If you’re a high school student interested in STEM, there are a range of online programs you can participate in to enhance your knowledge and build new skills. Your options include conducting independent research in fields like chemistry and mathematics to learning how to code.
Online programs offer you the flexibility to learn from home while having a meaningful academic experience. Some programs also include live sessions with mentors and peers, making sure you have the chance to interact with professors and peers with similar interests.
Here are 13 rewarding STEM summer programs for high school students.
Subject Area: Multidisciplinary (AI, engineering, biology, physics, and more)
Program Dates:
- Winter seminar: December 2, 2024 onwards
- Spring seminar: March 3 – June 23, 2025
- Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply at least 4 weeks in advance
Application Deadlines: November 10, 2024 for the Winter seminar, February 9, 2025 for the Spring seminar
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a few tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here
High school students can collaborate one-on-one on an independent research project with a professor or professional researcher through the Horizon Academic program. Horizon promotes the development of critical thinking, advanced research skills, and in-depth knowledge of your chosen field—whether you're delving into quantum mechanics or investigating AI ethics.
With the help of a professor or PhD scholar, this program offers you a great chance to pursue a research program in extremely specialized fields. Each student in the program receives a letter of recommendation from the instructors as well as thorough project feedback that they can use for future assignments and college applications. They also get practical experience with academic writing, modeling, and simulation using programs like Python and MATLAB. Click here to apply if interested.
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Subject Area: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, medicine
Cost: $2,290 (AI Scholars), $5,400 (AI Fellowship), $6,900 (both). Financial aid available
Program Dates: Multiple year-round cohorts
Application Deadlines: October 20, 2024 for the upcoming Winter cohort
Eligibility: 9th-12th grade students passionate about AI. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
With practical Python and TensorFlow projects, this program provides a comprehensive introduction to artificial intelligence. Natural language processing (NLP) and neural networks are among the topics covered in this program. If you complete this program, you will have a portfolio of AI-powered apps and machine-learning models. The project-based curriculum is a great option for students who want to learn data science and coding skills while exploring the real-world uses of artificial intelligence. Here’s the application form.
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Subject Area: Computer science, biology, engineering, physics, and more
Cost: $2,990 (Individual Research Program), $5,900 (Premium Research and Publication Program), $8,900 (Research Fellowship and Professor Premium Publication Program). Financial aid available
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. November 24, 2024 for the upcoming Winter cohort
Eligibility:
- You must be currently enrolled in high school
- Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note: students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
- No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
Program Dates: Multiple year-round cohorts
Lumiere guides students through independent research projects in a variety of STEM fields by matching them with researchers at the PhD level. Whether you're studying microfluidics in biology or genetic algorithms, this program places a strong emphasis on developing robust research methodologies.
Established by scholars from Harvard and Oxford, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs students with a PhD mentor one-on-one to explore the frontiers of their field of interest and develop an autonomous research project. Additionally, you will learn how to write formal research papers using LaTeX and analyze data using R. Apply here.
Subject Area: Mathematics, abstract algebra, number theory, combinatorics, algebraic topology
Cost: $3,550. Need-based financial aid available
Program Dates: TBA for 2025. Two online sessions were offered in 2024:
- June 17 – July 5, 2024
- July 8 – 26, 2024
Application Deadlines: February 1, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
Stanford University’s Mathematics Camp offers an online version which is a great opportunity for high school students who want to explore mathematical ideas beyond what is usually taught in the classroom. You can choose from one of two courses: ‘Abstract Algebra & Number Theory’ and ‘Algebraic Topology.’ You’ll participate in live classroom discussions and solve problem sets with Stanford students guiding you. In the number theory section, you’ll examine the limitations of straight-edge and compass constructions, error-correcting codes, cryptography, and more. The algebraic topology class will teach you how to use algebra to analyze the topological properties of shapes.
Subject Area: Theoretical mathematics
Program Dates: January – December (year-long program)
Application Deadlines: November 18, 2024
Cost: Free
Eligibility: High school juniors and sophomores who live in the U.S. further than 50 miles from Boston. It’s also recommended that students meet one of the criteria listed here, such as having a recommendation from a college math professor or having previously participated in a summer math program
MIT PRIMES USA gives you the chance to work on original math research projects under the supervision of MIT mentors and faculty. By emphasizing pure mathematics topics like algebra, number theory, and combinatorics, the program pushes you to go far beyond the traditional curriculum and explore new areas of mathematical inquiry. This is a competitive program, and students have to solve a challenging problem to be accepted. Previous years’ problems have covered monotonic functions, matrices, and Hamiltonian paths. Accepted students begin by reading the mathematical literature in their field of interest before conducting research with the support of an MIT faculty member and submitting a final research paper.
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Subject Area: Business, entrepreneurship, STEM
Cost: The total cost to attend the 3-week program is $2,900. There is need-based financial aid
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
Program Dates: Vary according to cohort. December 21, 2024 – January 5, 2025 for the upcoming winter cohort
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. November 24, 2024 for the winter cohort. You can access the application link here!
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. If you’re interested in STEM, you can work on building a STEM start-up. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.
