§ Physics

Physics programs for high schoolers.

55 programs indexed in physics. 46 are free or pay a stipend. 20 prioritize under-resourced or underrepresented students. This page updates whenever we add a new physics program.

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All physics programs

Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP)
AEOP High School Apprenticeship Program
Students work alongside Army scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research projects in world-class laboratories.
📍 Nationwide⏱ 8 weeks📅 Early March🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program
Chicago-area students conduct year-long research mentored by Argonne scientists.
📍 IL⏱ School year📅 October🎓 11, 12
Selective
Arkansas State University / Arkansas Department of Education
Arkansas Governor's School
A five-week residential program for high-achieving high school students in Arkansas focused on math, science, and the arts.
📍 Russellville, AR⏱ 5 weeks📅 March 1🎓 11
Selective
Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program
ASDRP (RISE)
Free year-round Bay Area lab research. Open application.
📍 CA⏱ Year-round📅 May🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Brilliant.org
Brilliant.org High School Problem Solving Track
While the physical show has locations, the virtual 'Think Tank' and 'Daily Challenge' offer online logic and math problems for students nationwide.
📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling (Weekly)🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Texas Tech University
Clark Scholars Program
Intensive research with TTU faculty across STEM and humanities. $750 stipend, room and board covered.
📍 TX (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 7 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 11, 12
Highly Selective
Carnegie Mellon University
CMU SAMS
Fully-funded STEM immersion for rising seniors from underrepresented backgrounds.
📍 PA⏱ 6 weeks (summer)📅 Mid-February🎓 11
Highly Selective
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines REACH
Engineering immersion at Mines. Scholarships for Colorado students from underrepresented backgrounds.
📍 CO⏱ 1 week (summer)📅 March🎓 10, 11, 12
Highly Selective
Columbia University
Columbia Junior Science Journal
Peer-reviewed high-school-authored science journal at Columbia.
📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
University of California
COSMOS
UC residential STEM program. Need-based fee waivers cover full cost for qualifying families.
📍 CA⏱ 4 weeks (summer)📅 Early February🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Highly Selective
Davidson Institute
Davidson Fellows
Scholarships of USD 10K, 25K, and 50K for students under 18 with significant work in STEM, literature, music, or philosophy.
📍 Online application⏱ Project-based📅 February🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
U.S. Department of Energy
DOE STEM Rising / SCEP
Paid internships across the 17 DOE national laboratories.
📍 Multiple national labs (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 8-10 weeks (summer)📅 January🎓 11, 12
Selective
Brookhaven National Laboratory (DOE)
High School Research Program (HSRP) at Brookhaven
Paid summer research program for local students to gain hands-on experience in physics and engineering at a major particle physics lab.
📍 Upton, NY⏱ 8 weeks📅 January 15🎓 11, 12
Selective
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
Terra Science
International Journal of High School Research
Open-access peer-reviewed journal for HS research across disciplines.
📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Moderate
IYPT US / USAYPT
International Young Physicists' Tournament (Online Regional)
Global physics competition for teams to solve 7 open-ended problems and present their results in online 'Physics Fights'.
📍 Online/Global⏱ Intermittent (matches)📅 February (Registration)🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Iowa Academy of Science
Iowa Junior Academy of Science Symposium
A statewide competition in Iowa where students present original STEM research to judges from industry and academia.
📍 Iowa City, IA⏱ 1 day📅 February 1🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
JEI (Harvard)
Journal of Emerging Investigators
Free peer-reviewed publication venue for middle/high school STEM research. Real PhD reviewers.
📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ Self-paced📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
JEI
Journal of Emerging Investigators
Peer-reviewed open-access journal for middle and high school scientists.
📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
DoD / National Science Teaching Assoc
JSHS
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Regional and national competitions in original STEM research, with cash awards and DoD lab tours.
📍 Regional sites nationwide⏱ 2 days📅 Regional Jan-Mar🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Los Alamos National Laboratory
LANL UTS High School Pipeline
Paid internships at LANL for Northern New Mexico students.
📍 NM⏱ 8-10 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 11, 12
Selective
Caltech
LIGO SURF
Gravitational-wave research at Caltech. Need-based travel and housing aid.
📍 CA⏱ 10 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 11, 12
Selective
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
University of Michigan
Michigan MMSS / MMPS
University of Michigan math/physics summer programs for HS students.
📍 Ann Arbor, MI⏱ 2 weeks📅 Spring🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Highly Selective
MIT Office of Engineering Outreach
MIT MITES
Free rigorous six-week residential STEM program for underrepresented HS juniors.
📍 Cambridge, MA⏱ 6 weeks📅 February🎓 11
Highly Selective
MIT
MITES Summer
