15 Computer Science Internships for High School Students
Studying computer science can help you build a future career in engineering, information technology, software systems and can even be applied to interdisciplinary fields such as medicine, fashion and gaming. However, as a high school student, it can be tough to find internships that have the right amounts of value and excitement. In this article, we hope to jumpstart your search for a computer science internship. These internships will help you explore computer science and apply it in a real world setting.
Read more to understand what these internships are, whether you would be a good fit, and how you should pick the right one for yourself!
Why do a computer science internship in high school?
In today’s world, professionals with a solid foundation in computer science are some of the most sought after experts! As a high school student, early exposure to computer science will help you make informed decisions on what you want to study and stand out from the crowd. Whether your field of interest is computer science or biology, having some of the fundamentals of computer science can help out. As a field that continues to gain popularity (and it will likely continue to grow), completing interesting internships and projects at an early stage will add a lot of value to your skillset and create more opportunities for you.
How do I choose a computer science internship?
When thinking about what computer science internship to pursue, think first about what you bring and what industries you’re excited by. The reality is that computer science internships can be highly competitive, so the more technical expertise you bring the more options you have. For most people in high school, interning at a large tech company (e.g., Google) isn’t going to be possible in high school - but there are other options that exist.
However, it’s also important to think through what you will learn in an internship. The best internship exposes you to a professional setting, to talented managers, and to real world projects. However, most computer science internships will require you to already have basic coding skills or background in fields like artificial intelligence. If you don’t have those, check out some programs to learn the basics here.
However, if you already have studied coding and are excited to apply your skills, check out these internship opportunities!
We have compiled a list of the top 15 Computer Science internships for you to take a look at and ranked them based on their mentorship, practical experience, and technical rigor.
1. Ladder Internships - Tech Track
Ladder Internships is a selective program for high school students to work with startups. There are startups that work in a variety of fields including computer science, technology, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and more. You can check out all the available options here on their application form.
As part of Ladder Internships, students will work on real-world projects in the field of computer science and technology. At the end of the program, they present their work to showcase tangible outcomes on their CVs. As part of previous cohorts, students have interned with board members of companies to build a database of startups who are gamifying healthcare protocol. They have also worked with companies to improve website experiences, build backend and frontend hosts, and build technical MVPs using generative AI and tools like Figma.
In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship, who is like a second mentor and a sounding board who guides you through working with a startup.
Cost: $1490 (Financial Aid Available)
Coding Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Location: Remote
Application Deadline: April 16 and May 14
Program Dates: 8 weeks, June to August
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks and who have working knowledge of Python/Java/other programming languages. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students
Meta provides internships for high school students as part of the Meta Summer Academy at their headquarters in Menlo Park, California. This highly selective summer internship provides students with the opportunity to develop a relevant computer science knowledge base alongside career mentors. You can access all the available internships here.
Over the course of this six week program, interns are matched with Meta employee mentors based on shared interests and existing skill sets. Interns are expected to spend 30 hours each week working on their own projects in order to develop computer science skills that will guide them in their future careers. Meta is also known to provide interns with a generous stipend and ample opportunities for networking with industry leaders and experts. Through this program, Meta works towards making careers in computer science more achievable for high school students from diverse backgrounds.
While upskilling through their own projects, students will also have the opportunity to work on projects that Meta is currently focussed on. These projects often include work that is at the cutting edge of the computer science field and allows for interdisciplinary learning through integration with AI, tech, coding, UX design and more.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Coding Experience: Not required
Location: Meta Headquarters
Application Deadline: March
Program Dates: June - July
Eligibility: Applicants must be current sophomores and living full-time in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City
NASA’s office of STEM Engagements provides internship opportunities for high school students at various locations across America. Students can opt for an internship in person at one of the NASA facilities or opt for a virtual internship. They offer internships across different topics in computer science including the applications of AI and ML for air traffic control, and deep learning classification of Kepler. You can access all the available internships here.
