Top 10 Physics Internships for High School Students in 2025–2026

If you’re aiming for a top STEM college—with an aim to become a physicist, engineer, or researcher—getting an internship is the perfect course to get ahead. Physics internships for high school students let you step beyond the classroom and into real labs, where you can run experiments, analyze data, and learn directly from scientists. These experiences boost your skills, spark new interests, and improve your college applications.

In this guide, we’ll walk through ten of the best physics internships for high school students in 2025, spanning national labs, universities, and NASA-affiliated programs.

• What Are the Best Physics Internships for High School Students?
• Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) – High School Internship
• CERN High-School Student Internship Programme
• Los Alamos National Laboratory – High School Internship Program
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – SHIP Internship
• Fermilab Program for Research, Innovation, and STEM Mentorship (PRISM) Program
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) – Next Generation STEM Internship (NGSI) Program
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) – Experiences in Research (EinR)
• Idaho National Laboratory (INL) High School Internship
• STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) – NASA/UT Austin Internship
• George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) – Physics Track
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Are the Best Physics Internships for High School Students?

The best physics internships for high school students allow students to build hands-on research skills, strengthen their analytical and quantitative abilities, and learn how professional laboratories operate. They also help teens explore potential careers in physics, engineering, or astrophysics while working closely with scientists and researchers. Beyond the learning experience, these internships stand out on college applications, often qualifying as Tier 1–2 extracurriculars.

Before diving into each internship, you’ll find a quick overview of the programs we’ll cover, including their dates and locations.

Let’s discuss each program one by one.

1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) – Operations Internship Program

• Dates: Summer: 10 weeks (June–August); Fall/Spring: 16 weeks (January–May / September–December)
• Location: Princeton, New Jersey
• Benefits: Paid internship ($650/week), travel reimbursement, housing support when available, plasma physics training, lab tours, and structured research deliverables

The PPPL Operations Internship Program is offered through the Department of Energy’s Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program.

As an intern, you’ll work in areas that keep the lab running, such as health physics, facilities management, accounting, maintenance, records management, or energy and safety operations. During the summer term, you’ll also take part in a week-long plasma physics course, along with lab tours, seminars, and professional development workshops offered by PPPL.

Because this internship follows SULI requirements, you’ll complete several program deliverables: an oral or poster presentation, a one-page peer review, a general-audience abstract, and a 1,500–3,000-word research/operations report.

To qualify, you must be 18 or older when the internship begins and be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. Applicants must also meet SULI’s academic rules (full-time undergraduate enrollment or recent graduate status). SULI limits participants to no more than two internships and four total applications.

2. CERN High-School Student Internship Programme (HSSIP)

• Dates: Past programmes run from April–June (2026 program TBD)
• Location: CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
• Benefits: Fully funded program covering travel, housing, meals, and local transport; hands-on workshops; technical demonstrations and facility tours

The CERN High-School Student Internship Programme gives high school students aged 16–19 the chance to spend two weeks at CERN, learning directly from staff working in particle physics, engineering, computing, and high-tech operations.

Interns participate in hands-on workshops, facility tours, shadowing experiences, and basic technical tasks alongside CERN personnel. Each national program operates independently, so the exact schedule, language, and activities may vary, but all provide structured exposure to CERN’s research environment and technologies.

Because the program is funded by CERN, selected students receive covered travel to Geneva, lodging, meals, transportation, and access to coordinated social activities. The only required personal expenses are optional spending money and health insurance for the duration of the stay.

Qualifications include being at least 16 years old on the first day of your chosen national program, currently enrolled in high school, and not yet having started university studies. Applications must be submitted by students themselves and may require additional documents, such as a school letter or recommendation.

3. Los Alamos National Laboratory – High School Internship Program

• Dates: Fall: August 1 – September 30 (part-time); Spring: December 1 – February 13 (part-time); Summer: January 5 – April 15 (10-week full-time internship)
• Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
• Benefits: Paid internship (hourly), mentorship from LANL researchers, hands-on physics and engineering tasks, and real project team experience

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) High School Internship Program offers New Mexico high school juniors and seniors physics-aligned placements in areas—such as applied physics, computational modeling, materials science, engineering analysis, radiation detection support, and national security research. Interns work part-time during the school year (10–20 hours per week) and full-time during the summer (up to 40 hours per week).

