10 Best Internships for High School Students
10 Best Internships for High School Students
Dec 1, 2025
Author: George Gatsios
As a high school student, internships and work experience programs can be a great way for you to explore career interests, gain practical skills, and build professional connections before college. Whether you’re interested in STEM, arts, social science, or business, internships allow you to apply classroom knowledge to the real world.
Participating in paid or unpaid internships for high school students can help you develop important soft skills like time management, communication, and teamwork while strengthening your college applications for future career opportunities.
In this blog, we have compiled a list of 10 of the best internships for high school students, including paid, remote, summer, and research-based opportunities to help you get started.
The U.S. Department of The Treasury offers high school students an opportunity to intern with them for a semester and equip them with leadership, management, and analytical skills. You will be involved in data analysis, research, stakeholder presentations, and strategic planning. The internship is a great fit for you if you’re interested in social sciences, STEM, management, or law, and are considering a federal career.
Cost: No cost; no stipend provided
Location: Washington, D.C
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship –
Spring Internship - apply in October
Summer Internship - apply in December
Fall Internship - apply in June
Program Dates: Internship opportunities are available in the spring, summer, and fall –
Spring Internship Period - January to May
Summer Internship Period - May to August
Fall Internship Period - September to December
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are U.S. citizens and enrolled at an accredited institution
Delta Institute’s Delve Work-Experience program is designed to help high school students to gain real-world exposure in their field of interest. The program is completely virtual and you can opt for a work-experience that aligns with your interests and skills. You get a chance to work directly with companies like Uber, Ferrari, AWS, Adobe, UN Pathways, Financial Times, and more. The program includes mentorship from company managers, and structured training. At the end of the program, students present their work to receive a certificate and letter of recommendation. You can learn more about the program here.
Cost: $4,900
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the company (you can check all upcoming deadlines here)
Program Dates: Varies depending on the company (you can check all upcoming dates here)
Eligibility: Open to high school students globally
The STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) internship program is an opportunity for high school students to work with scientists and engineers at NASA. You learn how to interpret NASA satellite data while working with scientists and engineers in their chosen area of work – astronomy, remote sensing, and space geodetic techniques to understand Earth systems, natural hazards, and climate science. The internship has an initial virtual learning component and an onsite component at the University of Texas, Austin for students to present their research at the program's symposium.
Cost: No cost
Location: University of Texas, Austin, Texas
Application Deadline: February
Program Dates: May to July
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors (at the time of the program) who are U.S. citizens
The SEAP internship is designed to allow high school students to conduct Naval research under the guidance of scientists and engineers at the Department of Navy. You can choose from over 38 labs across the country based on their area of interest. This competitive, 8-week internship gives you the opportunity to conduct research on submarine life support, development of Ansys fluent workflow, catalytic oxidation of Li-Ion electrolyte and more.
Cost: No cost; stipend - $4000 (for new participants) & $4500 (for returning participants)
Location: Varies depending on lab choice
Application Deadline: August
Program Dates: Varies depending on the lab (usually starts in May-June)
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors (at the time of the program) who will have turned 16 years old by the start of the program and are U.S. citizens (eligibility criteria with regard to age and citizenship may change based on the lab)
This internship program is an opportunity for students to learn about art and museum curation while connecting with creative professionals to develop their skills, network, and gain work experience. The Met High School Internship Program allows you to work one-on-one and in small groups with museum professionals in fields like curatorial, social media, education, imaging, design, and more. This is a good fit for students looking to gain real-world exposure to art and enter the creative world.
Cost: No cost; stipend of $1,100
Location: The Met, New York
Application Deadline: School year internship - October, summer internship - March
Program Dates: School year internship - January to June, summer internship - June to July
Eligibility: Applicants must -
Be students in grade 10 or 11 residing in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut
Have a social security number or individual taxpayer identification number
Not have completed another internship at The Met
Have consent of a parent/guardian
Youth Environmental Thinkers (YET) is a summer internship program for high school students interested in environmental justice and climate change. As an intern, you will participate in daily activities such as outings and field trips, lectures, presentations, research, stewardship, and recreational activities. You engage in different hands-on projects, learn about critical environmental issues, and collaborate with experts in the field. By the end of the program, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to help become advocates for a more sustainable future. This internship takes place virtually and in-person.
Cost: No cost; stipend varies (usually $17.50/hour)
Location: Markham, Illinois
Application Deadline: To be announced
Program Dates: To be announced (usually June-July)
Eligibility: 16 years or older and enrolled in high school
SHIP is an 8-week summer internship offered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for high school students interested in STEM. As an intern, you get the chance to work on cutting-edge research projects in collaboration with NIST scientists and engineers. You can opt for a summer internship at one of the following labs based on your area of interest:
Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL)
Engineering Laboratory (EL)
Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)
Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)
NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)
Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML)
You can read more about each of the fields and labs here.
