35 Biology Internships for High School Students – 2025

January 20, 2025

biology internships for high school students

A good internship offers practical, immersive ways for students to understand what is required of a certain career and field. And high school is often an ideal time for students to familiarize themselves with what they may want to pursue in their future academic and professional years. This holds true for subjects like biology, especially since there are so many branches of it. The best biology internships for high school students allow participants to experience firsthand the inner workings of the lab, research and fieldwork. Follow along to check out the top 35 biology internships for high school students offered throughout the country. If you鈥檙e a high schooler looking for environmental biology internships, marine biology internships or wildlife biology internships, you鈥檝e come to the right place.

Best Biology Internships for High School Students – 2025

1)

Application deadline: January 5
Program length:
June 24 to August 8; seven weeks
Stipend:
Needs-based stipends available

High school juniors and seniors interested in biology internships should definitely explore what SSRP has to offer. Students work in groups of eight to ten for 35 hours a week, researching topics like RNA virus discovery and bioinformatics, Coronavirus immune response, silkworm biomaterials, evolutionary behavior in fruit flies, nanobody binding patterns and more. Core classes are also offered in scientific reasoning and experimental approach, alongside professional development.

2)

Application deadline: Not yet available
Program length:
June 17 to July 26; six weeks
Stipend:
Stipend available for program participation

If you鈥檙e a rising senior from Michigan, the University of Michigan鈥檚 Aspirnaut Internship Program is a fantastic opportunity. The prestigious life sciences internship program accepts only eight to ten interns per year, providing students with hands-on research experience as they live on the Ann Arbor campus. This mentor-led internship also prepares students for standardized testing and college guidance.

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

3)

Application deadline: April 12
Program length:
Nine weeks
Stipend:
Participating students receive up to $3,000 each; Students working together on a project can receive up to $6,000

The SUNY Oneonta Summer Research Internship is open to high school students 16 and older who are passionate about environmental biology. During the summer, students will participate in projects such as researching water quality and biota by tracking the Susquehanna watershed and Otsego Lake. One to three interns are hired per summer, making it a competitive admissions process, but accepted students dive into fieldwork while also working in the labs and presenting their research.

4)

Application deadline: Not yet available
Program length:
Two to five weeks
Stipend:
Stipend can depend on position and location, but students generally receive around $280 per week

The Student Conservation Association National Crews鈥 volunteer program is highly sought-after by students interested in environmental biology internships. The program is open to students who are 15 to 19 years old. In groups of six to eight, students are led by two adults to gain direct experience and knowledge about ecology and the environment. Students will live in tents, cook their own meals and develop leadership skills as they maintain trails and work on restoration projects.

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

5)

Application deadline: Not yet available
Program length:
June 18 to August 16; eight weeks
Stipend:
Stipend available

Biology internships for high school students have many specialties, such as the Monell Science Apprenticeship Program that focuses on biomedical science and medicine. This program is ideal for students from underrepresented and economically challenged backgrounds. Mentored by Monell scientists, students will carry out distinct research projects and eventually present their findings at a conference. Students can also expect to receive training in ethics and written and public skills. The program remains highly competitive and is open to both high school and undergraduate students living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

6)

Application deadline: January 16
Program length:
Eight weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $3,000 and a paid trip to the Hutton Scholars Summit

The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is a great opportunity for high school juniors, seniors, and rising undergraduates looking for a stimulating marine biology internship. Sponsored by the American Fisheries Society, the program seeks students from underrepresented backgrounds and offers activities in electrofishing, water quality testing, establishing aquatic vegetation and fish habitat, and more. Students work from 32 to 40 hours a week, and the program takes place in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

7)

Application deadline: Not yet available
Program length:
June 25 to August 9; six weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $4,000 for high school interns

Another exciting biology internship for high school students is the Boyce Thompson Institute High School Research Internship. The program helps students decide if they want to major in biology or pursue a science career and is open to high schoolers who are Ithaca, New York residents and 16 and older. Students are mentored by a faculty member, postdoctoral researcher or graduate student and gain firsthand experience in field trips, workshops and more, including a symposium where they鈥檒l present their research at the end.

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

8)

Application deadline: January 12
Program length:
July 2 to August 1
Stipend:
Stipend of $2,530 available monthly

Are you a high school junior living in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland (DMV) metro area, interested in pursuing a career in biomedicine or healthcare? HiSTEP, located at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland, helps students gain knowledge in STEM-M through lectures and workshops. Applicants must be a student where over 30% of the student body are enrolled in the Federal Free/Reduced Lunch Program and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.

9)

Application deadline: February 11
Program length:
June 18 to August 9; eight weeks
Stipend:
No stipend available

ASSIP is another STEM-focused program for high school students searching for biology internships. Students will gain professional skills like communication and scientific writing, all while working one-on-one with researchers in the lab. To be eligible, students must be over 15 years old to join the in-person, remote, and hybrid internships in computer labs. For the in-person and hybrid 鈥渨et lab鈥 internships, students must be over 16 years old. Students will also have the opportunity to present their findings at a conference or by publication in a scientific journal.

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

10)

Application deadline: February 1
Program length:
June 3 to August 1; eight weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $8,000 and a minimal travel allowance

Located on Iowa State campus, the George Washington Carver Internship Program is a biology research internship for high school students with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students will work with mentors in their research and work 30 to 40 hours a week researching complex topics like the agricultural process. At a colloquium towards the end of the program, each student will present their reports. A meal plan, on-campus housing, round-trip airfare are all provided.

