If you’re in high school and wondering what it’s like to study at Harvard, there are multiple online programs that allow you to try out advanced academics from the comfort of your own home. These programs give you a chance to learn from Harvard instructors, take part in challenging coursework, and explore complex academic topics in depth.
Harvard offers a ton of research opportunities for high school students year on year, and in this piece, we’ve compiled 15 of the best research programs that Harvard has to offer.
These research programs encompass a diverse range of fields, including biomedical engineering, neuroscience, climate science, business, and more. Some research programs are focused on research. Others are more like college classes but with a strong research component. As a participant, you’ll get to ask questions, study advanced topics, and think like a researcher under the guidance of Harvard faculty.
With that, here are 10 online research-related opportunities from Harvard that you can explore as a high school student!
(Note: All programs below may not be traditional research experiences, but typically include a research component or inquiry-based learning)
10 Online Harvard Research Opportunities for High School Students
1. Harvard-Smithsonian Science Research Mentoring Program
Cost: Fully funded.
Application Deadline: May
Dates: September – May
Eligibility: The program is currently open to students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, but they aim to expand its reach in the future.
If you’re a high school student from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, this program lets you spend a whole school year doing real astrophysics research with scientists from Harvard and the Smithsonian. You’ll join a small team of about 5 to 8 students and work on projects like analyzing telescope data, writing code in Python for space simulations, and using physics to understand how the universe works.
You’ll meet monthly with your mentors for workshops, talks, and research check-ins. These sessions can be online or in person. By the end of the year, you’ll put together your findings and share them at a formal research symposium.
2. Harvard Secondary School Program (SSP)
Cost: Up to $14,950. More information here.
Application Deadline: February 12 – April 9
Dates: July 13–August 9 (4 weeks) and June 21–August 9 (7 weeks)
Eligibility: You must graduate in the next three years, be at least 16 by June 21, and not turn 19 before July 31
Harvard’s Secondary School Program offers high school students the chance to take real college courses for credit, either online or on campus. Taught by Harvard faculty or visiting instructors, the program follows a college-style format and includes academic work, lectures, and discussions.
In the 4-week session, you take one course in a small group that meets for 2.5 hours, four times a week. Subjects include economics, writing, global issues, science, and medicine. You’ll complete assignments, attend guest lectures, and engage with peers.
The 7-week session allows you to take one or two classes. If both are in the same field, you can study that subject in more depth. Course options include neuroscience, law, psychology, journalism, and entrepreneurship. You earn college credit and can request a transcript after finishing.
3. Data Science: R Basics
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: April 16 – December 17
Eligibility: Introductory course, no prerequisites required, Open to all high school students
Offered by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this free course covers the basics of R programming using a U.S. crime dataset for practice. You’ll learn data types, vector arithmetic, indexing, and how to visualize data with ggplot2. The course also includes file management and version control.
This course builds a foundation for research by teaching you how to wrangle, analyze, and visualize data—skills essential for empirical work in many fields. It prepares you for more advanced data science courses and strengthens your ability to conduct and present research.
4. Data Science: Visualization
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: October 16 – June 18
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The Data Science: Visualization course focuses on using ggplot2 in R to explore and present data. You’ll work with datasets related to global health, economics, and infectious disease trends in the U.S. The course teaches you how to create clear charts and interpret what they show.
It also covers identifying and correcting common problems in data, such as errors and biases. Visualization is key for communicating research findings, making this course solid for students aiming to present data-driven insights.
5. HarvardX: Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: 5 weeks, self-paced
Eligibility: Introductory course, open to all
HarvardX offers a free, self-paced course called Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market that runs for five weeks. The course is open to all and does not require prior experience. It focuses on how entrepreneurs match new technologies with customer needs to build viable businesses.
You’ll study the venture creation process through case studies and lessons from founders, investors, and industry experts. This course shows how research can be used in real life by teaching you how to turn new ideas into businesses.
6. Positive Psychology
Cost: $30
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: 2 weeks, self-paced
Eligibility: Introductory course, open to all
The Positive Psychology course costs $30 and runs for two weeks with a self-paced format. It is open to all students without prior requirements. The course explores positive psychology and offers practical tools to help you build lasting happiness and contentment.
You will learn strategies to improve relationships, increase personal well-being, and find deeper satisfaction beyond short-term emotions. This course is based on psychological research and encourages you to explore positive psychology.
7. HarvardX: Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies
Cost: Free, $249 with certificate.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: 6 weeks, self-paced
Eligibility: All high school students can apply!
The HarvardX course Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies is six weeks long and self-paced. It is free to take, with an optional certificate available for $249. The course is open to all high school students. The course examines how entrepreneurship addresses social problems in emerging economies.
You will learn about financing, scaling, branding, property rights, and impact measurement across different sectors and regions. You research social issues and entrepreneurial solutions, building skills for interdisciplinary work in economics, international relations, and development studies.
8. Nonprofit Financial Stewardship Webinar: Introduction to Accounting and Financial Statements
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: Self-paced
Eligibility: The Introductory course does not require any prerequisites and is suitable for all high school students
The Nonprofit Financial Stewardship Webinar: Introduction to Accounting and Financial Statements is a free, self-paced course with no application deadline, suitable for high school students without prerequisites. It offers an introduction to nonprofit accounting principles, financial planning, budgeting, and how to read and analyze financial statements like balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow reports.
The course teaches practical skills such as tracking revenue and expenses, understanding fund accounting specific to nonprofits, and preparing basic budgets. It also covers compliance requirements and donor reporting standards critical for nonprofit transparency.
9. CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: 12 weeks
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
CS50 is a well-known introductory computer science course that focuses on algorithmic thinking and problem-solving skills. The curriculum covers essential concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, software engineering, security, and web development. You will learn programming languages including C, Python, SQL, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
The course ends with a final project where you apply the concepts learned to build and present your program. CS50 provides foundational computer science knowledge that can be applied across various fields, including bioinformatics, finance, and research, where computational skills are increasingly important for data analysis and automation.
10. HarvardX: The Architectural Imagination
Cost: Free, $249 with certificate
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: 10 weeks, self-paced
Eligibility: All high school students can apply!
HarvardX: The Architectural Imagination is a free, self-paced course lasting 10 weeks, open to all high school students. It explores how architecture shapes society and culture, covering architectural representation along with its historical and social contexts. The course offers continuing education units (CEUs) from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Through the course, you will develop skills in spatial reasoning, creative thinking, and cultural analysis. It provides a foundation for students interested in fields like architecture, urban planning, or art history by combining practical and theoretical approaches to understanding the built environment.
Bonus programs below! While these programs aren’t hosted at Harvard, they are online research programs established by Harvard alumni.
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and 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.
2. Veritas AI – AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Application deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program dates: Varies according to the cohort: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI with a suitable environment in which to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship. The AI Fellowship program will allow students to pursue independent AI research projects. Students work on their research projects over 15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest.You can find examples of previous projects here.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – Harvard University
