10 Data Science Internships for High School Students in the Bay Area (San Francisco++)
For students interested in technology, analytics, or related fields, data science internships are especially valuable. These programs immerse you in the fast-growing world of data-driven decision-making, where you’ll gain hands-on experience with programming, statistical analysis, and machine learning. By working on real-world projects — such as data visualization or predictive modeling — you’ll see how data science impacts industries like healthcare, finance, and marketing. These experiences also help you develop proficiency in cutting-edge tools and technologies, preparing you for higher education and future career opportunities.
To help get you started, here’s a list of 10 data science internships for high school students in the Bay Area, each designed to help you take the next step in this dynamic field.
1. Veritas AI
Cost:
$2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program
$5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
$6,900 for both
Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Location: Virtual
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging’s Summer Research Internship
Cost: $850 + $40 application fee (both fees can be waived with financial aid)
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: February 28, 2025
Program Dates: June 16 - 27, 2025
Eligibility: Open to high school students over the age of 14
The two-week virtual internship offered by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging is an excellent opportunity to understand the role of AI in healthcare. This program combines foundational lectures on AI in medicine with mentoring activities, group research projects, and social engagements. Students can also extend their experience through independent research opportunities.
Participants have the opportunity to collaborate with Stanford researchers and postdoctoral fellows, gaining insights into real-world applications of AI healthcare. The program also features virtual career lunch talks with guest speakers from academia, industry, nonprofits, and government sectors, offering a comprehensive view of the AI landscape in healthcare.
For those eager for leadership experience, the program has a "Student Lead" role, which enables them to participate in leading projects with AIMI mentors to further reinforce their project management and teamwork skills.
4. California Academy of Sciences - Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program
Stipend: Stipend provided
Location: California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program Dates: Year-round (afterschool, weekends, and weekdays during the summer)
Eligibility: Open to freshman and sophomores enrolled in SFUSD schools with a GPA of at least 2.5
The Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program at the California Academy of Sciences is a multi-year, paid internship designed to provide students from underrepresented communities in San Francisco with practical experience in the sciences. The Internship includes mentoring, professional skill workshops, and college application guidance. Past topics have ranged from Python programming, data science, astronomy, environmental justice, biomimicry, science communication, and California conservation.
Interns begin as rising sophomores or juniors and continue in the program through high school graduation. They participate in hands-on projects, including fieldwork, public education, and research led by Academy scientists. Students are then matched with roles and departments in the museum setting concerning their interests and opportunities available. The program emphasizes leadership development, with opportunities for interns to join the CiS Leadership Council and take on additional responsibilities as they advance.
Cost: No cost
Location: Virtual or in person
Application Deadline: February 15, 2025
Program Dates: June 24 - August 21, 2025
Eligibility: US high school juniors and seniors with a minimum GPA of 2.8
Hosted at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), the ASPIRE Internship offers high school juniors and seniors a 190-hour (or 6 to 9 weeks) internship in a STEM field of their choice. Interns collaborate with APL staff, engaging in hands-on projects, group problem-solving activities, mentorship sessions with distinguished faculty, and skill-building workshops. Depending on your project and mentor, you can extend the internship into the academic year, committing to an additional 130 hours of research work from September to May.
For those passionate about data science, applying to the Mathematics & Data Analysis placement is highly encouraged. While the internship is primarily conducted in person in Baltimore, participants also have the option to complete the program virtually, offering flexibility and accessibility for students from different locations.
6. Scripps Student Research Internship
Stipend: Funding is yet to be determined. Currently, there are unpaid positions available for school credit.
Location: The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, CA
Application Deadline: March 31, 2025
Program Dates: June 2 - August 8, 2025, | June 16 - August 22, 2025
Eligibility: Open to high school students who are at least 16 years old
The Scripps Student Research Internship focuses on innovative translational research in the field of individualized healthcare, which studies factors that affect health and disease due to genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic effects. If you’ve ever been curious about how groundbreaking research happens in fields like genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology, this 10-week internship at one of the world’s leading biomedical research institutes will give you practical exposure to these areas.
