5 Summer Internships in London for High School Students

If you are a high school student looking for opportunities in London to gain hands-on experience in a field of your choice, a summer internship is worth considering. Summer internships are a solid option for high school students who want to gain professional experience, explore potential career paths, and build connections. 

Unlike academic camps or international courses, internships offer a way to develop skills in real-world settings, including research labs, offices, creative studios, or nonprofits. These opportunities provide insights into what it takes to succeed in various industries while helping you enhance your college applications.

London, with its mix of global companies, research centers, and cultural institutions, offers many programs for high school students. To help you find the right opportunity, we have rounded up 5 summer internships for high school students in London that offer a mix of hands-on learning, mentorship, and growth potential. 

1. Royal Veterinary College’s Pre-Vet Summer School

Location: Royal Veterinary College, London

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 50 students. 

Dates: August 3 – 15

Application deadline: April 22; applications open on January 30

Eligibility: High school students who are 16 years or older 

Cost: £3,365 (4554.28 USD); two merit-based full-fee waiver scholarships are available to international students

The Pre-Vet Summer School at the Royal Veterinary College is an intensive 13-day residential program designed for aspiring veterinary medicine students. While not a summer internship, the program offers 25–30 hours of hands-on experience in advanced animal hospitals and handling facilities, including placements at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Equine Referral Hospital, and Boltons Park Farm. In addition to clinical exposure, you will attend university-level lectures at both the Camden and Hawkshead campuses. You will also conduct a research project, build clinical skills, and work through real veterinary cases. You will be paired with a Student Ambassador for academic support and receive RVC staff’s guidance on the veterinary school application process. 

2. Imperial College London’s Global Summer School

Location: Imperial College London’s South Kensington campus, London

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified; over 550 students accepted each year

Dates: Session I: June 30 – July 11 | Session II: August 4 – 14

Application deadline: Rolling deadlines

Eligibility: High school students who are 16 or 17 years old; applicants must be under 18 years of age before and during the program and should demonstrate excellent academic ability | You can check the detailed requirements here.

Cost: £7,260 (9825.8 USD)

Imperial College London’s Global Summer School is a two-week STEM-focused program designed to strengthen subject knowledge and practical skills while enhancing university applications. In the first week, you will choose from four subjects—Data Science and AI, Engineering, Medicine and Life Sciences, or Physics—and attend over 50 hours of academic sessions led by Imperial faculty. The second week features an Innovation Challenge, where you will collaborate with students from different disciplines to solve real-world problems. Guided by experts from the Imperial Enterprise Lab, this challenge can help you develop key skills such as teamwork, communication, and presentation. While not an internship, this program offers practical, hands-on experiences in STEM fields.

3. Ladder Internships

Location: Virtual! You can work from anywhere in the world, including London.

Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10%; 70 students per cohort

Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Summer.

Application deadline: June 23

Eligibility: High schoolers, gap year students, and undergraduates who can work for 10–20 hours/week for 8–12 weeks

Cost: Starting at $2,490; need-based financial aid is available.

Ladder Internships offers selective opportunities to high school students looking to gain experience working with a start-up. Over the course of about eight weeks, you will work on real-world projects with a high-growth start-up in industries such as tech, AI, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting. The start-ups involved typically raise over a million dollars in funding. The program is conducted virtually, allowing you to collaborate closely with your manager and a Ladder Coach. You will also have the opportunity to present your work to the company. On the application form, you can explore different start-up options to find a match that aligns with your interests.

4. King’s College London’s Pre-University Summer School

Location: King’s College London campus, London

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified; 1,500 students from over 70 countries

Dates: Session 1: June 30 – July 4 | Session 2: July 7 – 11 | Session 3: July 14 – 18 | Session 4: July 21 – 25.

Application deadline: April 4

Eligibility: High school students aged 16-17 years are eligible to apply.

Cost: Starting at £3,730 (5048.28 USD) + application fee of £60 (81.2 USD)

The Pre-University Summer School at King’s College London offers students a chance to explore a wide range of academic disciplines through one-week courses, with the option to attend for up to four weeks. You may choose multiple courses, either within a single field or across different subjects, including business, law, medicine, psychology, engineering, computer science, international relations, media, and more. Courses are developed by King’s academic experts and delivered through a mix of lectures, seminars, and interactive methods such as discussions, simulations, and guest speaker sessions. Assignments mirror university-level assessments, and you will receive personalized feedback to support your academic growth. A Certificate of Completion is awarded on successfully finishing the coursework. The program is not an internship, but can be an opportunity to explore college-level academics, activities, and assignments.

5. London International Youth Science Forum - Immersive STEM Learning Programme

Location: Imperial College London

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 500 students from 80 countries.

Dates: July 23 – August 6

Application deadline: May 23
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 – 18 years old

Cost: £3,295 (4459.54 USD)

LIYSF is a 15-day STEM summer program that offers students the chance to engage directly with world-renowned scientists, including Nobel Prize winners, through lectures and research-focused activities. During the program, you will visit leading university departments, such as those at Oxford and Cambridge, and explore emerging topics like AI, nanotechnology, robotics, medicine, and astrophysics. Although not an internship, the program offers opportunities to present your own research projects and gain hands-on exposure to cutting-edge scientific developments in state-of-the-art facilities. With verified safety protocols and royal patronage from HRH The Princess Royal, LIYSF provides a rigorous and inspiring environment for students interested in STEM.

One other option

If you are interested in building a project or work on a research paper in the field of AI and ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 

Veritas AI, founded by Harvard graduate students, can offer you a chance to work 1-on-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and more, and come up with unique, personalized projects. In the past, we had over 1,000 students learn AI & ML with us. You can find out about available programs and application details here!

Image source - Imperial College London