If you’re a high school student looking to build professional experience while still managing school from home, paid virtual internships are a smart place to start. They let you explore real work environments without worrying about commuting or relocation. And since these internships are paid, you are not only gaining experience early, but also earning some money alongside it.
Paid virtual internships for high school students usually involve actual project-based work instead of passive observation. Depending on your interests, you might help with research, coding, spreadsheets, content writing, presentations, or social media tasks. Some internships focus on STEM and technology, while others are built around business, media, nonprofits, or humanities-related work.
What do paid virtual internships for high schoolers include?
Paid virtual internships for high school students usually expose you to real workflows inside companies and organizations. You work with professionals already in the field, contribute to ongoing projects, attend meetings, and learn how deadlines and communication work in professional settings.
These internships also help you understand how remote work functions on a day-to-day basis. Since the internships are paid, there is often more accountability attached to the work, which makes the experience feel closer to an actual entry-level role. By the end, you not only gain stronger material for college applications, but also some financial compensation along the way.
With that, here are 15 paid virtual internships for high school students! If you’re looking for free online research programs, you can find them here. You can also check out online pre-college programs for high school students here.
15 Paid Virtual Internships for High School Students
1. UChicago Medicine’s SHE in Oncology
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $500 taxable stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 students
Dates: July 13 – 25
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: High school students who are residents of Cook, Lake, Will, and DuPage counties in Illinois, or Lake County in Indiana
SHE in Oncology is a virtual summer program that allows local high school students to explore science and medicine with a focus on cancer research, especially for women and underrepresented students in STEM. You work on a genetics-based research project and a patient case study to understand both cancer biology and patient care. You also gain hands-on experience through a home lab kit and take part in panel discussions, online lectures, and skill-building workshops. Throughout the program, you interact with professionals in cancer research and care and learn about different biomedical careers. You’ll also get to present your research to mentors and peers and learn from other students’ projects.
2. Internships at the Foreign Policy Research Institute
Location: Remote or in person at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Stipend: Both paid internships with need-based stipends and part-time unpaid options are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: February – April (Spring) | June – August (Summer) | October – December (Fall)
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by session
Eligibility: High school, college, and graduate students who are authorized to work in the U.S.
The Foreign Policy Research Institute offers internships where students can work remotely or in flexible formats and learn about international policy and law. You are paired with a mentor who helps you build communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and time management skills. You get hands-on experience at a think tank and work with professionals. You can choose roles in research or administration and operations. In research roles, you will work with staff and scholars focused on regions like the Middle East, Eurasia, Africa, or Asia. If you choose administration and operations, you’ll help out with management and program tasks. You also attend weekly virtual seminars on foreign policy and career development, and may contribute to a research paper for publication in FPRI’s Intern Corner.
3. UPenn Abramson Cancer Center Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology
Location: Virtual; the Welcome Event is held at the American Cancer Society in Philadelphia, PA
Stipend: $500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: July 13 – 24; the Welcome Event takes place on July 10, and the Closing Event is held on July 27
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors are eligible to apply. Priority is given to the School District of Philadelphia students
The Abramson Cancer Center’s Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology is a two-week virtual program for rising high school juniors and seniors that offers them the opportunity to learn about cancer biology and careers in clinical care, research, and patient care. You join daily Zoom sessions featuring lectures, expert talks, and panels led by clinicians, scientists, and community ambassadors. You’ll also work on small-group projects with other students and Penn graduate mentors, use an at-home nutrition research kit with live lab instruction, and complete hands-on activities like a fruit fly experiment. You’ll present two projects by the end of the program. After the program, you can continue connecting through virtual and in-person sessions during the school year, as well as networking with Penn undergraduates and researchers.
4. Camp Zon by Zon Lab
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30–35 students
Dates: July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: April 24
Eligibility: High school students or rising college freshmen who are at least 16 by June 1 and live and attend school in Massachusetts
Camp Zon is a two-week virtual research program for Massachusetts students to study anemia in zebrafish. You work with a team to design a project, formulate a hypothesis, and plan experiments. You watch scientists run your experiments live online, analyze the data, and present your findings. The program runs part-time, usually in the afternoon with one morning session. You’ll build critical thinking and presentation skills, learn about blood development and cancer biology, and create graphs using basic coding. You also read scientific papers, attend virtual lectures, and join mentoring sessions and career panels with researchers, as well as gain exposure to clinical and basic research fields.
5. Internships at the Smithsonian National Zoo
Location: Virtual, hybrid, or in-person in Washington, DC, Herndon, VA, or Front Royal, VA
Stipend: Both paid and unpaid opportunities are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Opportunities are available year-round, but the exact dates depend on the specific internship
Application Deadline: Varies by internship opportunity
Eligibility: All high school students can apply; some roles may have extra requirements
The National Zoo offers internships in areas like veterinary medicine, animal care, genetics, animal behavior, conservation, nutrition, IT, communications, GIS, and One Health. You can apply for positions in departments like animal programs, behavioral research, and veterinary medicine. Some opportunities are open year-round, and others follow set deadlines. While many roles are based in Washington, D.C., Front Royal, Virginia, or Hawaii, select internships can be completed online. These experiences will teach you to connect classroom learning to real-world work by contributing to research, conservation, and animal care projects. You’ll also learn about wildlife and ecosystem management.
