CS Research Programs for High School Students 2026

Research experience is one of the strongest signals a high school student can show selective colleges. Working on a real project — in a university lab, a structured mentorship, or an independent study — demonstrates intellectual initiative that grades and test scores cannot. Aspiring CS majors stand out by building things and competing — shipping projects on GitHub, contributing to open source, and climbing the USACO ladder.

Well-known options include the Research Science Institute (RSI), Stanford's SIMR, the Summer Science Program (SSP), Pioneer Academics, and Polygence, alongside hundreds of university and hospital lab placements. Look for AI/ML research mentorships, university CS labs, hackathons, and programs such as MIT PRIMES and Stanford AI4ALL.

Admissions officers value research because it shows you can ask a question, stay with a hard problem for months, and clearly communicate what you found.

How to get started with research programs

1. Pick a field you'd happily read about on a Saturday — biology, economics, machine learning — and narrow it to one specific question.
2. Build a shortlist: structured mentorships (Polygence, Pioneer), free selective programs (RSI, SSP), and 8–10 professors whose recent papers you actually skimmed.
3. Email professors a short, specific note — what you read, one question it raised, and how you'd help — rather than a generic 'can I join your lab.'
4. Apply to 2–3 structured programs as a backup and track every deadline in the free Activities Tracker.
5. Once you have results, share them: submit to a journal like JEI, present at a science fair (ISEF), or turn your project into a Common App essay.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Caltech Signature Award for Innovation — California Institute of Technology: Earn recognition for your groundbreaking ideas in science with this free high school research award. Boost your college applications and showcase your
• Scripps Research High School Internship Program — Scripps Research: Gain hands-on biomedical research experience in this free high school internship for grades 11-12. Build STEM skills and boost college applications th
• Amgen Scholars Program — Amgen Foundation: Transform your summer with a paid high school research internship in biotech. Conduct hands-on projects at top universities to boost skills and colleg
• Yau Science Awards (Asia) — Tsinghua University / Harvard University: Showcase your scientific research skills in this prestigious high school competition. Gain hands-on experience, boost college applications, and connec
• Fulbright U.S. Student Program — U.S. Department of State / IIE: Prestigious international fellowship offering virtual research and teaching opportunities for high school seniors. Boosts college applications and bui
• PROMYS at Boston University — Boston University: Explore number theory in a 6-week immersive summer program for high schoolers. Build research skills, enhance college applications, and dive into hand
• Garcia SUMMER at Stony Brook — Stony Brook: Explore materials science in a hands-on summer program for high school juniors and seniors. Conduct research in nanotechnology and boost your college
• Clark Scholars Program — Texas Tech: Elite summer research program for high school juniors and seniors. Gain hands-on STEM experience, earn a $750 stipend, and boost your college applicat
• Davidson Fellows — Davidson Institute: Win $50k, $25k, or $10k scholarships in this elite STEM competition for high-achieving high school students. Boost college applications with hands-on
• Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) — Summit Education: The Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) is a virtual summer program for top STEM students around the world. Students learn from mentors at Harvard, Stanford,
• International Crisis Group - Youth Engagement Program — International Crisis Group: Access conflict analysis and peacebuilding resources from one of the world's leading organizations focused on preventing deadly conflict. Free educati
• Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) Civics & Global Affairs Programs — Foreign Policy Research Institute: Philadelphia-based think tank offering students access to foreign policy analysis, teacher workshops, and global affairs educational resources. Free p
• Weill Cornell Medicine Gateway to Medicine Program — Weill Cornell Medicine: Prestigious summer clinical immersion program at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City for high school students exploring medicine, including hospit
• American Chemical Society Scholars Program — American Chemical Society: ACS Scholars Program awards $5,000 annually to underrepresented minority students majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering. One of
• MIT Women in Stem Research Program Pre-College Summer Program — MIT Women in Stem Research Program: Pre-college program at MIT Women in Stem Research Program for high school students focusing on stem.
• Johns Hopkins Pre-College Program — Johns Hopkins University: Pre-college programs at Johns Hopkins University for high school students in Baltimore.
• Duke Summer Academy — Duke University: Pre-college program at Duke University for high school students focusing on stem.
• High School Internship Program — Los Alamos National Laboratory: Research and operations internships for NM high school seniors.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Student Programs — NOAA: Various programs including internships and scholarships. Work on climate, ocean, and atmospheric science.
• Barry Goldwater Excellence in Education — Goldwater Foundation: Recognition program leading to Goldwater Scholarship eligibility in college.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Fellowship — Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Biomedical science fellowship from HHMI supporting exceptional young scientists and science educators.
• North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Summer Ventures — NCSSM: Free summer research program at elite NCSSM. NC students conduct original research with faculty mentors.
• Simons Summer Research Fellowship at Rockefeller — Rockefeller University: Summer research at world-class biomedical research university.
• Global Youth Economics Congress — Youth Economics Initiative: International congress for young economists presenting research. Networking with peers globally. Demonstrates economics research and international col
• Brookhaven National Lab Science Associates Program — Brookhaven National Laboratory: Summer research internship at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory. Work with scientists on physics, chemistry, and biology research.
• AEOP High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP) — U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program: Paid summer research apprenticeships with Army-sponsored labs and faculty.
• Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) — Stanford University School of Medicine: Elite 8-week paid research internship at Stanford Medicine. Mentorship from world-class researchers. Highly competitive admission.
• Broad Institute Scientific Internship Program — Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Research internship at world-leading genomics research institute.
• UCSF High School Biomedical Research Internship — University of California, San Francisco: Biomedical research at top medical research university.
• California State Science Fair — California Science Center: Largest state science fair in the US. Winners qualify for prestigious national and international competitions.

Frequently asked questions