Computer Science Internships for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 20 computer science internships for high school students. Of these, 14 are free to participate in and 11 offer virtual participation. Examples include AI Scholar, Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research Lab (BAIR) High School Summer Program, and Code For Fun – Internship and Volunteer.
- 20
- listed
- 14
- free
- 11
- virtual
- 20
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are computer science internships for high school students?
- Computer Science Internships for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in computer science. Each listing includes eligibility, cost, and deadline details where known, so you can compare options and find the right fit for your college application profile.
- Are any of these internships free?
- Yes — 14 of the 20 internships listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 11 of the 20 internships listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are computer science internships good for a college application?
- Yes — computer science internships are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in computer science on college applications.
Related Categories
20 activities found·Browse by category
AI Scholar
Advanced AI/ML research program where students work 1-on-1 with graduate student mentors to complete original research projects and publish papers.
Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research Lab (BAIR) High School Summer Program
Free 1-week program at UC Berkeley covering machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, robotics, and AI ethics. Mentored by Berkeley graduate students.
Code For Fun – Internship and Volunteer
Organization teaching kids to code; HS students can intern or volunteer as teaching assistants and outreach helpers.
CS@Mines High School Summer Internship & Programming Project
Colorado School of Mines hosts high school students for summer computer science research internships (scholarship-funded at $20/hour for selected applicants, with topics including AI, robotics, cybersecurity) and a 5-week virtual computer programming project program ($200) where students build a CS project in teams. Priority application deadline April 10.
CU Boulder Science Discovery – STEM Research Experience
Seven-week summer program at the University of Colorado Boulder where high school students work 15-20 hours per week alongside graduate students and faculty on real research projects in biology, engineering, neuroscience, and other STEM fields, plus a research methods class on finding and evaluating scientific articles. Concludes with a STEM Research EXPO where students present their poster.
Data Science Institute Summer Lab (University of Chicago)
A paid eight-week summer research program in which Chicago-area high school students are paired with a UChicago Data Science Institute mentor to conduct applied data-science research across domains such as public policy, climate, and biomedicine.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab High School Internship
Paid summer research internship at Berkeley Lab. CS students work on data analysis, machine learning for scientific computing, and visualization.
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
12-week 1-on-1 research program where students work with PhD mentors from top universities to conduct original CS research and write research papers.
MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Prestigious 4-week STEM program at MIT with courses in AI, cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles, and quantum computing. Requires online prerequisite courses.
NASA L'SPACE Mission Concept Academy (MCA)
Virtual 15-week program where students work in teams to develop mission concepts for NASA. Focuses on systems engineering, project management, and technical design.
NASA SEES (STEM Enhancement in Earth Science) Internship
Free virtual NASA internship where students use real NASA satellite data and computational tools to study Earth science phenomena.
NCAR Pre-College Internship Program (PRECIP)
Six-week summer internship at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado where high school students work on real research projects in atmospheric, climate, and earth-system science with scientists, plus workshops on writing scientific abstracts. Out-of-area students must have a parent/guardian/chaperone with them for the duration.
NSA Stokes Educational Scholarship Program
A competitive scholarship with summer internships for U.S. high school juniors intending to study cyber, computer science, engineering, or math. Covers full tuition plus stipend and requires service commitment after college. Includes NSA internships in later summers.
Pioneer Academics
Online research program pairing students with university professors for 2-3 month research projects. Computer science track covers AI, algorithms, and theoretical CS.
Polygence - Computer Science Research
1-on-1 mentorship with graduate students and PhDs to conduct original computer science research over 10-20 sessions.
Project SEED Summer Research Program (CS Track)
ACS-sponsored paid summer research program for economically disadvantaged students. Some labs focus on computational chemistry and bioinformatics.
Regeneron STS / ISEF (Computer Science Category)
Nation's most prestigious pre-college science competitions with dedicated computer science categories for original research projects.
Simons Summer Research Program
A highly selective six-week residential research program at Stony Brook University pairing rising high school seniors with faculty mentors for hands-on original research in science, math, or engineering, culminating in a poster symposium.
Tech companies - High School Intern Programs
Companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon offer select high school internship programs. Extremely competitive but provide real-world software engineering experience.
Zero Robotics High School Program (Astrobee on ISS)
Robotics programming competition using real robots aboard the International Space Station, focused on autonomous behavior. Extremely strong prestige.
ECFinder provides links to outside extracurricular opportunities for informational purposes only. Students and families should research each program before applying. ECFinder does not operate or control the listed organizations and is not responsible for their actions or policies.