Rigorous STEM enrichment for rising seniors from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds. Fully funded.
📍 MA (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 6 weeks (summer)📅 Early February🎓 11
Highly Selective
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
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA Goddard High School Internship (OSTEM)
A paid summer internship for DC/Maryland area high school students focusing on physical sciences and earth observation.
📍 Greenbelt, MD⏱ 8 weeks📅 January 31🎓 11, 12
Selective
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
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
NHSJS
National High School Journal of Science
Free peer-reviewed online journal of science by high schoolers.
📍 Online⏱ Year-round📅 Rolling🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
National Center for Atmospheric Research
NCAR Atmospheric Research Internship
Paid climate/atmospheric science research in Boulder.
📍 CO⏱ 10 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 11, 12
Selective
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
ORNL High School Summer Internship
Paid DOE national lab research at Oak Ridge.
📍 TN⏱ 8 weeks (summer)📅 January🎓 11, 12
Selective
AAPT
Physics Bowl
International multiple-choice physics competition for HS students.
📍 Global⏱ 45 min📅 Spring🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
UBC
Physics Olympics
Annual lab and theory physics competition for high schools.
📍 Vancouver, BC⏱ 1 day📅 Spring🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Pioneer Academics
Pioneer Academics (Aid)
Accredited college-level research with US professors. Need-based aid up to full tuition.
📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ 15 weeks📅 Multiple cycles🎓 10, 11, 12
Highly Selective
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab
PPPL Plasma Physics Research
DOE national lab program — fusion and plasma research mentorship.
📍 NJ⏱ 1 week + mentorship📅 March🎓 10, 11, 12
Selective
Purdue University
Purdue STAR (STEM Academic Research)
Free research immersion at Purdue for Indiana students underrepresented in STEM.
📍 IN⏱ 2 weeks (summer)📅 March🎓 11, 12
Highly Selective
Society for Science
Regeneron ISEF
The largest international pre-college science fair. Qualify through an affiliated regional or state fair. Travel and lodging covered for finalists.
📍 Rotating US city⏱ 1 week📅 Regional Jan-Mar🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Society for Science
Regeneron ISEF / Science Talent Search
The two biggest US high school science competitions. Free to enter.
📍 Multiple (nationwide eligibility)⏱ Year-long competition📅 November (STS)🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
CEE × MIT
Research Science Institute (RSI)
The most selective free summer research program in the US. Six weeks of STEM research at MIT with PhD mentors.
📍 MA (nationwide eligibility)⏱ 6 weeks (summer)📅 Mid-January🎓 11
Highly Selective
Department of the Navy / ONR
Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Interns work at a Naval laboratory on real-world research under the mentorship of professional scientists and engineers.
📍 Nationwide⏱ 8 weeks📅 January 12🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad
Team-based STEM competition with 23 events spanning earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Regional through national rounds.
📍 School team + regional⏱ School year📅 Aug-May season🎓 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Moderate
South Dakota Mines
SD Mines Summer Tech Academy
STEM camps at SD Mines. In-state aid.
📍 SD⏱ 1 week (summer)📅 April🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Moderate
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
SPARK SMP
SPARK Summer Mentorship Program
Free 1:1 mentorship with industry researchers. Started by WA students, now nationwide.
📍 Remote (nationwide)⏱ 8 weeks (summer)📅 March🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
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
Fermilab (Department of Energy)
TARGET Program
Students engage in cutting-edge research in high-energy physics and accelerator science at a national laboratory.
📍 Batavia, IL⏱ 6 weeks📅 January 31🎓 11, 12
Selective
Toshiba / NSTA
Toshiba ExploraVision
K-12 team STEM competition forecasting future technologies.
📍 Online⏱ Annual📅 January🎓 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
University of Utah
U of U ACCESS Program
Year-long STEM research program for women entering the U of U from Utah high schools.
📍 UT⏱ Summer + school year📅 February🎓 12
Selective
University of Florida
UF Student Science Training Program
Long-running summer research program at UF. Need-based scholarships.
📍 FL⏱ 7 weeks (summer)📅 March🎓 11, 12
Moderate
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
UIUC Worldwide Youth in Science & Engineering
STEM camps at UIUC. Need-based aid for Illinois students.
📍 IL⏱ 1 week (summer)📅 April🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Moderate
American Association of Physics Teachers
US Physics Olympiad
F=ma exam then USAPhO. Top 20 attend a training camp for the International Physics Olympiad team.
📍 School-administered⏱ Multi-round📅 Jan-Mar🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
AAPT
US Physics Olympiad
US Physics Olympiad selecting team for International Physics Olympiad.
📍 United States⏱ Year-long📅 Winter🎓 9, 10, 11, 12
Selective
Southern Utah University / State of Utah
Utah Governor's Honors Academy (GHA) - STEM Focus
A 4-week math/science/engineering program for high-achieving Utah high school students hosted at Southern Utah University.
📍 Cedar City, UT⏱ 4 weeks📅 February 15🎓 11
Highly Selective

Physics programs for high schoolers.

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