15 Selective Data Science Research Opportunities for High School Students
For high school students eager to delve deeper into academics, research opportunities offer a practical and impactful way to gain practical skills, industry exposure, and valuable connections. These experiences allow you to work on real challenges, collaborate with mentors, and build meaningful connections, providing a strong foundation for your academic and professional journey.
If you’re drawn to fields like data science, artificial intelligence (AI), or machine learning (ML), these programs can give you valuable exposure to cutting-edge technologies and approaches that are shaping the future. With hands-on learning and mentorship, they help you develop critical skills in coding, problem-solving, and analytics.
To help you get started, we’ve curated a list of 15 selective data science research opportunities for high school students, offering a blend of accessibility, innovation, and real-world application.
1. Summer Research Program with Columbia University
This program allows you to explore data science across industries such as medicine, sports, and technology. Over five weeks, you will receive hands-on training in data analysis, visualization, coding in R, and research methodologies. Guided by Columbia University faculty and PhD researchers, you will collaborate on real-world research projects, gaining insights into the academic and professional aspects of data science.
As a research assistant, you will develop and present a project, which can be great for college applications. The program emphasizes technical skill-building, mentorship, and professional development, including opportunities to publish research findings.
Location: Virtual (hosted by Columbia University Data Science Research Institute).
Dates: Five-week summer intensive (dates to be announced).
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; scholarship applications close May 31.
Eligibility: Incoming 10th–12th graders and recent high school graduates; no prior STEM experience required.
2. Veritas AI - AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI with a suitable environment in which to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship.
The AI Fellowship program will allow students to pursue independent AI research projects. Students work on their research projects over 15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. You can find examples of previous projects here.
Location: Virtual
Dates: Various according to the cohort. Multiple 15-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
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.
3. Girls Who Code Summer Programs
The Girls Who Code Summer Programs offer free, virtual programs including two options: the Summer Immersion Program (SIP), a two-week live course on game design and tech career preparation, and Pathways, a six-week self-paced exploration of web development, cybersecurity, data science, and artificial intelligence.
Both programs include hands-on projects, mentorship from industry leaders, and access to a supportive alumni network. You'll gain coding experience in languages like Python and JavaScript through projects and exposure to real-world tech applications while learning from industry professionals.
Location: 100% Virtual; open to students globally.
Dates: Summer Immersion Program: Two weeks (dates to be announced); Pathways: Six weeks, self-paced.
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; early application recommended.
Eligibility:
Summer Immersion Program: Current 9th–11th graders
Pathways: Current 9th–12th graders, including recent graduates
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler.
The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper!
You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June).
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Eligibility:
You must be currently enrolled in high school
Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
5. Google Summer of Code (GSoC)
Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is a global online program that introduces contributors to open-source software development. Over a 12+ week period, you will collaborate with an open-source organization, working on a coding project guided by experienced mentors. The program emphasizes real-world problem-solving, community engagement, and building technical skills while contributing to impactful open-source projects.
The process begins with contributors selecting a mentor organization and proposing a project based on the organization’s suggested ideas. Accepted contributors spend the summer coding, guided by mentors, and achieving milestones they set collaboratively. GSoC also includes a three-week community bonding period where you’ll get familiar with the organization’s norms and codebase before diving into the coding period. By the end of the program, participants submit their code for the world to use, creating a good addition to their professional portfolio.
Location: Online; contributors work virtually with mentor organizations.
Dates:
Community Bonding Period: May – June
Coding Period: June – August
Final Submissions and Evaluations: Late August
Application Deadline: Contributor applications open in March, and proposals are due by early April (specific dates TBA)
Eligibility: Open to individuals aged 18 and above. Coding experience is recommended but not required; a passion for open-source development is essential.
The Data Science Institute Summer Lab at the University of Chicago is an immersive, 8-week paid research program designed for undergraduate students and high school students in the Chicago area. As a participant, you are paired with data science mentors in fields such as computer science, social science, climate and energy policy, public policy, materials science, and biomedical research. The program provides hands-on experience with interdisciplinary research while honing data science methodologies and teamwork skills.
This program emphasizes learning through real-world applications and offers a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects in a collaborative environment. No prior research experience is required, making it accessible to students interested in exploring the potential of data science. The program also fosters community building through its cohort structure.
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in late fall
Eligibility: Open to Chicago-area high school students and undergraduate students. No prior research experience required.
7. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
The Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes is a summer enrichment program offering intellectually curious students in grades 8–11 an opportunity to explore advanced academic subjects not typically covered in high school curriculums. With over 70 online courses to choose from, including computer science, mathematics, and engineering, participants engage in an immersive Stanford classroom experience.
Courses are interactive, ungraded, and led by passionate instructors, allowing you to dive deeply into your chosen subject in a collaborative environment. The program emphasizes global connections, with students from all 50 states and over 50 countries participating. Each two-week course provides a rigorous yet inclusive learning experience designed to inspire and challenge academically driven students.
Location: Online; live synchronous classes.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive; average class size is 16
Dates:
Session One: June 16 – June 27
Session Two: July 7 – July 18
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; early application recommended
Eligibility: Current 8th–11th graders with a passion for learning
8. Brown's STEM for Rising 9th and 10th Graders
The STEM for Rising 9th and 10th Graders program at Brown University offers a 12-day program for students passionate about exploring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Held on the Brown University campus, this program blends rigorous academic content with hands-on research projects, experiments, and design-build challenges.
Participants choose from a variety of STEM courses that include laboratory or field exercises and culminate in a final project or presentation. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage with Brown’s graduate students to learn about their research. The program fosters collaborative learning among a diverse cohort and provides a glimpse into college life on an Ivy League campus.
