Free STEM Programs for High School Students

Every program on this page costs $0 to attend — cost should never be the reason a strong student skips stem opportunities.

Many free programs are more selective than paid ones precisely because they are funded; treat their deadlines seriously.

590 verified programs match this page; 30 of the featured listings are completely free; 8 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Presidential AI Challenge — White House Office of Science and Technology Policy: National K-12 AI competition where students build real-world AI solutions for community challenges, with finals at the White House.
• 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
• Mandelbrot Competition — Mandelbrot Competition: Join a dynamic online math competition for grades 6-12 featuring individual and team rounds. Build problem-solving skills, enhance teamwork, and boost
• International Chemistry Olympiad Team Member — American Chemical Society: Compete globally in the International Chemistry Olympiad, a free STEM competition for high schoolers. Build advanced chemistry skills and boost your c
• 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
• 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
• 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
• International Mathematical Olympiad Team Member — Mathematical Association of America: Join a global competition to represent the USA at the prestigious International Mathematical Olympiad. Build advanced math skills and boost college ap
• CSAW High School Forensics Competition — NYU Tandon: Compete in a free high school cybersecurity competition! Analyze digital evidence, develop forensic skills, and boost your college application. Hybrid
• Hertz Foundation Fellowship Application Prep — Hertz Foundation: Prepare for the elite Hertz Foundation Fellowship and boost STEM skills. Perfect for high school seniors aiming for competitive grad school applicatio
• World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY) — Ready AI: Join a global AI competition for grades 6-12 to solve real-world problems using artificial intelligence. Build STEM skills, boost college applications
• Microsoft High School Internship Program — Microsoft: Paid summer internship offering hands-on computer science experience for high school juniors and seniors. Boost college applications while developing
• Beaver Works Summer Institute — MIT: Elite summer program for high schoolers in Grades 10-11 focused on STEM fields like drones and cybersecurity. Gain hands-on experience and boost colle
• Stanford AI4ALL — Stanford University: Discover a free summer program empowering high school juniors with hands-on AI experience, skill-building for college applications, and diversity-focu
• Meta Hacker Cup — Meta: Global programming competition for high school students to master algorithms and coding. Build problem-solving skills and boost college applications.
• 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
• Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) — IMSA: Transform your high school journey with a free, residential STEM program in Illinois. Gain hands-on experience, boost college applications, and develo
• Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy — Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association: Explore the free ACE Academy summer program for high schoolers in grades 9-12. Gain hands-on aviation experience, build skills, and boost your college
• Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP) — Stanford University: Explore medicine, public health, and research in this free, equity-focused summer program for high school juniors. Build skills and strengthen college
• Putnam Competition — MAA: Compete in the elite Putnam Competition, the toughest undergrad math challenge. High school juniors and seniors sharpen problem-solving skills and boo
• Women's Technology Program at MIT — MIT: Empower your STEM journey with a free four-week summer program for high school women at MIT. Gain hands-on engineering skills and boost your college a
• PennApps Hackathon — University of Pennsylvania: Compete in the nation’s largest student-run hackathon for high schoolers. Build coding skills, innovate in tech, and boost your college applications.
• James Dyson Award — James Dyson Foundation: International STEM competition challenging high school innovators in Grades 11-12 to design groundbreaking solutions. Win $40k and boost college appli
• NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) — NASA: Design and build aerospace hardware used on the ISS in this hands-on high school STEM program. Boost engineering skills and strengthen college applica
• NASA Student Launch — NASA: Design and launch high-power rockets in this exciting STEM competition. Gain hands-on aerospace experience, boost college applications, and explore en
• EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship — Experimental Aircraft Association: Earn up to $12,000 for flight training toward a Private Pilot Certificate. Perfect for high school students seeking hands-on STEM experience and colle
• Quantum Computing Summer School Programs — Various Universities & Google: Discover advanced quantum computing in hybrid summer programs for grades 11-12. Gain hands-on STEM experience, boost college applications, and explore
• Mathematical Olympiad Program — MAA: Intensive math competition program for elite high school students. Enhance problem-solving skills, boost college applications, and train with top USAM
• 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
• Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences — PA PGSS: Transform your STEM skills with this free, 5-week summer program at Carnegie Mellon. Gain hands-on experience and boost your college applications thro

Frequently asked questions