12 Computer Engineering Internships for High School Students
With digital innovation progressing as swiftly as it is today, computer engineering offers endless possibilities for high school students. As a multifaceted discipline, it combines a wide range of concepts from electrical engineering and computer science.
If you’re thinking about pursuing academic and professional careers in computer engineering, consider exploring the field first with a hands-on internship. These experiences go beyond the standard classroom curriculum and can offer a platform to build a solid foundation of knowledge and skill. Additionally, colleges seek students who have gone the extra mile to further their interests and passions.
Here are 12 computer engineering internships for high school students that will let you work with professionals, gain hands-on experience, and get a glimpse of computer engineering in a professional setting.
Location: Virtual.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. June 26, 2024, for the summer II cohort.
Program Dates: Multiple 8-week sessions throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring.
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.
Cost: Starts at $1,990. Financial aid is offered.
Ladder Internships is a selective program that connects high school students with global non-profit organizations and startups for a practical, virtual internship experience. Students can select from a range of organizations across various industries, including tech, AI/ML, engineering, computer engineering, and more.
Over the course of the internship, you will be mentored by a Ladder coach and guided by a manager at the startup you’re interning at. This ensures that you can successfully work on a real-world project and present your work at the end of the internship.
2. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internship Program
Location: Internships are offered at NASA facilities across the country, and students can select roles based in or around their city. Virtual internships are also available.
Application Deadline: Summer 2025 - Early Decision: October 25, 2024 | Final, Feb. 28, 2025 | Fall 2025: May 16, 2025 | Spring 2025 - Aug 23, 2024 |
Program Dates:
- Fall session: 16 weeks from late August/early September to mid-December.
- Spring session: 16 weeks from mid-January to early May.
- Summer: 10 weeks from late May/early June to August.
Eligibility: Full-time high school students with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Do note that you must be 16 years old at the time of applying.
Stipend: Stipend depends on the length of the session and the intern’s academic level
With this program, students are offered paid internships under the guidance of a NASA mentor. You will receive training, mentoring, and career development opportunities as you contribute to ongoing agency projects.
Students can choose from a range of opportunities, both virtual and in-person. For example, the CCRI - Land Surface Temperature via Satellite and Remote Sensing Technologies program requires students to have been skilled in programming languages such as JAVA, Python, Matlab, or R. Students will collect data on the comprehensive surface energy balance and process the information to characterize the heat index, urban heat island, and land surface temperature over local community built and natural environments. This includes monitoring the incoming and outgoing heat energy components and radiation using hi-tech cameras.
3. Microsoft’s High School Discovery Program
Location: Redmond, WA
Application Deadline: Applications tentatively close in March based on previous years.
Program Dates: Not specified but expect it to be held in the summer.
Eligibility: High school graduating seniors who:
-live or attend high school within 50 miles of Redmond, WA, or around Atlanta, Georgia
-Have completed pre-calculus or an equivalent course by the start of the program
Stipend: $20 per hour
The Microsoft High School Discovery Program offers high school students a deep dive into the technology and opportunities available at Microsoft. You will engage in hands-on learning experiences and will be exposed to the design phase of product development which involves learning about programming fundamentals. You will work on developing the skills required for a career in the field of computer engineering with the guidance and mentorship of Microsoft employees.
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Application Deadline: March 1, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Program Dates: June 17, 2024 - July 26, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria: Current high school sophomores who are full-year residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, or Redwood City with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Cost/Stipend: None. A stipend is awarded upon successful completion of the program.
Interns in this program get the opportunity to get a glimpse of how Meta functions on a day-to-day basis as they experience the organization’s environment and the various practices and processes first-hand. You can expect to gain experience with coding and hone your soft skills while receiving guidance as you explore potential careers in the tech industry.
Only 150 interns make it to the final cohort and will be mentored by current Meta employees as they are exposed to the field of computer engineering in a professional setting, preparing them for their future. The company provides transport for all students, making this opportunity more accessible.
5. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Internships
Location: Various opportunities across the country.
Application deadline: The rolling applications for the 2025 cohort will tentatively open in December 2024.
Program Dates: Depends on the specific program, typically during the summer months.
Eligibility: Current high school students who are US citizens or permanent residents. Additional requirements may vary by the location and organization of the internship.
Note: AEOP offers specific programs for underserved groups that meet the criteria outlined here.
Stipend: Stipend depends on the location and internship that the students opt for.
The AEOP program collaborates with universities and US Army Research Laboratories and Centers across the country to offer students an opportunity to work with a university researcher or scientist mentor on various research projects. These sponsored research projects will address some of the biggest challenges in the country.
Students will be exposed to the latest technological advancements and techniques in laboratory facilities as they interact with professional scientists and engineers and learn from STEM practitioners. This offers a comprehensive learning experience that enhances students’ ability to think critically and prepare for a successful career in STEM.
6. Sandia National Laboratories
Location: Various locations in Albuquerque and Livermore, CA, depending on the internship.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Program Dates: Varies based on the internship. Summer internships typically run from May to August.
Eligibility: US citizens of at least 16 years of age with a full-time enrollment status and a minimum GPA of 2.5 with the ability to work 25 hours a week during the term of 40 hours a week during summer (depending on the internship).
Cost/Stipend: No cost. A consistent pay rate is offered to high school interns, depending on their duties.
As a contractor for the US Department of Energy’s “National Nuclear Security Administration”, Sandia National Laboratories offers internships to students throughout the year.