Location: On-campus at Brown University, Providence, RI
Dates: July 13 – July 25
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; early application recommended.
Eligibility: Students completing grades 8–9, ages 13–15 by June 15
9. MIT's Research Science Institute (RSI)
The Research Science Institute (RSI), hosted by MIT and organized by the Center for Excellence in Education, is a 6-week summer research program for rising high school seniors. The program pairs you with MIT graduate student mentors to conduct advanced research in fields like mathematics, science, and engineering. Participants gain hands-on experience, develop a research project, and present their findings to peers and experts.
RSI fosters a collaborative environment where you can engage with like-minded peers from around the world. With access to MIT’s resources and guidance from experienced mentors, the program is a good way to explore STEM fields and build a research portfolio.
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Dates: 6 weeks during the summer (specific dates TBA)
Application Deadline: Application typically opens in the fall; deadlines are managed by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE).
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with exceptional achievements in math, science, and engineering.
10. Wharton Data Science Academy
The Wharton Data Science Academy introduces high school students in grades 10-11 to cutting-edge machine learning and data science techniques. You will build foundational skills in data visualization, statistics, and data wrangling while advancing to modern machine-learning methodologies.
Led by Wharton faculty and supported by graduate and undergraduate TAs, the program combines lectures, team-based group projects, and real-world case studies. You will work with the R programming language and collaborate on a final project, presenting your findings to peers and instructors. The Academy also includes guest speakers who share insights into data science careers.
Location: On-campus at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
Dates: July 13 – August 2
Application Deadlines:
Priority Deadline: January 29
Final Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-11 with a strong background in math and coding. Prior knowledge of statistics is preferred. Open to international students.
11. MIT PRIMES
The MIT PRIMES program allows you to participate in year-long research projects and guided studies in mathematics, computer science, and computational biology. Participants work with MIT researchers and mentors on unsolved problems, experiencing the joy of mathematical and scientific discovery.
The program is divided into several tracks:
MIT PRIMES: For students in the Greater Boston area, providing hands-on research and mentoring.
PRIMES-USA: A distance mentoring program open to high school sophomores and juniors across the United States.
CrowdMath: A massive online collaborative research project open to high school and college students worldwide.
PRIMES emphasizes collaborative problem-solving, rigorous research, and the development of critical thinking skills. Participants present their findings at conferences, often contributing to significant advancements in their fields.
Location: On-campus at MIT (Greater Boston area) and online (PRIMES-USA and CrowdMath).
Dates: Year-long program with ongoing mentorship and research. Applications open annually in the fall.
Application Deadline: Typically in December; specific dates vary by program.
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors. PRIMES-USA is open to U.S. students outside the Greater Boston area.
12. ARISE at NYU
The Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE) program at NYU Tandon offers high school students in grades 10 and 11 an immersive 10-week summer experience in STEM. The program starts with four weeks of remote evening workshops, where students build foundational knowledge, followed by six weeks of full-day, in-person lab work on the NYU campus.
You’ll explore interdisciplinary topics such as computer science, AI, robotics, and bioengineering through hands-on research projects under the guidance of NYU faculty. The program concludes with students presenting their findings, honing their analytical and communication skills.
Location: Hybrid (Remote workshops and in-person labs at NYU Tandon, Brooklyn, NY).
Dates: June 2 – August 8
Remote Workshops: June (evenings)
In-Person Labs: July 2 – August 8
Application Deadline: February 21.
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–11 living in New York City.
13. CCIR 1-on-1 Research Mentorship Programme Description
The CCIR 1-on-1 Research Mentorship Programme offers you a research experience with faculty from Cambridge, Oxford, and Ivy League universities. Students work closely with their mentors to design and execute a research project tailored to their academic interests. This flexible program, which typically spans 7-14 weeks, allows you to explore disciplines like machine learning, computer vision, pure mathematics, and more.
The program emphasizes skill-building in academic writing, research methodologies, and critical thinking. You will receive support in publishing your work in reputable journals and conferences.
Location: Online (with some opportunities at the CCIR Lab at MIT)
Dates: Flexible start dates; mentorships typically last 7-14 weeks.
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; early application recommended.
Eligibility: High school students interested in conducting independent research.
14. Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
The Beaver Works Summer Institute, hosted by MIT, offers a variety of courses, including those focused on data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Programs like Medlytics, CogWorks, and Remote Sensing for Disaster Response involve hands-on projects where you’ll apply Python programming, data visualization, and machine learning algorithms to solve real-world challenges.
Participants learn through a blend of lectures, team-based projects, and guided experiments, working closely with MIT instructors and peers from around the world. Courses like Remote Sensing for Disaster Response also include guest lectures from experts in academia and emergency management, enriching the learning experience.
Location: Cambridge, MA (some courses are in-person; housing not provided)
Dates: Summer 2025 (specific course dates vary; main program spans June to August).
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; early application recommended.
Eligibility: High school students with interest and aptitude in STEM fields.
15. Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP)
The Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program offers high school students (grades 9–12) research opportunities under the mentorship of experienced scientists and researchers. Located in Fremont, California, ASDRP focuses on impactful projects across disciplines, including biology, computer science, physics, engineering, and data science. You can explore areas such as machine learning, climate change analysis, and drug discovery using data-driven approaches.
Through ASDRP, you’ll develop critical research skills, gain experience in collaborative teamwork, and have opportunities to publish your work or present at conferences. Weekly colloquia and training sessions like Research 101 ensure you’re equipped with the tools and knowledge to thrive as a young researcher.
Location: Fremont, CA (various research labs within the campus)
Dates: Year-round research opportunities; rolling admissions.
Application Deadline: Varies; check the program's website for specific deadlines.
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9–12.
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