Apart from building the start-up itself, you will also participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more.
The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
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Subject Area: Engineering (civil, chemical, electrical/computer, mechanical), materials science
Cost: $3,575 + $247.12 lab kit fee + $50 application fee. Scholarships available
Program Dates: June 30 – August 1, 2025
Application Deadlines: May 17, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program). Applications are assessed on a rolling basis, so it’s best to apply early
Eligibility: Current high school students and recent graduates who meet the academic prerequisites listed here
The Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation program offers a college-level course in fundamental engineering subjects. You will attend lectures, solve problems, and learn to approach issues from an engineering perspective. JHU ships lab kits so you can participate in the activities from home. Activities include building a stable bridge, testing the material of spaghetti, and using a bioreactor to link heat transfer and chemical reactions.
Subject Area: Computer science, web development, mobile app development, Artificial Intelligence, data science
Cost: Free
Program Dates: TBA for 2025. Three sessions were offered in 2024:
- June 14 – 28, 2024
- July 8 – 19, 2024
- July 29 – August 9, 2024
Application Deadlines: March 22, 2024 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Financial Assistance: Free program with a $300 need-based stipend available for U.S. students
Eligibility: Female and non-binary high school students in grades 9-11
This two-week intensive program aims to introduce female and non-binary high school students to the fundamentals of computer science and programming. You’ll get to design your own computer games using a JavaScript library working with teachers and peers. You will also learn the basics of UX design. Girls Who Code also offers career mentorship sessions with their corporate partners, including Logitech, Bank of America, and Metlife.
Subject Area: Software engineering, machine learning, data engineering, materials science
Cost: Free. Some internships provide a stipend
Program Dates: Varies according to internship, typically 8-10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadlines: Applications for 2025 will open in March/April
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and reside in the U.S.
Spark SMP is a selective summer internship program for high school students. Although 2025 dates and internship options haven’t been announced yet, we can expect remote STEM internships to be included as in 2024. In 2024, students interested in STEM could use ML workflow packages like Raven to solve an identification problem for the University of Washington. For students who want to learn more about semiconductor physics, the University of Washington offered a remote technical writing internship. The role involved reading research papers and white papers to produce a materials science document.
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Subject Area: Molecular biology, chemistry, bioinformatics, medicine, biomedical research, pharmacy, nursing
Cost: $430 – $1,050, depending on the workshop. Limited financial aid available
Program Dates: Vary according to workshop, but typically 2 weeks between June – August
Application Deadlines: Rolling
Eligibility: Students aged 12-18. Check specific requirements for the workshop you’re interested in
The online molecular medicine workshops at the Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research cover cellular and molecular medicine, medicinal chemistry, and medical bioinformatics. You will learn about molecular pathways, protein synthesis, and gene expression. You will learn how to analyze large biomedical data sets online in the Medicinal Bioinformatics course, building data analysis skills that you can use in future research projects. In Medicinal Chemistry, you will discover how drugs are designed, including drug resistance and safety.
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Subject Area: Technology, machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, healthcare and medicine, environmental science, software engineering, web design and UI/UX
Cost: $2,490 (Financial Aid Available)
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. November 24, 2024 for the upcoming winter cohort
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. December 16, 2024 onwards for the winter cohort
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. If you’re interested in STEM, you can check out their internships in machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, healthcare and medicine, environmental science, software engineering, web design and UI/UX. You can explore all the options here on their application form.
Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. Past founders have included YCombinator alums, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company.
Interns are offered one-on-one training in communication, time management, and other such valuable skills and will also have the opportunity to attend group training sessions with other interns in their cohort. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
12.
Subject Area: Advanced mathematics and physics (linear algebra, multivariable calculus, quantum mechanics, special relativity)
Cost: $1,600 + $35 application fee. Need-based financial aid available
Program Dates: January 27 – May 16, 2025 for the spring term
Application Deadlines: January 6, 2025 for the spring term
Eligibility: High school students, including international students, who have completed the required prerequisites for their course
Stanford Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Math & Physics Courses offers advanced math and physics classes to high school students. The math program includes classes in multivariable differential calculus, modern algebra, complex analysis, and number theory. In the physics program, you’ll learn about the kinetic theory of matter, Hilbert space structure of qubits, Green’s functions, and rigid body dynamics. The classes are self-paced and include ungraded practice problems as well as graded midterms and finals. You’ll earn Stanford University Continuing Studies credit for participating.
13.
Subject Area: Artificial Intelligence, medicine, sociology, economics, computer science
Cost: $4,000. Financial aid available
Program Dates: July 8 – 26, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Application Deadlines: March 25, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Rising 10th-grade students
Stanford AI4All is a three-week summer program designed to teach the principles of artificial intelligence and its practical applications to high school students from a variety of backgrounds. The program's objectives are to demystify AI and inspire students to consider careers in technology and research, especially those who are historically underrepresented in the field. You’ll participate in lectures and research projects to learn about how AI can be used to reduce poverty, respond to disasters, and improve medical care. The program also offers mentorship by researchers.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.