16 Computer Science Internships for High School Students in 2024
If you’re inclined to pursue computer science in college, you should consider doing internships in high school. With an internship, you get to apply learned concepts in real-life scenarios – building your knowledge base and enhancing your college applications.
In this blog, we’ve listed 16 computer science internships for high school students. This list covers internships from prestigious companies and research opportunities to work alongside individuals at the top of their fields. Not only that, many of these internships offer a stipend too!
Why consider a computer science Internship?
In a field like computer science, that’s constantly evolving and highly competitive, internships with certain organizations on this list (such as NASA or the U.S. Navy and Energy Department) will ensure you stand out. Doing an internship while in high school shows your motivation to go beyond the classroom, and your ability to apply theoretical concepts to practical situations.
Additionally, via internships, you can get real-world experience and a solid insight into your future career paths! Each internship is an opportunity to network with individuals who are experts in their respective industries, which can be useful later in your career.
So basically, doing an internship tells college admissions officers that you’re driven and passionate about the subject of your choice, while also giving you the chance to learn hands-on.
Let’s dive in.
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.
Program Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year.
Cost: Starting at $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Ladder Internship is a selective program for high school students to work with start-ups and non-profit organizations around the world. The startups and organizations range across a variety of industries, with a large number of them in computer science and tech. You can choose the field you wish to work in! As as intern, you will work on a real-world project and present your work at the end of their internship. You will work closely with your manager and a Ladder Coach – who serves as a second mentor, helping you navigate the startup environment.
This internship program is curated for high school students, offering a thorough combination of hands-on experiences and theoretical knowledge-building. Note that as a Ladder Intern, you will engage in a coaching/work-based model – a component that sets it apart from most internships. In the past, student interns have worked on projects that included: software engineering – learning low-code stack concepts, adding core metrics, measuring performance, and conducting user research; and using AI to set up an automated ticket response system.
2. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Location: These internships are offered across NASA facilities. Students may select roles based in cities they are in.
Eligibility: Internships are available for full-time high school students who meet a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement.
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).
Stipend: Interns may receive a stipend based on academic level and session length.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagements offers internship opportunities at all their locations around America, and virtual ones as well! You can access their database on internships here (you will have to filter through the database to find opportunities open for high school students specifically).
These internships will give you the opportunity to experience real-world applications of computer science. As an intern, you will contribute to current projects at the agency, under the guidance of a NASA mentor. The program provides training, mentoring, and career development opportunities, alongside the chance to work with the best science, engineering, information technology and business minds in the world. The internships are offered in a range of subjects and disciplines, including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, and more. During this internship, you may be involved in designing experiments, analyzing data from space missions, or developing new technologies.
3. Microsoft’s High School Discovery Program
Location: Redmond, WA
Eligibility: Rising first-year students of a bachelor’s degree program (graduating high school seniors) that live within 50 miles of Redmond, Washington. Students must be at least 16 years old and have a legal right to work in the U.S. for the duration of the program.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: 4 weeks, July - August (tentatively, based on previous years)
Stipend: $20 per hour
Microsoft’s High School Discovery Program is for high school students who are looking for hands-on learning experiences and wish to explore technology opportunities at Microsoft. ‘Discoverers’ will participate in a curriculum designed to teach them programming fundamentals, while they develop career readiness skills. The internship includes mentorship from Microsoft employees. Students can expect to explore how their passions may evolve into a career in tech at Microsoft and beyond.
4. Syracuse University Engineering and Computer Science Research Internship
Location: Greater Syracuse Area
Eligibility: Students who are rising seniors residing in the Greater Syracuse area, with a good academic standing, can apply.
Application Deadline: The deadline falls typically 2 months before the internship begins.
Program Dates: 6 weeks during the summer months.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a stipend is provided.
Syracuse University offers a 6-week, non-residential summer internship program for rising seniors in the greater Syracuse area. During the program, interns will explore advanced engineering and computer science research. Each intern will participate in a university-level research project, while receiving mentoring from SU research faculty and graduate and undergraduate students. At the end of the program, you will present your research at a symposium with other high school and undergraduate research interns.
