If you’re a high school student interested in exploring psychology over the summer, you should consider participating in a research program in the field! Psychology research programs will allow you to delve into real-world research projects, analyze data, and develop essential research skills.
Whether you're interested in clinical psychology, neuroscience, or social psychology, these programs will help you gain hands-on experience, work with experienced psychologists, and discover new avenues in the field. They will help you enhance your understanding of yourself and others and allow you to explore exciting opportunities in fields like social sciences, healthcare, and education.
Here’s our curated list of 14 summer psychology research programs for high school students that you can consider!
Subject Areas: Psychological research, behavior, memory, perception, and cognitive development.
Location: In-person at the Columbia University campus, NY or Virtual
Cost:
- $2,700–$12,154 depending on the course duration and option (residential, commuter, or online) selected.
- Need-based financial aid is available for New York residents participating in the NYC Commuter Summer Program.
You can check here for a detailed breakdown of costs.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed now but the deadlines vary depending on the session.
Dates:
- Session A: June 24–July 12, 2024 (In-person) | July 01–July 12, 2024 (Online)
- Session B: July 16–August 02, 2024 (In-person) | July 15–July 26, 2024 (Online)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 can apply. You must be at least 16 years old to participate in the NYC Residential Summer Program.
Columbia University’s Pre-college Program offers several psychology courses to choose from, ranging from 1-3 weeks, either in-person or online. The psychology courses listed here cover topics such as memory, perception, cognitive development, psycholinguistics, speech-language therapy, biological bases of behavior, and more.
“The Science of Psychology” course will introduce you to the fundamental concepts and theories of psychology, the science of the mind and behavior. The course offers a comprehensive exploration of psychological research, covering the biological foundations of behavior, learning and memory, sensory and perceptual processes, cognitive development, language acquisition, personality, and the impact of social factors on behavior.
Subject Areas: Environmental health and engineering, behavioral economics, psychology, international relations, neuroscience, data science, machine learning, network science, biophysics, biotechnology, chemistry, physics, history, philosophy, political theory, sociology, and more!
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: May 21, 2024, for the summer cohort and September 25, 2024, for the fall cohort.
Program Dates:
- Summer seminar: June 24–September 2, 2024
- Fall seminar: October 23, 2024–February 19, 2025
- The dates are flexible for Horizon Labs, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. If you’re interested in psychology, Horizon offers a range of 72 subtopics in psychology, spanning key questions in clinical, social, developmental, and cognitive psychology.
You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields, under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects and college applications. You can apply here!
Subject Areas: Psychology, clinical neuropsychiatry, neuroscience research, psychiatric epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, and more.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA or Virtual
Cost: $1,495 (virtual) | $2,795 (in-person). Scholarships are available for qualified applicants and you can request financial assistance in your application.
Application Deadline: Applications usually close in early March.
Dates: Multiple sessions were available in 2024:
- Virtual session: June 17–June 28, 2024
- In-person sessions: July 8–July 19, 2024 | July 22–August 2, 2024
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors can apply.
The Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) at Stanford University exposes students to introductory concepts in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. This 2-week program will introduce you to the diverse research available in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. During the program, you will get to attend seminars with professional faculty and researchers, explore professional and career possibilities, and learn self-care strategies.
The highlight of this program is the capstone research project in which you will work in groups of 8-10 to develop innovative solutions in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. You will then get to present this project at the final capstone event at the end of the program. Some topics covered in the past include eating disorders, neuroimaging, mindfulness, early intervention programs, sports psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, brain stimulation, trauma, addiction, autism, and more.
Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary—biology, psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, gender studies, engineering, chemistry, business, entrepreneurship, international relations, environmental science, and more!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Starts at $2,800. Financial aid is available!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The main summer deadlines are March 17, April 14, and May 12. The final deadline for the summer cohort is typically in June.
Dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, and the Spring cohort from March to June. (The program options range from 12 weeks to 1 year).
Eligibility:
- You must be currently enrolled in high school.
- Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: Students must have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4).
- Previous knowledge of your field of interest is optional!
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program 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.
During the program, you will get to attend individual sessions with your research mentor and writing coach who will help you decide on a topic for your research. You’ll spend the next few weeks exploring your research topic and attending workshops on the research process. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here!
Subject Areas: Psychology, research, drug abuse, alcoholism, mental health, and career counseling.
Location: NIH campuses: Bethesda, Baltimore and Frederick, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Hamilton, MT; Framingham, MA; and Phoenix, AZ
Stipend: $2,300–$2,530 (if you are currently in high school) or $2,570–$2,840 (if you have graduated high school). Housing is not provided.
Application Deadline: February 16, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: Multiple start dates are available between May and June and the students can choose any one based on their preference. The program runs for 8 weeks between May/June and August.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 17 years old and live within 40 miles of their nearest NIH campus can apply. Confirm other eligibility requirements for your respective cohort program, HiSTEP and HiSTEP 2.0.
The High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allows high school students to choose an institute or center where they wish to conduct research throughout the summer. The program has an acceptance rate of around 7%. This program will allow you to gain hands-on experience and will provide you with focused mentorship and a deeper understanding of psychology.
For psychology students, we recommend opting for the National Insititute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), or National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). If selected, you will work as part of a research group under the supervision of a Principal Investigator (PI), carrying out basic, translational, or clinical research. You will further attend professional development programs and educational and career advising sessions. The program will conclude with presentations on the Summer Poster Day.
Subject Areas: Human body psychology, neuroscience, and social sciences.
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: $8,600 (residential) | $5,850 (commuter). Financial aid and scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: June 17–July 5, 2024 (session 1) | July 10–July 26, 2024 (session 2)
Eligibility: Current high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are at least 14 years old can apply.
UChicago’s Summer Immersion Program allows high school students to take undergraduate-level courses taught by faculty, researchers, and other professionals at the university. You will attend lectures, workshops, and seminars; work on research projects and participate in hands-on activities; and receive personalized guidance from faculty, researchers, and professionals in your chosen field.
If you are interested in psychology, you can opt for the Fundamentals of Psychology (Theory & Research) course. This course will introduce you to concepts and topics in the study of human behavior such as emotions, memory, sensation and perception, development, and psychological disorders. You will work in small groups to develop and execute an experimental research project, part of which involves research lab demonstrations. Lectures, readings (both textbook and academic journal articles), discussions, and field trips will combine to give you an overview of the scientific study of psychology across areas of inquiry.
Subject Areas: Psychology, brain sciences, human behavior, psychological profiling, neuroscience, and psychopathology.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,950 per credit + $85 application fee. Financial assistance is available.
Application Deadline: Applications for 2024 are now closed; TBA for 2025
Dates: Multiple sessions are available for this self-paced program:
- Session One: June 24–July 5, 2024
- Session Two: July 8–July 19, 2024
- Session Three: July 22–August 2, 2024
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale can apply.
Johns Hopkins University’s Online Pre-College Programs offer self-paced courses for high school students in various disciplines including STEM, film and media, foundations of medicine and health, humanities, social sciences, and psychology and brain sciences. These courses are delivered asynchronously; however, your instructor may schedule live interactions as well. You can expect to spend approximately 15 hours per week toward the completion of your chosen course.
If you’re interested in psychology, you can choose any one of the following courses:
- Neuroscience and Human Behavior—This is a behavioral neuroscience program where you will learn how cells and chemicals result in complex behavior and examine whether or not the mind is an organic computer.
- Psychological Profiling—Here, you will study clinical cases of serial offenders, spree killers, disgruntled employees, and terrorists. You will also explore legal and ethical issues, including racial profiling, profiling versus pathway-to-violence methodology, and other controversies.
- Psychopathology and Its Development—This course will give you an overview of abnormal psychology (i.e., psychopathology), including its development, etiological/theoretical perspectives, diagnosis, and treatment. You will also gain an understanding of the major features of the common disorders and the evidence-based treatment of these conditions.