NASAs internships will give you an opportunity to experience real-world applications of computer science. If you are interested in pursuing computer science in university or building a career in this field, you should consider applying. Given the reputation and prestige of NASA, these internships can be a great value add to your college applications.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Coding Experience: Beginner
Location: Varies, different for each internship offered
Application Deadline: Varies from internship to internship
Program Dates: Varies from internship to internship, but these are the cohorts -
Fall - from late August to mid-December (16 weeks)
Spring - from mid-January to early May (16 weeks)
Summer - from late May to August (10 weeks)
Eligibility: High School Students who are U.S. Citizens and have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
4. SPARK Summer Internship Program (SparkSIP)
SPARK SIP is a great option for students interested in computer science and pursuing it at the university level. Through this internship, you will be expected to select 1-5 projects you are interested in after which SPARK assigns sponsoring businesses to work with you for the internship.
The program is a good fit for students looking for hands-on internships and learning given that you will work on real-world applications of concepts in machine learning, computer programming, computer vision, and neural networks. You learn from industry leaders and experts who can help with exposure to the current applications of topics in computer science.
There are a range of computer science projects students can choose from. These include preparing python script for crossbar architecture and exploring its various non-idealities), understanding spike-timing and spike-rate impact on spiking neural network (SNN), quantum - technical writing and problem solving, interfacing and visualizing data, detection tool for tick-borne infections or breast cancer, DNA sequence classification based on electrical signatures, 2D materials - a new class of conductors and semiconductors for future.
Cost: No Cost; Stipend provided ($500)
Coding Experience: Not required
Location: Greater Seattle Area
Application Deadline: Early May (based on past year's dates)
Program Dates: 6-8 weeks, June to August (based on past year’s dates)
Eligibility: Must be a U.S. Citizen or have permanent resident status and should be able to commit to working 40 hours/week for 8-12 weeks.
The Boston Tech Apprenticeship is conducted by the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC). It is a 6-7 week paid internship for high school students specifically from Boston Public Schools who are interested in computer science and are tech-savvy.
Students get a chance to work at companies in Boston that offer projects in various industries and include projects in areas like helpdesk and troubleshooting support, web design and programming, quality control, social media and video production, and more.
This is a great opportunity for students interested in pursuing a computer science or IT degree in university and are looking for local internships to help gain exposure to the various tech-related opportunities out there.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided.
Coding Experience: Beginner
Location: Boston
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Program Dates: 6-7 weeks during summer months.
Eligibility: High school student enrolled in a Boston Public School
6. Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) Internship
RISE is a 6-week non-credit program for academically-motivated rising seniors who are interested in scientific research. The RISE Internship track gives students the opportunity to conduct research projects with faculty mentors. You will conduct research for 40 hours per week under the guidance of a faculty member, postdoctoral fellow, or graduate student mentor and will perform research in your chosen discipline to acquire valuable technical and analytical skills.
You can read more about what a day in the life of a RISE student looks like.
Projects under the RISE Internship are designed to help you acquire valuable technical and analytical skills while developing insight into the scientific process. Students can choose from hands-on research opportunities in computer science with specific areas such as: algorithms and theory, machine learning, data mining, cybersecurity, programming and verification, and more. At the end of the internship, students present the results of their research at the Poster Symposium that concludes the program.
Alumni outcomes have shown that most RISE students conclude the program with a better understanding of computer science processes, research ethics, how to read a research paper, how to present independent research, and how to network in the computer science and engineering fields.
Cost: $5620 (Tuition) + $2988 (Room and Board) (Financial Aid Available)
Coding Experience: Intermediate to Advanced
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Application Deadline: TBA
Program Dates: 6 weeks, July 2 to August 11
Eligibility: Students must be entering their senior year of high school in Fall 2023 and must be US citizens or legal permanent residents
7. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Summer Internship Program
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) offers paid summer internships that help familiarize high school students with real-world leadership development and experiences in diverse fields within computer science. The goal of IALR’s summer internship is to provide meaningful and hands-on training to students who want to pursue a career in computer science.
