Physics internships for high school students | RISE Research

TL;DR: Physics internships for high school students exist across government labs, university programmes, and online research platforms, but most are highly competitive, geographically restricted, or produce no verifiable output. RISE Research is the strongest option for students who want a peer-reviewed published paper in physics that appears directly on their college application. Our deadline is closing soon.

Why physics experience matters before college

Physics is one of the most demanding undergraduate majors at top universities. Admissions committees at schools like MIT, Caltech, and Princeton look for evidence that a student has already engaged with the subject beyond the classroom. A strong physics background signals analytical rigour, mathematical fluency, and genuine intellectual drive.

The challenge is access. Most physics internships for high school students are tied to specific locations, require existing lab connections, or are open only to rising seniors. Students who do not live near a major research university face a real disadvantage. And most programmes that do accept high school students produce a certificate, not a verifiable research output.

RISE Research solves this directly. It is a fully online, 1-on-1 mentorship programme where students conduct original physics research under PhD-level mentors and publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals. The result is a published paper that appears in the Common App Activities section, a credential no certificate can match.

What physics internships are available for high school students?

RISE Research is the strongest starting point for students who want a guaranteed, verifiable physics outcome. Beyond RISE, several government-funded and university-affiliated programmes accept high school students, though availability varies by location and year.

RISE Research offers 1-on-1 mentorship with PhD physicists and researchers from Ivy League and Oxbridge institutions. Students complete a 10-week programme fully online, produce an original research paper, and publish in one of 40+ academic journals. The programme carries a 90% publication success rate. It is open to students in Grades 9 through 12, regardless of location. You can explore published student work in physics and related fields here.

For students who also want in-person or institutional experience, the following verified programmes accept high school applicants:

• MIT Primes (Program for Research in Mathematics, Engineering and Science): A year-long research programme run by MIT for high school students in the Boston area and remotely for international students. Students work on original research problems in mathematics, physics, computer science, and related fields under MIT mentors. The programme is free. Official site: math.mit.edu/research/highschool/primes

• NASA High School Internship (OSTEM): NASA's Office of STEM Engagement offers paid internship opportunities for students 16 and older. Placements are competitive and located at NASA centres across the United States. Physics and engineering students are strong candidates. Official site: intern.nasa.gov

• Fermilab TARGET Internship: Fermilab, the US Department of Energy's particle physics laboratory in Illinois, runs the TARGET programme for high school students in the Chicago area. Students work alongside physicists on real lab projects. The programme is paid and runs for several weeks. Official site: ed.fnal.gov/programs/target

• CERN High School Student Internship: CERN in Geneva accepts high school students from CERN member states for short-term placements in physics and engineering. Eligibility is restricted to students whose countries are CERN members. Official site: careers.cern/students

If you want to explore more options across STEM fields, the guide to remote STEM internships for high school students covers additional verified programmes.

How competitive are physics internships for high school students?

Most selective physics internships accept a small percentage of applicants. The NASA OSTEM programme and Fermilab TARGET are highly competitive, with hundreds of applicants for limited spots. Geographic restrictions further narrow the field for students outside the US or away from major research hubs.

Programmes like NASA OSTEM require students to be at least 16 years old, enrolled full-time, and hold a minimum GPA. Fermilab TARGET is limited to students in the greater Chicago area. CERN placements are restricted to nationals of member states. MIT Primes is highly selective and favours students with strong mathematics and science records.

The typical applicant for these programmes has taken advanced coursework in physics and mathematics, has some form of science competition experience, and can demonstrate genuine research interest in a personal statement. Even strong applicants are frequently not selected due to limited capacity.

RISE Research operates differently. Acceptance is based on research readiness and intellectual curiosity, not prior prestige or geography. Students from any country can apply. The programme carries a 90% publication success rate, meaning the outcome is not left to chance after acceptance. You can review admissions outcomes for RISE scholars here.

Research vs internships in physics: which is better for college applications?

Published research in physics is a stronger application signal than an internship certificate. A peer-reviewed paper is externally verified, discipline-specific, and directly listable in the Common App Activities section. An internship certificate confirms attendance, not contribution.

Internships provide real value: exposure to lab culture, professional references, and hands-on technical experience. These are worth pursuing. But when admissions committees at MIT, Caltech, or Stanford evaluate a physics applicant, a published paper signals something an internship cannot. It shows the student can formulate a research question, apply rigorous methodology, and produce work that meets the standards of peer review.

RISE Research produces exactly that outcome. Students work 1-on-1 with a PhD mentor over 10 weeks, develop an original research question in their chosen physics subfield, and submit their paper to one of 40+ indexed journals. The 90% publication rate means this is not a speculative process.

