If you are a high school student considering a future in chemistry, a university-led summer program in the field can be a great next step. A university-led chemistry program can help you explore key concepts in the field through a college-level curriculum and build skills required to pursue a career in chemistry. Additionally, as a participant, you will have the opportunity to connect with other high schoolers who share your enthusiasm for all things chemistry!
These programs also allow you to explore interests beyond the classroom setting, allowing you to visit real chemistry labs, learn how to use experimentation and research tools, and work alongside faculty researchers. In the process, you will get to assess your interests before committing to a college degree. Many competitive university programs are entirely free, making them accessible options to explore.
To help you get started, here are 15 free university chemistry summer programs for high school students. Whether you want to study subfields like organic, polymer, or biochemistry, or explore concepts like organic synthesis, atomic structure, or biochemical pathways, you will find a program here that aligns with your interests.
1. MIT Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: MIT campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Dates: June 22 – August 2
Application deadline: December 11
Eligibility: High school juniors
Hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Center for Excellence in Education, RSI is a research-intensive experience where you will be paired with mentors to work on original STEM research. Here, you will attend a series of STEM lectures and explore research topics in chemistry, biology, and other science fields. You will then engage in laboratory-based research under the guidance of a mentor. During the program, you will also explore ongoing research, read recent journal articles, and work on your academic paper writing skills. Toward the end of the session, you will deliver written reports and conference-style oral presentations to discuss your research experience and findings.
2. Stanford Inspiring Future Scientists Through Shadowing Program
Location: Stanford University Department of Chemistry, Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 and live in San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties
Stanford University’s Chemistry Department offers local high schoolers a chance to explore chemistry research through observation. During the program, you will spend two weeks shadowing chemistry researchers and interacting with Stanford graduate students and faculty members. You will get to shadow multiple researchers to explore different types of chemical research, scientific topics, and techniques. The experience can help you observe the lab practices, research techniques, and the daily engagements of chemistry department students.
3. NYU Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE) Program
Location: Virtual + in-person at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a stipend of $1,000 offered
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors in NYC
Dates: June 2 – August 25
Application deadline: February 21
ARISE is a free 10-week STEM research program conducted at New York University. The program offers research opportunities in STEM fields, including chemistry. For four weeks, you will participate in remote after-school workshops, and in the next six weeks, you will engage in in-person research. The workshops focus on topics like scientific ethics, the college application process, current issues in scientific inquiry, the data collection and analysis process, research practices, and lab safety. During the on-campus component, you will be placed in an NYU lab and assigned a mentor to contribute to the lab’s research objectives. You will also get to present your research findings at the program’s concluding colloquium.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Chemistry Track
Location: Remote
Cost: Starts at $2,990 for the Individual Research program; financial aid available for qualifying students
Dates: Several cohorts each year, running for 12 weeks to a year, depending on the format you choose
Application deadline: Summer cohort applications typically close in May/June
Eligibility: Motivated high school students, preferably with a GPA ≥ 3.5 or equivalent
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program allows you to work one-on-one with a Ph.D. researcher and design and execute an independent research project. You can choose the Chemistry track to investigate topics in organic reaction mechanisms, drug discovery, synthetic biology, and environmental chemistry. Over the course of the program, you will receive guidance throughout the research process, from framing a research question to discussing findings in a research paper. The program also offers regular feedback sessions and assistance with literature reviews and manuscript development. By the end of the program, you will have a high-quality research paper or academic poster, which may be submitted to journals or competitions. You’ll also receive university credit through UC San Diego Extension and a detailed evaluation from your mentor
5. Texas Tech University’s Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Cost: No tuition/program fee apart from a $25 application fee; a $750 tax‑free stipend upon successful project completion;
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors in high school who are at least 17 and U.S. citizens/permanent residents
The Clark Scholars Program allows you to work closely with Texas Tech faculty in one of the program’s designated areas, which include chemistry. As a participant, you will get to conduct independent chemical research in a laboratory setting under the guidance of experienced researchers. A key program deliverable is the completion of your research report. You will develop lab skills, research skills, and scientific writing skills in the process. You will also attend weekly seminars and participate in field trips. The experience can also offer insights into life on a college campus.
