10 STEM Internships for High School Students
10 STEM Internships for High School Students
Written by
Written by
George Gatsios, Founder of Delta Institute
George Gatsios, Founder of Delta Institute
Published on
Published on
As a high school student interested in STEM, an internship can help you build a strong portfolio for college applications. As an intern, you have the opportunity to work on real-world projects, learn practical skills, explore new technical tools, and network with industry professionals. These experiences help you gain exposure to what a career in your chosen STEM field looks like and helps you build the right career toolkit for success.
In this blog, we have highlighted 10 STEM internships for high school students.
The Delve Work-Experience Program by Delta Institute offers high school students a structured virtual work-experience designed to provide real-world professional experience with globally recognized companies like Stripe, AWS, Ferrari, NHS, and more. You’ll engage in project-based work that simulates an actual workplace environment, allowing you to develop practical skills in your chosen field.
Throughout the work-experience, you’ll receive guidance and mentorship from industry professionals, gaining insight into workplace expectations, teamwork, and problem-solving. At the end of the program, you receive a completion certificate and a letter of recommendation from the company you can use to stand out when applying for college or careers in the future.
Cost: $4,900
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: May 31, 2026 (summer III deadline)
Program Dates: 4 weeks (varies depending on the company)
Eligibility: Open to high school students globally
OPALS is a 4-week in-person summer internship at UC San Diego that takes place in July During the program, you work Monday through Friday on a project connected to public health, medicine, and research.
As an intern, you gain direct research exposure in a university setting and a better understanding of how biomedical and public health work takes place. The program is particularly useful if you want a structured full-day summer experience and want to spend a month working in a STEM-focused environment as opposed to short workshops.
Cost: Application fee $65; program fee $3,000
Location: UC San Diego, San Diego, CA
Application Deadline: September 26
Program Dates: To be announced
Eligibility: You must be at least 14 by the start of the program; priority is generally given to older applicants
Deepen is an 8-week one-on-one mentorship work-experience for high school students who want to go deep into a subject area. During the program, you work directly with an expert mentor in your chosen field, build advanced skills, and develop a personalized project connected to your academic and career interests.
By completing Deepen, you come out with a substantial project, focused mentor feedback, and a recommendation letter tied to the work you completed. The program is a good fit for students who want a strong STEM portfolio piece, whether that takes the form of a research-style project, a technical solution, or a final presentation with clear depth.
Cost: $6,500
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: May 31, 2026 (summer III deadline)
Program Dates: 8 weeks
Eligibility: Open to high school students.
This is an in-person summer research program with a focus in biomedical science that runs from June to August. During the program, you work in a research setting over several weeks and gain direct exposure to advanced lab work in a medical research environment.
The internship gives you hands-on research experience and a clearer understanding of how biomedical research is conducted over a longer summer timeline. This is a strong option if you want a serious lab setting rather than a short pre-college class.
Cost: No cost listed
Location: The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, CA
Application Deadline: March (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: Open to high school applicants who meet the program’s research and application requirements
The Next Gen Internship is a STEM and medicine internship for rising juniors and seniors. You can take part in either a 2-week track or a 7-week track, both of which run from Monday to Friday. The longer track includes one week of lab skills training and four additional weeks of lab placement.
By the end of the internship, you gain career exposure in STEM and medicine, a research presentation, and paid internship experience. If you complete the longer track, you also gain lab skills training and more time inside a placement setting, which gives you a stronger technical outcome.
Cost: No cost; paid internship
Location: Jacobs Institute, Buffalo, NY
Application Deadline: April (based on previous years)
Program Dates: 2-week track July 6 to July 17; 7-week track July 6 to August 21
Eligibility: Open to rising high school juniors and seniors
The Valley STEM Internship is a seven-week paid internship in Milwaukee that runs from June to August. During the internship, you work with partner employers in areas such as architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and related technical fields.
As an intern, you will gain solid STEM work experience, strong workplace skills, and exposure to technical careers through a real employer setting. This is useful if you want a local internship that gives you more than short-term shadowing and places you inside a professional work routine over the summer.
Cost: No cost; paid internship ($13.50/hour)
Location: Menomonee River Valley / Milwaukee, WI
Application Deadline: April (based on previous years
Program Dates: June 29 to August 14
Eligibility: Open to eligible Milwaukee-area high school applicants
Careers in Science is a year-round paid internship for San Francisco high school students from underrepresented communities in STEM. You work after school, on weekends, and on weekdays in the summer, and you stay in the program through high school graduation if you continue meeting the participation requirements.
