A great way for high schoolers to pursue their research interests in physics is by going through summer programs which offer them wonderful opportunities to delve into their own physics field of choice. Such programs provide practical exposure to research, on-site and off-site mentorship by experts, and access to advanced curriculum and topics in the arts and sciences like astrophysics, particle physics, and engineering.
Here are 10 summer programs that students keen on pursuing physics can look into :
1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) High School Internship
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Program Dates: June 30 – August 1, 2025
Cost: Free
Eligibility: U.S. high school seniors graduating in 2025 (more than 16 years old)
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Generally, graduating high school seniors have the opportunity to take internships in the laboratories of Princeton for research in fusion energy and plasma physics. Interns gain hands-on experience in a national laboratory setting while working on computational or experimental projects. Students should have a strong interest in physics and prior coursework in related subjects.
2. RISE Research
Location: Online
Program Dates: Flexible, year-round enrollment with customized timelines based on student needs.
Cost: $2,000 (publication included)
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students (grades 8–12) from any country.
Deadline: Rolling admissions
Scholarships: Merit-based
RISE Research offers high school students unrivaled mentorship with one-on-one personal engagement to create research projects for esteemed publications. RISE showcases students’ academic performance and promotes both student and mentor on college applications by matching them with mentors from prestigious worldwide universities such as Harvard, Columbia, and Cambridge. The RISE program gives students such unusual experiences by traversing such variegated fields as psychology, economics, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
3. QuarkNet Summer Research Program at Fermilab
Location: Batavia, Illinois
Program Dates: June 17 – August 2, 2025
Cost: Free; stipend provided
Eligibility: Illinois high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors; U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Deadline: January 15, 2025
QuarkNet immerses education in a highly unusual way, allowing high school students to engage in particle physics teaching-research activities and conduct particle physics research with scientists in particle physics experiments, be those accelerators, detectors, or data analysis. The program also contains seminars based on the theme of particle physics; students will do a culminating presentation based on their research.
4. Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics (YSPA)
Location: New Haven, Connecticut (2 weeks online + 4 weeks on-campus)
Program Dates: June–August 2025
Cost: $6,900; financial aid available
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (age ?15.5)
Deadline: March 2025
YSPA is a well-known program combining course work in astrophysics with research based experience. Students engage in lectures, data analysis, and telescope observing. Instruments are built and field trips are part of the activities included in the program.
5. Research Science Institute (RSI) at MIT
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Program Dates: June 22 – August 2, 2025
Cost: Free; stipend provided
Eligibility: High school juniors worldwide
Deadline: December 11, 2024
RSI is a six-week program in which scientific theory is taught on campus while science and technology research is carried out off campus. Leading scientists mentor students and conduct original research, which results in a written report and presentation.
6. Texas Tech Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Program Dates: June 22 – August 7, 2025
Cost: Free; $750 stipend
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors and seniors (age ?17)
Deadline: February 15, 2025
For seven weeks, 12 high school students have a chance to engage in research in different realms ranging from physics. Students work very closely with their faculty mentors and also attend colloquia and social activities vastly linked to the research experience.
7. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Location: Various NASA centers across the U.S.
Program Dates: 10 weeks in Summer 2025
Cost: Free; stipend provided
Eligibility: U.S. high school students (age ?16) with GPA ?3.0
Deadline: February 28, 2025
NSA OSTEM opportunities provide research opportunities in the cutting-edge research in astrophysics, engineering, and computer science for high school students. High school students are provided mentors from NASA when they work on various mission and research projects.
8. Summer Science Program (SSP)
Location: Multiple campuses (e.g., New Mexico State University, University of Colorado Boulder)
Program Dates: Mid to late June 2025
Cost: $8,800; financial aid available
Eligibility: High school juniors with coursework in calculus and physics
Deadline: Domestic: February 21, 2025; International: January 24, 2025
In this program, students are involved in a demanding academic program, and conduct hands-on research in astrophysics. Students attend lectures, carry out experiments, gain skill in data analysis and scientific communication, live on campus, work in teams, attend a series of lectures each day from university faculty and visiting scientists, and take part in research group activities.
9. NIST Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP)
Location: Gaithersburg, MD or Boulder, CO
Program Dates: June 23 – August 15, 2025
Cost: Free; unpaid
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors or seniors with GPA ?3.0
Deadline: January 31, 2025
The internship program attracts applications for various fields and topics (physics, engineering, computer science, etc.) while allowing interns to undertake actual investigation under the guidance of NIST scientists. Interns work with NIST scientists on actual research. Each intern works with a mentor on some aspect of research conducted in several different research areas (quantum physics, materials science, nanotechnology, and more). Each intern will experience practices of research professionals, equipment associated with the lab and data analysis.
10. California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS)
Location: University of California campuses (Davis, Irvine, San Diego, Santa Cruz)
Program Dates: July 6 – August 2, 2025
Cost: $4,550; financial aid available
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders residing in California
Deadline: February 1, 2025
COSMOS allows students to look into various STEM disciplines, including physics and astronomy. Each program will include lectures, hands-on labs, research projects and have mentoring opportunities with faculty. For instance, there will be titles within clusters that allow students to enter into subjects like “Exploring the Physics of Light,” or “Astronomy & Astrophysics.” Students will have an opportunity to explore areas more precisely defined within the cluster, such as labs, research team projects, faculty-led research, and field trips.
If you are a student who hopes to build a high school profile that sincerely reflects who you are and what you feel really strongly about, consider RISE Research. RISE Research will match you with mentors from major universities, guide you through doing independent research, and help you publish your work.