6. George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program
Location: Remote, hybrid, or in-person at George Mason University’s Fairfax or Manassas campus, VA
Cost: Free except for a $25 application fee, which can be waived for those who demonstrate financial need
Dates: June 18 – August 8
Application deadline: February 2
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students who are at least 15 years old by program start (at least 16 years old for wet‑lab internships)
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program offers students opportunities to spend seven weeks engaging in original research across diverse science disciplines, including chemistry and biochemistry. Here, you will get to work with a faculty mentor on a research project in protein design, peptide materials, small molecule synthesis/design, analytical/bioanalytical chemistry, synthesis of solid state inorganic materials, or similar topics based on the mentor and project you choose. You will develop technical lab skills, maintain research notebooks, and engage in the scientific discovery process, from hypothesis generation to data analysis and synthesis. You will also find opportunities to refine communication and scientific reasoning skills through seminars, discussion forums, and participation in a final research symposium held on campus. You may get to publish your contributions or present them at conferences.
7. Simons Summer Research Program @ Stony Brook University
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: No tuition; optional residential costs don’t apply to commuters
Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application deadline: February 7
Eligibility: High school juniors who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents and at least 16 years old by the program start date
The Simons Research Program is a six-week opportunity to work on science research in a Stony Brook University lab alongside faculty mentors and graduate researchers. You will be matched with a research group aligned with your interests and get to work on experiments, data collection, and analysis. You’ll spend at least four hours daily on independent research or working with your research mentor/group. You will engage in weekly faculty research talks, workshops, tours, and events. In the final week, you will present your findings through a formal poster at a symposium and get a stipend award for your contribution.
8. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Internships
Location: Multiple U.S. universities
Cost/Stipend: No cost; an educational stipend is offered; exact details not publicly disclosed
Dates: 6 to 10 weeks in May–August; exact dates vary by internship
Application deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students; additional requirements vary for each opportunity
AEOP’s Internships are Army-sponsored, research-based opportunities for high school students interested in STEM fields. You can choose a university site that focuses on research in chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, or similar fields. If selected, you will work on research under the guidance and supervision of a university researcher on tasks like experimentation, data collection, analysis, and comparison of data sets. You may get to develop lab skills and learn research techniques in the process. During the program, you will participate in workshops, online tutorials, webinars, and learning materials to refine your professional skills and be better equipped for future academics and careers in chemistry.
9. Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program (LLP)
Location: Princeton, NJ
Cost: None
Dates: 5–6 weeks during the summer (late June to early August); exact schedule depends on faculty project
Application deadline: March 15; application window opens on February 15
Eligibility: High school students who will be at least 16 years old by June 15, 2025; open to U.S. citizens/permanent residents attending U.S. high schools
The LLP program is a free summer research experience for high school students. If selected, you will be placed in an active university research lab and work directly under the supervision of faculty and research staff. Before the program begins, you will undergo required lab safety training to prepare for lab work. Then, you will engage in a project in the natural sciences, including chemistry. You will attend meetings, work in the lab, and submit a final two-page research summary by the end of the program.
10. American Chemical Society (ACS) Project SEED Program
Location: Nationwide; community placement in university, industrial, or government labs across the U.S
Cost/Stipend: Free with a stipend of approximately $4,000 for the summer + college scholarships are available for students who complete the program
Dates: June – August (8 to 12 weeks); exact dates vary by local host lab
Application deadline: April 14
Eligibility: High school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are at least 16 years old and U.S. citizens/permanent residents
ACS is a non-profit that provides research opportunities in chemical sciences to high school students. If selected, you will work in a local lab on an independent or group chemistry research project under the mentorship of a scientist. You will prepare a poster or written report to share your research findings and experience at the end of the program. During the program, you will also participate in field trips and campus tours, career panels, and research poster/science fairs/competitions. You also have the chance to continue your research work the next summer.