As an intern, you’ll work directly with a LANL mentor and co-mentor, learning how professional research and technical teams operate. Students selected for the 10-week summer internship follow a full-time schedule similar to undergraduate research interns.

To qualify for this physics internship for high school students, you must be a second-semester junior when applying and a senior during the internship, be at least 16 years old, attend a New Mexico high school, maintain a 2.75 GPA, and pass a pre-employment drug test. Required application materials include a resume, a transcript, and a personal statement, with an optional recommendation letter.

Selection is highly competitive and handled directly by LANL mentors through the lab’s hiring system.

4. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – SHIP Internship

• Dates: Second or third week of June to the second week of August (eight weeks; exact dates vary)
• Location: NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland or NIST Boulder, Colorado
• Benefits: Direct mentorship from NIST scientists, independent research project, access to professional physics labs, and end-of-summer poster session

The Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP) at NIST is an eight-week internship where you’ll take on your own research project, receive mentorship from NIST staff, and gain exposure to cutting-edge work in physics, materials science, computing, engineering, chemistry, and measurement science. Research placements vary, but students may be assigned to one of six laboratories:

• Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL)
• Engineering Laboratory (EL)
• Information Technology Laboratory (ITL)
• Material Measurement Laboratory (MML)
• NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR)
• Physical Measurement Laboratory (PML)

As a SHIP intern, you’ll attend an on-site orientation and participate in the end-of-summer poster sessions where students present their project findings to NIST staff, mentors, and family members.

Because SHIP is educational and volunteer-based, students must live near Gaithersburg or Boulder, or arrange their own local housing and transportation.

To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen, a current high school junior or senior, and have at least a 3.0 GPA. You must also commit to attending the full eight-week program with no exceptions. Required application materials include a resume, transcript, personal statement, and contact information for two recommenders (one must be a STEM teacher).

Applications generally open December 1 and close in the last week of January, with selection decisions sent between March and early May.

5. Fermilab Program for Research, Innovation, and STEM Mentorship (PRISM) Program

• Dates: July 13, 2026 – August 7, 2026 (4 weeks)
• Location: Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois (on-site with some off-site activities)
• Benefits: Paid internship ($500/week), themed physics workshops, expert-led lectures, facility tours, structured research deliverables, and professional development

The PRISM Program is Fermilab’s four-week summer internship designed for high school seniors and recent graduates who want firsthand experience in physics and other advanced STEM fields.

As a PRISM intern, you’ll work closely with Fermilab STEM professionals, participate in mentorship and professional-development sessions, and gain insight into research careers within national laboratories. You’ll also complete structured program deliverables—including a research abstract, research poster, final presentation, and pre- and post-program surveys. Each week focuses on a different scientific theme, allowing you to experience multiple research areas rather than a single long-term project.

To qualify, you must be a high school senior for the 2025–2026 school year or a 2025 high school graduate, be enrolled in an Illinois high school, and be a U.S. citizen with proof of medical insurance. Application requirements include an online application, a supplemental questionnaire listing your completed STEM courses, and a recommendation letter from a STEM teacher or club advisor.

6. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) – Next Generation STEM Internship (NGSI) Program

• Dates: June 8, 2026 – July 24, 2026 (7 weeks; full-time)
• Location: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
• Benefits: Paid internship ($500/week), full-time research placement, lab tours, optional workshops, and hands-on physics, materials science, and engineering projects

The ORNL Next Generation STEM Internship (NGSI) gives high school juniors, seniors, and recent graduates the opportunity to work alongside world-class scientists and engineers at the nation’s largest science and energy laboratory.

Over 7–10 weeks, you’ll participate in STEM or STEM-related research projects ranging from physics and materials science to computer science, energy systems, engineering, and data analysis.

