16 Coding Internships for High School Students
If you're a high school student passionate about coding and want to gain hands-on experience in a real-world setting, an internship can help you jumpstart your education and professional journey.
Coding, or programming, involves breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable steps and translating those steps into a language that computers can understand. Coding is a foundational skill in computer science and software engineering that will enable you to create technology solutions, automate tasks, and analyze data. It has a wide range of applications across various fields like software and web development, data science, AI, game development, robotics and more.
Coding internships offer valuable opportunities for aspiring developers to apply their skills, learn from seasoned professionals, and contribute to real-world projects. An internship will showcase your dedication to both academic and hands-on learning as well as help you network with experts who are at the top of their field.
Here’s our curated list of 16 coding internships for high school students, including both in-person and virtual options, so you can choose one that suits your goals.
Location: Virtual! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students, who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. These internships are also open to undergraduates and gap-year students.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year: Summer cohort (Priority Admission): March 17, 2024 | Summer cohort: April 14, 2024 (Regular Admission 1) | May 12, 2024 (Regular Admission 2)
Program Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Cost: Starting at $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Ladder Internships, a fairly selective program founded by Harvard alumni, pairs high school students with startups and nonprofits around the world for virtual internships. You can choose the field you wish to work in, from a wide range of industries, including technology, machine learning, AI, computer science, finance, environmental science, sustainability, business, marketing, healthcare, medicine, media, journalism, and more. As an intern, you will work on meaningful projects that contribute to the startup or nonprofit’s larger mission, and present your work at the end of the program. This internship program includes one-on-one training in communication and time management, among other skills, and group training sessions with fellow interns. You will be paired with a manager at the startup and with a Ladder coach, who serves as a second mentor.
The internship opportunities in this program span the globe, with a concentration in the US, Asia, Europe, and the UK. You can explore all the options here on their application form.
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.
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)
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.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid internships to high school and college students across its sites in the country. These internships provide training, mentorship, and career development to over 2000+ students annually alongside exposure to 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.
3. National Institute of Standards and Technology Internships
Location: Varies from lab to lab.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be U.S. citizens
- Be juniors or seniors in high school during the application period
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0
Application Deadline: February 9, 2024
Program Dates: June 17, 2024 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No participation cost (but students must cover housing and transportation costs); Unpaid.
The Summer High School Intern Program by NIST is a program for students who have finished their junior or senior year of high school (by the start of the program) and demonstrate an interest in scientific research.
In 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’re 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!
4. SPARK Summer Internship Program
Location: Greater Seattle Area.
Eligibility: Applicants:
- Must be a high school student.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or have permanent resident status.
- Must be willing to work for 40 hours/week for 8-12 weeks.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in May. (Note: The applications will open in March-April 2024).
Program Dates: 6-8 weeks, June to August (2024 Dates TBA).
Cost/Stipend: No Cost, Stipend provided ($500)
The mission of Spark SIP is to act as a liaison, bringing to interested high school students opportunities to interact with industry experts, professors in well-established institutions, and community leaders, and to experience working in a professional environment.
Spark SIP allows applicants to select 1-5 projects that they’d like to work on, and then assign sponsors to selected students (only 5-6 students are selected to receive mentorship). SPARK also provides opportunities and resources that can be used during and after college applications.
The program not only allows you to work on real-world applications of concepts in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data visualization but also lets you interact and learn from industry leaders, university professors, and mentors. Topics that involved coding for the 2023 cohort 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), and interfacing and visualizing data.
5. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Internships
Location: There are AEOP locations in almost every state. Students may select their preferred location. The program is intended for commuters and transportation, meals, and housing are not provided.
Eligibility: Those applying must be current high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents. Additional eligibility requirements vary by location. Check details here.
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Check AEOP’s Summer 2024 opportunities here for the application dates.
Program Dates: This is a summer internship program, specific dates vary from location to location.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Varies from location to location.
This program is a chance to work one-on-one with a university researcher or Department of Defense (DoD) scientist mentor on research projects. As an intern, you will be exposed to high-tech equipment and techniques in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, and you will work alongside professional scientists and engineers. Additionally, you will learn from other STEM practitioners during the internship. The Army-sponsored research that you will be a part of addresses the USA’s biggest challenges. The program aims to hone critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills to prepare you for a career in STEM.
