If you are considering studying physics in college or exploring careers in engineering or research, joining a physics program in high school can give you an early advantage!
Physics programs introduce you to areas such as mechanics, electromagnetism, and modern physics, topics that often go beyond standard school coursework. Through lab sessions, problem-solving workshops, and guided instruction, you may run experiments, work with data, and study how physical systems behave in real-world settings.
Why should you choose a program in North Carolina?
North Carolina has a strong academic base in physics, with universities and research centers offering structured programs for high school students. Many of these programs are connected to active departments, which means you are learning in environments where physics is being studied and applied.
These experiences can strengthen your academic profile while helping you build practical understanding. Participating in a physics program shows that you are willing to go beyond the classroom and engage with the subject more seriously.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 15 physics programs for high school students in North Carolina! You can also check out this list of free, virtual physics courses to help you prepare, or these university-led physics programs if you’re already an advanced student!
(Note: Some programs, based in North Carolina or online, may include final sessions, events, or components in other states. This could require limited travel depending on the program.)
15 Physics Programs for High School Students in North Carolina
1. Duke STAR Program (Summer Training in Academic Research)
Location: Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), Durham, NC
Cost: Free! Students earn a $4,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 22 – July 24
Application Deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and graduating seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Duke STAR is a five-week research program where you join a small team working under faculty at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. You begin with a basic research idea and gradually build it into a full paper, moving through literature review, data analysis, and structured writing. Much of the work involves statistical modeling and interpretation, which relies on concepts like probability, measurement, and quantitative reasoning rooted in physics. You spend time working with real datasets, cleaning and analyzing them, and discussing results with your team. By the end, your work is prepared for journal submission, and in some cases, students are included as co-authors if their contribution meets research standards.
2. Duke Research in Engineering Program (DukeREP)
Location: Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Durham, NC
Cost: Free! Participants receive a paid stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors enrolled at a North Carolina high school aged 16+
DukeREP is a seven-week lab-based internship where you work inside an active biomedical engineering research group. You are assigned to a project and contribute to ongoing experiments or computational work under the guidance of PhD mentors. Many projects draw directly on physics concepts such as wave behavior, fluid dynamics, or signal processing, depending on the lab. You spend most of your time running experiments, analyzing outputs, and adjusting methods based on results. Alongside lab work, you attend sessions on research methods and college pathways, but the core of the program remains your daily work inside the lab.
3. NCSSM Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics
Location: One of four UNC system campuses – Appalachian State University (Boone), East Carolina University (Greenville), UNC Charlotte, and UNC Wilmington. Some have virtual options as well.
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, approximately 170-200 students chosen from over 800 applicants
Dates: Varies by campus and format, though all are 4 weeks long and take place between June 21 and July 25
Application Deadline: January 5
Eligibility: Students currently in 10th or 11th grade at a North Carolina high school
Summer Ventures is a four-week residential program where you work on a focused research problem in a small group. Physics-related tracks often involve modeling systems, analyzing environmental data, or studying materials at different scales. You begin by reading background material and learning the tools needed for the project, then move into experimentation or computation. Most of your time is spent testing ideas, interpreting results, and refining your approach. The program builds toward a final presentation, but the main work is in the daily process of problem-solving and discussion with instructors.
4. NC State Young Investigators’ Summer Program in Nuclear Engineering (YISP)
Location: NC State University, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Raleigh, NC
Cost: $2,400
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: July 6 – 24
Application Deadline: April 30
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, rising seniors, and graduating seniors
YISP is a three-week residential program centered on nuclear physics and engineering systems. You attend lectures on topics like radiation, reactor design, and nuclear energy, then apply those ideas in lab sessions using real equipment. You work with radiation detectors, measure outputs, and analyze how different variables affect results. The program includes exposure to a working research reactor, where you learn how nuclear systems are monitored and controlled. Group projects run alongside lab work, where you study specific applications such as energy production or safety systems and present your findings at the end.
