If you’re a high school student interested in physics, fall is a good time to start exploring the subject beyond what you learn in class. Fall physics programs give you a chance to see how the theories and formulas you study apply in real life. These programs are shorter than summer ones, which makes them easier to fit into your schedule and often more affordable too.
Through these programs, you might work on projects about how motion works, study electricity and magnetism, or learn about space and quantum concepts. Some programs take place in university labs, while others are online, so you can learn from researchers and teachers wherever you are.
You’ll also get the chance to see how experiments are designed, how data is collected, and how scientists solve real-world problems. The experience can help you decide if you want to study physics in college or pursue related fields like engineering or computer science later on.
To help you begin, we’ve gathered 13 fall physics programs for high school students!
13 Fall Physics Programs for High School Students
1. Harvard-Smithsonian Science Research Mentoring Program
Location: Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), Cambridge, MA. Virtual mentorship options are also available.
Cost | Stipend: Free | Students receive a stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 10–16 Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS) students, who are grouped in teams of 2 or 3 per mentor
Program Dates: September – May
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Only open to high school students from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS)
The Harvard-Smithsonian Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) is a year-long opportunity for high school students to dive into astrophysics research alongside professional scientists. From September to May, you’ll meet weekly with a mentor at the Center for Astrophysics to work on an independent project using astronomical data. You’ll learn how astrophysicists test theories, analyze data, and communicate their findings. You’ll also collaborate with a small team of fellow students and receive extra support through monthly advisory sessions led by SRMP staff.
2. Stanford Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Math & Physics
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,700 + $35 application fee (limited financial aid available)
Program Dates: August 25 – December 12
Application Deadline: July 28
Eligibility: High school students | Prerequisites vary by course. Check here for more information.
Stanford Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Math & Physics program offers advanced, university-level courses for high school students who want to go beyond their school curriculum. Depending on your choice, you’ll study topics like optics and thermodynamics in Light and Heat, or dive into relativity, quantum theory, and quantum computing in Modern Physics. If you’re more interested in mechanics, Intermediate Mechanics I covers Newtonian laws, oscillations, and Lagrangian mechanics, while Intermediate Mechanics II explores rigid body dynamics, wave equations, and fluid dynamics. Each course requires a strong foundation in math and physics and typically takes 8–12 hours of study per week.
3. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program
Location: AFRL locations across the U.S. Check here.
Cost | Stipend: Free | Free | Stipend varies based on education level and project site—check here!
Program Dates: Program dates vary based on location and project
Application Deadline: Varies based on location and project
Eligibility: U.S. Students who are at least 16 years old (18 and older if you want to apply to the California locations) | Minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 is preferred, but not necessary | More information available here.
The AFRL Scholars Program is a paid internship where you’ll collaborate with AFRL scientists and engineers on real-world physics and engineering research. As a high school participant, you might get to work on projects centered around cold-atom experimental control and data acquisition or metalens design and modeling. Depending on your placement, you’ll gain experience with tools like FPGA programming, Python, or Linux while contributing to ongoing experiments. Along the way, you’ll receive mentorship from industry experts and experience what it’s like to be a part of a professional research team. Click here to find a project that matches your interest!
4. The New York Academy of Sciences – The Junior Academy
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Program Dates: The challenge takes place twice a year, in the Fall and Spring. The Fall Semester is from September – November
Application Deadline: March 27 – July 8 (Fall Semester)
Eligibility: Students aged 13–17 with a strong level of English proficiency
The Junior Academy from The New York Academy of Sciences lets high school students work on global STEM challenges. If you’re into physics, this is a solid way to apply what you know and learn more. You’ll join a team and use a virtual platform called Launchpad to collaborate. Past physics-related challenges have included energy infrastructure, computational modeling, and wearable tech. As you work, you’ll use basic physics concepts like force, motion, energy transfer, and data analysis. You’ll also practice design thinking, which is a method for solving problems step by step. Mentors guide you through the process and help you improve your project. All participants will receive a certificate and a Young Membership to the New York Academy of Sciences upon completing the challenge.