A few takeaways from your research project:
Participate in laboratory safety training.
Learn laboratory and college-level library research techniques.
Develop a research plan.
Maintain a laboratory notebook or its equivalent.
Analyze data for your research project.
Display and present data in a poster format for the research symposium.
5. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) at the Department of Navy (DoN)
Location: There are several lab locations to choose from across the country.
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least grade 9, are at least 16 years old when the internship begins, can apply. Graduating seniors are eligible as well. There is room for some exceptions. Students are recommended to check whether their preferred lab choice has any other particular requirements.
Application Deadline: Applications open in August and close on November 1st every year.
Program Dates: Eight weeks in the summer. Exact dates vary depending on the lab you choose.
Cost: There are no registration costs, however, housing, meals, transportation, and medical expenses are not covered. You can expect to have to travel to and from your lab, depending on your placement.
Stipend: $4,000 (new participant) | $4,500 (returning participant)
This apprenticeship is a prestigious research-focused opportunity. SEAP is an 8-week summer program that places high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories across the country. It’s an opportunity to work with top researchers and engineers at Navy laboratories and facilities across the country, on actual Naval research. During the program, students will be mentored by expert scientists and engineers at the Navy labs. While working on projects hands-on, you will gain valuable knowledge and skills in various STEM disciplines, such as computer science and aeronautics.
Your lab choice is based on your subject of interest. With approximately 300 placements across over 38 laboratories nationwide, SEAP is highly competitive, and because of its association with the US government, it’s regarded as highly prestigious too.
6. Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship & Internship
Location: Amazon headquarters (Seattle, Washington)
Eligibility: High school seniors in the U.S. who
- are currently enrolled in or who have completed a high school or college dual degree course where computer science, engineering, or robotics is the subject;
- have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.3 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent);
- demonstrate financial need; can apply.
Program dates: ~8 weeks during the summer after your freshman year of college
Application Deadline: Applications typically close mid-December.
Cost/Stipend: There is no cost. Students can receive scholarships of up to $10,000 per year.
The Amazon Future Engineer Program can be a valuable experience for high school students passionate about technology. This program offers students hands-on experiences, and exposes them to the day-to-day challenges and innovations within Amazon's tech-centric environment. You will work on real projects, collaborating with experienced professionals and gaining insights into the field of technology. This exposure will allow you to apply your classroom knowledge in practical situations, fostering a deeper understanding of the industry's intricacies.
For high school students aspiring to thrive in the technology sector, Amazon Future Engineer serves as a strong launching pad. The program's multifaceted approach combines technical instruction, mentorship opportunities, and a supportive community that fosters collaboration. It will help you build a solid foundation in computer science, and you’ll benefit from networking with industry professionals and learning about potential career pathways.
7. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Internships
Location: Varies from lab to lab.
Eligibility: Rising seniors and recent graduates who are eligible to work in the U.S., and have maintained a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, can apply.
Application Deadline: February 13, 2024
Program Dates: June 18, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (tentative)
Cost: No participation cost (students must cover their own housing and transportation costs)
The Summer High School Intern Program by NIST is for students who have finished their junior or senior year of high school (by the start of the program). During this program, students will engage in cutting-edge research at NIST and work closely with NIST staff scientists and engineers on a specific research topic. Six NIST laboratories participate in the SHIP program: Communications Technology Lab, Engineering Lab, Information Technology Lab, Material Measurement Lab, NIST Center for Neutron Research and Physical Measurement Lab.
Note: Students interested in computer science are encouraged to apply for the Information Technology Lab. Your areas of focus will be networking and communications, computer security, software engineering, and human interaction with computers. Some research areas 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!
8. Internships at Sandia National Laboratories
Location: Livermore, CA / Albuquerque, NM / other Sandia sites.
Eligibility: Students who are at least 16 years old, are enrolled full-time in an accredited college, university or high school, are U.S. citizens can apply. Those applying must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for R&D, technical or business roles.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadline, as internship openings are continuously updated.