If you’re interested in coding, you can select research opportunities that use applications of coding like the ones offered by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command-Aberdeen Proving Grounds - GNC Research with the Julia Programming Language or U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - ARL Northeast (Boston). You can check AEOP’s Summer 2024 opportunities here.
6. The Intern Project Summer Program
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Eligibility: Candidates are responsible young adults who are:
- Completing their Sophomore, Junior, or Senior year.
- Enrolled in an LA County high school.
Application Deadline: March 15th, 2024.
Program Dates: 8 weeks during the Summer (June-August).
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students get paid and receive college credit for completing the program.
The Intern Project will provide you with real-world computer science experience and in-depth learning in the field of technology. This project is great for you if you want to explore different aspects of computer science, from software development to data analytics and beyond. The project typically spans several weeks during the summer, offering a hands-on approach to learning and application.
You will be introduced to a specific theme or problem statement that aligns with current industry trends and challenges. For instance, the focus could be on developing a mobile application that addresses a social issue, creating a website for a local non-profit organization, or even working on a small-scale machine learning project.
As the project progresses, you will be involved in tasks such as coding in languages like Python or JavaScript, utilizing frameworks for web development, or employing tools for data analysis and visualization. The emphasis is on collaborative work, where students not only contribute their skills but also learn to integrate their work with others’ contributions, mimicking real-world tech team dynamics. Towards the end of the project, students prepare a presentation or a demo of their work.
Location: Virtual.
Eligibility:
- Summer Research interns must be high school students over the age of 14 by the start of the program (entering 9th grade through 12th grade in Fall 2024).
- Student leads must be California residents. Student interns must reside in the U.S.
- Student leads must also be students over the age of 14 and may also be undergraduate students with a computer science background.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024.
Program Dates: June 17, 2024 - June 28, 2024.
Cost/Stipend: None.
This 2-week virtual internship by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging is a solid opportunity if you’re interested in exploring the technical and clinical aspects of AI in healthcare. The program combines lectures on AI in healthcare fundamentals, hands-on research projects, and mentoring activities with Stanford researchers. If you’re interested, you can even opt for an extended independent research internship opportunity. While you can apply as a regular intern, you can additionally apply for the ’Student Lead’ role where you can also assist with project leadership along with an AIMI mentor.
Location: Menlo Park, CA.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be sophomores in high school during the 2023-2024 academic school year.
- Be full-year residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City.
- Have a minimum 2.0 Cumulative GPA.
Application Deadline: 1 March, 2024.
Program Dates: June 17 - July 26, 2024, for 30 hours per week.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students will receive a stipend upon successful completion of the six-week program.
The Meta Summer Academy offers an opportunity for students to learn about the day-to-day operations of one of the world’s leading social media networks by being part of a dynamic workforce.
You will learn coding, explore careers, and develop soft skills that will help propel them into successful careers. You will be expected to participate for 30 hours/week. Also, note that you will be mentored by Meta summer academy mentors – these are employees at Meta. While this program focuses on the workings of Meta, you will learn a lot from the technology and computer science side of things. The position also offers you exposure to the tech industry. Meta provides transportation to all externs, which makes it accessible to applicants from across California. Landing an internship at Meta as a high school student is a matter of prestige, as the selection process is quite competitive, with only 150 students making it to the final cohort.
9. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program
Location: AFRL Scholar internship opportunities are offered at several locations across the United States depending on the program.
Eligibility: Applicants:
- Must be US citizens.
- Must be enrolled or accepted at an educational institution taking at least a half-time academic course load leading to a degree or certificate for the semester immediately preceding the internship session.
- Must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Must be at least 16 years of age (by session application deadline) and have a valid Government ID.
- Must be available full-time (40 hours a week) and work in their physical offices over the summer.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: The dates vary for different programs.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; weekly stipends are provided based on the education level of the students and the GS pay scale.
The AFRL Scholars Program is a paid internship opportunity for upper-level high school students who are interested in aerospace engineering. Post-selection, you will receive guidance from full-time AFRL scientists and engineers, touring AFRL laboratories and working on cutting-edge research and technology. Each mentor in the program is highly knowledgeable and you can find a list of mentors here.