The only position for high school students they currently have open is for Applied Science and Technology Maturation, which encompasses lab work and data analysis. However, their summer internship applications typically begin in spring and include various job descriptions. Previously, a digital engineering solution program required interns to implement scripting and computer programming, assist in developing software solutions, and work on maintenance and debugging of various software projects. Interning here can be a great opportunity for students to interact with highly qualified researchers and engineers and work in top-notch research facilities.
7. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) by the Department of Navy (DoN)
Location: There are several lab locations to choose from across the country.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in November.
Program Dates: Depends on the lab, typically conducted in the summer.
Eligibility: High school students who are US citizens enrolled in a high school or taking college-level classes of at least 16 years of age. Graduating seniors are eligible to apply, but further exceptions or requirements may vary based on specific lab criteria.
Stipend: $4,000 (new participants) | $4,500 (returning participants)
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) offers high school students the opportunity to conduct naval research and technology at one of 30 labs across the country. Interns can work on research of this choice under the guidance and mentorship of current DoN scientists and engineers. This offers them a unique opportunity to pursue their interests and deepen their understanding of their subject while gaining hands-on experience as they delve deeper into their research.
Given how popular engineering is, students have more flexibility in selecting labs all over the United States. Some topics that have been previously studied in this program include the analysis of CSS Georgia bones and various consolidants, and the development of Ansys fluent workflow for axial fan simulation and flow around an object.
8. SPARK Summer Internship Program
Location: Virtual or in-person (Seattle, WA), depending on the internship.
Application Deadline: Typically between May and August
Dates: 8-12 weeks in the summer
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents who can commit to working 40 hours a week for 8 to 12 weeks.
Cost/Stipend: The stipend depends on the internship, and certain projects may also be unpaid.
This program is designed for students who are enthusiastic about exploring real-world scenarios in engineering. Students can select 5 to 6 potential projects they wish to work on in their field of interest and receive the support of an assigned sponsor for any one of these topics. For example, students in the 2024 cohort worked on software engineering, ML workflow, and more.
It gives students an edge as they learn the soft skills required to succeed in the professional sphere while also learning about how to perform their duties in a formal setting as they work on their projects.
9. National Institute of Standards and Technology Internships
Location: 6 lab locations at the Boulder, CO, or the Gaithersburg, MD campuses.
Application Deadline: Applications are open between December and mid-February (tentative, dates vary each year).
Program Dates: Typically from mid-June to the second week of August.
Eligibility: Open to juniors and seniors (at the time of applying)with a minimum 3.0 GPA who are eligible to work in the US.
Cost/Stipend: None. Participants must pay for their own housing and transportation.
The National Institute of Technology’s program enables rising or graduated high school seniors to select from one of 6 NIST labs that participate in the SHIP program:
Communications Technology Lab
Engineering Lab
Information Technology Lab
Material Measurement Lab
NIST Center for Neutron Research
Physical Measurement Lab
Interns will be guided by current NIST scientists and engineers as they work on an existing research problem and focus on various aspects of computer engineering. There is a full list of areas of study to choose from, including biometrics for computer security, cryptography, digital data retrieval, computer network modeling, and more.
10. Syracuse University Engineering and Computer Science Research Internship
Location: Greater Syracuse Area, NY
Application Deadline: Not specified, but expect it to be 1-2 months before the program starts.
Program Dates: Not specified but expect it to be during the summer months.
Eligibility: High achieving, STEM-oriented high school seniors in the greater Syracuse area.
Cost/Stipend: None. A stipend is provided.
During this 6-week program, interns participate in a university-level research project in the Syracuse University Engineering and Computer Science Research Internship program. They will work on a university-level research project at state-of-the-art facilities with the latest equipment and access to SU research faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students who provide valuable guidance and mentorship.
In addition to learning about research techniques, laboratory training, and gathering and analyzing data, students also enjoy networking opportunities which helps to ease their transition from high school to college. At the end of the internship, students are also required to present their findings in a poster symposium held annually, in which three high school students have previously won when competing against undergraduate summer research students.
11. Boston University’s Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) Internship Track
Location: Boston University, MA
Application Deadline: February 14, 2024
Program Dates: 6 weeks in the summer.
Eligibility Criteria: High school students who will be entering their senior year of high school in fall 2024. Only permanent residents and US citizens may participate in the program.
Cost: $1,000 non-refundable deposit for holding a spot with other additional fees. Tuition itself costs $5,350. Financial aid is available
The RISE Internship Track encourages students interested in conducting hands-on research to delve deeper into a subject and explore its nuances. Research areas range from astronomy and biology to computer science and public health, ensuring that every student can pursue their field of interest.
During this program, students will work on a research project for 40 hours per week under the guidance of a graduate student mentor, faculty member, or postdoctoral fellow. These projects empower students to enhance their technical and analytical skills and showcase their work in the Poster Symposium. Some examples of previous computer science projects include Relational Memory by B. Bethune and Online Ad Allocation With Predictions by M. Zhou!
The internship also includes insightful weekly workshops and sessions on college admission strategies to ensure that students succeed in their academic and professional endeavors.
12. UCSC Science Internship Program
Location: University of California Santa Cruz, CA, with on-campus housing.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Program Dates: June 26, 2024 - August 18, 2024.
Eligibility: Students who are at least 14 years old on the program start date can apply.
Cost: $4,250 excluding extra costs like the $500 deposit to hold the spot and a $60 application fee.
This program is designed to involve students in ongoing research at UCSC, giving them a deeper understanding of the challenges and breakthroughs in the field. Students will work on various projects which may include data analysis, software development, computational modeling, and more, under the guidance of a mentor who will encourage them to pursue their interests and skills.
This program is designed to ensure that students receive a holistic learning experience, which includes improving their research, problem-solving, and technical skills. Students will also participate in lab meetings and present their findings at a symposium.
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.