If you are thinking about studying engineering in the future, it helps to see how the subject works outside school. Engineering programs in high school can give you that first layer of exposure.
You usually work on design problems where you build and test simple systems. This can include using CAD tools to create models, working with basic prototyping methods, and learning how to turn an idea into a working design. Some programs introduce you to concepts from materials science, electronics, or mechanics through small projects. You might also learn how to read technical drawings, run basic simulations, or use lab equipment.
Why should you choose a program in Rochester?
Rochester has a strong base in engineering through institutions like the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology, where programs often connect with active labs and research spaces. The city also has a history in imaging, optics, and manufacturing, which shapes the kind of engineering exposure available. This means you are more likely to find programs that include lab access, technical workshops, and links to ongoing research.
Another advantage is accessibility. If you are based in or near Rochester, local programs are easier on your pocket since you can avoid travel and housing costs. At the same time, participating in these programs adds weight to your college applications by showing that you explored engineering in a structured and practical setting.
To help you explore your options, here are 15 engineering programs for high school students in Rochester! If you’re looking for engineering opportunities in other areas, we also have a list of free engineering summer programs you might be interested in!
15 Engineering Programs for High School Students in Rochester
1. LLE Summer High School Research Program
Location: Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Cost: Free. Students are paid a stipend.
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: July 6 – August 28
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Rochester-area high school students entering 12th grade
This paid, full-time summer research internship places you inside one of the world’s leading laser physics facilities. You will be assigned an individual research project supervised by a staff scientist or engineer, working on topics connected to LLE’s OMEGA and OMEGA EP laser systems. Past projects have included optical coating development, plasma diagnostics, cryogenic materials, computer simulations of laser systems, and Python-based data analysis. You will attend weekly seminars on laser physics, scientific communication, and STEM career paths, and you will write a formal research report on your learnings and experiences. The program concludes with a public symposium where you present your findings to LLE scientists, teachers, and family members.
2. LLE BEST (Broad Exposure to Science and Technology) Program
Location: East High School and Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Rochester, NY
Cost: Free. Students are paid a stipend.
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: 4 to 6 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Keep an eye on the website for details
Eligibility: High school students from Rochester City School District high schools.
BEST gives RCSD students hands-on exposure to the full breadth of science and technology disciplines operating inside LLE. Sessions cover optical microscopy, spectroscopy, laser holography, electronics, diffraction grating applications, liquid crystal technologies, theoretical physics, computer code development, and laboratory safety. More than 25 LLE mentors from different divisions rotate through each cycle, and participants visit the OMEGA laser facility during the program. The program ends with group presentations connecting participants’ work to LLE’s research mission. BEST is a strong option to consider if you are serious about a career in optical engineering and want to network with LLE staff.
3. CMAP Research Experience for High School Students (REH)
Location: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Extremely selective; some past iterations have had not more than a single-digit number of students
Dates: One-month summer internship
Application Deadline: Keep an eye on the program website for details
Eligibility: High school students nominated by teachers from RCSD or Pittsford Central School District.
The CMAP REH is a university-based summer internship where you will work alongside Rochester physics and astronomy graduate students on active research projects in high-energy-density physics and planetary science. The program uses Python for data analysis and includes hands-on experimental demonstrations tied to CMAP’s NSF-funded research into matter under extreme pressures relevant to planetary interiors and stellar astrophysics. Participation includes a tour of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and structured guidance on college application preparation and STEM career paths. Because participation is by teacher nomination and the cohort is small, participation in this program carries no small amount of prestige.
4. University of Rochester Pre-College Program — Introduction to Engineering
Location: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Cost: Commuter $1,030, residential $4,990. Need-based scholarships are available for RCSD students.
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Open enrollment
Dates: July 12 – 25 for residential, July 13 – 24 for commuter
Application Deadline: May 1.
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 to 12
The University of Rochester’s Pre-College Programs run as short, structured academic sessions where you take courses across areas like engineering, medicine, business, and social sciences. You choose between full-day and half-day formats, with programs lasting one to three weeks depending on the track. Classes are taught by university faculty and graduate students, and follow a format closer to college coursework than school classes. Some tracks focus on lab-based work or applied tasks, while others involve discussion, writing, or analytical exercises tied to the subject. You can also choose online options, which are either live or self-paced, depending on the course.
5. RIT Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP)
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology and partner school sites, Rochester, NY
Cost: Free, fully funded by the New York State Education Department.
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Selective, around 300 students selected annually across partner school districts.