Interns are expected to work full-time during the summer, with a maximum of five unpaid absences allowed after the first week. Research assignments are on-site and may include computational modeling, experimental science, engineering design, or applied research that supports ORNL’s mission in national security, clean energy, and advanced materials. Students may also give an optional end-of-program presentation summarizing their project.

To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, at least 16 years old, and either a rising junior or senior (class of 2027 or 2028) or a recent high school graduate (2024–2026) who has not yet enrolled in college.

Applicants must live in one of ORNL’s eligible Tennessee counties—Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, or Sevier—and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Required application materials include an online application through Zintellect, an unofficial transcript, a resume, and one recommendation from a STEM teacher or school principal.

7. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) – Experiences in Research (EinR)

• Dates: June 16 – July 25, 2025 (6 weeks; ~30–35 hours/week)
• Location: Hybrid or virtual, depending on project; based in Berkeley, California
• Benefits: Paid internship ($500/week), mentor-guided project work, professional workshops, networking sessions, and required final presentations

The Experiences in Research (EinR) program is a six-week paid internship that lets high school students work directly with Berkeley Lab staff on STEM and STEM-adjacent projects. Interns are placed in project areas such as data science, coding, experimental research, administration, and science communication.

Each student selects three project preferences during the application process and works under the guidance of a mentor team. All interns must attend mandatory in-person orientation and final presentations (except Hawaii-based students), even if their project is virtual.

Students in Oakland Unified must submit both the EinR application and the ECCCO common application. Applicants also must avoid contacting mentors directly—doing so results in disqualification.

Eligible requirements include being a current 10th, 11th, or 12th grader, at least 16 years old by June 16, 2025, and enrolled in a Northern California high school. Berkeley Lab prioritizes public school students from Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties, and recommends living within 20 miles of the Lab for hybrid projects.

A minimum 3.0 GPA, independent work experience, and an interest in STEM fields are strongly encouraged. Required materials include an online application, project-fit short answers, and one recommendation from a teacher, supervisor, or mentor. Students may complete the program only once.

The program receives high interest and typically selects about 10% of applicants, making it one of the more competitive paid high school STEM internships in the Bay Area.

8. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) High School Internship

Dates: 2026 Program TBD (10–16 weeks)
Location: Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Benefits: Paid internship (competitive wages), travel reimbursement and housing stipend for many roles, hands-on physics and engineering projects, and final research deliverable

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) High School Internship Program offers students the chance to work inside a Department of Energy national laboratory known for its leadership in nuclear energy, clean energy technology, cybersecurity, and applied physics research.

High school interns work alongside INL scientists and engineers on real technical projects involving physics, nuclear science, materials research, computational modeling, chemistry, and engineering.

Internships typically last 10 to 16 weeks, depending on the term, and high school interns may work full-time in the summer.

Many internship assignments conclude with a final deliverable—such as a poster, report, or oral presentation—similar to undergraduate research expectations.

To qualify, you must be a full-time student at an accredited high school during the semester before and after your internship, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and submit a resume, transcript, and current class schedule. (Graduates within six months may also qualify.)

INL welcomes applicants nationwide, though local students may receive earlier placement opportunities.

9. STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) – NASA/UT Austin Internship

Dates: June–July 2025; on-site portion July 6–19, 2025 (2026 Program TBD)
Location: Hybrid; on-site at the University of Texas at Austin
Benefits: Housing, meals, and local transportation for on-site interns; limited travel scholarships; NASA research experience; fieldwork; and participation in the NASA Science Symposium

The NASA SEES program is a nationally competitive summer research internship for high school students interested in Earth and space science. Interns work with NASA scientists and engineers on projects across astronomy, climate science, satellite data analysis, remote sensing, mission design, and engineering.

All students complete required online learning modules from May 1–July 1 before beginning project-specific virtual work. SEES interns analyze NASA satellite data, conduct field investigations, participate in mentor-guided research, and present their work at the SEES Virtual Science Symposium on July 21–22, 2025. Both on-site and virtual interns complete a research project and receive a NASA certificate of completion.

