Wondering why internships for high school students are on the rise? It’s not a coincidence. While plenty of teens pursue part-time jobs, fewer pursue academic career advancement—like research internships for high school students. Therefore, a well-timed (and well-placed) internship can elevate one college application above the crowd. If you are a student seeking one of these competitive research internships, however, you’ll need to know where to look. This article is a round-up of 40 different internships for high school students to get you started on your search.
Here are some of the best internships this year! While these aren’t listed in any particular order, don’t be afraid to check out opportunities outside your comfort zone. After all, an internship is the perfect way to explore without a long-term commitment. You never know what skills you could gain.
Let’s get started.
1. The Smithsonian Institution
If you have a passion for history, museums, and research, you may be interested in the student internship positions at the Smithsonian Institution. This educational program allows high school students to gain experience working with the Smithsonian, the world’s largest institution of education and research.
- Duration: Varies by project
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by project
2. NASA High School Internship Program
For students interested in engineering, NASA offers a program that has sessions available year-round. These internships have typically been in-person opportunities at one of the NASA centers in the country. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, those opportunities went remote, and many of them remain that way.
- Duration: Varies by project
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by project
Ready for Your NASA Internship?
3. California Academy of Sciences, Careers in Science
Careers in Science is a multi-year, year-round, paid internship and youth development program for San Francisco high school students who come from communities underrepresented in STEM, including girls and students of color.
- Duration: Varies by position
- Requirements: open to high school students; 2.5 GPA; authorized to work in the San Francisco area
- Application Deadline: April
4. DOI Pathways Program
This excellent program is a paid internship offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It’s available to high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students. Various hiring agencies within the Department of the Interior offer these internships, which relate to different careers and fields of study.
- Duration: Varies by agency
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by agency
5. U.S. Senate Page Program
Perhaps the most widely known law internships for high school students are those within the Senate Page Program. Pages for the Senate have been working on the floor since the early 19th century! Today pages are appointed and sponsored by a senator.
- Duration: Varies by session
- Requirements: 16 or 17 years old; US citizen; 3.0 GPA
- Application Deadline: Varies by session
6. Microsoft Discovery Program
Students in the Microsoft Discovery Program will participate in a curriculum designed to learn programming fundamentals and develop career readiness skills. They will also gain mentorship.
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Requirements: graduating high school seniors around Redmond, WA or Atlanta, GA
- Application Deadline: Late March
7. National Institute of Health (NIH)
The highly-competitive NIH High School Student Internship Program places students in real-life research capacities with medical professionals carrying out full-time biomedical research at the National Institute of Health.
- Duration: Summer term
- Requirements: 11th and 12th grade students with an interest in medicine
- Application Deadline: Mid-February
HS-SIP: NIH High School Summer Internship Program (How to Apply)
8. U.S. Office of Personnel Management
The internship program provides high school, undergraduate, and graduate students with opportunities for paid work in agencies and to explore Federal careers.
- Duration: Varies by project
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by project
9. Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle’s High School Internship Program is designed to provide you with the skills you need to be successful in a corporate environment. Students engage with real city projects and personal development opportunities.
- Duration: Varies by program
- Requirements: 16 years old, authorized to work in the Seattle area
- Application Deadline: May (for Summer) or November (for Winter)
10. Seattle City Lights
Interested in exploring the business of energy production and distribution? City Light provides high school internships that allow you to get a paid, hands-on experience with the business of the utility.
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Requirements: 16 years old, 2.0 GPA, authorized to work in the Seattle area
- Application Deadline: Early April
11. Sacramento Municipal Utility District
High school interns at SMUD have a unique opportunity to get an inside look into professions that could inspire career choices. Students can explore fields including information technology, engineering, customer service, administrative support, vehicle mechanics, accounting, human resources, marketing and many others.
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Requirements: 16 years or older, 2.5 GPA, authorized to work in the Sacramento area
- Application Deadline: Varies by session
12. New York High School Automotive Internship Program
This is a unique opportunity for students to participate in a paid summer internship program that provides valuable hands-on experience maintaining high-profile City vehicles, and the unique opportunity to learn from leading City fleet experts and professionals who service the largest municipal fleet in the United States.
