Free STEM summer programs are some of the best opportunities out there. They’re not just about saving money: the selective ones are genuinely hard to get into, which is part of what makes them valuable on a college application. Here are ten of the top free programs for ambitious high schoolers.
Dates and deadlines shift every year, so treat the ones below as a guide and confirm the current cycle on each program’s site.
Once you’re done with this list, check out our extended guide to the 50 best STEM summer programs for high schoolers.
Top 10 Free STEM Summer Programs
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Hosted at MIT by the Center for Excellence in Education, RSI is one of the most prestigious research programs in the world. Around 80 students out of thousands of applicants spend six weeks on intensive research with top scientists, mostly at MIT and Harvard, ending with a final symposium.
“Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann and American physicist Jeremy England attended RSI in 1998. Broad Institute and MIT neurobiologist, optogenetics pioneer, developer of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing method, and “35 Innovators Under 35″ laureate Feng Zhang attended RSI in 1999.”
Wikipedia
Dates: ~6 weeks, late June to August. Acceptance rate: ~5%. Eligibility: high school juniors. Deadline: typically December.
Rishab Jain breaks down exactly how he got into RSI, his activities, stats, and essay, in this video. It’s useful for applying to RSI or any selective STEM program.
2. MITES Summer (MIT)
MITES (MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science) is a free six-week on-campus program at MIT for students from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM. You take courses in math, physics, chemistry, and biology, work on team research projects with MIT mentors, and get college admissions counseling plus a written evaluation that’s useful for applications. Room and board are covered.
Dates: ~6 weeks, late June to early August. Acceptance rate: ~3-10%. Eligibility: high school juniors, minimum 3.5 GPA. Deadline: typically February.
3. NYU ARISE
ARISE (Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering) is a 10-week program: four weeks of remote STEM workshops in June, then six weeks of in-person lab research starting in July, across fields like bioengineering, chemical engineering, robotics, computer science, AI, and machine learning.
“My time in ARISE has solidified my path to becoming an engineer. At the start, I had no idea what type of engineer I wanted to be, but after participating in the program I learned about the different paths that I could take and now I want to be a mechanical or chemical engineer. I loved the community and events we could take part in aside from working in our labs.”
ARISE Alumnus
Dates: ~10 weeks, June to August. Acceptance rate: ~30%. Eligibility: rising high school sophomores and juniors. Deadline: typically March.
4. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research (SIMR)
SIMR is an eight-week medical research program at Stanford. You’re matched with an institute and a Stanford mentor, and choose from areas like neurobiology, bioengineering, and stem cell and regenerative medicine. It’s free, and participants receive a stipend.
Dates: ~8 weeks, June to August. Acceptance rate: ~3%. Eligibility: high school juniors and seniors, at least 16, U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Deadline: typically late February.
5. CMU Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)
SAMS is a free, merit-based six-week residential program at Carnegie Mellon, with a focus on students underrepresented in STEM. A virtual skill-building component leads into a full on-campus experience of courses and hands-on research in areas like robotics and computer science, ending with a symposium.
Dates: ~6 weeks, roughly July to early August. Acceptance rate: ~8%. Eligibility: high school juniors, 16 or older, U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Deadline: typically late November.
6. Northeastern Young Scholars Program (YSP)
YSP is a six-week research program for rising seniors in Massachusetts within commuting distance of Northeastern. You work in the university’s labs across engineering, science, and health sciences with faculty mentors, plus seminars, career counseling, and field trips to engineering sites.
Dates: ~6 weeks, late June to August. Acceptance rate: ~10-15%. Eligibility: high school juniors, U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Deadline: typically March.
7. MIT PRIMES
PRIMES (Program for Research in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science) is a free year-long, after-school research program for students near Boston, in math, computer science, and computational biology, mentored by MIT graduate students and PhDs. For students elsewhere, MIT PRIMES-USA offers distance mentoring in math research nationwide.
Dates: year-long, starts in January. Acceptance rate: ~4-5%. Eligibility: able to travel to Boston (or apply to PRIMES-USA from anywhere), pass an entrance problem set, and show strong academics. Deadline: typically late November.
8. Roswell Park Summer Cancer Research Program
An eight-week cancer research program for high school juniors. You do independent lab research in areas like molecular biology, genetics, and epidemiology, attend workshops on scientific communication and ethics, and shadow clinical care. Housing and a meal stipend are provided.
Dates: ~8 weeks, June to late July. Acceptance rate: ~80% (less selective, but still a valuable experience). Eligibility: high school juniors, at least 15, U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Deadline: typically February.
9. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute
A free six-week program with hands-on team projects in robotics, cybersecurity, data science, and engineering, mentored by MIT staff. It also includes workshops on skills like CAD and electronics, and guest lectures from industry professionals.
Dates: ~6 weeks, late June to early August. Acceptance rate: highly selective (around 8%). Eligibility: high school juniors, U.S. citizen or permanent resident, strong academics and demonstrated STEM interest. Deadline: typically March.
10. USC Young Researchers Program (YRP)
A research program for rising seniors in the California area. You’re matched with a graduate mentor, do research across scientific fields, and present at a symposium, with weekly seminars on college applications and STEM careers. Field trips are part of it too.
“We spend a day at Catalina Island learning about Earth and environmental science, hiking, and snorkeling (no swimming experience is required). We also tour NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory!”
Dates: ~6 weeks, roughly mid-June to late July. Acceptance rate: ~5-10%. Eligibility: rising high school seniors in California. Deadline: typically March.
50 More STEM Opportunities for High Schoolers
Want more of the best programs, competitions, and opportunities for ambitious students? Get our free list of 50+ here: rishabacademy.com/guide.
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