Top 12 Biology Summer Internships for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in exploring biology, then an internship in the field can be a productive way to spend your summer break!
Biology internships for high school students offer opportunities to explore the subject beyond the classroom through practical, hands-on experiences. As an intern, you could get some exposure to real-world bioresearch environments, practical lab and field work, and the chance to build useful skills early on.
Many of these opportunities are hosted by top universities and respected research institutions, making them strong options for high schoolers looking to explore STEM pathways. You can also get paid a stipend for your work, helping you bypass some of the financial barriers to an early research experience. These programs may also offer mentorship and opportunities to build future academic or career connections.
To help you find the right option, we have narrowed it down to 12 biology summer internships designed for high school students.
1. Project Success by Harvard Medical School (DICP)
Location: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Cost: No cost; interns receive a monthly stipend.
Program dates: June 30 – August 15
Application deadline: February 3
Eligibility: Boston or Cambridge high school students who have completed their junior or senior year of high school, are at least 16 years old, and have maintained a GPA of 2.70
Project Success by Harvard Medical School is a seven-week internship meant for high school students interested in mentored research experiences. As a participant, you will be placed in a research lab within Harvard Medical School or an affiliated institution, where you will work on a mentored biomedical research project that can help you build technical skills and scientific understanding. In addition to practical lab exposure, you will engage in structured seminars with physicians and researchers and site visits to hospitals and biotech organizations. You will also be able to access training sessions in areas such as data analysis, writing, and public speaking. Career guidance is also part of the program; you will get support from dedicated mentors and research advisors in exploring potential paths in biomedical science.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,290 for AI Scholars; $5,400 for AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase; $6,900 for both programs. Need-based financial aid is offered to AI Scholars participants.
Program dates: Multiple 10- to 15-week cohorts in a year, including winter, fall, spring, and summer.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis | Spring sessions have a January deadline, Summer programs have a May deadline, Fall programs have a September deadline, and Winter cohort has a November deadline
Eligibility: High school students | AI Fellowship applicants should either have been AI Scholars participants or have some familiarity with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, an initiative run and founded by Harvard graduate students, offers various programs for high school students who want to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and other fields, including biology. The AI Scholars program is a 10-session introduction to key concepts in AI, machine learning, and data science, and an opportunity to work on hands-on projects. If you are interested in areas like bioinformatics, computational biology, and biological data analysis, you can tailor your project topics accordingly.
For a more advanced learning experience, the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase provides the chance to work closely with mentors from top universities on unique, individual research projects. Here, you can explore how AI can be applied to biological research and healthcare challenges. The program also offers support if you want to publish your work in high school research journals. You can check out a few examples of past projects here.
3. Fred Hutch Cancer Center Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Location: Fred Hutch campus, Seattle, WA
Cost: No cost; interns are awarded stipends upon completion
Program dates: June 23 – August 15
Application deadline: November – March
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with a strong scientific interest and academic background
The Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Summer High School Internship Program is an eight-week internship for high schoolers interested in scientific research. During the program, you will begin with two weeks of structured lab training, where you will learn foundational techniques like pipetting, sterile cell culture, PCR, and blood separation. You will also attend lectures on concepts such as the central dogma and hematopoiesis. After the training period, you will be paired with a research mentor and spend six weeks in an active laboratory, assisting with day-to-day research tasks. You will also attend weekly seminars and workshops on topics ranging from health disparities and ethics in science to data visualization. You will also have access to college preparation support through essay-writing sessions and career talks. This summer internship concludes with a reflection presentation, where you get to share your research experience with other interns and the Fred Hutch Cancer Center community.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Starting at $2,490 | Financial aid is available.
Program dates: Multiple 8–12-week cohorts—Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter—scheduled throughout the year
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on the chosen cohort | Spring sessions: January deadline, Summer: May, Fall: September, and Winter: November
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10 to 20 hours/week
Ladder Internships is a competitive virtual internship program designed for motivated high school students seeking hands-on experience in the start-up world. If selected, you will be matched with an innovative, fast-growing start-up and get to work on tasks relevant to the organization. The company here is likely to have strong growth potential, as many startups that work with Ladder have already raised over a million dollars in funding. You can indicate your interest in biology, biomedicine, or related fields while applying to be paired with a start-up in these industries. You can explore all the options here on the application form.
During the internship, you will collaborate directly with your start-up manager and receive additional guidance from a dedicated Ladder Coach. You will take up meaningful projects that contribute to real business outcomes and have the opportunity to present your work to company stakeholders.
5. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost, students are awarded a minimum $500 stipend.
Program dates: June 9 – July 31
Application deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are 16 or older and living and attending school in the U.S. | Preference is given to Bay Area students
SIMR is an eight-week opportunity to engage in biomedical research alongside Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students. Once accepted, you will work one-on-one with a mentor on a medically focused research project in one of eight areas—immunology, bioengineering, neurobiology, cancer biology, stem cell and regenerative medicine, bioinformatics, cardiovascular biology, or genetics and genomics. You will be placed in an institute (research area) based on your interests, and get to contribute to addressing real-world questions in biology or medicine that researchers are actively investigating. The program can help you get insights into how scientific research is actually conducted—from forming hypotheses and running experiments to analyzing data and interpreting results.
