For high school students with a strong interest in physics, online summer research programs provide a valuable first step, without the commute. These programs go beyond standard coursework, offering structured research experiences, mentorship from university faculty and scientists, and exposure to topics and tools rarely covered in high school classrooms. They are also an accessible way to discover key concepts in diverse fields like quantum mechanics, aerospace engineering, ice physics, aerodynamics, and more.
Participating in an online physics program allows you to develop advanced problem-solving skills, gain experience with various research methodologies, and build a strong foundation in programming, data analysis, and academic writing—all useful skills when pursuing a future in STEM.
If this interests you, here is a list of 15 online physics summer programs for high school students to get you started:
1. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)
Cost: $5,950 (financial aid available)
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. The Summer cohort runs for 10–16 weeks in June – September.
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort
Eligibility: High school students with a GPA of more than 3.67. Some physics and related tracks have course prerequisites.
HARP is a selective virtual research program where you can work one-on-one or in small groups with PhD scholars or professors from top universities like MIT, Harvard, and Yale. The program spans 10 to 16 weeks, during which you will complete a 20-page-long college-level research paper on an area of your choice. Research topics can range from aerodynamic shape optimization to knot theory, wind energy production, and more. You will gain hands-on experience in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies while also developing your critical thinking, academic writing, and data interpretation skills. At the end, you will receive detailed feedback, a certificate of completion, and a research project you can use for future college applications and resumes. Apply here!
2. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Physics Track
Cost: Individual Research Program – $2,990 | Premium Research & Publication Program – $5,900 | Lumiere Research Fellowship – $8,900 (financial aid available)
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. The duration can range from 12 weeks to 12 months, depending on the type of program.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohorts
Eligibility: High school students
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a 12-week online research opportunity where you can work one-on-one with a PhD mentor from a top university on research projects in subjects like physics, astrophysics, or engineering. You’ll dive deep into your area of choice, develop a unique research question, and write an independent research paper with weekly guidance from your mentor and a writing coach. Along the way, you’ll build skills in scientific writing, data interpretation, and different research methodologies. If you get accepted into the Premium Research & Publication Program, you’ll also get expert support in improving your paper for submission to college-level journals. You can apply here.
3. Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) – ASPIRE Virtual Internship
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual (except for mandatory in-person onboarding, equipment returns, and extreme IT troubleshooting at APL, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD)
Program Dates: June 24 – August 21
Application Deadline: January 1 – February 15
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors who are at least 15 years old by June 1. Minimum 2.8 GPA.
The ASPIRE Program at Johns Hopkins offers you an opportunity to collaborate virtually with APL scientists and engineers on real-world STEM projects in fields like physics or aerospace engineering, depending on your area of placement. You’ll learn to use tools like MATLAB, C++, and Arduino Uno to tackle challenges such as modeling spacecraft trajectories, building electric-field sensors, or improving quantum algorithms. Throughout the internship, you’ll sharpen your coding, scientific reading, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills while gaining insight into advanced STEM careers. The program is highly competitive with a 10% acceptance rate. Click here to learn more about the selection process.
4. Remote Joint Science Education Project (JSEP)
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: One week in late July or August (exact dates TBD)
Application Deadline: January 31 (tentatively)
Eligibility: High school juniors who are U.S. citizens
The Joint Science Education Project (JSEP) is a 5-day virtual research experience where you’ll collaborate with students from Greenland, Denmark, and the U.S. to explore polar science and engineering. You will join Dartmouth faculty and graduate students for interactive sessions on topics like snow and ice physics, cold engineering, and Arctic ecology. The program includes hands-on activities, professional mentorship opportunities, and a collaborative group research project that you will present at a global virtual symposium at the end. You’ll also virtually visit polar research stations, network with international students, professors, and researchers, and hear from leading polar scientists.
5. NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Cost: Free of cost. You may receive a stipend, depending on the type of internship
Location: Virtual, hybrid, and in-person options available
Program Dates: The program is for 10 weeks in late May or early June – August
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: High school student | 16+ | U.S. citizen | Minimum GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
If you’re curious about space exploration and planetary research, NASA’s OSTEM Internships might be of interest to you. This program gives you the chance to work alongside astronauts, scientists, engineers, and tech experts on live NASA research projects. You’ll gain hands-on experience with technical research tools, develop skills in coding, data analysis, and engineering design, and also be mentored by leading experts in the field. Previous internship projects have ranged from developing acoustic liners to designing solar power systems and testing rover wheels. Click here to explore different online summer internship opportunities for high school students.
6. Young Scholars Research Program – NASA Data Science Analysis and Scholarly Research Paper Writing Program
Cost: Contact [email protected] for information about fees and scholarship opportunities
Location: Virtual (with in-person options at the George Mason University, Fairfax Campus, VA)
Program Dates: June 14 – August 30
Application Deadline: Opens in the first week of February; admissions are first-come, first-served
Eligibility: High school students
The NASA Data Science Analysis and Scholarly Research Paper Writing Program is a mostly online summer research experience designed for high school students interested in astronomy, space exploration, and data science. Over 10 weeks, you will take part in guided research on your assigned exoplanetary system by analyzing real data from NASA’s TESS and James Webb Space Telescope missions. You will gain experience with software like Python, AstroImageJ, and Jupyter Notebooks, while learning to handle FITS files and apply statistical techniques like time-series analysis and Bayesian inference. By the end of the program, you will have completed a professional-grade research paper based on your findings, which you will present at a scholarly conference hosted by George Mason University.
7. NC State Global Training Initiative – Online Research Academy
Cost: $1,275 (scholarships available)
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: June 26 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 3 – June 5
Eligibility: Grades 10 and above | Minimum English proficiency score requirements for international students (TOEFL IBT 75; IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 95)
This is a four-week online research experience where you collaborate with university faculty on research projects. You will get to choose from several research topics, including Visualization In Engineering, offered by the Engineering and Physics departments at NC State. You will learn to collect and interpret data, understand different research methodologies, draft academic papers, and present your findings. You will also present your final research as a 5–10 minute-long documentary video to your peers at the end of the program, after which you will receive a program certificate and evaluation letter from your mentors.
8. NASA and UT Austin’s STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) – Virtual Internship
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual (on-site internships are also available)
Program Dates: June – July 19 (can change depending on project)
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors | 16+ | U.S. citizen
The SEES Summer High School Intern Program is a competitive research experience hosted by UT Austin’s Center for Space Research in collaboration with NASA. If selected, you’ll work with NASA scientists and engineers to determine the age and distance of open star clusters, detect exoplanets—using photometry software and data from missions like TESS—or on other live NASA projects, depending on the virtual internship program you apply to. You will conduct field research through NASA’s GLOBE Observer data collection mobile app and also use tools like Jupyter Notebooks, Colab, AppEEARS, and Google Earth Engine to visualize and interpret complex datasets. At the end of the internship, you will get to present your findings at the SEES Virtual Science Symposium and contribute to practical research outcomes, and even co-author peer-reviewed papers.
9. Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics (SPINWIP)
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: July 7 – July 25
Application Deadline: May 1 (tentative)
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–11. International students can apply
Hosted by Stanford’s Physics Department and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, the SPINWIP program lets you explore topics like quantum mechanics, astrophysics, cosmology, black holes, and quantum computing under the guidance of Stanford professors and undergraduates. Over the three weeks, you’ll attend lectures by Stanford faculty, collaborate with other students to solve worksheets, attend college prep and career workshops, and have access to daily office hours with teaching staff for personalized support. You will also learn to code basic routines in Python and be introduced to tools like NumPy and MatPlotLib. Check out the program syllabus here.
10. George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) – Remote Internships
Cost: $25 application fee (can be waived based on financial need)
Location: Virtual (in-person and hybrid internships are also available)
Program Dates: June 18 – Aug 8
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: High school students who are above 15 years old
ASSIP is an eight-week, full-time research internship for high school and undergraduate students. If accepted, you’ll work one-on-one with a George Mason faculty mentor on research projects in fields like physics, astronomy, atmospheric science, and planetary science. You will gain experience with computational modeling and learn to use programming tools for data analysis and interpretation. The program also focuses on developing scientific writing, communication, and collaboration skills, with regular discussion forums and meetings with industry experts. By the end of the internship, you’ll have completed an academic-level research project, which you will present at a poster symposium.
