Joining a summer internship can be one of the most practical and rewarding ways to explore different career paths and gain professional experience. You get to apply what you’ve learned in school and start building skills that will help you in college and beyond.
Texas, in particular, offers a wide range of opportunities. Universities, research centers, startups, and local organizations across the state host summer internships in areas like business, technology, healthcare, media, and engineering. These internships give you the chance to learn directly from professionals, work on projects, and develop practical skills.
Choosing a local internship also makes things easier and more affordable. You don’t have to worry about housing or travel, and you can focus on gaining experience while staying close to home. Plus, these opportunities strengthen your college applications, build your resume, and help you make useful connections in your own community.
To help you explore the right options, we’ve created a list of 13 summer internships in Texas that are open to high school students.
13 Texas Summer Internships for High School Students
1. MD Anderson Cancer Center – Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences
Cost: Free
Location: Houston, Texas
Program Dates: June 1 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 14 (application window: November 17 – January 14)
Eligibility: Texas high school seniors (18+ by program start) interested in allied health or biomedical research careers
The MD Anderson Cancer Center – Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences is a ten-week research experience that places you in an MD Anderson lab under the guidance of a faculty mentor. You’ll gain full-time exposure to experimental biomedical science, conduct hands-on research, maintain lab notebooks, and learn to apply core scientific methods across areas such as molecular biology and clinical research.
2. NASA & University of Texas at Austin – STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) Summer Intern Program
Cost: Free
Location: Austin, Texas (with hybrid/virtual options)
Program Dates: May 19 – July 22 (distance learning: May 19–July 1; on-site: July 6–19; Virtual Science Symposium: July 21–22)
Application Deadline: February 22 (recommendations due March 1)
Eligibility: U.S. high school students with a strong interest in STEM, space science, or Earth systems research
Run jointly by NASA and UT Austin’s Center for Space Research, the SEES program trains you to interpret and visualize NASA satellite data across fields such as remote sensing, climate science, and planetary systems. You’ll work with NASA subject matter experts and use tools like Python-based data analysis, GIS mapping, and space geodetic methods to study areas including ice sheet dynamics, gravity fields, and atmospheric change. Before the main research phase, you complete distance-learning modules designed to build your coding skills and Earth science foundations. You then move into team-based projects and field research. The internship concludes with a virtual symposium where you present research connected to active NASA missions.
3. Houston Methodist – High School Emerging Researcher Experience
Cost: Free
Location: Houston, Texas (Texas Medical Center)
Program Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Academically strong high school juniors and seniors with a strong interest in biomedical or translational research.
Houston Methodist High School Emerging Researcher Experience is an eight-week full-time internship that places you within Houston Methodist’s Undergraduate Research Internship Program. You work with college and graduate researchers and are paired with a faculty mentor to plan and complete a summer research project in areas such as molecular biology, bioengineering, or medical innovation. You receive training in lab protocols, data collection, and analytical methods. You also attend development sessions and peer meetings. The program ends with a research symposium where you present your findings to faculty and students.
4. UT Health San Antonio – Student Internship Program
Cost: Free
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Program Dates: Year-round (summer participation typically June–August)
Application Deadline: Rolling (applications accepted throughout the year)
Eligibility: High school, college, premed, or pre-PhD students with an interest in biomedical research
UT Health San Antonio Student Internship Program gives you research experience in immunology, molecular pathogenesis, and genetics or clinical epidemiology under the guidance of senior investigators. Research areas include HIV and AIDS, neurobiology, bone disease, lupus, atherosclerosis, and alcoholism. You design and run experiments, analyze data, and take part in research discussions with faculty mentors. The program focuses on lab precision, data accuracy, and practical understanding of biomedical questions.
5. UT Southwestern Medical Center – Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP)
Cost: Free
Location: Dallas, Texas
Program Dates: January 10 – January 24 (Saturdays only)
Application Deadline: November 9 (application window: October 13 – November 9)
Eligibility: Texas high school students in grades 10–12 interested in medicine or science
Hosted by UT Southwestern’s medical, graduate, and health professions schools, HPREP introduces you to medical and scientific fields through interactive workshops. Activities include CPR certification, cow eye dissections, suturing, genetics experiments, and neuroscience demonstrations. You also take part in mentoring groups and a college fair that supports academic and career planning in healthcare. Through guided instruction and lab simulations, HPREP builds a basic understanding of biomedical research and clinical practice and serves as early exposure for students interested in pre-med studies.
6. Bank of America – Student Leaders® Program
Cost: Free
Location: Available in select Texas cities, including Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio
Program Dates: Eight weeks (June–August; includes National Leadership Summit in July)
Application Deadline: Typically mid-January
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.)
Bank of America Student Leaders Program offers paid summer internships at nonprofits such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Habitat for Humanity, along with leadership training through a week-long summit in Washington, D.C. You take part in community projects, policy discussions, and organizational tasks. The program combines civic engagement with nonprofit operations. You develop skills in leadership, communication, and project management while building connections with local and national networks.