Subject Areas: Psychology, neuroscience, addiction, research, and neuroplasticity.
Location: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: $3,000. Need-based scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: June 9–June 14, 2024 | June 16–June 21, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12 can apply.
Wake Forest University Psychology Institute’s Summer Immersion Program allows students to understand the structure of the brain through hands-on dissection and comprehend concepts like illusions, sensations, perceptions, biases, and emotions, and how these are used to interact with the world. This institute is led by two professors at Wake Forest University, namely Dr. Christian Waugh and Dr. Melissa Maffeo. During the program, you will be introduced to psychology design and hypothesis testing and will also get to learn about the psychology of marketing.
Some activities covered in this program include sheep brain dissection, brain training and neuroplasticity, sensory perception lab, conducting observational research, and presenting research findings. For the observational research and presentations, you will work in teams to develop your project. Trips and tours are also included in this program, several of which you will use to conduct your observational study.
Subject Areas: Cognitive and developmental psychology, neuroscience, anatomy, and clinical diagnostics.
Location: American University, Washington, DC | Duke University, Durham, NC | UC Berkeley, San Francisco, CA | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Cost: $3,995 (Residential program). Scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Multiple 9-day sessions are offered at various locations. All sessions take place between June 12 and August 2, 2024.
Eligibility: High school students who are 14-18 years old and have completed at least 1 year of high school can apply (students may attend NSLC through the summer following high school graduation).
The NSLC Psychology and Neuroscience High School Summer Program will introduce you to basic concepts and activities in psychology and neuroscience, such as experiential simulations, workshops, and simulations in clinical diagnostics, anatomy, cognitive and developmental psychology, and more. You will learn about scans and imaging and work in a research group to create a mental health campaign that you will then present at the end of the session.
During the program, you will develop the skills and knowledge you need for a future career in psychology with experiential simulations in patient care, attending anatomy and psychology workshops, and exploring non-invasive imaging techniques. The program additionally includes classes, lectures, guest speakers, and trips and tours to give you a comprehensive understanding and practical exposure to the field.
Subject Areas: Psychology, psychopathology, mental health problems, anxiety disorders, depression, substance use disorders, psychosis, eating disorders, and personality disorders.
Location: Brown University campus, Providence, RI
Cost: $5,256 (Residential) | $4,076 (Commuter). Scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: May 10, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: July 01–July 12, 2024 (2 weeks); TBA for 2025
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12 between the ages of 14 and 18 can apply.
Brown University’s Pre-College Programs offer high school students the opportunity to experience college-level courses spanning various fields such as biological and natural sciences, business, economics, legal studies, literature, writing and communications, medical sciences, psychology, physical sciences, math, political science, philosophy, arts, engineering, and technology.
If you’re interested in psychology, you can opt for the “Abnormal Psychology” course, where you’ll get to learn the meaning of abnormality, the clinical characteristics of mental disorders, and how they are assessed. This course will introduce you to mental health problems, such as anxiety disorders, depression, substance use disorders, psychosis, eating disorders, and personality disorders. You will get to develop critical thinking skills that you will apply to theories, assessments, and treatments relevant to each disorder. This course will also help you critically evaluate how mental illness is presented in popular culture and learn how to identify and debunk myths about psychological disorders.
Subject Areas: Neurology, neuropsychology, and neuroscience.
Location: Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Cost: Free for all accepted participants
Application Deadline: April 1, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: July 1–August 2, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: High school students must be 16 years or older to participate. If you’re interested in laboratory research, you can read the laboratory descriptions and determine which lab best fits your interest.
The Department of Translational Neuroscience at Barrow Neurological Institute provides high school students with an early opportunity to gain exposure to and participate in scientific research in a professional setting. This program will allow you to participate in hands-on lab work with recent technology, and receive mentorship and career guidance. You can choose to work in any one of the research areas including cerebrovascular and stroke, neuro-oncology, neuropsychology, neurodegenerative disease, neuroepidemiology, neuroimaging, neurosurgery device, spine biomechanics, and more!
