Internships for High School Juniors 2026 | Pre-College Programs

Internships let high schoolers test-drive a field, build professional skills, and earn references long before college. Even a few weeks of real work experience helps clarify your interests and strengthens an application narrative. Junior year is the most important year for extracurriculars. Pursue your most selective programs now, take on real leadership, and produce tangible results you can write about in applications.

Opportunities range from NIH and NASA programs to local startups, hospitals, law offices, and research labs; many are summer-based, and a growing number are remote.

Hands-on experience signals maturity and direction, and an internship often becomes the seed of an essay, a recommendation letter, or a long-term mentor relationship.

How to get started with internships

  1. Get concrete about the field and the kind of work you want — 'help a bio lab run assays' beats 'an internship somewhere.'
  2. Map your network first: teachers, family friends, alumni, and local businesses are the most reachable entry points.
  3. Apply early to structured summer programs (NIH, NASA, university labs) as your backbone while you email locally.
  4. Send a short, tailored pitch: who you are, one specific reason you want their work, and exactly how you'd help.
  5. Say yes to small, unglamorous tasks — reliability early turns a two-week trial into a real reference and mentor.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

  • 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
  • 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
  • Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program — Girls Who Invest: Highly selective free 4-week summer program placing high school girls and nonbinary students at top investment management firms for training in financ
  • Goldman Sachs Possibilities Summit — Goldman Sachs: Selective multi-day career exploration program at Goldman Sachs headquarters for high school juniors from underrepresented groups interested in financ
  • Fermilab TARGET Program — Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Summer research internship at premier US particle physics laboratory. Work with world-class physicists on cutting-edge experiments. Exceptional prepar
  • Science Internship Program (SIP) at UC Santa Cruz — UC Santa Cruz: 8-week summer research internship. Students work in UCSC research labs. Competitive admission.
  • NIH Summer Internship Program — National Institutes of Health: Eight-week paid research internship at National Institutes of Health. Work alongside NIH scientists on biomedical research projects.
  • Mount Sinai High School Research Program — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Competitive summer research program at top NYC medical school. Students work in biomedical labs on real research projects. Strong pathway for medical/
  • Fred Hutch Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP) — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Paid laboratory internships in cancer and biomedical research.
  • Garcia Summer Scholars Program — Stony Brook University: Residential research program at Stony Brook University.
  • American University Washington Semester for High School — American University: DC-based government and policy summer program at American University. Internships and coursework in the nation's capital.
  • NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research — National Institutes of Health: Paid 8-week research internship at NIH. Work with leading scientists.
  • BU RISE Internship Program — Boston University: Summer research internship at Boston University. STEM research with BU faculty mentors.
  • Mikva Challenge Summer Fellows — Mikva Challenge: Gain hands-on experience in government and civic leadership with this paid summer internship for grades 10-12. Build skills and strengthen your colleg
  • Dow Jones News Fund — Dow Jones News Fund: Gain hands-on journalism experience through a paid hybrid internship for high school juniors and seniors. Build writing skills and boost your college
  • WCS High School Internship Program — Wildlife Conservation Society: Explore a paid summer internship at the Bronx Zoo or New York Aquarium! Gain hands-on biology and conservation experience to boost skills and strength
  • Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internships — Smithsonian Institution: Explore hands-on high school research internships in environmental science at the Smithsonian. Build skills in ecology, boost college applications, an
  • State Department Student Programs — U.S. Department of State: Explore leadership and government through free State Department internships and exchange programs. Gain hands-on diplomacy experience to boost college
  • NASA Internships - High School — NASA: Gain hands-on STEM experience through a paid NASA internship. Perfect for high school students in grades 10-12 to boost college applications and build
  • DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships - HS Track — Department of Energy: Paid high school research internship offering hands-on STEM experience at DOE national labs. Boost your college applications while gaining real-world
  • NIH High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP) — National Institutes of Health (OITE): Explore biomedical research through a paid summer internship at NIH labs. Gain hands-on STEM experience, boost college applications, and work with top
  • CodeDay Labs Internship Program — CodeDay: Build real open-source software in this free virtual internship for high schoolers. Gain hands-on coding experience, boost college apps, and learn fro
  • AFRL Scholars Program (High School) — U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory / USRA: Explore a paid high school research internship in STEM with hands-on aerospace and defense projects. Boost college applications and gain real-world ex
  • BioBuilder Apprenticeship Challenge — BioBuilder Educational Foundation: Selective biotech internship and training for high school students in grades 10-12. Build real-world synthetic biology skills and boost college applic
  • TurnUp Pre-College Program — TurnUp: Pre-college program at TurnUp for high school students focusing on youth activism remote internship.
  • Ladder Internships — Ladder Internships: Virtual internship program connecting high school students with startup and organizational work experiences.
  • Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Internship — The Ronald Reagan Foundation: Internship at the Reagan Presidential Library focused on leadership, communication, and civic engagement.
  • Youthcast Media Group Journalism Boot Camps and Workshops — Youthcast Media Group: Virtual journalism boot camps and reporting workshops where high schoolers nationwide cover health and safety issues with veteran-journalist mentors;
  • Youth Journalism International — Youth Journalism International: Free global online newsroom (since 1994) where students 19 and under report real stories with coaching from experienced editors, publish international
  • Young Dawgs Program — University of Georgia: Free UGA internship program placing high-achieving Georgia juniors and seniors in unpaid, mentored placements across campus in Athens — 110+ hours per

Frequently asked questions

What should a junior focus on?

Go deep: aim for your most competitive summer programs and research, step into leadership roles, and start documenting accomplishments for applications.

Can high school students really get internships?

Yes, though many formal corporate internships have age limits. Smaller organizations, university labs, nonprofits, and structured summer programs are the most accessible entry points.

Are high school internships paid?

Some are (NIH and certain government and corporate programs), many are unpaid, and some are part of a paid summer program. Filter by cost below.

How do I find an internship with no experience?

Lead with curiosity: email local professionals, use school and family networks, and apply early to structured programs. Our internships guide walks through the process.