11)

Application deadline: Varies
Program length:
June to August; 10 weeks
Stipend:
Stipend available

For young women interested in paid STEM and biology internships, YWIS offers fantastic research programs where students work closely with a mentor. Students can choose their area of focus and also gain experience in laboratory demonstrations, workshops, developmental tasks and field trips.

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

12)

Application deadline: January 10
Program length:
June 3 to August 2; six weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $3,600 given to students

Interested in learning more about chemical biology, cancer biology, or infectious diseases? The Broad Summer Scholars Program is a biology internship for high school seniors looking to dive deep into specialized research projects. During the program, students will attend lectures and networking opportunities, and be introduced to various science careers. They will also present their research towards the end. Applicants must be residents of Massachusetts and have Bs in science and math.

13)

Application deadline: Varies
Program length:
Varies
Stipend:
Travel reimbursements and a housing stipend are available to students; Students are also included in the INL paid holiday schedule

Students looking to solve pressing problems through STEM are encouraged to apply to the Idaho National Laboratory Internships. Working directly with a mentor, each student will carry out their research via INL鈥檚 80/20 philosophy. Students will spend 80% of their time in the lab, and the remaining 20% of their time is focused on developing professional skills through workshops and activities. Those interested in applying must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, submit a resume, and pass a background check.

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

14)

Application deadline: March 8
Program length: Not yet available
Stipend: Stipend of $2,275 available

Are you a high schooler in New York City passionate about the urban environment? The Wave Hill Forest Project is an environmental biology internship for students wanting to improve efforts in urban ecology and ecological restoration. This program has a unique component of having students take college-level courses, while also attending lectures by professionals in the field and being immersed in the fieldwork. Students can also earn up to three college credits if they complete the program鈥檚 coursework successfully.

15)

Application deadline: April 11
Program length:
Not yet available
Stipend:
A technical hourly stipend of $15.65 is available

High school seniors in northern New Mexico looking for STEM and biology internships should consider applying to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Students have the opportunity to explore microbiology and molecular biology while helping inside the lab. You must be over 16 years old, have a minimum 3.0 GPA and pass a drug test to apply.

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

16)

Application deadline: May 4
Program length:
June 3 to August 9 or June 17 to August 23; 10 weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $4,760 available

17)

Application deadline: March 1
Program length:
June 3 to July 26; eight weeks
Stipend:
Stipend available

18)

Application deadline: March 31
Program length:
June 24 to August 16; eight weeks
Stipend:
Stipend available upon completion of the program; free ORCA cards are available to students commuting in the greater Seattle area

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

19)

Application deadline: Summer deadlines are March 15, April 15, May 15; deadlines vary based on group
Program length:
Eight weeks
Stipend:
Not available

20)

Application deadline: March 13
Program length:
June 3 to August 9; 10 weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $4,500 available to students who complete the program

21)

Application deadline: February 9
Program length:
June 27 to August 22; eight weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $1,200 available; housing is not provided

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

22)

Application deadline: March 17
Program length:
June 10 to July 26; seven weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $3,000 available

23)

Application deadline: February 2
Program length:
July 8 to August 16; six weeks
Stipend:
Stipend available

24)

Application deadline: March 10
Program length:
June 18 to August 2; six weeks
Stipend:
Stipends up to $2,300 are available

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

25)听

Application deadline: March 10
Program length:
June 24 to August 9; seven weeks
Stipend:
Stipends are available to students who qualify based on funding source eligibility

26)

Application deadline: January 29
Program length: June 1 to August 10; 10 weeks
Stipend:
Stipend of $6,500 available

27)

Application deadline: Third week of October each year
Program length:
High school students meet weekly throughout the school year
Stipend:
Not available

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

28)

Application deadline: Deadlines vary for each program under USDA
Program length:
Varies by program
Stipend:
Stipends can be available

29)

Application deadline: December 8, 2024
Program length:
March to November
Stipend:
Awards are given based on participating student鈥檚 tier level; Tier 1: $600; Tier 2: $700; Tier 3: $800; Tier 4: $16.50 hourly wage

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

30)

Application deadline: Check back in February 2025 for the next application cycle
Program length:
June 18 to July 26 (24 paid work hours per week); unpaid training in April and May
Stipend:
Stipend available for the summer internship

31)

Application deadline: February 15
Program length:
Internships are usually 10 to 16 weeks long
Stipend:
Stipend of $750 per week

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

32)

Application deadline: March 15
Program length:
June 22 to August 2
Stipend:
Stipend not available, but there is a fee reduction for students in need

33)

Application deadline: March 17
Program length:
June 16 to August 1
Stipend:
Limited number of scholarships available; priority given to California residents

Biology Internships for High School Students (Continued)

34)

Application deadline: March 7, 2025
Program length:
July 7 to July 31
Stipend:
Not yet available

35)

Application deadline: Varies by agency
Program length:
Varies by agency
Stipend:
Stipend available

New Discoveries

These biology internships for high school students are fantastic opportunities for students to network with other peers and experts, encouraging the development of long-term skills and relationships. As you might have noticed, many of these programs also offer the chance for students to publicly present their research findings. These are all excellent steps helping prepare students for college.

The most successful high school biology internships will allow students to explore the field with an open-minded intellectual curiosity as their guide.