While AFRL research topics are mainly centered around aerospace engineering, research projects such as the ‘Advanced Robot Controller Design and Implementation’ or ‘AI Opponents for Contested Space’ offer applications of coding where you will have to process and control data to design, develop, and provide solutions using either Python or C++.
10. Honors College - The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Location: Honors College, Lubbock, TX.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be at least 17 years of age by the program start date, and should graduate in 2024 or 2025. (This means they will participate the summer before senior year or the summer after senior graduation from high school.)
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Application Deadline: February 15, 2024
Program Dates: June 16, 2024 - August 1, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost; the student will receive a $750 stipend upon the completion of a successful research project report.
The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech University is a 7-week comprehensive research program. It allows you to gain hands-on research experience under the mentorship of Texas Tech faculty. While not a traditional internship, this program does allow you to explore independent research. While Anson Clark Scholars does not have a specific sub-section for coding, you have the flexibility to involve coding and its applications with computer science wherein you’ll get to work with virtual and augmented reality, big data visualization and visual analytics, statistical data analysis, data-intensive computing, computer architectures, and systems software, to name a few.
Tip: The Dean of Texas Tech has advised on how to get into this prestigious program which you can find here!
11. Department of Navy’s Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: There are several lab locations to choose from across the country.
Eligibility: Applicants must be:
- High school students who have completed at least Grade 9
- Currently enrolled in high school (but maybe taking college-level classes for college credit)
- Graduating seniors are eligible to apply
- Must be 16 years of age or older by the internship start date to participate
- Solely U.S. Citizens
(Students are recommended to check whether their preferred lab choice has any other particular requirements or exceptions).
Application Deadline: Summer internship applications open on August 1st and close on November 1st every year.
Program Dates: The internship lasts eight weeks during the summer (with the possibility of extending up to two additional weeks).
Cost/Stipend: No cost; New participant: $4,000 | Returning participant: $4,500
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for eight weeks during the summer. This apprenticeship is a solid, research-focused opportunity.
SEAP is competitive, with around 300 placements in more than 38 laboratories around the country and because of its association with the US government, it’s regarded as highly prestigious too. You will explore projects in cybersecurity, software development, algorithm design, or data analysis. These projects not only allow you to apply your classroom knowledge to practical scenarios but also expose you to new and emerging technologies and methodologies in the field. Students are paired with mentors who guide them through the intricacies of their assigned projects, offering invaluable insights into the world of scientific research and development.
Your lab choice is based on your subject of interest, students inclined towards coding must search accordingly! If your subject of interest is coding/programming, there are many labs where the research opportunities align with your interest. For instance, a New Jersey Naval lab allows you to work with advanced technologies such as electromagnetics, aviation information systems, avionics, diagnostics, unmanned aerial systems, test and evaluation, material science, modeling and simulation, jet propulsion, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, systems analysis, systems engineering and more!
12. Sandia National Laboratories Internships
Location: Varies depending on the project.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Have a U.S. citizenship
- Be at least 16 years of age
- Have a full-time enrollment status at a high school
- Year-round/co-op intern – Must be a full-time student during the academic school year (spring, fall, and winter)
- Summer intern – Must be a full-time student during the spring term immediately preceding the internship
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0/4.0 (for high school students applying for Research and Development (R&D), Technical, or Business positions).
Application Deadline: Varies from project to project.
Program Dates: Varies from project to project.
- Summer Internships typically run 10-12 weeks, generally from May to the last Thursday in August.
- Co-op internships typically run 3–8 months during the academic term and may include an adjacent summer term.
- Year-round internships run during the academic terms, and students can work up to 25 hours a week.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided. You can check the intern pay rate here.
Each year, Sandia welcomes students from around the country to work in a variety of technical and business positions. As an intern, you get to work on real-world, challenging projects to contribute to critical national goals.
Many of their research internships can be experienced through technical institutes that encompass a range of disciplines, including cyber security, energy surety, engineering design, and software development. Each institute provides a team to guide and mentor interns in projects aligned with their major or area of particular technical interest.
If you are interested in coding, there are many internship opportunities offered by Sandia like the Comp Materials & Data Science Internship for high school students wherein you will get to work in collaborative team environments on multidisciplinary, technically challenging projects as part of a dynamic research organization. You will learn to solve complex problems involving the integration of a wide variety of technologies including servers, storage, networking, software, middleware, and all systems supporting the virtual environments.