11. Carnegie Mellon University’s Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)
Location: Carnegie Mellon University campus, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: None; program covers tuition, housing, meals, and materials
Dates: Virtual Jumpstart: June 16 and 17; Residential program: June 21 – August 2
Application deadline: Preferred deadline: February 1; Final deadline: March 1
Eligibility: U.S. high school students who are entering 11th or 12th grade in the summer and are at least 16 years old by June 21
SAMS is a selective program offering high school students opportunities to explore science and math through coursework and projects. If selected, you will begin with a virtual two-day Jumpstart that focuses on skill-building to prepare you for the in-person program. Then, you will be on campus for six weeks, engaging in daily lectures in chemistry and mentored research project work. The chemistry course covers topics like spectroscopy, chromatography, and titrations as well as key analytical instruments like High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and UV-Visible and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The program offers access to credit-bearing college transition seminars, writing workshops, and sessions on STEM research, career exploration, and college admission and financial aid. At the end of the program, you will present your research.
12. NYU and Simons Foundation’s Science Explorations Program
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost: None
Dates: July 6 – 26
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, seniors, and recent graduates who are at least 16 and U.S citizens/permanent residents
The Simons‑NYU Science Explorations Program is a residential program meant for students interested in exploring fields like chemistry, biology, neural science, physics, and psychology. During the program, you will get to engage in introductory college-level chemistry coursework and laboratory research. You will also participate in seminars, lab experiences, and workshops that can help you explore the key principles of all five disciplines. The experience can help you build lab skills and gain experience in college academics. The program also offers opportunities to participate in social and cultural activities in NYC.
13. University of Central Florida’s PREM High School Summer Internship Program
Location: UCF Main Campus and UCF Medical Campus, Orlando, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free + a $1,000 stipend provided
Dates: June 9 – July 18
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors with a keen interest in interdisciplinary scientific research
The UCF PREM (Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials) High School Summer Internship Program offers a six-week opportunity to explore quantum-materials research. You will join one of 10 PREM research labs and engage in research focused on the intersection of physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. In the process, you will learn about atomic-scale materials and their applications in energy, computing, and medical sciences. The experience can help you build lab skills, explore a new research area in chemistry, and engage in interdisciplinary research.
14. University of Pennsylvania’s Chemistry Research Academy
Location: University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free for qualifying School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school students via Penn Summer Scholarship
Dates: July 5 – 26
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Current 10th and 11th graders who have completed at least one year of high school chemistry and attend eligible schools
The Chemistry Research Academy at the University of Pennsylvania is a three-week summer experience centered on real-world chemical research. During the program, you will learn lab techniques like spectroscopy and gas chromatography, engage in experiments and lab investigations, and explore UPenn Chemistry research. The program offers access to lectures and classroom sessions on topics such as materials science basics, chemical bonding principles, nanoscale materials, the chemistry of rare metals, and chemical protein modification for studying disease. You will also work with published chemical research articles, work on a capstone project, and present it. Tours of the Science History Institute, the Singh Center for Nanomaterials, and research labs are also part of the experience.
Bonus – Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation
Cost: The program is fully funded!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Vary based on yearly cohort. Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility:You must be enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall and must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. In the flagship program, talented high-school students are paired with world-class Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. This program is a solid option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper. You can apply here!
One more option—Horizon Academic Research Program
If you are looking for a competitive mentored research program in areas like chemistry, chemical engineering, or biochemistry, you can consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! It is a selective virtual research program that allows you to engage in advanced research and come up with a research paper on a subject of your choice. Horizon has worked with 1,000+ high school students so far, offering 600+ research specializations to choose from. You can find the application link here.
Image source – Princeton University