11. Grainger Engineering Summer Camps – Illinois Aerospace Institute (IAI)
Cost: $150 + $25 deposit (scholarship available)
Location: Virtual (residential options also available)
Program Dates: July 20 – 26
Application Deadline: March 30 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school students
The Illinois Aerospace Institute (IAI) is a one-week summer program that introduces you to the fundamentals of aerospace engineering through a mix of lectures, hands-on projects, and computational design. It covers topics like aerodynamics, rocket propulsion, satellite design, and flight mechanics. Through hands-on model workshops, you will use these concepts to build and test gliders and egg drop landers under the expert guidance of the course instructors. You will also be instructed in utilizing Excel and Python for aeronautics and astronautics computational design respectively. In addition to learning about the theoretical and practical applications of aerospace engineering, you will also attend a college prep session to explore career opportunities in the field.
12. Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation Pre-College Programs – Online Program
Cost: $4,115 (includes application fee, tuition, and lab kit fee)
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: June 30 – August 1
Application Deadline: May 28 (tentatively)
Eligibility: High school students | Completed Algebra II and a full year of high school Chemistry and/or Physics. Familiar with trigonometric functions
Explore Engineering Innovation (EEI) is a college-level summer course offered by Johns Hopkins University for high school students interested in the practical applications of math, science, and engineering. This online, three-credit course introduces you to foundational concepts in civil, chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering through hands-on lab work, individual assignments, and collaborative team projects. Online participants will use a mailed lab kit to run experiments and work on projects. You will collaborate with students from across the globe to design a spaghetti bridge and create electronic devices. You will also learn to use tools like MakeCode, JavaScript, or CircuitPython. By the end of the course, you will have gained both subject-specific knowledge and transferable skills like scientific documentation, writing use cases, and technical communication.
13. Python4Physics – UC Berkeley
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual (On-campus options are also available)
Program Dates: Six weeks starting from June 16
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: High school students with a strong understanding of basic Algebra
Python4Physics is a free, hybrid summer course hosted by UC Berkeley for high school students interested in physics, coding, and statistics. This program teaches you to code in Python from scratch—no prior experience in programming or physics required. You will learn about complex concepts in physics, math, statistics, and programming, and apply your new skills to solving numerical problems. You will also get practical experience in using Python to solve equations, do data analysis, model various systems, and through various other exercises.
14. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes – Frontiers in Physics
Cost: $3,080 (additional cost of up to $100 might apply to some courses that require supplementary materials). Financial aid is available
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Session 1: June 16 – June 27. Session 2: July 7 – July 18
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 10–11 at the time of application | Completion of a course in algebra and physical science, along with a basic understanding of trigonometry
Frontiers of Physics is an intensive online pre-college course designed and taught by knowledgeable Stanford instructors. It sheds light on key developments in 20th-century physics, focusing on quantum mechanics, particle physics, and Einstein’s theories of relativity. You’ll also discuss topics like time dilation, the twin paradox, quantum tunneling, wave-particle duality, Schrödinger’s equation, and the philosophical implications of quantum theory. You will work on several projects throughout the program, including a scientific article on relativity and an experiment investigating the wave nature of light. The course is a comprehensive introduction to modern physics, emphasizing both theoretical understanding and scientific communication.
15. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) Online Programs – The Physics of Sports
Cost: $1,365 + $15 application fee (financial aid available)
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: 6 sessions over 6 weeks starting from June 18 (subject to change)
Application Deadline: May 20 (subject to change)
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–10 | Check your eligibility here!
The Physics of Sports course from CTY is a live online course for students who are interested in applying physics to real-world situations. You’ll study core physics concepts like kinematics, momentum, energy, impulse, and power and their effects on athletic performance. Over the 6 weeks, you will attend lectures and run experiments and simulations to understand how concepts of conservation, work, energy, and power affect efficiency and performance in various sports. Along the way, you’ll sharpen your data analysis and problem-solving skills and develop a deeper understanding of how physics affects speed, accuracy, and technique. Click here to learn more about the program.
Image source – Johns Hopkins University