7. University of Texas at Austin – AEOP “LLMs for Safe Navigation” Research Internship
Cost: Free. A stipend $4,440 (high school); $5,920 (undergraduate)
Location: Austin, Texas
Program Dates: June 2 – July 24
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: U.S. high school students with a minimum 3.0 GPA and basic programming knowledge
Hosted by UT Austin’s Center for Autonomy under the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), this internship focuses on how large language models and robotics work together to support autonomous navigation. You work with PhD mentors to develop and test algorithms for sensor data integration, path planning, and robotic movement using platforms such as Unitree Go2 quadrupeds, Clearpath Jackals, and Husky robots. The work includes Python3, ROS, Linux systems, and hardware prototyping.
8. Parkland Health – Workforce Development High School Summer Internship Program
Cost: Free
Location: Dallas, Texas
Program Dates: Eight weeks (June–August; exact dates vary)
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: Dallas–Fort Worth high school juniors and seniors (age 16+; minimum 3.0 GPA)
The Parkland Health – Workforce Development High School Summer Internship Program is an eight-week experience that introduces you to the administrative and non-clinical operations of one of Dallas’s largest healthcare systems. You’ll shadow professionals across hospital departments and learn how healthcare management, patient services, and operational systems support the daily functioning of a medical center. Throughout the program, you develop skills in workplace professionalism, data handling, and interdepartmental coordination, all essential in both clinical and business-side healthcare careers.
9. Dallas Works Summer Internship Program
Cost: Free. Pays a stipend (hourly rate varies by employer)
Location: Dallas, Texas
Program Dates: June 30 – August 8
Application Deadline: April 28
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in Dallas ISD, Dallas College, or UNT at Dallas
The Dallas Works Internship places you in paid positions across corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies, combining real work experience with structured training. Before starting your role, you complete the Career Ready Workshops and Internship Prep Bootcamp, where you learn professional communication, workplace conduct, and resume design. During the internship, you gain hands-on experience with project management, administrative systems, and organizational workflows while working alongside mentors and other interns.
10. National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) High School Internship (Frisco ISD)
Cost: Free
Location: Frisco, Texas (on-site at NBCF)
Program Dates: One-month placement (June–August; exact dates assigned by NBCF)
Application Deadline: March 21
Eligibility: High school students in Frisco ISD
The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) High School Internship, offered through Frisco ISD, is designed for students who want to understand how nonprofits operate. Over one month, you’ll work across departments such as Programs, Development, and Marketing to see how teams manage fundraising, outreach, and mission delivery. Each week includes workshops on resume writing, public speaking, and interview skills. A final group project strengthens your presentation and project-management abilities.
11. City of Austin – High School Summer Internship Programs
Cost: None. A stipend of $13 per hour
Location: Austin, Texas
Program Dates: June 2 – July 11
Application Deadline: January (opens annually)
Eligibility: Austin-area high school students aged 15–18; rising sophomores through current seniors
The City of Austin Youth Initiatives Office offers five internship tracks based on your career interests, including leadership, STEAM, aviation, hospitality, and automotive management. You work 20 hours per week in departments such as Engineering, Finance, Marketing, or Aviation Operations. Each track includes work experience, mentorship, and field visits. You may analyze airport logistics, support event operations, or learn automotive business workflows.
12. Texas Health Resources – Junior Volunteer Program
Cost: Free
Location: Multiple Texas Health hospitals across the Dallas–Fort Worth region
Program Dates: Summer (exact dates vary by hospital; typically June–August)
Application Deadline: Early spring (varies by facility; applications usually open in February–March)
Eligibility: High school students aged 16–18 with at least two references
Texas Health Resources Junior Volunteer Program gives you experience in nonclinical hospital operations, including patient support, administrative work, and departmental tasks. You commit between 32 and 128 service hours, depending on the hospital, and learn how healthcare systems function day to day. Training includes patient interaction, data logging, and workplace conduct in medical settings.
13. Dallas Bar Association – Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP)
Cost: Free. Pays a stipend (varies by employer)
Location: Dallas, Texas
Program Dates: June 9 – August 1 (Session 1: June 9–July 3; Session 2: July 7–August 1; Full Session: June 9–August 1)
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Dallas ISD high school juniors with a minimum academic average of 85 and interest in studying law
The Dallas Bar Association Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) works with Dallas ISD to place you in law firms and corporate legal departments for 4 to 8 weeks. You observe court proceedings, assist with case documentation, and learn how civil and corporate law functions in practice. The program includes orientations, networking events, and a structured learning curriculum. By the end of the internship, you gain direct exposure to legal research, drafting, and courtroom procedure, useful if you plan to study pre-law or political science.
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 – University of Texas at Austin