They offer an eight week internship that requires a weekly time commitment of roughly 28 hours. Students work closely with a mentor to conduct research in different areas including robotics, coding, data analysis, information technology, AgTech research, and more.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Coding Experience: Intermediate
Location: To be announced
Application Deadline: To be announced
Program Dates: To be announced
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school graduates who plan to attend college in Fall 2024
Fermilab is America’s particle accelerator and physics laboratory and works to answer questions around matter and energy. The TARGET Program at Fermilab is an initiative that allows high school students to partake in internships. This program is specifically for high school sophomores and juniors in Illinois with a strong aptitude and liking for computer science and its various streams. You can read more about the program here.
Through a combination of hands-on work and experiential learning, there is an emphasis laid throughout the six-week internship further developing a students aptitude for computer science through integrations with physics, mathematics, and engineering. As a deliverable at the end of the program, students are required to give oral presentations recapping their projects while laying down goals for career aspirations.
The TARGET Program also encourages students who are women or belong to minority communities (Black, Hispanic/Latino, Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Alaska Native/American India) to pursue careers in STEM with the backing of a solid foundation in computer science. With a cohort of only 15 - 25 interns, the program ensures that students are able to make the most of the summer internship through their projects, interactions with mentors and introduction to the real-world applications of computer science.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided at $16.20 per hour
Coding Experience: Not required
Location: Batavia, Illinois
Application Deadline: February 1
Program Dates: June 26 to August 4
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school sophomores and juniors at time of application and enrolled in an Illinois high school. They must have a 3.0 grade point average or above on a 4.0 scale and should be eligible to work in the United States
9. National Institute of Standards and Technology Internships (NIST)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has a summer high school intern program for students who have finished their junior or senior year of high school and are specifically interested in scientific research. Through the internship, you will get the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research at NIST. You will also get to work closely with NIST scientists and engineers on research topics across their different laboratories. These labs include communications technology lab, engineering lab, IT lab, material measurement lab, neutron research lab, and physical measurement lab.
For students interested in computer science, the Information Technology (IT) lab is the best option. You will focus on computer security, software engineering, and human interaction with computers. Research areas span across multiple topics and include cybersecurity, computer network modeling, cryptography, digital data retrieval, and more. You can check out the full list here!
Cost: No participation cost (but students must cover housing and transportation costs)
Coding Experience: Beginner to Intermediate
Location: Varies based on lab
Application Deadline: February (based on previous years)
Program Dates: June to August (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising senior or recent graduate and must be eligible to work in the USA minimum of a 3.0 GPA should be maintained.
10. American Collegiate Adventures Internship Program
At American Collegiate Adventures (ACA), you have the option to apply for internships in over 20 industries that take place in either Boston or New York. You can read more about summer in New York and Boston here.
Through the four-week program, you can expect to be provided with an opportunity to upskill within the field of computer science and take part in other activities with peers and mentors. For participants in the program, ACA also organizes weekend excursions and activities, making for a holistic learning opportunity for the students.
To encourage students to learn as much as they can through their interactions, ACA maintains a 10:1 student to staff ratio, unlike most other internship programs available. Students can expect to work on their internship projects for 30 hours each week.
Cost: $1995 to $6495
Coding Experience: Not required
Location: Boston or New York
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Program Dates: June to July
Eligibility: Students must be enrolled in a US high school
11. Microsoft Discovery Program
The Microsoft Discovery Program offers internships to high school students and allows them to gain skills in practical technology, computer science, and career readiness before college.
This highly selective program offers a unique opportunity for students to further explore their interests in computer science by matching them with mentors and providing them with resources to excel in a career in computer science. As an intern, you can explore your interests in areas such as software engineering, AI, data science, and product management. By working under the mentorship of industry leaders and networking with experts, participants gain hands-on experience through projects that Microsoft is currently working on.
Through this four-week program, you have the opportunity to build their resume while envisioning what a career within computer science would look like. A definite boost to college applications, the Microsoft Discovery Program provides exposure unlike any other program.
