15 Science Summer Programs for High School Students
If you're a high school student with a genuine interest in science, summer programs can be a great way to build on what you're learning in school. These programs give you access to research, professional lab environments, and mentorship from scientists and researchers. You’ll develop practical skills that are hard to learn in a standard classroom setting, such as data collection, experimental design, statistical analysis, scientific communication, and more. On top of that, many programs connect you with peers who share the same interests, which can lead to lasting academic and professional relationships.
What are the benefits of a science program?
Depending on the program, you could contribute to real research in fields such as biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics, or computational science. Many of these opportunities are hosted by universities and federal research institutions, which means you'll be working in serious scientific environments with access to resources most high school students never have. You might present your findings at a symposium, work one-on-one with a research mentor, or walk away with a certificate that carries genuine weight on a college application.
To help you find the right fit, here are 15 science summer programs for high school students, each with a strong science focus and taking place during the summer.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These programs span biomedical research, genomics, polymer science, astrophysics, and AI, with several free options, such as RSI, MITES Summer, SAMS, and Rockefeller SSRP, alongside paid programs like Smith SSEP and Yale YYGS IST.
Several free programs also offer stipends, including JAX Summer Student Program ($7,500), ARISE ($2,000), and Clark Scholars ($750), making them financially accessible while still competitive.
Acceptance rates are extremely low across the board, with Simons Summer Research under 5% and Rockefeller SSRP accepting only 32 students, so students should apply to multiple programs.
Application deadlines start as early as October (Yale YYGS IST early deadline) and January (Rockefeller SSRP, JAX), so students should begin preparing materials well before the spring.
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free (except for a $75 non-refundable application fee)
Program Dates: June 28 – August 8
Application Deadline: Early to mid-December
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (16+); More info here
RSI pairs a week of intensive STEM coursework with five weeks of original research under a mentor working in your field of interest, so you move from theory into an actual project almost immediately. You read current literature to ground your work, then carry out your own research plan alongside scientists at MIT and nearby labs. The program closes with a conference-style presentation, where you write up your findings and defend them the way a researcher would. Since RSI draws from math, physics, biology, computer science, and beyond, your specific research area depends entirely on the mentor match you're given.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type; full financial aid available.
Program Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. If you are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science, you would benefit from the AI Scholars program, which is a 10-session boot camp that introduces you to the fundamentals of AI & data science. You’ll also get a chance to work on real-world projects. Another more advanced option is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase, which gives you the chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that you will have access to the in-house publication team to help you secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost/Stipend: Free (except for a $25 application fee); $750 stipend
Program Dates: June 21 – August 6
Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors or recent high school graduates (17+); U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is a summer research program for high school students that includes research areas like biology, cancer biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics. As a participant, you will do hands-on research work alongside a faculty member. You will also attend weekly seminars, gaining regular exposure to research and academic life at the university beyond your individual project.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; Full financial aid available
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year (12 weeks to 1 year)
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Program's science track is built around a single output: an original research paper, written over 12 weeks with one-on-one support from a research mentor. The first week is about aligning on a topic, and the following three weeks are spent exploring that topic and sharpening it into a specific, answerable research question. From week five onward, you'll be writing and working through drafts with direct feedback from your mentor until the paper is ready for final evaluation. Research areas span biology, data science, mathematics, astrophysics, computer science, physics, neuroscience, medicine, chemistry, engineering, and architecture. The program ends with a graduation ceremony and symposium where you’ll present your work.
5. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free (except for an application fee of $50); Limited, need-based stipends offered
Program Dates: June 8 – July 30
Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors (16+); Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; Selection heavily favors Bay Area students
SIMR places you inside a Stanford Medicine research lab for eight weeks, where you’ll work one-on-one with a mentor, typically a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow, on a real biomedical project. The program is small, with around 50 students each summer, which means you’ll get actual access to your mentor. You’ll apply to one of eight research areas within Stanford's Institutes of Medicine, and your placement determines the type of lab and project you're assigned to. There's also an optional bioengineering bootcamp track for students who want a structured, hands-on lab experience without a full independent research placement.