5. Fermilab Student Programs: Saturday Morning Physics (SMP)
Location: Fermilab, Batavia, IL, with three off-site lectures at the University of Chicago, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, and Northwestern University (You can also join the program virtually via Zoom)
Cost: Free
Cohort Size: Maximum of 150 students per session
Program Dates: September 13 – November 22
Application Deadline: August – September 5
Eligibility: All high school students | High school physics and a couple of years of algebra are preferred, but not required
Saturday Morning Physics at Fermilab is a free program for high school students who want to learn physics from established physicists. You’ll spend 11 Saturdays diving into topics like quantum mechanics, special relativity, neutrinos, cosmology, and quantum computing. Each session includes a lecture plus a lab tour or panel discussion, so you get both theory and hands-on exposure. You’ll see how scientists collect data, test models, and use particle detectors and accelerators to study the universe. Some sessions might include field trips to places like the University of Chicago or Northwestern to visit research labs and attend science events.
6. Horizon Academic Research Program – Physics Tracks
Location: Virtual
Cost: $6,450 (financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 26% | Up to 200 students each year
Program Dates: Multiple 10–16 week cohorts throughout the year. Fall Cohort starts on September 21
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. The deadline for the Fall Cohort is August 31.
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum GPA of 3.67/4.0 | Some tracks, like Protein Biophysics, might have prerequisites. Check here for more information!
At the Horizon Academic Research Program, you’ll spend a trimester conducting independent research under the guidance of a professor or PhD researcher from a top university. If you choose the physics track, you might focus on areas like fluid dynamics, using either quantitative or qualitative methods to shape your project. Over the course of the program, you’ll write a 20-page research paper while strengthening your skills in academic writing, data analysis, and critical thinking. You will leave the program with a detailed feedback and grade report from your mentor and a research experience you can showcase in college applications. Some participants even go on to submit their work to research journals for publication.
7. Textron Aviation High School Internship Opportunities
Location: Textron Aviation locations across the U.S., primarily Wichita, KS
Cost | Stipend: Free | Paid
Program Dates: Internship opportunities are available year-round, in the Summer, Fall, and Spring
Application Deadline: Varies according to the internship. Applications for the Fall programs open in April.
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old
Textron Aviation offers high school internships for students who want hands-on experience in the aviation industry. You’ll work on projects in areas like aircraft maintenance, engineering, manufacturing, IT, or business operations. It’s a chance to see how physics applies to flight, engines, materials, and systems in actual aircraft. Internships are available year-round depending on business needs. Fall and spring sessions require a school schedule that allows you to work between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You’ll learn how aviation professionals use physics principles like force, motion, energy, and aerodynamics in their daily work.
8. NASA International Space Apps Challenge
Location: Multiple locations across the globe
Cost: Free
Cohort Size: Participating teams must have no more than 6 members
Program Dates: October 4–5
Application Deadline: Registration is open until the hackathon ends on October 5
Eligibility: Open to everyone, including high school students
The NASA International Space Apps Challenge is a two-day global hackathon where you can team up to solve challenges using NASA data. Each year, the event brings together participants from around the world to work on open-source projects across fields like astrophysics, planetary science, and space exploration. You can join physics-related challenges such as training AI/ML models to identify exoplanets, designing sustainable approaches for commercial activity in low Earth orbit, or building simulations to model asteroid impacts. Throughout the competition, you’ll analyze datasets, develop computational tools, and apply physics concepts to real-world problems.