Cost: No cost (students must cover transportation and housing costs); no stipend
Location: Varies depending on the lab
Application Deadline: February
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: Applicants must -
Be a U.S. citizen
Be juniors or seniors in high school during the application period
Have a minimum GPA of 3.0
This 2-week virtual internship is a great opportunity for students interested in exploring the technical and clinical aspects of AI in healthcare. As an intern, you will engage in different activities, including introductory lectures on AI in healthcare fundamentals, technical sessions, and mentorship from Stanford student leads and researchers. You will also get a chance to work on collaborative group research projects, social activities, and career lunches allowing you to learn from guest speakers from academia, industry, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
Cost: Application fee - $40, participation fee (if accepted) - $850
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: February
Program Dates: June
Eligibility:
Must be high school students (entering 9th grade through 12th grade)
Must be over the age of 14 by the start of the program
Strong preference for students with strong math and/or computer programming skills and/or experience with a healthcare project
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or provide documentation of valid visa status
Through Microsoft’s 4-week internship, you will get the opportunity to gain hands-on project experience and develop professional skills under the mentorship of Microsoft employees. You will work on projects that focus on helping you practice a growth mindset, learn customer-obsessed principles, and diversity and inclusion values. You will work in a small team to complete a project for your product group through which you will gain exposure to the product development design phase and gain visibility to software engineering, PM (technical PM or Product Management) and UX Design disciplines. You will work on a project to understand the pain point, the unarticulated customer needs, and build from there.
Cost: stipend of $20/hour
Location: Redmond, Washington and Georgia, Atlanta
Application Deadline: March
Program Dates: June - July
Eligibility: Applicants must be -
High school graduating seniors that live and attend high school within 50 miles of Redmond, Washington or live and attend high school around Georgia, Atlanta
Completed pre-calculus or an equivalent course by the start of the program
Established in 1991, the Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI) is a program that offers paid internships to high school students. The 6-week internship helps you gain practical experience in the financial services sector through classroom learning, workshops, seminars, and projects. The program is designed to help students from low-income backgrounds access professional growth opportunities. This program is a good fit for you if you’re interested in pursuing economics, business, or finance.
Cost: No cost; stipend (not specified)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Application Deadline: March
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: Applicants must -
Be residents of the City of Chicago
Be high school sophomores or juniors
Have a GPA of at least 3.0
Have family household income below $80,000/year
Author: George Gatsios
As a high school student, internships and work experience programs can be a great way for you to explore career interests, gain practical skills, and build professional connections before college. Whether you’re interested in STEM, arts, social science, or business, internships allow you to apply classroom knowledge to the real world.
Participating in paid or unpaid internships for high school students can help you develop important soft skills like time management, communication, and teamwork while strengthening your college applications for future career opportunities.
In this blog, we have compiled a list of 10 of the best internships for high school students, including paid, remote, summer, and research-based opportunities to help you get started.
The U.S. Department of The Treasury offers high school students an opportunity to intern with them for a semester and equip them with leadership, management, and analytical skills. You will be involved in data analysis, research, stakeholder presentations, and strategic planning. The internship is a great fit for you if you’re interested in social sciences, STEM, management, or law, and are considering a federal career.
Cost: No cost; no stipend provided
Location: Washington, D.C
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship –
Spring Internship - apply in October
Summer Internship - apply in December
Fall Internship - apply in June
Program Dates: Internship opportunities are available in the spring, summer, and fall –
Spring Internship Period - January to May
Summer Internship Period - May to August
Fall Internship Period - September to December
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are U.S. citizens and enrolled at an accredited institution
Delta Institute’s Delve Work-Experience program is designed to help high school students to gain real-world exposure in their field of interest. The program is completely virtual and you can opt for a work-experience that aligns with your interests and skills. You get a chance to work directly with companies like Uber, Ferrari, AWS, Adobe, UN Pathways, Financial Times, and more. The program includes mentorship from company managers, and structured training. At the end of the program, students present their work to receive a certificate and letter of recommendation. You can learn more about the program here.
Cost: $4,900
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the company (you can check all upcoming deadlines here)
Program Dates: Varies depending on the company (you can check all upcoming dates here)
Eligibility: Open to high school students globally
The STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) internship program is an opportunity for high school students to work with scientists and engineers at NASA. You learn how to interpret NASA satellite data while working with scientists and engineers in their chosen area of work – astronomy, remote sensing, and space geodetic techniques to understand Earth systems, natural hazards, and climate science. The internship has an initial virtual learning component and an onsite component at the University of Texas, Austin for students to present their research at the program's symposium.