6. MITES Summer
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Program Dates: Late June – early August (6 weeks)
Deadline: November – February 1
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are current high school juniors; Applicants from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply
MITES Summer offers you six weeks of college-level academics at MIT, where you’ll take five courses: math, life sciences, physics, a humanities class, and a project-based elective. Past electives have included machine learning, genomics, architecture, and electronics. Outside the classroom, you'll tour MIT labs, visit companies that employ MITES alumni, attend seminars with STEM professionals, and get direct access to college admissions counselors at an on-campus college fair. At the end of the program, your instructor will write you a personalized evaluation that many students include as supplemental material in their college applications. MITES Summer alumni have gone on to MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, and Stanford.
7. JAX Summer Student Program
Location: Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, OR Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT
Stipend: $7,500 stipend
Program Dates: Bar Harbor: May 30 – August 7; Farmington: May 30 – August 10
Deadline: January 26
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors (18+) or undergraduate students; Must be committed to the full program duration; More info here
The JAX Summer Student Program is hosted by The Jackson Laboratory, one of the leading genetics and genomics research institutions in the country. Over 10 weeks, you're placed in an active research lab and work with a dedicated mentor on a project tied to real, ongoing research in genetics and genomics. As the program progresses, you'll be expected to take on increasing independence. You'll also attend Journal Club sessions, workshops on data visualization and science communication, and informal conversations with JAX professionals across fields like law, veterinary science, and grant writing. The summer ends with a formal presentation of your research to JAX scientists, other participants, and family members.
8. ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY.
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Students receive a $2,000 stipend upon successful completion.
Dates: July 6 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors who are full-time NYC residents attending NYC schools.
At ARISE, you spend the first month building research skills through safety training and college writing workshops before moving into a research lab for six weeks. You're placed with a faculty mentor at one of NYU's labs, working on an active project rather than a simulated one, in fields ranging from biomolecular engineering to machine learning to urban planning. The program closes with two public presentations, a colloquium at NYU and a poster session at the American Museum of Natural History, so your research gets a real audience beyond your mentor.
9. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
Location: The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; Limited, need-based stipends offered
Program Dates: June 22 – August 6
Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors (16+)
SSRP accepts 32 students each summer and divides them into four research teams of 8-10, each led by scientific trainees from the Tri-Institutional partnership of Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Weill Cornell Medicine. The team structure is modeled after a real research laboratory, with lead researchers, supporting scientists, dedicated lab space, and resources. You’ll be expected to function within that structure like a junior member of the team. The program follows a clear progression; week one introduces your team's topic and lab techniques; week two is when you choose your own research question within that topic; weeks three through five are the core investigation phase; and the final two weeks go toward analyzing your data and designing a poster for the end-of-program symposium. Throughout, you’ll also have access to elective courses, guest lectures, workshops, and networking events.
10. Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; Stipend offered
Program Dates: June 29 – August 7
Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (16+) who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The Simons Summer Research Program places you inside an active Stony Brook research lab, where you’ll work directly under a faculty mentor in your chosen area of science, math, or engineering. You'll be matched with a mentor based on your research interests, join their research team, and take on a real project. With an acceptance rate under 5%, Simons is one of the more selective university-based summer programs in the country. Throughout the summer, you'll attend weekly faculty research talks and participate in workshops, tours, and campus events. The program wraps up with a closing poster symposium where you’ll present both a written research abstract and a research poster on your work.
11. Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Fully funded
Program Dates: June 20 – August 1
Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Rising 12th graders (16+); U.S. citizens or permanent residents
SAMS is a six-week residential program at Carnegie Mellon that's designed specifically for students from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM. The academic experience is structured to mirror the first semester of the CMU freshman experience, with full-day coursework, hands-on projects, and sustained access to CMU faculty and skilled staff mentors. Before you arrive on campus, there are two days of required virtual sessions focused on skill-building to get you ready for the in-person program. The residential portion wraps up with a research symposium where you present your work from the summer. But SAMS doesn't end when you leave Pittsburgh; there's an ongoing virtual engagement component with sessions covering college prep, FAFSA, budgeting, and additional STEM opportunities, with families invited to attend the relevant ones.
12. Summer Science Program’s Astrophysics
Location: Multiple college campuses across the U.S.
