10 Coding Internships for High School Students
Coding is arguably one of the top skills to have on your profile. However, it’s not just students inclined toward the field of computer science who need to have a command in programming languages, but thanks to the vast interdisciplinary applications of computer science, students pursuing almost any field would benefit from some coding knowledge and experience.
As a high school student, there’s a number of several compelling reasons you can consider pursuing coding internships: They offer valuable hands-on experience, teaching you how to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world projects. This practical exposure fosters a deeper understanding of coding concepts and enhances problem-solving skills essential in today's digital landscape.
Participating in an internship early on empowers students to make informed decisions about their academic and professional futures, setting them on a path toward success in the rapidly evolving field of technology. To help you get started, we’ve listed 10 best coding internships for high school students.
Ladder Internships, a program founded by Harvard alumni, pairs high school students with startups and nonprofits across the world for virtual internships. Students have the flexibility to choose the field they wish to work in, from a diverse array of industries, including technology, computer science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, finance, environmental science, business, healthcare, and more.
During the program, you will work on meaningful projects aligned with the startup’s larger mission, and present your work at the end of the internship. The program includes professional training in communication and time management, as well as group training sessions with fellow interns. Each intern will be assigned a manager at their organization and a Ladder coach for additional guidance. Typically requiring 5-10 hours per week, the virtual internships span 8 weeks.
Location: Virtual
Dates: The summer 2024 cohort starts on June 3 and runs till August. Internship opportunities are also available for fall and spring.
Cost: Starts at $1990. Financial aid is available.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Deadline: Summer cohort (regular admission 1): April 14, 2024 | Summer cohort (regular admission 2): May 12, 2024
The Meta Summer Academy allows students to immerse themselves in the day-to-day operations of one of the world's leading social media networks, gaining hands-on experience in a dynamic work environment.
This program focuses on coding, providing students the opportunity to develop essential technical skills while exploring potential career paths in the technology sector. With a commitment of 30 hours per week, participants will be mentored by Meta employees, gaining insight into the intersection of coding and social media platforms.
Furthermore, this internship offers valuable exposure to the tech industry, with Meta providing transportation for all participants, making it accessible to students from across California. Securing an internship at Meta as a high school student is highly competitive and prestigious, with roughly 200 students selected for the final cohort.
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Dates: June 17, 2024 - July 26, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students will receive a stipend upon successful completion of the six-week program.
Eligibility: High school sophomores and residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City, with a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Internships
The Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP) by NIST is ideal for students who have completed their junior or senior year of high school (by the start of the program) and have a strong interest in scientific research. During this program, you can participate in cutting-edge research at NIST and work closely with NIST staff scientists and engineers on a specific research topic. Students can choose to intern at one of these 6 NIST laboratories:
Communications Technology Lab
Engineering Lab
Information Technology Lab
Material Measurement Lab
NIST Center for Neutron Research
Physical Measurement Lab
If you are interested in coding, we recommend opting for the Information Technology Laboratory where your areas of focus will be networking and communications, computer security, software engineering, and human interaction with computers. Your examples of area research can include computer network modeling, biometrics for computer access and security, cryptography, and digital data retrieval, just to name a few. You can look at the full list here!
Location: NIST Campuses – Boulder, CO | Gaithersburg, MD
Dates: June 17, 2024 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost (but students must cover housing and transportation costs); Unpaid.
Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens, and students should be in their Junior and Senior year of high school, though recent graduates are also considered. Students need to have a minimum GPA of 3.0
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February.
4. Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories is a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘National Nuclear Security Administration’ (NNSA). Sandia offers a wide range of internships to high school students across the country. You can choose to do a year-long internship, or there are summer internship openings available!
At Sandia, your role as an intern will vary based on your job description. Students in one of the year-long internship projects last year, part of the digital engineering solutions track, worked on:
Computer programming and running scripts.
Assist in the development of new software solutions.
Maintain and debug multi-language software projects.
Sandia internships are fairly selective due to the high volume of applications and the limited number of internships. These internships offer you the chance to work alongside top researchers and engineers, use high-tech equipment and research facilities, and benefit from career advancement and enrichment opportunities. Therefore, any student interested in computer science should look at applying to Sandia, as it’s a great value-add for college applications!
Location: Varies from location to location.
Dates: Varies based on internship. Summer internships can be 10-12 weeks long and start from May to the last Thursday in August.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided.
Eligibility: High school students, at least 16 years old, who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Positions that require security clearance are open only to U.S. citizens
Application Deadline: Rolling admission, as per requirement from the lab.
5. Department of Navy’s Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) is a summer internship program that offers high school students the chance to work at Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories, where they get to participate in real Naval research for eight weeks. Selected interns will learn about naval research and technology while receiving 1-on-1 mentorship from Navy scientists and engineers.
Based on your application and preference, you will be placed in one of the 38 research labs across the country. Last year, at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, students worked on projects such as Raspberry Pi Data Logger for Rocket, Improving Deception Methods on a Decoy Network, and Building a Cluster Computing Environment. Hence it is good for someone looking for a coding internship.
Location: At one of the 38 Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories around the country
Dates: The program duration is eight weeks during the summer and selected students will be notified of the dates by their respective labs
Cost/Stipend: $4,000 (new participant) | $4,500 (returning participant)
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old and the program is open only to U.S. Citizens
Application deadline: Applications typically open in August and close in November.
6. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program
Just like the Navy’s program, the Air Force also offers a summer program. During this program, selected interns gain valuable hands-on experiences working with full-time AFRL scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research and technology and can contribute to unique, research-based projects.
Research areas vary according to the lab location and interns, depending on their area of interest and application, can be placed in one of the 13 locations, including the Pentagon! The AFRL Scholars Program at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, offers internship opportunities in the field of aerospace technologies. One open research project is Spacecraft Mission Planning Software Development while the other is Machine Learning Reliability Studies, thus there are ample opportunities for you to hone your coding skills.
Location: At one of the 13 locations across the nation
Dates: The program duration varies as per project requirements and selected students will be notified of the dates by their respective labs
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded and a minimum $492.40 weekly stipend. Amount varies based on location.
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old and the program is open only to U.S. Citizens
Application deadline: Applications typically close in January.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid internships to high school and college-level students at its sites across the country. These internships offer training, mentorship, and career development to over 2,000 students every year, along with the chance to learn from and work with leading experts in science, engineering, finance, IT, and business. The internships are offered in a range of subjects and disciplines, including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, space microbiology, computer science, and even outreach and communications. You will get to design experiments, analyze mission data, and develop innovative technologies.
Some of the internships offered by NASA that use applications of coding are:
Space Operations Data Analytics & Knowledge Management Project
Machine Learning for the Accelerated Design and Discovery of Materials - Virtual
CCRI - Connecting the Local Urban Fabric to Global Climate Change
Dexterous Robotics - Software
You can explore different internships that provide coding opportunities here by using the ‘Filter’ option to view the options open to high school students.
Location: These internships are offered across NASA facilities. Depending on the project, interns will work either remotely or on-site at any of NASA’s 10 field centers across the country.
Program Dates: These internships are offered in 3 sessions –
Fall (16-week program, from late August or early September to mid-December)
Spring (16-week program, from mid-January to early May)
Summer (10-week program, from late May or early June to August).
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns may receive a stipend based on academic level and session duration.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
Be a U.S. citizen.
Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
Be a full-time student (high school through graduate level) or a part-time college-level student enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours.
Be a minimum of 16 years of age at the time of application (no exceptions).
Application Deadline: January (Fall session) | August (Spring session) | October (Summer session)
Genesys Works places high school seniors in paid, year-long internship positions at partner companies. Students from under-represented categories are invited to apply, and get the opportunity to intern with a partner company for 12 months, after completion of an 8-week training program.
During the fall of students’ senior year, Genesys Works matches participants with a partner company such as Accenture, Target, 3M, Best Buy, and JPMorgan Chase. Students need to work 15-20 hours a week, so most of the selected interns work after school hours. Genesys Works chooses the company you’ll work for by carefully considering your strengths and the needs of that company. So if you have a keen interest in coding and you can demonstrate the same in the application process and during training, you might land an internship at a software development company.
Location: Will depend on which company you get to intern at. Currently, only seven cities are included in the program - San Francisco (Bay Area only), New York, Chicago, Twin Cities, Washington DC (Capital Region), Houston, and Tulsa
Dates: It is a 12-month program and training starts in May
Cost/Stipend: Free of charge and a stipend of $11,000 is awarded upon successful completion of the internship
Eligibility: High school juniors who can guarantee at least 15 hours per week of work after school hours
Application deadline: Closed for 2024, the deadline was March 2024.
9. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP)
In collaboration with universities and the U.S. Army Research Laboratories and Centers, AEOP offers summer internships for high school students across the country. You will gain experience conducting research in one of the U.S. Army’s research laboratories, working alongside the top researchers and engineers.
Moreover, each apprentice receives formal mentorship from a professional scientist or engineer. In addition, there will be multiple opportunities to learn from STEM practitioners of varying experience levels.
AEOP has multiple locations across the country, and each program is designed for commuters in the area. One of their programs at the State University of New York (SUNY) (Buffalo) focuses on the basics of simple and well-established neural networks and makes for a great opportunity for coding enthusiasts. If you live close to a lab offering this program, you should apply for the program, as any research conducted alongside the U.S. Army has great prestige and adds value to any application!
Location: Varies from lab to lab.
Dates: Not specified (expect it to be during the summer months)
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Application Deadline (Summer 2024): Currently open. Some projects have independent deadlines and can be checked here.
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. A GPA of 3.0 is recommended due to the high competition
10. Lockheed Martin Space High School Internship
The Lockheed Martin Space High School Internship program is designed to allow students to work with aerospace scientists and engineers. The program is only open to students who reside within a commutable distance of Lockheed Martin’s nine locations across the country, as this is a non-residential internship.
Interns spend 9+ weeks over the summer working on solving and deploying processes, procedures, and systems that support Lockheed Martin’s aerospace operations. They are expected to work 30-40 hours per week and are paid an hourly wage. High school interns are also involved in all summer programming activities such as networking, career development, and executive engagements.
Location: At one of Lockheed Martin’s nine facilities - Sunnyvale, CA; Boulder, Littleton, Colorado Springs, CO; Huntsville, Courtland, AL; King of Prussia, Valley Forge, PA; Cape Canaveral, FL. Some virtual opportunities might be available
Dates: 9-10 weeks during the summer, dates will be provided to selected interns
Cost: Hourly wage provided
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old and should reside within a commutable distance of a participating Lockheed Martin Facility
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
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