Dates: Year-round, including a summer component
Application Deadline: Usually around December, keep an eye on the program website for details
Eligibility: Economically disadvantaged students in grades 7 to 12 enrolled in Greece Central School District, Rush-Henrietta Central School District, Rochester City School District, Vertus Charter School, or Rochester Prep Charter School.
STEP is a New York State-funded pre-collegiate program administered through RIT’s K-12 University Center that aims to increase the number of underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students pursuing STEM degrees and careers. At RIT, the program provides supervised access to university labs for research training, enriched science and math instruction, standardized test preparation, and direct support with college applications and financial aid. STEAM Saturdays and other events give you hands-on experience in robotics, engineering design challenges, and research methods alongside RIT students and faculty. The program runs year-round at partner schools and at RIT, serving students from middle school through senior year, meaning sustained mentorship and skill-building across multiple years rather than a single-summer exposure.
6. Engineering Up
Location: Rochester, NY
Cost: Up to 10 full scholarships for eligible RCSD students. Fees apply for non-scholarship participants.
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: September 30 – December 11 for the fall semester
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students
Engineering Up runs as a semester-length program where you design and build a project from scratch, choosing what to work on and how to approach it. You spend most of your time working through open-ended problems using tools like circuit boards, microcontrollers, and programming environments. Projects vary, but they often involve systems where you have to connect hardware with code, such as robots or sensor-based devices. Staff with engineering backgrounds guide your work, especially when you run into design or implementation issues. The process includes testing, debugging, and adjusting your setup as your project develops. By the end, you document your work through a portfolio website and a GitHub repository that includes your code and schematics.
7. RIT Camp Tiger
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Cost: $450 per one-week session
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Open enrollment per track per week
Dates: 1-week sessions from July 6 – 31
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 to 12
Camp Tiger at RIT runs across several weeks in July, with short day camps built around different engineering-focused themes like 3D printing, energy systems, and environmental sensing. You choose a track and spend your time working on small projects that involve building, testing, and adjusting ideas using lab and makerspace tools. In Makers Camp, for example, you work inside the SHED, using fabrication and prototyping equipment similar to what students use during the academic year. Other tracks bring in elements like drones or sustainability, where you collect data or test systems in controlled setups. Sessions are led by RIT students and faculty, and the work is organized around project-based tasks rather than lectures.
8. FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
Location: Build season at your school or team facility, competition at RIT, Rochester, NY
Cost: $6,300 for team registration of 10–20 students, though there is fundraising guidance available
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Open to any high school student who joins a team
Dates: March 11 – 14 for the regional, while the build period is from January to March
Application Deadline: Team registration typically closes December–January
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 participating through a registered FIRST team
FIRST Robotics Competition runs as a six-week build season where you work in a team to design, build, and program a full-scale robot for a defined game challenge. The process involves mechanical design, wiring, CAD modeling, and programming, with each part handled in parallel as the robot takes shape. You use industry-standard tools and materials, and most teams divide work across subgroups to manage the timeline. Mentors from engineering and technical fields guide decisions, especially when designs need to be tested or revised quickly. Once the build phase ends, you compete at regional events such as the Finger Lakes Regional at RIT, where robots are tested in live matches. The season does not end there, as teams often continue refining systems and preparing for future competitions.
9. Terra Rochester Finger Lakes Science and Engineering Fair (TRFSEF)
Location: Monroe Community College, Brighton Campus, Rochester, NY
Cost: $25 registration fee
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Open
Dates: March 20 – 21
Application Deadline: Approximately three weeks before the fair
Eligibility: High school and middle school students from Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates Counties
TRFSEF is the regional ISEF-affiliated science and engineering fair for Monroe County and the Finger Lakes region. You will design and carry out an independent engineering or science research project over the course of the school year, then present it to a panel of expert judges on Fair Day. Engineering projects in robotics, environmental systems, materials science, and biomedical devices are all eligible and compete for cash awards and advancement to the New York State Science and Engineering Fair (NYSSEF). NYSSEF qualifiers are eligible to advance further to Regeneron ISEF, the world’s largest international pre-college science and engineering competition.
10. ACS Project SEED – Rochester Section
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology and other Rochester-area research labs, Rochester, NY
Cost: No cost. Students receive a $4,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 8-10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: April 14
Eligibility: Current high school sophomore, junior, or senior with at least one year of chemistry. Family income must not exceed 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines based on family size.