6. Smithsonian’s Young Ambassadors Program at the National Museum of the American Latino
Location: Virtual; the training seminar takes place at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Stipend: $1,350
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Last year, 20 students participated in the program
Dates: July – October (virtual Making History Community Practicum Experience); the Washington Week Training Seminar runs from June 21 to 27
Application Deadline: February 23 – April 24
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who are eligible to work in the U.S., are fluent in English, have at least a 3.0 weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale, and plan to enroll full-time in an accredited college or university in the fall
The Smithsonian’s Young Ambassadors Program is a national leadership and college-prep program focused on the humanities, arts, and sciences that allows high school seniors to learn about Latino communities, culture, and history. The program is primarily a 108-hour virtual community practicum that you can complete from any local U.S. region or Puerto Rico. It also includes a weeklong training seminar in Washington, D.C., where you’ll explore career paths, meet other students, and interact with professionals. You’ll study topics like discrimination, immigration, and community formation through seminars, museum collections, and discussions. The program gives you a clearer view of social dynamics and how cultural and historical forces influence different groups over time.
7. Stupski Foundation Internship Program
Location: The program is primarily remote, with some in-person events held at different organizations in the Bay Area and Hawai‘i
Stipend: $30 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; only 5 students participated in last year’s program
Dates: October – May (8 months); flexible schedule
Application Deadline: Applications open in the fall; September 3 – September 17 (tentative)
Eligibility: Students from the Bay Area or Hawai‘i who are at least 18 years old, including recent high school graduates
The Stupski Foundation Internship is an eight-month paid program in which local students work part-time from October to May for about 10 to 15 hours a week, mostly remotely, with occasional in-person events and networking. You join a cohort and collaborate online with staff advisors, other youth leaders, and community partners, and support the foundation’s work in education, communications, food justice, health, and philanthropy. You’ll take part in a virtual speaker series to build connections with nonprofits and philanthropic organizations. You’ll gain experience in grantmaking and community-focused work. The internship ends with a capstone project that you design with guidance from an advisor, focusing on topics like equity in philanthropy, systems change, community leadership, or foundation operations. You’ll also get to present it to the foundation, your peers, and the community.
8. Internships at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Location: Remote or in person in Washington, D.C.
Stipend: Paid (amount varies by opportunity)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Over 100 students
Dates: Internships are available throughout the year (fall, winter, spring, and summer), and typically last anywhere from six weeks to one year, depending on the role
Application Deadline: Varies by opportunity; March 1 (summer session)
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and postgraduate students, as well as working professionals
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage offers year-round internships in which students can work remotely or in flexible formats and explore areas such as history, folklore, social media, linguistics, cultural anthropology, videography, design, marketing, and library science. You spend about 15 to 20 hours a week on projects connected to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, archival collections, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and education programs. You may also earn academic credit depending on your field of study. Online research, documentation, and storytelling work will help you learn how communities function, study cultural expression, and build skills in research, analysis, and understanding social dynamics.
9. ACS Healthcare Experience and Research in Oncology (HERO)
Location: Virtual
Stipend: $500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Maximum 20 students
Dates: July 20 – 31
Application Deadline: April 24
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors in Wisconsin who are at least 16 and have a strong interest in biomedicine, scientific research, or cancer-related fields
The American Cancer Society Healthcare Experience and Research in Oncology (HERO) is a two-week virtual program that allows Wisconsin students to explore STEMM and health careers. You join students from across the Midwest to work on a genetics-based research project and a patient case study to understand cancer science and clinical care. You’ll receive mentorship from researchers, join a network of faculty and peers, and take part in career development sessions on biomedical careers. Online lectures, panel discussions, and workshops will allow you to build your knowledge and connect with professionals. The program also provides lab kits for experiments, which help you gain hands-on experience from home and learn about challenges in both rural and urban healthcare settings.
10. Pathway Internship Programs at the U.S. Department of State
Location: Multiple locations across the United States; remote opportunities are also available
Stipend: Paid; amount varies based on the position
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies based on the number of available positions
Dates: Internship dates vary by position. IEP internships follow the academic year schedule, and ITEP internships are offered year-round, including during school breaks
Application Deadline: Varies by location and opportunity
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 by the application deadline, have a minimum 2.0 GPA, are U.S. citizens, and remain eligible students for the entire internship
The U.S. Department of State Pathways Internship Programs offer paid opportunities where you can work in government roles. Virtual or flexible positions are available, depending on the agency. You gain hands-on experience in areas like public policy, foreign affairs, law, and international relations by working with offices such as the Office of the General Counsel, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. You’ll take on projects like research and report writing, work with diverse teams, and learn about cross-cultural communication, social trends, and political systems. The program includes two options, one that follows your academic year schedule and another that is offered year-round, helping you build skills for global careers.
