14 Best Engineering Programs for High School Students
Engineering programs are a strong option if you want to explore how technical concepts are applied beyond your high school classes. You can study topics such as problem-solving, data analysis, coding, and design through structured coursework, projects, or research experiences. Many programs also introduce you to academic or professional environments so you can see how engineering work is organized and studied.
What are the benefits of an engineering program?
Engineering programs can help you explore different fields such as robotics, electrical engineering, mechanical systems, and computer engineering before choosing a college major. You also gain experience working through technical challenges, communicating ideas, and completing longer-term academic work. Participating in these opportunities can also show colleges that you have a strong interest in engineering and related STEM subjects.
To help you navigate these choices, we’ve narrowed our list to the 14 best engineering programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online STEM research programs, check out our blog here.
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: <2.5%; 100 students
Dates: June 28 – August 8
Application Deadline: December 10
Eligibility: High school juniors with strong academic ability. Detailed requirements can be found here
RSI is a research program for high school students that walks you through the full academic research process. You begin with intensive coursework and seminars that introduce current topics across engineering, mathematics, physics, and related fields. After this foundation, you move into an individual research project guided by an experienced mentor, in which you analyze the literature, design a research plan, and conduct a sustained investigation. The experience concludes with written papers and oral presentations structured as an academic conference.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Eligibility: 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 programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students looking to get started in AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and have the opportunity to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students have the opportunity to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
3. MITES Summer
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 6 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Rising seniors who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
MITES Summer is an immersive engineering and STEM program for high school students that centers on rigorous coursework. You take a structured set of math, science, humanities, and project-based elective courses that reflect the pace and expectations of college-level study. Electives rotate across applied areas such as engineering design, electronics, machine learning, and genomics, allowing you to explore how theory connects to real-world problems. You receive detailed academic feedback at the end of the program, documenting your strengths and areas for growth.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students 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 for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
5. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Stipend: $750
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12 students
Dates: June 21 – August 6
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and recent graduates who are at least 17 years old
The Anson L. Clark Scholar Program is an engineering and science program designed for high school students interested in advanced, faculty-led projects. You work closely with a university researcher on an individual project in fields such as electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, or the physical and life sciences. Weekly seminars and discussions complement lab work by focusing on research methods, result interpretation, and academic communication. The program environment is structured to mirror how research functions in a university setting.
6. Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Stipend: Provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: >5%
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 5
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old and U.S. citizens/permanent residents
The Simons Summer Research Program is a mentored research program for high school students that places you directly into an active university research group. You work under the guidance of a faculty mentor and take responsibility for a defined project. Throughout the program, you’ll attend weekly research talks that expose you to how different fields frame questions and present findings. Workshops and campus-based activities support skill development in research methods and academic communication. The program culminates in a written abstract and a research poster presented at a formal symposium.
7. Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology
Location: Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 62-90 students
Dates: 4 weeks in July
Application Deadline: January 8
Eligibility: New Jersey high school juniors with strong academic ability and an interest in engineering and technology
The Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology is an engineering program for high school students that emphasizes teamwork and open-ended problem-solving. You engage in core courses such as robotics and physics while also selecting electives that explore specialized engineering topics. Small-group research and design projects form the center of the program, with each team tackling a complex problem under the guidance of a research mentor. You’ll document your work in a conference-style paper and present results at a formal research symposium.
8. Johns Hopkins ASPIRE Program
Location: Virtual/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: >10%
Dates: At least 190 hours between June 23 and August 21
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 15 years old, have a 2.8 GPA or higher, are U.S. citizens, and live in these counties
The Johns Hopkins ASPIRE Program is a project-based internship for high school students in a professional research environment. You work independently or in small teams on mentor-driven projects that align with active research and development needs. Project areas range from software development and data analysis to aerospace engineering, hardware systems, and applied research. You’ll be expected to navigate open-ended challenges while collaborating with engineers and scientists. The experience focuses on how technical work is carried out in applied research settings.
9. Stanford SHTEM Summer Internships
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Stipend: None; financial assistance is available for eligible students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – August 14
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 14 years old and U.S. citizens/permanent residents
Stanford’s Science, Humanities, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (SHTEM) program is an interdisciplinary engineering program for high school students that emphasizes collaboration across technical and non-technical fields. You work in small groups on multifaceted projects that combine engineering with areas such as computer science, neuroscience, design, linguistics, or psychology. Projects are mentored by a mix of students, faculty, and research staff, reflecting how academic research teams often operate. The structure is designed to introduce how engineering research intersects with communication, ethics, and design thinking.
10. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Location: Virtual/Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free for students with a family income below $200,000; $2,400 otherwise
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – August 1 or 2
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: U.S. high school students (excluding seniors)
The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute is a hands-on engineering program for high school students built around intensive, project-based courses. You work in teams to design, build, and test systems in specialized areas such as autonomous vehicles, embedded security, robotics, or semiconductor design. Each course focuses on applying engineering principles through sustained technical work. Depending on the track, you may program autonomous systems, design hardware at the component level, or analyze system security through attack-and-defense exercises. The program places strong emphasis on systems thinking and translating theory into functional prototypes.
11. UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP)
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Cost: $5,675 (commuter); $13,274 (residential). Financial aid is available to California residents
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~4-6%
Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: 11th or 12th graders with a minimum 3.8 unweighted GPA
In UCSB’s Research Mentorship Program, you’ll be paired with a mentor and commit most of your time to a single research project, often involving data collection, analysis, fieldwork, or computational work. The program spans engineering and disciplines such as computer science, mathematics, physics, and environmental studies, enabling interdisciplinary approaches. Structured lecture and presentation-focused courses run alongside lab work to build research literacy and technical communication skills. Over the course of the program, you produce a formal research paper and present your findings in an academic symposium setting.
12. Engineering Summer Academy at Penn (ESAP)
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $9,250 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 12 – 31
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are at least 15 years old with a minimum 3.0 GPA
The Engineering Summer Academy at Penn is a short-term, intensive engineering program for high school students focused on college-level technical coursework. You choose a subject area such as robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or nanotechnology and spend the program working within that discipline. Instruction combines mathematical and scientific theory with applied problem-solving through labs, design work, or computational tasks. Your work typically culminates in a final project or competition that tests your ability to apply concepts under constraints.
13. California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS)
Location: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC Merced, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz
Cost: $5,518 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 160 - 200 students/campus
Dates: July 5 – 31/August 1
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Rising high school students in California
COSMOS is an intensive STEM program for high school students built around focused academic clusters. You select a cluster that explores advanced topics such as engineering, computer science, materials science, robotics, or applied mathematics. Instruction is lab-centered and emphasizes hands-on investigation. Each cluster reflects the academic strengths of its host campus, resulting in distinct curricular approaches across programs. The structure is designed to expose you to subject matter that extends beyond standard high school coursework.
14. The Science Internship Program (SIP)
Location: University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: $4,250 (tuition) + $7,350 (full-week housing) or $5,250 (weekly commuter). Financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – 18 (online) | June 22 – August 7 (in-person)
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: High school students who are 14-17 years old
In the Science Internship Program, you work directly with a university researcher on a project shaped by active academic research. Projects may evolve over time, requiring you to adapt your approach as new data or challenges emerge. Depending on the focus area, you may read professional literature, write code for computational analysis, or gain hands-on laboratory experience. Collaboration with researchers is a core part of the program, reflecting how research teams function in practice. The experience concludes with a formal symposium where you present your findings to an academic audience.
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