Cost: No cost
Coding Experience: Not required
Location: Redmond, Washington
Application Deadline: Usually three months before the start of the program
Program Dates: July 10 to August 4
Eligibility: Students must be high school graduating seniors that live and attend high school within 50 miles of Redmond, Washington. They should have completed pre-calculus or an equivalent course by the start of the program.
12. MITRE Nationwide High School Student Program
MITRE is a non-profit organization that has research & design (R&D) centers across the US. The goal of the MITRE nationwide high school student program is to empower student researchers to discover, create, and lead in the science, engineering, technology, and mathematics fields. The program offers high school students an 8-week paid internship in these technical areas during the summer. As a student researcher, you will join and collaborate with different team members and expert mentors.
The internship projects most relevant to students interested in computer science focus on cybersecurity, healthtech, technology for defense, transportation technology, and more.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Coding Experience: Not required
Location: Boston or New York
Application Deadline: December (based on previous years)
Program Dates: June (based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years of age by the start date. Have a minimum 3.0 GPA
13. Army Educational Outreach Program
The Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) is a high school apprenticeship program where high school students spend their summer in a university research lab or in one of the US Army Research Laboratories and Centers. You will get a chance to work on meaningful projects and gain exposure to innovation and research in technology.
You will work with top researchers and engineers and receive formal mentorship from a professional scientist. The internship opportunities are driven by science, technology, and engineering and is something you should consider if you are interested in solving complex real-world problems using STEM. Keep in mind that these internships are all in person and you will have to commute for it.
Note: The AEOP offers specific programs for underserved groups (e.g. Native Americans, disability holders, or women). You can find the full list of their criteria here!
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Coding Experience: Not required
Location: On site and varies based on the lab
Application Deadline: March (based on previous years)
Program Dates: Not specified (expect it to be during the summer months)
Eligibility: Be a U.S. citizen
14. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) provides research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students interested in STEM and STEM-related fields. This is an 8-week program where you gain hands-on experience using cutting-edge sophisticated equipment and technologies, develop and exercise scientific writing and communication skills, explore STEM career choices through discussion forums and meetings with role models, and develop and exercise creative skills.
For students interested in computer science, there are many areas of focus you can choose from. These include cybersecurity, data mining, data science for social good, computer modeling, computer simulations, machine learning, and more! This is a good fit for you if you have no coding experience or background in computer science. Moreover, if your goal is a publication at the end of an internship, you should definitely consider applying to ASSIP.
You can check out the published papers in the journal of Student Scientists’ Research here.
Cost: $25 application fee. No other costs. No stipend provided.
Coding Experience: Not required
Location: Varies (options for fully remote, in-person, or hybrid)
Application Deadline: To be announced
Program Dates: To be announced
Eligibility: High school students should be 15 years or older
15. Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories is a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘National Nuclear Security Administration’ (NNSA). It offers a wide range of internships offered for high school students across America. They have year long internships and summer internships available for high school students.
Sandia internships offer you the chance to work with cutting-edge technology alongside esteemed researchers and engineers. They give you access to research facilities and powerful equipment. If you are someone who is interested in computer science and wants to explore what a career in it looks like, consider applying to Sandia.
Note that they have very limited options for high school students and are extremely selective. This is a good fit for you only if you are particularly interested in the offered role. For instance, for the digital engineering solutions intern position, you would be expected to implement scripting and computer programming, assist in the development of new software solutions, and maintain and debug multi-language software projects.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided.
Coding Experience: Advanced
Location: Varies from location to location
Application Deadline: Rolling admission
Program Dates: Varies based on internship: Summer Interns - 40 hours (Throughout summer months) & Year-round Interns - 25 hours/week (Throughout the year).
Eligibility: Must attend a local high school and be enrolled full-time. Has a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and the ability to work 25 hours/ week during the term or 40 hours/week during summer. Minimum 16 years of age and is either a U.S. citizen, a legal permanent resident, or an asylee or refugee in the U.S.
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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