6. Summer Student Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Cost: No cost; students are paid a $1200 stipend
Program dates: June 30 – August 22
Application deadline: February 7
Eligibility: High school juniors living within 25 miles of the program site who are authorized to work in the U.S., are 14 years or older, and have a 3.5 GPA in science subjects
If you want to explore the intersection of biology, medicine, and research, the Summer Student Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering is a focused opportunity to engage directly with cancer science. For eight weeks, you will work with a mentor in a biomedical or computational lab and contribute to an independent project aligned with the lab’s ongoing cancer research. The topics you may explore in this summer internship for high school students could range from drug development and immunology to chemical biology, computational genomics, or imaging tools, depending on your placement. Rather than just observing, you will actively participate in data collection, analysis, and experimental design, as well as attend lab meetings and institutional seminars. The internship also includes sessions on career paths in science and the broader role of research in medicine, helping you connect your work to real-world applications.
7. Apprenticeships in Science & Engineering (ASE) Program by Saturday Academy
Location: Multiple locations across Oregon and Southwest Washington, including Portland, Eugene, Corvallis, and Vancouver.
Cost: $40 application fee that can be waived; no other costs. Interns receive a stipend.
Program dates: 8–10 weeks from June to August (full-time or part-time)
Application deadline: March 7
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, or 12th graders who live within 50 miles of the position location | Check the detailed eligibility criteria here.
The ASE Program by Saturday Academy is an opportunity to engage in an in-depth, mentor-guided internship in a real-world research or industry environment. If selected, you will work on an ongoing project with a mentor in fields like biology or health science. As an intern, you will be expected to manage your time, communicate effectively, and meet the agreed-upon schedule. You will also participate in required ASE events like the orientation, mid-summer conference, and final symposium. Many internships require substantial reading and preparation outside of scheduled hours, and you will often be asked to reflect on your work and progress.
8. SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station Internships
Location: SUNY Oneonta campus, Buffalo, NY
Cost: No cost; interns are awarded a stipend.
Program dates: Nine weeks from late May through August
Application deadline: March 26
Eligibility: New York State residents who are 16 or older
The SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station Internship is a full-time summer internship for high schoolers interested in taking on active roles in ecological field studies and lab work connected to Otsego Lake and its watershed. You will begin each day with a planning meeting, then move on to tasks that may include fisheries assessments, aquatic plant surveys, water chemistry tests, and/or microscopic identification of zooplankton. Some days, you will work on your own research, and on other days, you will assist with faculty or peer-led projects. Throughout the internship, you will compile and analyze data, draft a technical report, and design a research poster summarizing your findings. You will also attend weekly seminars that offer foundational context on lake ecology and hydrology. You will present your work to the group by the end of the session.
9. City of Hope Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy
Location: City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA
Cost/Stipend: A stipend of $4,500 awarded
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old and have completed chemistry and biology courses
Application deadline: March 12
Program dates: June 2 –August 9
The Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy is a selective 10-week program, having accepted just 71 students out of 750 applications in the past. If selected, you will get the chance to work on your own biomedical research project under the mentorship of the City of Hope faculty. You will work closely with graduate students, post-doctorates, and lab personnel. Additionally, you will get to explore topics such as plant signaling pathways, neural stem cells, and DNA repair. During the program, you will also attend weekly laboratory meetings, weekly program meetings, and seminars. The program also offers access to discussions on pursuing careers as scientists and doctors. Toward the end of the program, you will complete your research paper and written report and present your research poster.
10. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Available across all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and the Pacific Islands. Participants are assigned a location that is within a 45-minute commute of their home.
Cost: No cost, $3,000 stipend
Program dates: June – August (flexible)
Application deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and rising college freshmen who are at least 16 years old by the internship start date
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an eight-week opportunity to spend your summer working closely with a professional mentor in fisheries science, participating in hands-on research and conservation work. As a Hutton Scholar, you will engage in tasks like conducting fish population surveys, collecting water quality data, analyzing samples in a lab, and/or assisting with aquatic habitat restoration projects. The program is designed to give you some exposure to the range of tasks fisheries biologists carry out, which can include fieldwork on rivers and lakes, lab analysis, and community outreach. You will also learn how conservation practices are applied in real-world contexts and what skills are necessary to contribute to scientific fieldwork and research teams. Activities may vary, but are focused on helping you develop a working understanding of aquatic systems, data collection methods, and broader environmental goals.
11. Monell Science Apprenticeship Program
Location: Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: No cost; interns are awarded a stipend.
Program dates: June 23 – August 15
Application deadline: December 31
Eligibility: High school students in the greater Philadelphia area, including Camden, NJ, with work authorization in the U.S.
At the Monell Science Apprenticeship Program, you will spend at least seven weeks doing full-time research on the biology of taste, smell, and related sensory systems. Guided by a Monell scientist, you will contribute to a real research project, learning how to formulate hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and think critically about scientific questions. Alongside lab work, you will attend lectures that introduce you to a range of biomedical fields, explore ethical considerations in human and animal research, and develop communication skills through writing and presenting. Toward the end of the program, you will create a detailed research poster and present it at a capstone event to scientists, peers, and invited guests. You will also gain insights into academic and career pathways in medicine and research.
12. The University of Michigan Aspirnaut Program
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Campus
Cost: No cost; interns receive a monthly stipend.
Program dates: June 16 – July 25
Application deadline: February 16
Eligibility: Rising Michigan high school seniors who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or non-U.S. citizens with employment authorization documentation
The Aspirnaut Program by the University of Michigan is a competitive six-week summer research internship for high school students in Michigan who are interested in exploring life sciences in a practical setting. As an intern, you will work directly with university researchers on projects that may involve molecular biology, genetics, or disease-related studies, depending on your assigned lab. Your time will be split between conducting experiments, analyzing data, and participating in activities aimed at building scientific thinking and research skills. Despite being hosted on a large research campus, the program maintains a small, community-oriented environment where you will receive personalized mentorship and support. Toward the end of the program, you will complete a research project that reflects your contributions and growing understanding of scientific inquiry.
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