11. ISB DREAM-High Collaborative Summer Experience
Location: Virtual or in person at the Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA
Stipend: $500 stipends are provided based on financial need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12 students
Dates: 6-week program runs from the second week of July to the third week of August
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (rising seniors)
The ISB DREAM High Collaborative Summer Experience is a six-week program for rising high school seniors. You can join the program virtually or in person for about 32 hours per week. You take part in flexible online sessions once a week for three to four hours, working with other students across the country. The program is offered through a partnership among Columbia University, ISB, and Stanford University, and sessions are led by active cancer systems-biology researchers. You’ll learn to use R and Python to analyze and visualize genomics, clinical, and physical data from cancer cells, then apply those skills to challenge projects. You will also collaborate with peers, develop technical skills, and present your work online to showcase what you have learned.
12. Futures and Options Internship Program
Location: Remote, in-person, or hybrid internships at multiple locations in New York City, NY | In-person workshops are held at the Futures and Options office, Manhattan, NY
Stipend: Interns earn $17 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: This year, more than 190 students interned at nearly 100 organizations
Dates: 6 weeks between July and August
Application Deadline: January 23
Eligibility: New York City high school juniors and seniors who have a valid work card and are legally allowed to work in the United States can apply. Preference is given to graduating seniors and students without prior internship experience
The Futures and Options Internship Program places local high school juniors and seniors in roles at small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, or large companies based on their interests and skills. You can explore areas such as marketing, finance, or business operations and work 20–30 hours a week, for a total of 100–150 hours. Before starting your internship, you’ll attend two orientations, and during the program, you’ll take part in six weekly workshops on communication, interviews, resumes, and financial literacy. You’ll also join field trips to companies like BlackRock, Infor, and UpSlide to learn about finance and business careers. This internship will help you understand financial markets and risk, build practical skills, and grow your confidence in a professional setting.
13. Macmillan Publishers Summer Internship Program
Location: Remote; local students can choose to work from the Macmillan Publishers office in New York, NY
Stipend: Interns earn $17 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 1 – August 21
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April
Eligibility: Recent high school graduates aged 18 or older who are eligible to work in the U.S. can apply. Applicants from underrepresented groups in publishing, including BIPOC, veterans, LGBTQIA+, and individuals with disabilities, are encouraged to apply
Macmillan Publishers offers paid, full-time remote summer internships, with the option to work up to 40 hours per week. It also provides some flexibility in the duration. You can join teams across the trade side of publishing, including editorial, publicity, marketing, art and design, production, sales, and author events, as well as shared services like ESG, legal, technology, and HR. You’ll gain a clear view of how the publishing industry works by completing daily tasks and collaborating with your team online. The program also includes virtual workshops to help you build professional skills, a group summer project that shows you the full publishing process, and opportunities to connect with employees across departments through online networking.
14. Los Angeles Pediatric Society’s Eve And Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program
Location: Virtual or in person at various medical centers in Los Angeles, CA
Stipend: Unpaid, but a $500 scholarship is awarded at the end of the program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: The program receives 300 to 500 applications each year, with about 80 to 100 students selected per session for the online programs
Dates: July 6 – 16 | July 20 – 30 (Online sessions)
Application Deadline: February 13
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors
The Los Angeles Pediatric Society’s Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program allows high school juniors and seniors to explore healthcare careers. You’ll attend virtual or in-person sessions led by surgeons, pediatricians, pharmacists, nurses, and therapists. The online sessions run for two weeks from Monday to Thursday, usually from 10:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. During the program, you observe medical procedures, patient care, and treatment plans to understand how healthcare works in real settings. You also interact with professionals, reflect on what you learn, and gain insight into different medical roles. At the end of the program, you receive a certificate and may qualify for a $500 scholarship. You can read past program highlights here.
15. The Nueva School Internship Program
Location: Various locations across the San Francisco Bay Area, CA; remote opportunities are also available
Stipend: Both paid and unpaid opportunities are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 89 students participated in last year’s program
Dates: 1–9 weeks between mid-June and August
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February
Eligibility: Nueva School 10th–12th grade students
The Nueva School Internship Program connects eligible Nueva high school students with local businesses and nonprofits for summer internships. You can find opportunities across technology, marketing, medicine, research, politics, publishing, and the arts. Employers post position descriptions that outline required skills, time commitments, and other important details. After you submit a resume and cover letter, employers will interview you and extend an offer if you’re a good fit. Before starting, you’ll participate in workplace readiness workshops and receive training in design thinking and social-emotional learning. During the internship, you’ll stay in touch with employers. At the end of the program, you will also submit a video about your experience.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program, 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: University of Pennsylvania