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Requirements: enrolled in an eligible New York high school
- Application Deadline: Varies by session
13. Chicago Student Intern Opportunities
In addition to individual internship opportunities listed, the city of Chicago’s new process allows students interested in gaining valuable municipal government experience to submit their profile which is kept in a pool of pre-qualified candidates for consideration for available positions.
- Duration: Varies by department
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by department
14. George Mason University
The nationally known Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) provides transformative research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students. Selected participants work one-on-one with faculty researchers and collaborating institutions using state-of-the-art technology across many disciplines.
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Requirements: 15 years or older
- Application Deadline: February
Spotlight on ASSIP: Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program
15. University of California, Santa Barbara
The Research Mentorship Program is a competitive summer program that engages qualified, high-achieving high school students from all over the world in interdisciplinary, hands-on, university-level research.
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Requirements: 10th or 11th grade, 3.8 GPA
- Application Deadline: Mid-March
16. University of California, Santa Cruz
??The Science Internship Program (SIP) offers high school students the opportunity to spend their summer working on authentic open-ended research projects in science, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and art under the mentorship of UCSC researchers.
- Duration: 9 weeks
- Requirements: 14 years or older, 16 years or older for some placements
- Application Deadline: March
17. University of California, San Diego
Teaches highly sought-after skills that can make students more competitive candidates for college admissions and internship opportunities. Students will assume the role of a researcher, becoming fully immersed in projects that have real-world applications. From Bioengineering and Life Sciences to Design Thinking, and more.
- Duration: Varies by session
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by session
18. US Army Educational Outreach Program
High school students work one-on-one with a university researcher or DoD scientist mentor during this authentic science and engineering research internship under AEOP.
- Duration: Varies by project
- Requirements: High school students from underrepresented backgrounds
- Application Deadline: Rolling
19. Clean Water Ambassadors Internship
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust partners with King County Wastewater Treatment Division offer a paid internship experience for a cohort of high school interns to learn about local environmental issues, solutions, and careers focused on clean water in the Pacific Northwest region.
- Duration: 6-7 weeks
- Requirements: 16 years or older; passionate about the environment
- Application Deadline: Mid-April
20. Institute of Systems Biology
ISB has well-established high school and undergraduate internship programs offered each summer. These internship positions are highly competitive and offer unparalleled experience in the emerging field of systems biology.
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Requirements: 11th grade students
- Application Deadline: January
21. University of Texas Health
A year-round program on the San Antonio campus designed to provide an intensive, hands-on, discovery-rich, creative and interdisciplinary research experience. This is a unique experience in learning and interdisciplinary research, with senior investigators serving as mentors and role models.
- Duration: Varies; inquire for details
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies; inquire for details
22. Stanford University SHTEM Programs
This internship is intended to provide early exposure to research transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students will be grouped to multifaceted projects that will benefit from their existing interests and strengths, while exposing them to new areas.
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Requirements: 11th or 12th grade, currently enrolled in high school
- Application Deadline: February
23. Abbott’s Women in STEM Internships
The purpose of the High School STEM internship is to provide meaningful, professional, hands-on experience to students with proven academic performance and leadership potential.
- Duration: Varies by focus area
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by focus area
A Day in the Life with Maria, Manufacturing Engineering Intern
24. University of Nebraska
The College of Information Science & Technology offers this summer internship program for high school students. Gives you an innovative, hands-on experience directly in our labs. You’ll work alongside our faculty and students in areas such as robotics, bioinformatics, software engineering, cybersecurity, public health informatics,
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Requirements: 16 years or older; 10th, 11th, or 12th grade; B or higher in Algebra 1
- Application Deadline: March
25. BioBus Junior Scientist Internships
BioBus Junior Scientists are high school and college students who receive training and mentorship from research scientists, while developing their own independent projects and co-teaching BioBus programs for younger students!
- Duration: Varies by session
- Requirements: High school students authorized to work in the New York City area
- Application Deadline: March
26. Louisiana State University Medical School
Interns in the LSU program learn techniques used in the health sciences laboratories, gain research study skills, and experience professional development and career preparation through weekly program seminars. Additionally, they receive training in presentation skills.
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: March
27. Vanderbilt University AspirnautTM Program
AspirnautTM Summer Research Internships are hands-on and mentored laboratory experiences for high school students interested in a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Requirements: High-achieving high school students must submit requested materials.
