Research Opportunities for High School Students
If you want to do real research before college — not a school science fair project, but working alongside actual researchers — there are more paths in than most students realize. University summer research programs, structured mentorship programs, and lab-based fellowships all count, and many are open to students who've never done research before.
The list below is pulled directly from Pathfind's verified opportunity database — every program listed has a real application process, and we track whether each deadline is officially confirmed or still an estimate from last year's cycle.
Research opportunities tend to be more selective than general summer programs, so it's worth applying to a few at different competitiveness levels rather than just the most famous one.
We found 20 verified matches below. Want the full list instead? See all Research Programs.
PRIMES-USA
Year-long original research project in mathematics, pairing sophomores and juniors nationwide with an MIT researcher and completed remotely. No tuition or fee.
Research Science Institute
Six-week research program on MIT's campus pairing juniors with a mentor for original STEM research, capped by a formal presentation. Free, including room and board; seniors are not eligible.
SHTEM Summer Internships
Eight-week in-person Stanford research internship on interdisciplinary projects spanning information theory, machine learning, and the humanities. Unpaid with a $95 application fee; you arrange your own housing and transport.
Summer High School Advanced Research Program (SHARP)
Summer research program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for high school sophomores and juniors. For U.S. citizens and permanent residents, with a 3.0 GPA, a completed science course, and two recommendation letters considered.
Simons Summer Research Program
Seven-week research fellowship for juniors, working in an active Stony Brook lab in science, math, or engineering under a faculty mentor. Tuition-free, with a $1,000 stipend on completion; commuting avoids the optional housing cost.
Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program
Eight-week mentored research placement in a Stanford lab spanning immunology, cancer biology, neuroscience, and bioengineering. Free, with special consideration for Bay Area students.
Young Scholars Program
Six-week residential research program placing about 40 students in UC Davis labs to run original biological, agricultural, or environmental science projects.
Northeastern Young Scholars Program (YSP)
Free six-week research placement in Northeastern labs in engineering, science, and health sciences for Massachusetts juniors. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and live within commuting distance of Boston.
AEOP Internships and Fellowships
Paid research internships in Army research labs and partner university labs. Positions are competitive.
Clark Scholar Program
Seven-week summer research program pairing high school students with Texas Tech faculty for a mentored original project across the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. No tuition, and a stipend is provided for housing.
High School Research Academy
Five-week non-residential research experience embedded in a UT Austin lab, at roughly 15–25 hours a week. Open to Texas residents who will be rising sophomores, juniors or seniors, with preference for juniors and seniors. The 2027 program runs June 7 to July 14. Tuition is $4,500, and a limited number of need-based scholarships may be available. The 2027 application opens in mid-January, with a deadline in March.
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Paid, fully online 1-on-1 research mentorship pairing a student with a PhD mentor over about 12 weeks to produce an independent research paper in a topic of their choosing. Need-based aid is available.
Magee-Womens HS Summer Research Internship
Six-week biomedical research internship in Pittsburgh where each student runs their own project with an investigator. Students must be over 16, and a $1,800 stipend is available to students from households that qualify. Applications for 2027 open in late fall 2026.
NIST Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP)
Seven-week unpaid research internship with NIST scientists. You must be a U.S. citizen with at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA.
Polygence Core Program
Paid, online 1-on-1 mentorship pairing a student with an expert to complete a self-chosen research project, paper, or app over roughly 10 sessions. Need-based aid is available.
Research in Science & Engineering (RISE)
Six-week summer research practicum placing students in Boston University labs to work on an independent project with a faculty mentor, ending in a research paper and symposium presentation.
Science Research Mentoring Program
Multi-year mentored research program where New York City students work on museum research projects in biodiversity, astrophysics, or earth science and present results at a symposium.
Summer Science Research Program
Six-week mentored laboratory research placement in biomedical science at Rockefeller University, with a stipend and a closing research symposium. Open to New York-area students.
UCSC Scholar Immersion Program (SIP)
Summer research with UC Santa Cruz mentors on open-ended projects. The SIP 2027 application fee is $68, and fee waivers are available.
Van Andel Institute HS Graduate Research Program
Eight-week paid lab research program for graduating high school seniors, working full time with scientists on cell biology, genetics, neuroscience, and more. It pays $15 an hour and has 10 spots. U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. Applications run January to mid-March 2027.