Physics Summer Programs for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 35 physics summer programs for high school students. Of these, 24 are free to participate in and 3 offer virtual participation. Examples include Advanced Space Academy (U.S. Space & Rocket Center), AFRL Scholars Program, and Brookhaven National Laboratory High School Research Program (HSRP).
- 35
- listed
- 24
- free
- 3
- virtual
- 35
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are physics summer programs for high school students?
- Physics Summer Programs for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in physics. Each listing includes eligibility, cost, and deadline details where known, so you can compare options and find the right fit for your college application profile.
- Are any of these summer programs free?
- Yes — 24 of the 35 summer programs listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 3 of the 35 summer programs listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are physics summer programs good for a college application?
- Yes — physics summer programs are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in physics on college applications.
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35 activities found·Browse by category
Advanced Space Academy (U.S. Space & Rocket Center)
A six-day immersive residential astronaut-training and engineering program for ages 15-18 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, including rocket design and launch, an underwater astronaut trainer, engineering challenges, and a simulated space mission.
AFRL Scholars Program
A paid eight-week summer research internship that places upper-level high schoolers directly with Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and engineers at sites across the U.S. to work on real research and technology projects.
Brookhaven National Laboratory High School Research Program (HSRP)
A competitive six-week commuter research program at Brookhaven National Lab where students who have completed 11th grade work directly with scientific and engineering staff on real DOE-mission research projects.
Caltech YESS (Young Engineering and Science Scholars)
Intensive 6-week summer program for underrepresented students in STEM; includes physics research and mentorship.
Camp SOAR (Texas A&M Aerospace Engineering)
A six-day residential Texas A&M summer camp for rising juniors and seniors exploring aircraft, rotorcraft, space mission design, and space robotics tracks through technical lectures, hands-on design projects, and facility tours, with need-based scholarships available.
CERN High School Student Programme
3-week summer internship at CERN (Geneva) for students 16+; work with particle physicists on cutting-edge experiments.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Teen Science Scholars
Selective paid internship that places 20 high schoolers from underserved or underrepresented backgrounds into the Museum's Science Division each year, doing real scientific work alongside Museum scientists and exploring museum and STEM careers. Includes a stipend of about $1,800 per session plus professional development in public speaking and college planning.
Fermilab Friends Summer Internship
Summer research internship at Fermilab for students interested in particle physics and accelerator science.
Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces - Summer Research
7-week paid research at Stony Brook University; polymer physics and materials science projects for HS students.
Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program (Physics/Comp Focus)
2-week free program introducing coding and computational physics concepts to young women.
International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)
Invitation-only global competition for top national teams; experimental and theoretical exams.
Jefferson Lab High School Summer Honors Program
A paid six-week research internship at Jefferson Lab where local high schoolers conduct mentored physics and engineering research alongside lab scientists.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - High School Internship
Summer research internship at Berkeley Lab; projects in physics, materials science, and computation.
LLNL SAGE (Science Accelerating Growth & Engagement)
A free, one-week day camp at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where Northern California high schoolers do hands-on STEM projects and meet LLNL scientists and engineers.
MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute – Quantum Software
A rigorous MIT program combining an online prerequisite course with a four-week in-person summer session where students implement real quantum algorithms in Qiskit.
MIT BWSI (Beaver Works Summer Institute) - Autonomous Systems
4-week residential program at MIT; combines physics (sensors, dynamics) with coding for autonomous systems.
MIT MITES Summer
Free, six-week residential STEM program at MIT for rising high school seniors (11th graders) from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds. Students take rigorous math, science, and humanities courses, complete a project, and live in MIT dorms. Highly selective; all costs covered.
MIT Research Science Institute (RSI)
Extremely selective 6-week residential research program; many students do physics/astrophysics projects with mentors.
NASA SEES (STEM Enhancement in Earth Science)
A competitive NASA-affiliated internship hosted by UT Austin's Center for Space Research for high school sophomores and juniors, combining online coursework with a two-week on-site research experience analyzing NASA satellite and mission data.
NCAR Pre-College Internship Program (PRECIP)
Six-week summer internship at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado where high school students work on real research projects in atmospheric, climate, and earth-system science with scientists, plus workshops on writing scientific abstracts. Out-of-area students must have a parent/guardian/chaperone with them for the duration.
Notre Dame Introduction to Engineering Program (IEP)
A two-week residential Notre Dame summer program for students between their junior and senior year that surveys multiple engineering disciplines through hands-on projects, faculty talks, and campus life.
Physics Olympiad Summer Training Camp (MOP equivalent for Physics)
Invitation-only training camp for top USAPhO performers; preparation for International Physics Olympiad team.
PREFACE: Rensselaer Summer Engineering Design Program
A two-week RPI summer program for rising juniors and seniors that introduces the different branches of engineering through hands-on design projects; recent cohorts have focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.
Simons Summer Research Program
A highly selective six-week residential research program at Stony Brook University pairing rising high school seniors with faculty mentors for hands-on original research in science, math, or engineering, culminating in a poster symposium.
Simons Summer Research Program (Stony Brook)
Free 7-week program pairing juniors with faculty mentors across science/engineering, including Physics & Astronomy.
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Summer Internship
Paid research internship at Stanford's SLAC for HS students interested in particle physics and accelerator science.
SSP (Summer Science Program) Astrophysics
Renowned 6-week residential program where students do hands-on astrophysics research (asteroid orbit determination).
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes (Physics / Astrophysics)
3-week intensive physics or astrophysics course at Stanford for advanced HS students.
Summer@Rensselaer: Aerospace Engineering & STEAMM Inventor's Studio
One- and two-week RPI summer courses where high schoolers tour aerospace research labs, run wind-tunnel experiments and build radio-controlled aircraft, or pursue interdisciplinary invention projects spanning science, technology, engineering, art, math, and medicine.
SUMMET – Summer Mines Engineering and Training
Free residential program at Colorado School of Mines for rising high school seniors who are prospective first-generation college students, providing a college-life preview through engineering, science, and technology workshops on the Mines campus in Golden, Colorado.
Syracuse University Pre-College: Aerospace Engineering
A two-week Syracuse University pre-college course where students build and test airplane and rocket models while learning aerospace engineering fundamentals from faculty and industry guest speakers.
TryEngineering Summer Institute (IEEE)
An IEEE-run residential engineering summer camp held at university campuses nationwide where high schoolers choose a track -- aerospace, general engineering, AI, biotechnology, or cybersecurity -- for hands-on projects and career exploration.
U.S. Air Force Academy Summer Seminar
Selective free week-long program at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where high school juniors live in cadet dorms, eat at the cadet dining facility, tour academic and research labs, and participate in admissions and leadership workshops. 2026 sessions: June 2-6, June 8-12, June 15-19. Applications open December 1 and close January 15.
Wolfram Physics & Computation Summer Camp
2.5-week program where students use computational tools (Mathematica) to explore physics problems.
Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) - Frontiers of Science & Technology
2-week summer program with lectures and seminars on advanced topics including physics and engineering.
ECFinder provides links to outside extracurricular opportunities for informational purposes only. Students and families should research each program before applying. ECFinder does not operate or control the listed organizations and is not responsible for their actions or policies.