Program Dates: Year-round, if you choose that program option. For the Co-op internships, you can select your internship period, in coordination with Sandia and your school.
Summer Interns - 40 hours per week | Year-round Interns - 25 hours per week
Stipend: Students will receive a stipend commensurate to the work they put in, and it will vary with the internship role.
Sandia National Laboratories is a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘National Nuclear Security Administration’ (NNSA) and they offer prestigious internships for students during the summer and year-round. Students can apply for technical, business, and R&D roles, which will allow them to work on impactful national projects. Your role will vary based on your job description; for instance, the internship position digital engineering solutions expects interns to: implement scripting and computer programming, assist in the development of new software solutions, and maintain and debug multi-language software projects.
These internships offer a chance to work alongside experienced researchers and engineers, make use of top-notch equipment and research facilities and benefit from their career advancement and enrichment opportunities. There are two kinds of internships offered:
Year-round internships: These allow students who attend local schools to work part-time at a Sandia site, working up to 25 hours a week for high school students, and up to 40 hours per week during school breaks.
Co-op internships: These are conducted in partnership with individual schools, and allow students to take time off during the academic year to gain work experience at Sandia, working up to 40 hours a week. They run for 3–8 months in the academic term and may include an adjacent summer term.
Sandia internships are extremely selective due to the high volume of applications and the limited number of internships.
9. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP)
Location: There are AEOP opportunities in almost every state.
Eligibility: Those applying must be current high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents. Additional eligibility requirements might vary by location.
Application Deadline: Applications open in December, and typically close in March.
Program Dates: This is a summer internship program, specific dates vary from location to location.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a stipend is provided which varies from location to location.
Note. The AEOP offers specific programs for underserved groups (e.g. Native Americans, disability holders, or women). Find the full list of their criteria here!
In collaboration with universities and the U.S. Army Research Laboratories and Centers, the AEOP offers summer apprenticeships for high school students across the United States. This apprenticeship is a chance to work one-on-one with a university researcher or Department of Defense (DoD) scientist mentor on research projects. As an apprentice, you will be exposed to high-tech equipment and cutting-edge techniques in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, and have access to professional scientists and engineers. Additionally, you will learn from several STEM practitioners who will be working around you. The Army-sponsored research that you will be a part of addresses the country’s biggest challenges. This apprenticeship fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, preparing you for your future career in STEM.
AEOP has multiple locations across the country, and each program is designed for commuters in the area.
10. Idaho National Laboratory Internship
Location: Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
Eligibility: High school students above the age of 16, who hold a U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status are eligible to apply. (Exceptions can be made for foreign nationals who attend an accredited U.S. college or university).
Application Deadline: Typically, applications close in the spring.
Program Dates: 10-16 weeks in the summer.
Stipend: A stipend is provided, but information on the exact amount is not available.
As part of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) offers six-week internships for high school students to apply traditional STEM concepts to real-world problems. During this internship, 80% of your time will be spent in the lab with your mentor while the other 20% will be centered around enrichment and skill-building activities.
Some areas you can work on are advanced transportation technology, clear energy, critical infrastructure protection and cyber security. There are also research topics which include the implementation and analysis of zero-trust architecture, the evolution of cybersecurity on critical infrastructure and thermal constraints violations as a result of ambient adjusted transmission line ratings. You can view projects in all the different areas through their ‘Intern Poster’ sessions! Internship opportunities are segregated in these categories based on related sets of research subjects and required skills. You can apply to as many areas of interest you have. They also offer internships in business administration, finance and accounting internships alongside their STEM internships. In each area of interest, the number of research topics are various. If you are interested in software engineering, or even environmental engineering, INL’s internships are a good option!
11. The Intern Project Summer Program
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Eligibility: South LA students in grades 10-12, High School DACA/Undocumented Youth, High School Foster Youth & system-involved youth. All applicants must be available to attend at least 80% of the program workshops which are after-school Thursdays 4:30-6:30pm. Majority of the program is virtual.
Application Deadline: March 12, every year
Program Dates: June - August
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a stipend is provided.