You can search all the internship opportunities for high school students offered by Sandia National Laboratories here.
13. George Mason University - NASA Data Science Analysis and Scholarly Research Paper Writing
Location: Hybrid (primarily virtual, with in-person options at the GMU Fairfax Campus)
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Application Deadline: Available seats are on a first-come, first-served basis. (For the first 50 students)
Program Dates: June 15, 2024 - August 16, 2024.
Cost: The fees have not been mentioned (they have asked interested students to reach out to execed@gmu.edu for the fee structure), however, they do mention that need-based scholarships are available.
The Young Scholars NASA Data Science Analysis and Research Paper Program offers you professional, cutting-edge research experience in NASA space data science and statistical analysis focusing on coding skills. You will engage in a comprehensive program delving into astronomy and space sciences through a combination of research projects and lectures. Working collaboratively on current NASA mission research, you will receive guidance on crafting professional-quality scholarly papers to enhance your research and communication skills.
During this program, you will be participating in a guided astronomy-based research project applying some of the following methods, including but not limited to:
Astronomy data analysis on NASA missions
Observational astronomy and statistical analysis.
Quantitative Research
Scientific methods of inference
Observational data collection and management
Statistical science inference
The private space revolution and its impact on astronomy and space policy
You can check the different software and data used for research here. You will have the benefit of having your research paper posted on the official George Mason University webpage see Schar School Young Scholars Journals page.
15. ASPIRE by The Johns Hopkins University
Location: In-person (90% or more at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory campus, Laurel, Maryland) | Virtual (100% remote).
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be high school juniors or seniors during program participation (Applicants can be rising juniors or seniors)
- Be at least 15 years of age by June 1, 2024
- Have a U.S. citizenship (green card holders are not eligible)
- Have a minimum 2.8 GPA
Application Deadline: February 15, 2024
Program Dates: June 25, 2024 - August 22, 2024 (Summer session) | September - May (Academic year session) (Dates TBA)
Cost/Stipend: None.
The ASPIRE program by Johns Hopkins is an internship that allows high school juniors and seniors to experience STEM Careers in a holistic environment. Each intern is paired with APL staff and participates in workshops, problem-solving in groups, mentorship sessions with top faculty, and hands-on projects.
Interns will be asked to choose their area of interest while applying, but are not allowed to select their mentor or the project they want to work on.
You may apply in one of the following areas of interest: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering (All), Information Technology & Cybersecurity, Mathematics & Data Analysis, Physics and Planetary Science. This program is designed to give you a chance to dive into a subject in depth before choosing an area of study in college. We recommend that coding enthusiasts apply for the Information Technology & Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or Mathematics & Data Analysis areas of placement. Do note that you will have to choose one area of interest and can either choose to participate in person, hybrid, or complete their program virtually.
Location: Virtual.
Eligibility: Candidates must:
- Be 18 years or older on the date they register for the program.
- Not be a resident of a United States embargoed country.
- Be eligible to work in the country in which they reside for the duration of the program.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in April (previous year).
Program Dates: January 23 - November 17, 2024.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided.
The Google Summer of Code (GSoC) program allows new contributors to be part of open-source projects and gain real-world experience by working on a 12+ week coding project with one of ~150 open-source organizations under the guidance of dedicated mentors.
Program goals of the GSoC include motivating developers to begin participating in open-source software development, helping open-source projects bring in new developers into their communities, and giving new contributors exposure to real-world open-source software development scenarios (e.g., testing, version control, software licensing, etc.), and creating more open source code for everyone.
16. Veritas AI Internship
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have prior experience with AI/ML or have completed a Veritas AI program.
Application Deadline: October 20, 2024
Dates: The start date for the upcoming cohort is November 11, 2024.
Cost: $2,490 (some financial aid is available)
The AI Internship Program by Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the 8-week internship, students have the opportunity to work with VC-backed startups on real-world AI/ML projects. Students work directly with mentors from Harvard, Wharton, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and more.
This program is a great opportunity for students who have prior experience with AI/ML and are looking to gain real-world exposure to a career in the field. Students get a chance to network with industry professionals, work closely with company leadership, and receive a letter of completion from the company at the end of the internship. You can learn more about the program here and apply here.
Bonus!
Here are a few more coding programs for you to consider:
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, with a large number of them in tech. 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!
Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.