9. Sandia National Laboratories Internships
Location: Virtual or at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, or Livermore, CA
Cost | Stipend: Free | Paid
Program Dates: Internships are available year-round
Application Deadline: Apply at least 3 months before your preferred internship’s start date
Eligibility: U.S. high school students who are at least 16 years old | Minimum cumulative GPA for high school students applying for Research and Development (R&D) or Technical positions is 3.0/4.0 | Minimum cumulative GPA for high school students applying for clerical or laborer positions is 2.5/4.0
The Sandia National Laboratories Internships give you the chance to work alongside top scientists and engineers on research in areas like remote-sensing technologies, electrical and mechanical engineering, and the physical sciences. Depending on your internship, you might get to work on a predictive-simulation model, conduct pulsed-power experiments, or take part in other projects that contribute to national goals. You will also receive close guidance from a Sandia Laboratory mentor throughout the program. Apart from this, you’ll also join professional development activities such as technical seminars, tours, and workshops that shed light on the mission, culture, and research at Sandia.
10. Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP)
Location: ASDRP Labs in Fremont, CA (Participants who are from outside the Bay Area may work virtually)
Cost: $1,070 (financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Acceptance rates and cohort sizes vary from term to term
Program Dates: The Fall term is from September 1 – January 15
Application Deadline: May 1 – August 15 (Fall term)
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in or entering grades 9–12
The ASDRP is a 4.5-month-long research program where you’ll design and execute original projects in fields like physics, astrophysics, biotechnology, materials science, and machine learning. You’ll work with scientists and engineers from academia and industry, joining evening or weekend lab sessions to contribute to long-term projects. Along the way, you’ll develop scientific reading and writing skills, undergo mock peer reviews, and draft papers based on your results. Many students go on to publish their work in peer-reviewed journals or present at conferences and symposiums.
11. Online Advanced Placement (AP®) at Northwestern – AP® Physics C: Mechanics
Location: Virtual
Cost: $865 (1 credit) (financial aid available)
Program Dates: September 10 – January 14
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment | Last date for late application submissions is October 1 (Fall session) | Tuition increases by $25 after September 12th for the Fall session.
Eligibility: High school students | Pre-requisites: Physics & Calculus
Northwestern’s AP Physics C: Mechanics course is a self-paced online program built for students who love physics and math. You’ll study core mechanics topics like kinematics, Newton’s laws, energy, momentum, rotation, and gravitation, all using calculus to solve problems. The course includes virtual labs, problem sets, and practice questions to help you prepare for the AP exam. You’ll also join two live sessions with instructors to review concepts and share your work.
12. Online Advanced Placement (AP®) at Northwestern – AP® Physics I: Algebra-Based
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,445 (2 credits) (financial aid available)
Program Dates: September 10 – May 20
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment | Last date for late application submissions is October 1 (Fall session) | Tuition increases by $25 after September 12th for the Fall session.
Eligibility: High school students | Pre-requisites: Algebra II, Geometry
In Northwestern’s AP® Physics I: Algebra-Based course, you’ll explore the foundations of Newtonian mechanics, energy, momentum, rotational motion, and simple harmonic motion. You’ll study velocity, acceleration, and the different types of force, then apply those concepts to problems like projectile motion, satellite orbits, and collisions. Using simulations and at-home experiments, you’ll analyze how physical principles play out in real-world systems. Each unit includes structured problem sets and AP® practice checks to build your quantitative problem-solving skills.
13. Northwestern Pre-College Online Program – Engineering: Solving Problems Through Design
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,895 (need-based scholarships available)
Program Dates: Multiple 2 to 4-week-long cohorts throughout the year, including the Fall
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 13 and 19 who have not yet enrolled in college (Gap year students who are no more than one year post high school can also apply)
In Northwestern Pre-College Online Program – Engineering: Solving Problems Through Design, you’ll study how engineers solve real-world problems across multiple disciplines. Through case studies in civil, mechanical, materials, and biomedical engineering, you’ll examine concepts like force, motion, energy transfer, and material properties, and see how these principles shape design decisions. You’ll also explore how engineers use measurements, prototyping, and testing methods to evaluate solutions and ensure safety and reliability. The course concludes with a capstone project where you’ll apply the engineering design process to define a problem, propose a solution, and create a plan for testing and iteration.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – Northwestern University