The Intern Project offers students real-world computer science experience and in-depth learning in the field of technology. This project is a good fit for students who want to explore different aspects of computer science, from software development to data analytics and beyond.
During the program, 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. You will engage 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 on collaborative work teaches you about the dynamics in a real-world tech team. At the end of the project, you will have the chance to present a demo of your work.
12. UCSC Science Internship Program
Location: University of California Santa Cruz, CA.
Eligibility: Students who are at least 14 years old on the program start date can apply.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
Program Dates: June 26, 2024 - August 18, 2024
Cost: $4,000
With this program students can dive into computer science research and technology development. You will work on projects that may involve software development, computational modeling, data analysis, or exploring new algorithms. These projects are not just theoretical, but are often part of ongoing research at UCSC, giving you a taste of the real challenges and breakthroughs in the field.
Interns will be paired with a mentor who guides them through a specific research project, tailored to align with their interests and skills in computer science. This mentorship will help you gain valuable insights into the research process, problem-solving strategies, and technical skills. You will also participate in lab meetings, and make meaningful contributions to the research team’s objectives. The program culminates in a symposium where you will present your findings.
Location: Fermilab site, Illinois.
Eligibility:
- Illinois high school enrollment.
- Must be a sophomore or junior at the time of application.
- Minimum of a 3.0-grade average.
- Eligible to work in the United States.
Application Deadline: February 5, 2024
Program Dates: June 17, 2024 – July 26, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a stipend of $17.20 per hour is provided.
The TARGET program is a six-week summer internship opportunity for Illinois high school sophomores and juniors who have an interest in physics, mathematics, computer science, and engineering. Interns will have the opportunity to work with Fermilab scientists and engineers to conduct research and create content on Fermilab research. Fermilab (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory) operates under the U.S Department of Energy’s Office of Science and is one of America’s top labs for STEM research.
Previous work by TARGET students includes interviews with scientists and their current projects (e.g. Kentandu Cheidu interviewing her mentor Lauren Biron on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) or participating in hands-on workshops to understand 3D modeling and computational thinking.
14. Boston Tech Apprenticeship
Location: Boston, MA
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in a Boston Public School can apply.
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions.
Program Dates: 6-7 weeks during summer months.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a stipend is provided.
Conducted by the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC), the Boston Tech Apprentice is a 6-7 week paid summer internship program for Boston Public Schools (BPS) high school students who are interested in computer science and are considering pursuing it in university. PIC is a non-profit organization working to connect Boston residents to promising career pathways. The Tech Apprentice connects students to companies in Boston, helping them gain work experience so they can understand their career options in the fields of tech and computer science.
Students will have the chance to work at companies across Boston in various industries. Your role could include (but is not limited to):
Helpdesk/troubleshooting support
Web design and programming
Quality control
Social media and video production
15. SparkSIP Summer Internship Program
Location: Various locations across the country, varies with the internship. Some may be remote.
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 40 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks
Application Deadline: May 1, 2024 (based on past year's dates)
Program Dates: 6-8 weeks, June to August
Stipend: While some internships under this program are unpaid, some offer a maximum stipend of $500.
With an acceptance rate of about less than 5%, Spark SIP is a fairly prestigious internship opportunity for students keen on CS majors in college. A program open to all high schoolers interested in CS and related disciplines, the Spark SIP program allows students to immerse themselves in research opportunities in the field, interact and learn from scholars and leaders, and gain real-world experience through a full-time summer internship program. SparkSIP allows applicants to select 5-6 projects they’d like to work on, then assigns sponsors to selected students. Moreover, SPARK provides opportunities and resources that can be used during and after college applications!
Students must select 5-6 projects that they’d like to work on. For the 2023 cohort, the research project list included: Preparing Python script for crossbar architecture and exploring its various non-idealities and Interfacing and Visualizing Data, along with a software internship too. The program allows students to work on real-world applications of concepts in machine learning, computer programming, computer vision, and neural networks, and encourages them to interact and learn from industry leaders, university professors and mentors.
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
Program Dates: The start date for the cohort is November 11, 2024
Cost: $2,490
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.
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.