Internships for High School Students

Key takeaways

Internships allow high school students to explore a career and demonstrate interest in a specific field. This can help their scholarship applications stand out.
Over 10,000 students aged 16 to 18 complete youth apprenticeships or internships in a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
High school students can search for internships by contacting organizations directly or by applying for internship programs.

Many scholarships with smaller applicant pools are geared towards high school students with interests in specific fields.

For example, the GE Aerospace-Reagan Workforce Readiness Scholarship awards $20,000 to high school seniors who want to pursue careers in aerospace, robotics, and related industries. The Southern California Association of Governments Scholarship Program awards $4,000 to students from Southern California who plan a career in public service.

When applying for major-specific scholarships, the more well-rounded you can be, the better.

Internship experience is a strong way to demonstrate interest in a field, and having some of that valuable experience under your belt by senior year of high school can strengthen your hand in time for the deadlines.

What are internships for high school students?

Internships are temporary opportunities to work in an organization at an entry level, allowing students to try out careers and build the necessary skills to join them in the future.

Most interns are college students. According to Forbes, around 3.6 million U.S. undergraduate students intern each year, and completing an internship doubles the odds that a college graduate will enter full-time employment after graduating.

But not all interns are in college. According to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor, over 10,000 16-to-18-year olds started internships or apprenticeships in 2025.

Internship opportunities for younger students are increasing. According to the American Student Assistance, a non-profit that works with students on career choice, the percentage of employers offering internships to high school students grew from 30% in 2018 to 38% in 2025.

Frequently asked questions about internships for high school students:

How is an internship different from a summer or part-time job?

Internships are typically different from a summer job or part-time work in two ways: they are designed as short-term learning opportunities, and they might not pay.

The most important aspect of an internship is on-the-job training.

As interns, students are expected to learn the basics of a field in which they might develop their potential in the long run. While their role as interns will include fulfilling basic duties, this is so that students can gain a sense of what the day-to-day of the job is like.

Some interns are paid to learn, but you should be aware that not all internships are paid.

In some cases, internships can lead to full-time employment with the same company in the future, but this is not guaranteed.

Internship schedules are typically part-time, allowing you to combine them with your studies or with a part-time job if you intern during the summer. If you intern in college, you can also combine internship semesters with semesters of Federal Work-Study.

What internships are available to high school students?

There are internship programs specifically for high school students, as well as youth apprenticeship programs or work experience schemes open to young people without a four-year degree. High school students can also independently arrange internship opportunities with organizations.

Available opportunities vary by field, region, and age, with many high school internships requiring that students be at least 16 years old.

Internship programs designed specifically for high schoolers typically take place during school holidays.

Some programs, such as the United States Senate Youth Program or the NASA Internship Program, can be quite competitive and may require an essay and an interview as part of the application process.

How do you find internships?

Ask your guidance counselor or school district for information about internship programs in your area. You can also find internship opportunities by contacting organizations directly.

An outreach email is a short message to someone whose work you think is interesting: someone whom you may have found on LinkedIn, whose newsletter you like to read, or whose podcast you enjoy.

You can briefly introduce yourself by stating your name, class year, and school; mentioning an aspect of the person’s work that you find interesting, and asking if they offer internships for high school students.

The worst that can happen is that they say no – either way, you will have practiced writing a professional email!

How do you fund internships?

While some internship opportunities are paid, many are unpaid.

Paid internships tend to pay close to minimum wage. Unpaid internships – particularly summer internships – might not be full-time, allowing students to work part-time in addition to their internship to cover costs such as commuting to work.

Funds from scholarships for high school juniors can support students pursuing unpaid internships.

How can you discuss your internship experience on an application?

In addition to learning about a potential future career, an internship can be a good opportunity to demonstrate interest in a specific field and showcase your eligibility for subject-specific scholarships.

While scholarships might not require that you have experience in a specific area to apply, they may require that you demonstrate commitment to it. For example, candidates for the TELACU College Success Program must “demonstrate a desire to give back to the community.”

Discussing internship experience can make your application stand out, showcasing your college readiness and your understanding of the field you plan to enter.