5. NCSSM INSPIRE Program
Location: NCSSM-Morganton campus, Morganton, NC
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 21 – 26
Application Deadline: March 5
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-graders who live in North Carolina
INSPIRE is a short residential program where you work on a guided STEM project with faculty support. You are introduced to how research questions are formed and tested, with an emphasis on method rather than output. The work may involve basic data collection, modeling, or small experiments, depending on the track. You spend time discussing your approach with instructors and adjusting your methods as you go. The program is brief, but it gives you a direct look at how research is structured and how problems are approached step by step.
6. NC State GTI Online Research Academy
Location: Fully online
Cost: $1,295
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6 – August 7
Application Deadline: June 15
Eligibility: Rising grade 10 or higher
The GTI Online Research Academy is a remote program where you work with a faculty mentor on a structured research project. Most physics-related work involves computational tasks such as modeling systems or analyzing datasets. You meet regularly with your mentor, define a research question, and work through methods to test it. A large part of the program involves reading scientific literature and learning how to structure your own work in a similar format. By the end, you produce a research paper and receive detailed feedback, which helps you understand how academic work is evaluated.
7. NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) High School Internship
Location: Remote (with potential travel to Texas)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Virtual internships vary by project, though they are generally between June and July 21
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors who are US citizens aged 16+
SEES is a NASA-funded internship program run by the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research. You work beside NASA and university subject matter experts, analyzing and visualizing data from active NASA Earth observation missions. It allows you to engage with several advanced physics concepts, such as electromagnetic radiation and spectral analysis, satellite orbit mechanics, remote sensing physics, atmospheric radiative transfer, and geophysical data modeling. The program begins with online distance learning modules delivered by NASA experts, followed by project-specific work with a research mentor. All interns present their research at the SEES Virtual Science Symposium attended by NASA scientists, families, and guests. Students selected for on-site participation attend a two-week residential experience in Austin with full housing and meals provided.
8. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Varies by mentor; many are open to remote internships
Cost: $1,299. Financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students aged 15 and older. International students can apply.
ASSIP is an eight-week research program where you work directly with a faculty mentor on a project in areas like spectroscopy, astronomy, or computational physics. You begin by reviewing background material and then move into building or testing your own approach. The work is independent but guided, so you are expected to manage your time and progress. You spend a significant amount of time writing and revising your findings. The program ends with a formal presentation and, in some cases, work that can be developed further into a paper or conference submission.
9. 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 is a long-term online program where you take advanced courses in physics and mathematics over several months. The coursework is structured around problem sets that require multi-step reasoning and a deeper understanding of concepts. You attend live sessions, complete assignments regularly, and interact with instructors and peers. The material goes beyond standard high school topics, so you spend time working through unfamiliar problems and building conceptual clarity. While it is not a research program, it prepares you for that level by strengthening your theoretical foundation.
10. US Physics Olympiad (USAPhO) / US Physics Team
Location: Exam phase: at registered schools nationwide; Training camp: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Approximately 400 students invited to USAPhO from roughly 6,000
Dates: F=ma exam: January (at registered schools); USAPhO exam: spring; Training camp: approximately 10 days in May
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: U.S. citizens, or green card holders who have attended school in the U.S. for at least three years and are currently enrolled in high school
The USA Physics Olympiad is a multi-stage competition where you solve advanced physics problems under timed conditions. You begin with a qualifying exam and move to more complex written problems if selected. The questions require detailed derivations and structured reasoning across topics like mechanics, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics. Preparation usually involves consistent practice and working through past problems over time. If you advance to higher rounds, you work at a level similar to early university coursework, focusing on both accuracy and method.
11. Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
Location: Remote. Top 40 finalists travel to Washington, DC, for Regeneron STS Finals Week.
Cost: Free to enter. The top 300 scholars each receive a $2,000 award. Top 40 finalists each receive at least $25,000, scaling up to the first-place winner receiving $250,000.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective, only 300 scholars nationally recognized, of which 40 finalists are selected.