During the internship, you’ll work on projects alongside Scripps scientists, contributing to real-world research in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, and drug discovery. You’ll gain hands-on experience in laboratory techniques, data analysis, and scientific writing, all while receiving mentorship from some of the top researchers in the field. This program offers participants an opportunity to build a platform in health, data science, computer science, or statistics.
7. SPARK Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Stipend: Varies by internship; most are unpaid
Location: Various locations; virtual options are also available
Application Deadline: Applications will open sometime in March/April 2025.
Program Dates: June - August (~6 to 8 weeks)
Eligibility: High schoolers who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
The SPARK Summer Internship Program (SIP) is designed for high school students passionate about computer science, engineering, and related fields. In this program, the candidates would be able to perform a variety of state-of-the-art research, hands-on skills, and work closely with experts in the domain.
Students will be assigned 5-6 projects, according to their interests. This provides a chance to practice data science, machine learning, computer programming, computer vision, and neural networks during this internship. The program emphasizes mentorship and collaboration, helping students build technical skills and gain professional insights through interactions with business leaders and academics.
8. UCSC Science Internship Program
Cost: $4,000 (Need-based scholarships available)
Location: UCSC campus, Santa Cruz, CA (initially virtual)
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Program Dates: June 23 - August 10, 2025 (Tentative, based on 2024 dates)
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years old on the program start date
The Science Internship Program (SIP) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is a highly regarded opportunity for high school students to gain in-depth exposure to advanced research in science and technology. This 10-week summer program allows participants to collaborate on cutting-edge research projects related to data analysis, computational modeling, software development, or experimentation with new algorithms. Such projects normally contribute to actual research currently under study at UCSC and hence often expose participants to relevant challenging tasks and insights.
Each intern is matched with a mentor who provides guidance on a research project specifically designed to suit the student's skills and interests in computer science. Through this mentorship, students gain further insight into the research process, refine their technical skills, and improve their problem-solving abilities. Participants attend lab meetings, contribute to team goals, and conclude the program by presenting their findings at a symposium.
9. SFUSD Work Based Summer Internships
Stipend: Participants receive compensation for their work, with specific amounts varying by internship.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Application Deadline: February 28, 2025
Program Dates: Six-week internships during the summer, with participants working a minimum of 20 hours per week.
Eligibility: Sophomores and juniors in the SFUSD area
The SFUSD Work-Based Learning Summer Internships offer high school students in San Francisco a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience across various industries, including computer science. These internships are designed to bridge classroom learning with real-world applications, providing insights into potential career paths. Devised to give a first-hand look at California's technology sector, the course of action throws participants deep into the dynamic environment that faces the industry.
Interns work on engaging projects that go beyond the foundational skills, including data analysis, software development, and the creation of innovative technological solutions. Such projects introduce the participants to different aspects of the tech industry and give them a hands-on feel for its complexity.
One of the distinguishing points of this program is its opportunities for mentorship and networking. The interns work with well-established professionals in the field, who share insights and valuable tips on how to go through complex challenges. The combination of hands-on experience, mentorship, and professional development can make this program a valuable opportunity for high school students in San Francisco.
10. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Stipend: Interns may receive a stipend dependent on internship, academic level, and session length.
Location: Various NASA centers in the country. There are also options for remote participation depending on the project.
Application Deadline:
Summer 2025: February 28, 2025
Fall 2025: May 16, 2025
Program Dates:
Summer Session: 10 weeks, typically from late May or early June to August
Fall Session: 16 weeks, typically from late August or early September to mid-December
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 years old at the time of application, have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and are U.S. citizens
The highly competitive internships at OSTEM are offered in centers around the country. Students can engage in a wide array of fields including space science, aeronautics, engineering, technology, space microbiology, as well as outreach and communications.
Participants work on current projects in 3D modeling, robotics, civil engineering, and aerospace engineering, among other areas, under the guidance of NASA professionals. These internships are designed to offer hands-on experience, fostering growth by training, guiding, and developing careers.
Interns will be involved in designing experiments, mission data analysis, or building new technologies. Through this, students get to network with some of the best engineers and researchers NASA has to offer.
A complete list of internships is available online, and it has filters that enable the applicant to find positions for high school students. Through this program, you can build your technical skills, enhance your understanding of STEM concepts, and develop a professional network that can benefit your future academic and career pursuits.
Image Source - Johns Hopkins Logo