Astronomy programs for high schoolers.

All astronomy programs

1. IOAA

   International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad

   International olympiad in astronomy and astrophysics with national selection rounds.

   📍 Varies (International)⏱ 1 week📅 Summer🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

   Selective
2. Caltech

   LIGO SURF

   Gravitational-wave research at Caltech. Need-based travel and housing aid.

   📍 CA⏱ 10 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 11, 12

   Selective
3. University of Michigan

   Michigan Math & Science Scholars

   Hands-on math/science programs at U-M. Need-based aid available.

   📍 MI⏱ 2 weeks (summer)📅 May🎓 10, 11, 12

   Moderate
4. NASA

   NASA App Development Challenge

   Open team coding challenge from NASA. Teams build a visualization of mission data. No fee; finalists visit Johnson Space Center.

   📍 Online⏱ 12 weeks📅 December🎓 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

   Selective
5. NASA

   NASA Citizen Science

   Dozens of free NASA citizen-science projects. Your contributions co-author published papers.

   📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 Anytime🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

   Selective
6. NASA

   NASA High School Internship Program (OSTEM)

   Students participate in NASA's mission-driven projects through unique internship experiences at NASA centers across the country.

   📍 Nationwide⏱ 10 weeks📅 January 15🎓 11, 12

   Selective
7. NASA / UT Austin

   NASA SEES Internship

   Earth and space science research mentored by NASA scientists.

   📍 TX / Remote (nationwide eligibility)⏱ Virtual spring + 2-week onsite📅 February🎓 10, 11

   Selective
8. NASA

   NASA Space Apps Challenge (Student Track)

   A data science competition where students use real NASA data to solve problems.

   📍 Global⏱ 48 hours📅 April 30🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

   Selective
9. University of Texas / NASA

   NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES)

   Free virtual + onsite NASA research internship for HS students.

   📍 Austin, TX⏱ 8 weeks📅 February🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

   Selective
10. NASA / Future Engineers

    NASA TechRise Student Challenge

    Teams design space-bound experiments. Winners receive USD 1500 and their payload flies on a high-altitude balloon.

    📍 Online⏱ School year📅 November🎓 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
11. NASA / UT Austin CSR

    SEES High School Summer Intern Program

    An intensive research-based program where students work on projects in earth and space sciences using NASA satellite data.

    📍 Austin, TX⏱ 2 weeks📅 March 1🎓 11

    Selective
12. SETI Institute

    SETI Institute REU

    Astrobiology and astronomy summer research.

    📍 Mountain View, CA⏱ 10 weeks📅 February🎓 12

    Selective
13. SETI Institute

    SETI Institute REU and Education

    Astronomy and astrobiology education programs including HS workshops.

    📍 Mountain View, CA⏱ Varies📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
14. SSP International

    Summer Science Program (SSP)

    Team-based real research in astrophysics, biochemistry, or genomics. Need-based aid covers full tuition.

    📍 CA, NM, IN, CO (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 39 days (summer)📅 Early February🎓 11

    Highly Selective
15. Consortium for Ocean Leadership / NCF-Envirothon

    U.S. National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) / Envirothon

    The world's largest Earth Science competition where teams solve challenges in geology, meteorology, and oceanography.

    📍 Nationwide⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling (Feb-April)🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Selective
16. Zooniverse

    Zooniverse Citizen Science

    Free crowdsourced research platform. Contribute to active university research projects in any field from your laptop.

    📍 Online⏱ Self-paced📅 Anytime🎓 9, 10, 11, 12

    Highly Selective

Other research areas