By taking part, you come out with paid science experience, science communication practice, public engagement work, fieldwork, college tours, and the chance to join research or environmental action projects as you progress. This internship opportunity is a great fit for students who want to showcase consistency and build a leadership portfolio over a longer period of time.
Cost: No cost
Location: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA
Application Deadline: Open in February
Program Dates: Year-round
Eligibility: You must be a current 9th or 10th grade student in an SFUSD school, maintain a 2.5 GPA and at least a C in science and math, and be able to commit through graduation
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a summer internship program for New Mexico seniors.a high school internship program for New Mexico seniors. As an intern, you will work on hands-on projects in a national lab setting and gain exposure to technical and research-oriented career paths.
This internship opportunity is a strong option for students interested in working in a STEM setting linked to a major federal lab and want to work on a real-world project.
Cost: No cost listed on the official page
Location: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Application Deadline: Spring - February; Summer - April; Fall - September
Program Dates: Varies based on selected project
Eligibility: You must be a New Mexico high school senior, at least 16 years old, with a minimum 2.75 GPA
Scripps Research’s High School Summer Internship Program, offered in collaboration with the Research Awareness for Community High Schools (REACH) program, introduces high school students to cutting-edge biomedical research. The seven-week program provides hands-on laboratory experience, mentorship, and exposure to current challenges in fields like molecular biology, biochemistry, and biomedical research. Before the internship starts, you will be required to attend a 3-day bootcamp to prepare you for the experience.
During the internship, you’ll work full-time in laboratories under the guidance of a scientist mentor, assisting with experiments, learning lab techniques, and analyzing data. You’ll also attend weekly professional development workshops and scientific seminars covering research currently being studied at the institution and career exploration. At the end of the summer, you’ll present your research at the campus-wide Summer Intern Symposium.
Cost: Free, $5,040 stipend
Location: La Jolla, California
Application Deadline: March (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June 22 to August 7
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ from eligible schools in San Diego and Escondido
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 labs and fields here.
Cost: No cost (students must cover transportation and housing costs); no stipend
Location: Varies depending on the lab
Application Deadline: February (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, juniors or seniors in high school during the application period, and have a minimum GPA of 3.0
As a high school student interested in STEM, an internship can help you build a strong portfolio for college applications. As an intern, you have the opportunity to work on real-world projects, learn practical skills, explore new technical tools, and network with industry professionals. These experiences help you gain exposure to what a career in your chosen STEM field looks like and helps you build the right career toolkit for success.
In this blog, we have highlighted 10 STEM internships for high school students.
The Delve Work-Experience Program by Delta Institute offers high school students a structured virtual work-experience designed to provide real-world professional experience with globally recognized companies like Stripe, AWS, Ferrari, NHS, and more. You’ll engage in project-based work that simulates an actual workplace environment, allowing you to develop practical skills in your chosen field.
Throughout the work-experience, you’ll receive guidance and mentorship from industry professionals, gaining insight into workplace expectations, teamwork, and problem-solving. At the end of the program, you receive a completion certificate and a letter of recommendation from the company you can use to stand out when applying for college or careers in the future.
Cost: $4,900
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: May 31, 2026 (summer III deadline)
Program Dates: 4 weeks (varies depending on the company)
Eligibility: Open to high school students globally
OPALS is a 4-week in-person summer internship at UC San Diego that takes place in July During the program, you work Monday through Friday on a project connected to public health, medicine, and research.
As an intern, you gain direct research exposure in a university setting and a better understanding of how biomedical and public health work takes place. The program is particularly useful if you want a structured full-day summer experience and want to spend a month working in a STEM-focused environment as opposed to short workshops.
Cost: Application fee $65; program fee $3,000
Location: UC San Diego, San Diego, CA
Application Deadline: September 26
Program Dates: To be announced
Eligibility: You must be at least 14 by the start of the program; priority is generally given to older applicants
Deepen is an 8-week one-on-one mentorship work-experience for high school students who want to go deep into a subject area. During the program, you work directly with an expert mentor in your chosen field, build advanced skills, and develop a personalized project connected to your academic and career interests.
By completing Deepen, you come out with a substantial project, focused mentor feedback, and a recommendation letter tied to the work you completed. The program is a good fit for students who want a strong STEM portfolio piece, whether that takes the form of a research-style project, a technical solution, or a final presentation with clear depth.
Cost: $6,500
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: May 31, 2026 (summer III deadline)
Program Dates: 8 weeks
Eligibility: Open to high school students.
This is an in-person summer research program with a focus in biomedical science that runs from June to August. During the program, you work in a research setting over several weeks and gain direct exposure to advanced lab work in a medical research environment.