- Application Deadline: Mid-January
28. US Naval STEM Internships
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research.
- Duration: Varies by project
- Requirements: 10th, 11th, 12th grade
- Application Deadline: November
29. Dallas Bar Association
The Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP), a joint initiative of the Dallas Bar Association and the Dallas Independent School District, places high school students with law firms and corporate legal departments.
- Duration: Up to 8 weeks
- Requirements: 11th graders authorized to work in the Dallas area
- Application Deadline: April
30. US Department of Education
The Department works to tailor each intern’s experience to the interests, and skills of the interns against the needs of Department offices. In the past, students have completed projects focusing on: Policy analysis and evaluation; Research; Finance; Public affairs and communications; Community outreach; Intergovernmental relations; Legislative affairs; News media; Legal work; And a host of other projects.
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by session
31. Jimerson Birr Attorneys
The High School Summer Internship Program allows you to experience a career in a dynamic firm that promotes your professional growth, and offers a unique opportunity to help you prepare to enter your first year of college with real-world experience added to your skillset. From day one, you are given real, substantive work and are an important part of our team.
- Duration: 4-6 weeks
- Requirements: High school students with an interest in law, based in Florida
- Application Deadline: Rolling
32. Pasquines Volunteer Internships
As a nonprofit news organization, Pasquines lacks monetary resources to afford a staff. Our work is dependent upon the efforts of volunteers, contributors and interns. Join us and help make a difference. Check out our available volunteer and internship roles and apply today.
- Duration: Varies by role
- Requirements: Open to all high school students
- Application Deadline: Rolling
33. New York Historical Society
Student Historians are high school-aged interns who use the resources of New York Historical Society to conduct research and share their scholarship through creative digital projects. Interns meet with professional staff to learn about the museum, library, digital humanities, and history fields; work collaboratively with fellow students to develop their historical thinking, communication, and digital media skills; and engage in hands-on work to deepen their understanding of American history and the digital humanities.
- Duration: Varies by session
- Requirements: 10th, 11th, or 12th grade; authorized to work in the New York City area
- Application Deadline: February (for Summer) or May (for Academic Year)
34. American Red Cross
Red Cross youth programs offer students and young adults meaningful opportunities for leadership training and community service. We empower you to respond to the community’s needs locally, nationally, and internationally through numerous leadership, education, and community service opportunities.
- Duration: Varies by position
- Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
- Application Deadline: Varies by position
35. Cinncinati Children’s Hospital
The program is very competitive, offering an exciting opportunity for highly motivated students interested in pursuing higher education (MD, PhD, or MD / PhD) to learn more about careers in Biomedical Sciences.
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Requirements: High school seniors only
- Application Deadline: February
Other Places to Search for High School Internship Positions
36. Remote Internships for High School Students:
Ever dreamed of ways to fulfill your high school research internship from home? Believe it or not, that might be possible! With the advent of video conferencing software and other remote work accommodations, some high school internships can be completed independently from the comfort of your home. You never know what you might find until you start looking.
37. For Women in STEM Fields:
For high school students who identify as women, there are lots of opportunities for internships in STEM fields! These research internships are unique because they aim to uplift more underrepresented genders into science and engineering careers. For more information, read on.
38. Research Internships for High School Students in the Legal Field:
If you’re a teenager looking for ways to learn about the legal system in the US, it can seem intimidating to get started. In fact, it can feel like there aren’t many opportunities at all! Have no fear; we’ve got you covered.
39. High School Internships for Computer Scientists:
Perhaps working on a computer or behind a screen is more your speed? If you’re seeking internships for high schoolers who are talented computer scientists, you aren’t alone. There are both research internships and paid internships available to you!
40. Research Internships for High School Students on Medicine or Pre-Medicine Tracks:
You might have thought that there were no research internships for high school students in medicine, but that’s not true! While you might not be treating patients immediately, there are plenty of ways for aspiring medical practicioners to get involved.
None of these programs feel like the right fit, or just not sure where to start? For more, check out Empowerly’s Guide to High School Internships for expert tips on how to navigate your entire journey. Taking the first step is the best way to find out for yourself.
In the end, you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re looking for a mentor to guide you through your first internship, Empowerly can help with that, too. Check out the Startup Internship Program to learn more about how our program works to prepare you for the best experiences for students.
Sophia Minhas