Cost: No cost
Location: University of Texas, Austin, Texas
Application Deadline: February
Program Dates: May to July
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors (at the time of the program) who are U.S. citizens
The SEAP internship is designed to allow high school students to conduct Naval research under the guidance of scientists and engineers at the Department of Navy. You can choose from over 38 labs across the country based on their area of interest. This competitive, 8-week internship gives you the opportunity to conduct research on submarine life support, development of Ansys fluent workflow, catalytic oxidation of Li-Ion electrolyte and more.
Cost: No cost; stipend - $4000 (for new participants) & $4500 (for returning participants)
Location: Varies depending on lab choice
Application Deadline: August
Program Dates: Varies depending on the lab (usually starts in May-June)
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors (at the time of the program) who will have turned 16 years old by the start of the program and are U.S. citizens (eligibility criteria with regard to age and citizenship may change based on the lab)
This internship program is an opportunity for students to learn about art and museum curation while connecting with creative professionals to develop their skills, network, and gain work experience. The Met High School Internship Program allows you to work one-on-one and in small groups with museum professionals in fields like curatorial, social media, education, imaging, design, and more. This is a good fit for students looking to gain real-world exposure to art and enter the creative world.
Cost: No cost; stipend of $1,100
Location: The Met, New York
Application Deadline: School year internship - October, summer internship - March
Program Dates: School year internship - January to June, summer internship - June to July
Eligibility: Applicants must -
Be students in grade 10 or 11 residing in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut
Have a social security number or individual taxpayer identification number
Not have completed another internship at The Met
Have consent of a parent/guardian
Youth Environmental Thinkers (YET) is a summer internship program for high school students interested in environmental justice and climate change. As an intern, you will participate in daily activities such as outings and field trips, lectures, presentations, research, stewardship, and recreational activities. You engage in different hands-on projects, learn about critical environmental issues, and collaborate with experts in the field. By the end of the program, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to help become advocates for a more sustainable future. This internship takes place virtually and in-person.
Cost: No cost; stipend varies (usually $17.50/hour)
Location: Markham, Illinois
Application Deadline: To be announced
Program Dates: To be announced (usually June-July)
Eligibility: 16 years or older and enrolled in high school
SHIP is an 8-week summer internship offered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for high school students interested in STEM. As an intern, you get the chance to work on cutting-edge research projects in collaboration with NIST scientists and engineers. You can opt for a summer internship at one of the following labs based on your area of interest:
Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL)
Engineering Laboratory (EL)
Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)
Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)
NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)
Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML)
You can read more about each of the fields and labs here.
Cost: No cost (students must cover transportation and housing costs); no stipend
Location: Varies depending on the lab
Application Deadline: February
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: Applicants must -
Be a U.S. citizen
Be juniors or seniors in high school during the application period
Have a minimum GPA of 3.0
This 2-week virtual internship is a great opportunity for students interested in exploring the technical and clinical aspects of AI in healthcare. As an intern, you will engage in different activities, including introductory lectures on AI in healthcare fundamentals, technical sessions, and mentorship from Stanford student leads and researchers. You will also get a chance to work on collaborative group research projects, social activities, and career lunches allowing you to learn from guest speakers from academia, industry, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
Cost: Application fee - $40, participation fee (if accepted) - $850
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: February
Program Dates: June
Eligibility:
Must be high school students (entering 9th grade through 12th grade)
Must be over the age of 14 by the start of the program
Strong preference for students with strong math and/or computer programming skills and/or experience with a healthcare project
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or provide documentation of valid visa status
Through Microsoft’s 4-week internship, you will get the opportunity to gain hands-on project experience and develop professional skills under the mentorship of Microsoft employees. You will work on projects that focus on helping you practice a growth mindset, learn customer-obsessed principles, and diversity and inclusion values. You will work in a small team to complete a project for your product group through which you will gain exposure to the product development design phase and gain visibility to software engineering, PM (technical PM or Product Management) and UX Design disciplines. You will work on a project to understand the pain point, the unarticulated customer needs, and build from there.
Cost: stipend of $20/hour
Location: Redmond, Washington and Georgia, Atlanta
Application Deadline: March
Program Dates: June - July
Eligibility: Applicants must be -
High school graduating seniors that live and attend high school within 50 miles of Redmond, Washington or live and attend high school around Georgia, Atlanta
Completed pre-calculus or an equivalent course by the start of the program
Established in 1991, the Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI) is a program that offers paid internships to high school students. The 6-week internship helps you gain practical experience in the financial services sector through classroom learning, workshops, seminars, and projects. The program is designed to help students from low-income backgrounds access professional growth opportunities. This program is a good fit for you if you’re interested in pursuing economics, business, or finance.
Cost: No cost; stipend (not specified)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Application Deadline: March
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: Applicants must -
Be residents of the City of Chicago
Be high school sophomores or juniors
Have a GPA of at least 3.0
Have family household income below $80,000/year
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