The internship gives you hands-on research experience and a clearer understanding of how biomedical research is conducted over a longer summer timeline. This is a strong option if you want a serious lab setting rather than a short pre-college class.
Cost: No cost listed
Location: The Lundquist Institute, Torrance, CA
Application Deadline: March (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: Open to high school applicants who meet the program’s research and application requirements
The Next Gen Internship is a STEM and medicine internship for rising juniors and seniors. You can take part in either a 2-week track or a 7-week track, both of which run from Monday to Friday. The longer track includes one week of lab skills training and four additional weeks of lab placement.
By the end of the internship, you gain career exposure in STEM and medicine, a research presentation, and paid internship experience. If you complete the longer track, you also gain lab skills training and more time inside a placement setting, which gives you a stronger technical outcome.
Cost: No cost; paid internship
Location: Jacobs Institute, Buffalo, NY
Application Deadline: April (based on previous years)
Program Dates: 2-week track July 6 to July 17; 7-week track July 6 to August 21
Eligibility: Open to rising high school juniors and seniors
The Valley STEM Internship is a seven-week paid internship in Milwaukee that runs from June to August. During the internship, you work with partner employers in areas such as architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and related technical fields.
As an intern, you will gain solid STEM work experience, strong workplace skills, and exposure to technical careers through a real employer setting. This is useful if you want a local internship that gives you more than short-term shadowing and places you inside a professional work routine over the summer.
Cost: No cost; paid internship ($13.50/hour)
Location: Menomonee River Valley / Milwaukee, WI
Application Deadline: April (based on previous years
Program Dates: June 29 to August 14
Eligibility: Open to eligible Milwaukee-area high school applicants
Careers in Science is a year-round paid internship for San Francisco high school students from underrepresented communities in STEM. You work after school, on weekends, and on weekdays in the summer, and you stay in the program through high school graduation if you continue meeting the participation requirements.
By taking part, you come out with paid science experience, science communication practice, public engagement work, fieldwork, college tours, and the chance to join research or environmental action projects as you progress. This internship opportunity is a great fit for students who want to showcase consistency and build a leadership portfolio over a longer period of time.
Cost: No cost
Location: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA
Application Deadline: Open in February
Program Dates: Year-round
Eligibility: You must be a current 9th or 10th grade student in an SFUSD school, maintain a 2.5 GPA and at least a C in science and math, and be able to commit through graduation
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a summer internship program for New Mexico seniors.a high school internship program for New Mexico seniors. As an intern, you will work on hands-on projects in a national lab setting and gain exposure to technical and research-oriented career paths.
This internship opportunity is a strong option for students interested in working in a STEM setting linked to a major federal lab and want to work on a real-world project.
Cost: No cost listed on the official page
Location: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Application Deadline: Spring - February; Summer - April; Fall - September
Program Dates: Varies based on selected project
Eligibility: You must be a New Mexico high school senior, at least 16 years old, with a minimum 2.75 GPA
Scripps Research’s High School Summer Internship Program, offered in collaboration with the Research Awareness for Community High Schools (REACH) program, introduces high school students to cutting-edge biomedical research. The seven-week program provides hands-on laboratory experience, mentorship, and exposure to current challenges in fields like molecular biology, biochemistry, and biomedical research. Before the internship starts, you will be required to attend a 3-day bootcamp to prepare you for the experience.
During the internship, you’ll work full-time in laboratories under the guidance of a scientist mentor, assisting with experiments, learning lab techniques, and analyzing data. You’ll also attend weekly professional development workshops and scientific seminars covering research currently being studied at the institution and career exploration. At the end of the summer, you’ll present your research at the campus-wide Summer Intern Symposium.
Cost: Free, $5,040 stipend
Location: La Jolla, California
Application Deadline: March (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June 22 to August 7
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ from eligible schools in San Diego and Escondido
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 labs and fields here.
Cost: No cost (students must cover transportation and housing costs); no stipend
Location: Varies depending on the lab
Application Deadline: February (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, juniors or seniors in high school during the application period, and have a minimum GPA of 3.0
About the Author
George Gatsios holds a BA and MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge and is the founder of Delta Institute. He leads the organisation’s global strategy, overseeing programme design, partnerships, operations, and product innovation across education, career development, and technology. His work centers on building scalable, hands-on learning experiences that connect students with real-world industry exposure and future-ready skills. Alongside his leadership at Delta Institute, George serves as a Research Assistant in Economics at the University of Cambridge and London Business School, contributing to research at the intersection of economic theory, empirical analysis, and policy. He is an active member of the International Baccalaureate Educator Network (IBEN) and a strong advocate for lifelong learning and internationally minded education.
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