Dates: March 5 – 11 for Finals Week
Application Deadline: Opens June 1 and closes in November. Keep an eye on the website for details.
Eligibility: US citizens and permanent residents currently in 12th grade, or 12th graders who are U.S. citizens residing internationally. Must be the primary researcher on an original independent research project.
Regeneron STS is a research competition where you submit an independent project along with detailed documentation of your work. Physics projects often involve experimental setups, simulations, or theoretical analysis developed over months or years. You are expected to explain your methodology clearly, justify your approach, and present your findings in a formal format. The evaluation focuses on originality, depth, and clarity. If selected as a finalist, you present your work to scientists and participate in further rounds of review and discussion.
12. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Location: Qualifying rounds are held at Charlotte, Durham, or Raleigh, NC, while the final is at Phoenix, Arizona
Cost: Free to compete at qualifying fairs
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive, approximately 1,700 projects compete at ISEF finals from 49 states and 60+ countries.
Dates: January 22 – 24 at Charlotte, February 9 at Durham, March 28 at Raleigh. May 9 – 15 for the finals.
Application Deadline: January 9 for Charlotte, January 19 for Durham, February 28 for Raleigh
Eligibility: Any student in grades 9-12
Regeneron ISEF is the world’s largest pre-college science and engineering fair, affiliated with hundreds of regional and state fairs as qualifying routes. To compete at ISEF Finals, you first advance through your local or state-affiliated fair, which in North Carolina includes several regional science fairs that send top projects forward. The Physics and Astronomy track is one of the 22 categories available to participate in, allowing for topics like nuclear, particle, computational, quantum, and biological physics, among others. If you are conducting original research, entering the affiliated local fair is the standard path toward ISEF. The competition also provides documented research experience that strengthens applications to programs like Regeneron STS and college admissions portfolios.
13. Science Olympiad
Location: 450 tournaments across all 50 states; University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, for the national final
Cost: Varies by state
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive, only 120 high school and middle school teams qualify for the National Tournament
Dates: May 22 – 23 for the national final
Application Deadline: Varies by state, typically October – January
Eligibility: Teams of up to 15 students from the same high school
Science Olympiad is a nationwide team competition in which 15-member school teams compete across 23 STEM events over an academic year. For physics-focused students, the most relevant events include Experimental Design, Materials Science, Remote Sensing, Robot Tour, and Engineering CAD. The competition ladder runs from invitational tournaments in the fall through regional and state tournaments, with approximately one team per state advancing to nationals. While the Science Olympiad is a team competition and not a research program, the physics events require a depth of content knowledge and experimental skill that makes serious preparation academically rigorous.
14. Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism (PHYS102) – University of Pennsylvania
Location: Online
Cost: Free (with an optional paid certificate)
Program Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Open enrollment throughout the year
Eligibility: High school students with prior knowledge of algebra and basic physics
This is a self-paced online course where you work through the core ideas of electricity and magnetism in a structured way. You study topics like electric fields, circuits, magnetic forces, and electromagnetic waves, with problem sets that require you to apply equations. Most of the work involves solving numerical problems, interpreting field behavior, and understanding how different components interact in a system. The course builds step by step, so you move from basic charge interactions to more complete circuit analysis.
15. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (PHYS114) – Stanford University
Location: Online
Cost: Free (with an optional paid certificate)
Program Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Open year-round
Eligibility: High school students with calculus and basic physics knowledge
Stanford’s Introduction to Quantum Mechanics is a self-paced course where you work through the basics of quantum mechanics using both math and theory. You study topics like wave functions, the Schrödinger equation, uncertainty, and how particles behave at very small scales. The course includes problem sets that require calculus, so you spend time solving equations and interpreting what the results actually mean. You move from simple systems to slightly more complex ones, building an understanding step by step.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in physics, 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: Duke University