To be eligible, applicants must be current high school sophomores or juniors (rising juniors or seniors), U.S. citizens, and at least 16 years old by July 5, 2025. Students must complete all online modules by July 1 and be available for all required dates. Application materials include essays, an introduction video, a recommendation form, and a transcript or report card. Students may only participate in SEES once.

SEES is highly selective—in 2024, nearly 2,000 students applied and 215 were accepted, making this one of NASA’s most competitive high school opportunities.

10. George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) – Physics Track

• Dates: June 18–August 12, 2026
• Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia (Fairfax, Science & Tech campuses, Potomac Science Center) + remote options
• Benefits: Earn 3 college credits, full-time research experience, physics-focused projects, scientific writing instruction, final poster presentation, and full fee waiver for eligible students

The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) is an 8-week, full-time research internship where you work one-on-one with George Mason University faculty and research partners. You’ll also earn 3 college credits (COS 120: Introduction to Research), and your work may even contribute to published papers, patents, or conference presentations.

Depending on your chosen mentor, you could work on solar and space physics, exoplanet detection, atmospheric and planetary modeling, thermosphere–ionosphere interactions, gravity-wave dynamics, or satellite-based remote sensing using NASA mission data. Some physics projects require Python or general coding skills.

To apply, you must be at least 15 by June 18, 2026 for remote or computer-lab projects, or 16+ for any wet-lab work. There’s no upper age limit as long as you haven’t completed your undergraduate degree. You’ll list up to three preferred project areas, and mentors will decide which applicants to interview. Final decisions come out in early April.

ASSIP is competitive—recent cohorts included 272 participants from 33 states and multiple countries—so a strong application and clear interest in physics will help you stand out.

The program has a cost, but both the $25 application fee and the $1,299 tuition can be fully waived if you qualify for free/reduced lunch or Pell Grant aid. If that applies to you, just email [email protected] with your eligibility and documentation before applying to receive your waiver code.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is considered the most prestigious physics internship for high school students?

Programs like CERN HSSIP, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Fermilab PRISM, NIST SHIP, NASA SEES, and top national lab internships such as ORNL, LANL, INL, and Berkeley Lab EinR are widely viewed as the most prestigious because they offer direct access to world-class physics research and limited, highly competitive openings.

2. Do these programs require previous physics or coding knowledge?

Not all programs require prior experience, but strong STEM coursework helps. Some physics internships—especially those involving data analysis, atmospheric modeling, computational physics, or NASA mission work—prefer or require Python or general programming skills. Others focus more on curiosity, work ethic, and readiness for research.

3. Are there virtual physics internship options available in 2025–2026?

Yes. Several programs offer fully remote or hybrid options, including Berkeley Lab EinR, NASA SEES (partially virtual), and certain ASSIP physics-track projects. These allow students across the country to participate without relocating.

4. How competitive are high school physics internships?

Extremely. Selective programs like CERN, NIST SHIP, SEES, and PPPL/SULI-aligned placements accept a small percentage of applicants. Even regional programs such as LANL and ORNL NGSI receive far more applications than available mentor slots. Most of these internships are considered Tier 1–2 extracurriculars due to their rigor and selectivity.

5. Can physics internships improve my college application?

Yes—significantly. Physics internships show initiative, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to contribute to real scientific research. They strengthen applications to competitive STEM universities and majors, especially when they lead to posters, presentations, data analysis experience, or published work.

Takeaways

• Physics internships for high school students open the door to real scientific research, letting you work with actual data, tools, and mentors at national labs, universities, and NASA-affiliated programs.
• Many of the strongest physics internships for high school students are free or fully funded, with some offering stipends, housing, meals, or travel support so motivated students can participate regardless of cost.
• These internships significantly strengthen college applications, often falling into Tier 1–2 extracurriculars and helping you stand out for competitive STEM majors at top schools.
• Most physics internships have deadlines between December and March, making early preparation essential for essays, videos, recommendations, and project-fit questions.
• If you want personalized guidance on selecting the right physics internships—and support preparing competitive applications—consider working with our Private Consulting Program for one-on-one strategy and expert application coaching.