as scientific writing, data analysis, and college preparation.
14. University of Texas, Austin’s Summer High School Research Academy (HSRA)
Location: University of Texas, Austin, TX
Cost/Stipend: $4,000; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective / 30-50 students
Dates: June 9 – July 16
Application Deadline: March 23
Eligibility: Texas residents | High school students rising sophomores, juniors or seniors who are at least 15 years old by program start
The Summer High School Research Academy at UT Austin is a five-week program that allows students to collaborate with faculty on authentic research projects. You will be matched with labs aligned with your interests and spend your days gaining STEM experience through experiments, data analysis, and scientific reading. The program covers disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering, while teaching you how to frame research questions, test hypotheses, and communicate results. In addition to individual projects, you will also contribute to a small group research assignment.
15. Texas High School Aerospace Scholars
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive / Several hundred students
Dates: Year-long program; tentative program dates here based on a previous program
Application Deadline: September 27
Eligibility: Texas high school junior | U.S. Citizens
NASA’s High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) is a year-long STEM opportunity for Texas high school juniors interested in space exploration, aeronautics, engineering, and Earth science. The program begins in the fall with online coursework covering NASA missions, space technology, Earth systems, and aeronautics while building skills in coding, CAD, teamwork, and engineering design. If you excel, you will be invited to Moonshot, a five-day virtual mission-planning challenge guided by NASA mentors. The highest-performing teams may then earn an all-expenses-paid residential experience at Johnson Space Center, working directly with NASA scientists and engineers on advanced projects.
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