Cost/Stipend: $11,800 (Up to 100% financial aid available); Limited $3,000 stipends offered
Program Dates: Varies by campus
Application Deadline: December 31 – January 29 (international), February 19 (domestic)
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (ages 15-18) who have completed or will be completing any level of high school physics and precalculus; Self-study coursework does not qualify
At SSP, you spend five weeks on a university campus working in small teams on one of a few research tracks, such as tracking near-Earth asteroids in astrophysics or designing enzyme inhibitors in biochemistry. You work directly with professional research equipment and faculty mentors, following a structured schedule with no grades or tests, so your output is measured by the research itself rather than by exams. The program also includes field trips, guest lectures, and community activities alongside the lab work. Because tracks and host campuses shift somewhat from year to year, the specific research area you end up in depends on what's offered when you apply.
13. Garcia Center Research Scholar Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: $4,000 lab fee + optional residential fee; Stipend provided
Program Dates: June 24 – August 7
Deadline: February or March
Eligibility: High school students (16+) with an unweighted GPA of 95/100 (3.8/4.0) and standardized test scores at or above the 60th percentile; Must have completed at least 3 of the following: English, Chemistry, Mathematics/Calculus, Physics, or Biology; More details here
The Garcia Center's Research Scholar Program runs for seven weeks and is built around polymer science, which is the study of materials at the molecular level, spanning everything from plastics and films to biological polymers. You’ll work as part of a focused research team on original experiments designed and executed in collaboration with Garcia faculty and staff. Past participants have been published in peer-reviewed journals, awarded patents, won recognition at ISEF and other national science competitions, and been inducted into the National Young Inventors' Hall of Fame. You can also continue your work during the academic year through Garcia's Mentor Program, where you’ll set up an ongoing research schedule with a faculty mentor.
14. Yale Young Global Scholars: Innovations in Science & Technology (IST)
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $7,000 + $80 application fee; Need-based financial aid
Program Dates: Multiple 2-week sessions in June and July
Deadline: October 15 (early); January 7 (regular)
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores or juniors (ages 16-18); English fluency required; Must be a first-time YYGS participant
YYGS IST covers topics across the session range from dark matter and dwarf galaxies to cancer biology, artificial intelligence, the chemistry of skincare, and biohacking, giving you exposure to how scientists across very different disciplines actually approach problems. Sessions are kept small, with a student-to-teacher ratio of about 12:1, led by Yale undergraduate and graduate students. You'll attend faculty lectures from professors who are actively working in their fields and participate in seminars that push you to apply scientific thinking to real-world questions.
15. Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP)
Location: Smith College, Northampton, MA
Cost: $4,985 per 2-week session; $9,970 for both sessions; Tuition assistance is available
Program Dates: Session 1: July 4 – 17; Session 2: July 19 – August 1
Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students; SSEP is designed for female-identifying students; Domestic and international applicants
Smith's SSEP takes you in one lab-based course in a small group of up to 17 students, working directly alongside Smith faculty and undergraduate interns. Course options span a wide range, including Your Genes and Genetic Analyses, Novel Bacteriophage Discovery, Digital Systems, Making Connections (a neuroscience course), Climate Change and Sustainability, and Chemistry of Light and Life. The teaching approach puts lab work first: experiments, observations, and questions over passive note-taking. If you enroll in both sessions, you’ll get to explore two different science areas in the same summer.
Frequently asked questions
1. What science summer programs are available for high school students?
Options include broad research programs, such as RSI, Simons Summer Research, and SIMR; specialized biomedical and genomics programs, such as JAX Summer Student Program and Garcia Center Research Scholar Program; and programs focused on specific populations, such as SAMS for underrepresented students and Smith SSEP for female-identifying students.
2. Are there free science summer programs for high school students?
Yes, several programs are free, including RSI, MITES Summer, SAMS, Rockefeller SSRP, Simons Summer Research, ARISE, and Clark Scholars. Many of these also offer stipends, while more specialized programs, such as Garcia Center Research Scholar Program, Yale YYGS IST, and Smith SSEP, charge tuition.
3. Which science summer programs are best for students interested in biomedical research?
Students interested in biomedical research might consider SIMR at Stanford for lab-based work in a specific research area, JAX Summer Student Program for genetics and genomics with a $7,500 stipend, Rockefeller SSRP for a team-based lab structure, and Garcia Center Research Scholar Program for polymer and materials science.
4. When should I apply to science summer programs for high school students?
The earliest deadlines are Yale YYGS IST (October 15 early deadline) and Rockefeller SSRP (January 2), followed by JAX Summer Student Program (January 26) and RSI (early to mid-December). Most other programs fall between February and May, so students should begin preparing applications in the fall.