ACS Project SEED is a paid summer internship where you work in a research lab alongside scientists, often at institutions like RIT in Rochester. You are placed on a project that may involve tasks such as analyzing experimental data, handling materials, or assisting with lab-based procedures, depending on the research area. Work can include topics like nanomaterials or material characterization, where you deal with measurements and recorded results as part of ongoing studies. The program begins with lab safety training and continues with regular mentorship, including guidance on college applications and academic pathways. You follow a structured schedule in the lab, contributing to work that is already in progress rather than isolated exercises. At the end of the internship, you prepare a poster or presentation that is shared at an ACS meeting.
11. NASA SEES (STEM Enhancement in Earth Science) Internship
Location: Virtual + UT Austin campus, Austin, TX
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: Online modules and project work: May 15 – July 3 | Virtual symposium: July 20 and 21
Application deadline: February 22
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors who are U.S. citizens and at least 16 years old
NASA’s SEES internship runs over several weeks, where you work on Earth science projects using datasets collected from satellites and observational systems. The program begins with online training, where you learn how to handle geospatial data, use tools like Python, and understand how remote sensing works. You are then placed in a project group, where you work with real datasets related to climate, weather, or environmental systems. Tasks often involve cleaning data, running basic analysis, and interpreting patterns from satellite imagery. Mentors guide your work, especially when you are applying methods to unfamiliar datasets. The program ends with a presentation where you explain your findings and how you approached the data.
12. Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation — Explore Engineering Innovation (EEI) Online
Location: Fully virtual
Cost: $3,900 tuition plus a $265 lab kit fee and a $60 application fee. Need-based financial aid and scholarships are available.
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 29 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 30 for early action, May 27 for final
Eligibility: Current high school students who have completed Algebra II, trigonometry, and at least one year of high school chemistry or physics with a lab. As and Bs in math and science are required.
Engineering Innovation Online is a five-week course where you work through material similar to a first-year engineering semester at Johns Hopkins, but on a compressed schedule. The course moves across civil, chemical, electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering, along with materials science, so you handle different types of problems within the same program. You spend about three hours each day in live sessions, followed by recorded lectures and daily assignments that extend the work. Projects include building and testing a spaghetti bridge, programming a Circuit Playground Express using Python, and running a chemistry-based lab with analytical methods.
13. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Location: Many courses offered virtually
Cost: Free for families with household income under $200,000/year. Income-based fees apply above that threshold.
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: July 6 – August 2
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Current 9th through 11th graders residing and attending high school in the U.S.
BWSI is a rigorous, project-based engineering program jointly run by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT’s School of Engineering. You will first complete a free online prerequisite course beginning in February, covering Python programming or other technical foundations depending on your chosen track, then apply to the four-week summer program. The virtual catalog includes autonomous cognitive assistance, basics of ASICS, microelectronics and hardware development, quantum software, and remote sensing for disaster response. Each course is taught in a workshop style with a hands-on team project at its core. Because acceptance requires demonstrated prerequisite completion, the program rewards sustained technical engagement over standardized credentials alone.
14. MITES Semester
Location: Remote
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June – December
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school juniors who are U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents
MITES Semester runs over six months in a fully online format, starting with a summer phase where you take two structured courses. One course is project-based in areas like machine learning, robotics, or thermodynamics, where you work through a defined problem and build toward a final output. The second course focuses on core subjects such as calculus, physics, or computer science, and follows a more traditional academic format with regular assignments. The schedule during this phase is intensive, with consistent coursework and project deadlines. At the end of the summer, you present your project at the MITES Semester Conference. The program then shifts into a fall phase with weekly sessions focused on college applications, including essays, interviews, and interactions with STEM professionals.
15. WIE RISE! An Introduction to Engineering Research — University of Maryland
Location: Fully virtual
Cost: $25
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Open enrollment until spots are filled
Dates: July 27 – 31
Application Deadline: April 25
Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th grade students
WIE RISE is a free one-week virtual summer program hosted by current University of Maryland engineering undergraduates through the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Each day focuses on a different engineering discipline, including aerospace, bioengineering, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, materials science, and mechanical engineering, with content drawn from actual UMD research labs. You will learn how to read and write scientific research papers, complete at-home hands-on experiments using basic household materials, and participate in synchronous live sessions with undergraduate student instructors. The program is designed as an introduction to engineering through the lens of research methods, so you will come away with a clearer picture of what engineering researchers actually do day-to-day, not just what engineering looks like in a classroom.
One more option—Horizon Academic Research Program
If you are looking for a competitive mentored research program in engineering, 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 choosing. 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: Rochester Institute of Technology