For context: RISE scholars are accepted to top 10 universities at 3 times the standard rate. The Stanford acceptance rate for RISE scholars is 18%, compared to 8.7% for general applicants. The UPenn acceptance rate for RISE scholars is 32%, compared to 3.8% for general applicants. These outcomes reflect what a published research credential does for an application.

If you are weighing your options, the guide to paid vs free internships for high school students provides a useful framework for evaluating different types of programmes.

RISE Research mentors specialise in physics and related STEM fields and have guided students to peer-reviewed publication. Our deadline is closing soon. Book a free Research Assessment to find out what is achievable in your timeline.

How to get a physics internship as a high school student

Start by identifying programmes that match your grade level, location, and subfield interest. Physics is broad: particle physics, astrophysics, condensed matter, quantum computing, and optics all have different research communities and different institutional homes.

For government programmes like NASA OSTEM, applications open on a rolling basis through the official intern portal. Create a profile, upload transcripts, and write a focused personal statement that names specific research interests. Generic statements do not perform well in competitive pools.

For university lab placements not tied to a formal programme, cold outreach to faculty is the standard approach. Email a professor whose published work interests you, reference a specific paper, explain your background briefly, and ask whether they accept high school volunteers or research assistants. Response rates are low, but specificity improves them significantly.

RISE removes the cold-email problem entirely. Students are matched directly with a PhD mentor in their chosen physics subfield from a pool of 500+ mentors. There is no waiting for a response, no geographic barrier, and no uncertainty about whether the programme will produce a real output. You can browse the full mentor network here.

For students interested in engineering-adjacent physics work, the engineering internships guide covers additional placement pathways.

Frequently asked questions about physics internships for high school students

Are there free physics internships for high school students?

Yes. MIT Primes is free for accepted students. NASA OSTEM internships are paid. Fermilab TARGET is a paid programme for local students. CERN placements for high school students are typically unpaid but free to participate in for eligible nationals. RISE Research has a programme fee, but produces a published research output with direct admissions value.

Free programmes are competitive and geographically limited. Students who cannot access them should weigh the cost of a structured research programme against the value of a peer-reviewed publication on their college application.

Do I need prior experience to get a physics internship in high school?

Most selective programmes expect strong academic performance in physics and mathematics, but not prior lab experience. NASA OSTEM and Fermilab TARGET look for demonstrated interest and academic readiness. MIT Primes expects strong problem-solving ability. RISE Research accepts students based on research curiosity and readiness, not prior publications or lab credentials.

A clear sense of which subfield interests you, and why, will strengthen any application significantly.

Can online physics internships count for college applications?

Yes. Online research programmes that produce a verifiable output count fully in college applications. A peer-reviewed published paper from an online programme carries more weight than an in-person internship that produces only a certificate. Admissions committees evaluate the output, not the format.

RISE Research is fully online and produces a published paper in an indexed journal. That paper appears in the Common App Activities section and is externally verifiable by any admissions reader.

What is the difference between a physics internship and a physics research programme?

RISE Research is the clearest example of what a research programme produces: a peer-reviewed published paper with your name on it. An internship places you in a professional environment where you assist with existing work. A research programme structures your own original inquiry from question to publication.

Internships provide exposure and professional experience. Research programmes produce a credential. For college admissions in physics-related fields, a published paper is a stronger and more specific signal than an internship record. The guide to online internships for high school students explores this distinction in more detail.

What do colleges look for in physics experience?

RISE scholars who have published physics research present the strongest possible signal: original contribution, peer-reviewed validation, and demonstrated capacity for independent inquiry. Colleges, particularly those with strong physics programmes, want to see that a student has moved beyond coursework into genuine research.

Beyond published research, admissions readers look for consistency of interest, competition results in physics or mathematics, and the ability to articulate a specific research question in application essays. A published paper makes all three easier to demonstrate. You can see examples of student research projects across disciplines here.

Physics internships for high school students: what to do next

Physics internships for high school students are available, but the most selective ones are geographically restricted, highly competitive, and often produce no output that appears on a college application. Government programmes like NASA OSTEM and Fermilab TARGET are worth pursuing if you are eligible and located nearby. MIT Primes is an exceptional option for students with strong mathematics backgrounds.

For students who want a guaranteed, verifiable physics research outcome regardless of location, RISE Research is the strongest path. The programme produces a peer-reviewed published paper in 10 weeks, through 1-on-1 mentorship with PhD physicists. That paper appears directly in your college application and carries more admissions weight than any certificate.

Our deadline is closing soon. If you want physics experience that produces a real published paper, schedule a free Research Assessment and we will tell you exactly what is achievable in your timeline.