Throughout the program, you will gain a better understanding of biological principles, and the mechanisms involved in causing and treating diseases. You will learn how to evaluate scientific literature, use advanced scientific techniques, address scientific questions, and develop communication skills. You will also have an opportunity to develop scientific projects to be presented at local and national scientific competitions or in scientific literature.
Subject Areas: Biology, psychology, chemistry, neuroscience, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and astronomy.
Location: In-person at Bethel College, North Newton, KS
Cost: Accepted students must submit a registration fee of $50. Fee waivers are available for those unable to pay.
Application Deadline: April 15, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: June 23–June 28, 2024 (In-person program); TBA for 2025
Eligibility: The institute is open to students entering grades 10–12, and if space is available, to high school graduates.
Bethel College Summer Science Institute introduces high school students to recent STEM topics with a focus on the research process, laboratory techniques, systematic data recording, data analysis, and presentation of research results. For the in-person program, you will be involved in two of the research areas which include Nutritional Chemistry, Exploring Nature, Psychology of Film, Probability, Protein Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics Methods with assignments based upon the preferences indicated by you on your registration form.
Instruction involves didactic presentation with an emphasis on active involvement in laboratory or field activities. Twelve to fifteen students can be accommodated in each area. The groups will also involve Bethel science and mathematics students who will serve as assistants. Each instructional group, taught by faculty members with one or two undergraduate assistants, is further divided into groups of 2–4 students for individual projects, of which the results are presented in an afternoon symposium after the institute.
Subject Areas: Psychology, critical thinking, logic, and probability theory, media literacy, and journalism.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $3,194. Financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: June 1, 2024; TBA for 2025
Dates: July 8–July 26, 2024; TBA for 2025
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 with a GPA of 3.2 or higher who are at least 15 years old by the start of the program can apply.
UCLA’s Critical Thinking Summer Institute Program offers motivated high school students an opportunity to enhance their critical thinking skills and explore recent topics in today’s media landscape. Led by expert instructors, this program offers a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of critical thinking, including the application of logic and probability theory to evaluate arguments and the responsible and creative use of AI.
During the program, you will have the opportunity to earn credit in Phil 9 (Principles of Critical Reasoning), participate in lectures and informal discussion sections run by UCLA Faculty and Teaching Assistants, and attend a workshop on media literacy and journalism run by industry-leading experts from the University of Queensland. In this workshop, you will learn the psychology of reasoning and how to assess media, with a particular focus on new media, and gain firsthand experience in preparing an article for publication. You will learn to apply what you’ve learned in the course by working with the program staff and your peers on short problem sets and a final research article. You’ll get to hone your critical thinking skills and gain experience in media literacy and journalism.
Subject Areas: Psychology, neurology, mental illness, and neuroscience.
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $6,098 (Residential) | $3,198 (Commuter)
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates:
- Session 1: June 16–June 28, 2024
- Session 2: June 30–July 12, 2024
- Session 3: July 14–July 26, 2024
Eligibility: High school students must have completed 8th grade and have a 3.0 Grade Point Average (or local equivalent) to apply.
Summer Springboard’s Psychology & Neuroscience Program allows students to explore the relationships between the brain and human behavior through psychology simulations and hands-on neurology workshops. Whether you are interested in the physical aspect of the brain and central nervous system or human behavior and thought processes, you will get to connect with professionals who have a background in both psychology and neuroscience.
During the program, you will learn about classic experiments in psychology, to get a hands-on, experiential understanding of how people work and how psychologists study them. You will explore social dynamics, emotions, personality, mental illness, the nature of beliefs, neuroscience, and the relationship between the mind, brain, and body. As a capstone project, you will get to construct your miniature psychology theory, design/run an experiment to test it, and present your findings to the class. You will also get to visit the Cushing Center at Yale University and interact with clinical psychologists, neurologists, and researchers who are experts in this specialized field.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.