20 High School Internships in New Jersey in 2025
What’s Covered:
- 20 High School Internships in New Jersey
- How to Find More Local Internships
- How Much Do Internships Impact Your College Chances?
Internships are an excellent addition to your college profile since they can serve as work experience, community service, and extracurricular engagement all in one! Internships can also help you network, explore different career paths, and develop important job and leadership skills.
If you’re a high schooler who lives in New Jersey, check out some of these great internship opportunities.
20 High School Internships in New Jersey
1. Coriell Summer Experience for High School Students
Application Deadline: May 15
Duration: Four weeks
Held at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden, New Jersey, this program offers participants the opportunity to work alongside professional scientists and technicians in various laboratories, including the Stem Cell Lab, Cytogenomics Lab, and Molecular Biology Lab. Students engage in activities such as culturing and freezing biological samples, observing karyotyping techniques, and extracting DNA, providing a comprehensive introduction to the field of biobanking and genomics.
In addition to laboratory work, the program includes resume-building workshops, public speaking training, and weekly scientific seminars hosted by Coriell’s research faculty. At the culmination of the program, students present their experiences and findings in a formal presentation to Coriell staff and peers.
2. Rutgers SMART Summer Academy
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Four weeks (June 30 – July 25)
The SMART program is aimed at minority students in grades seven through 12 who are interested in the health or medical fields. The program provides students access to healthcare professionals and includes programming such as hands-on activities via applied science, math, and technology, oral and written presentations, career exploration, and more. The summer academy is hybrid; participants spend four days learning virtually and one in-person each week.
Do note that this program is more of a summer program than an internship per se, and an application fee is required. However, students will develop critical skills and gain insight into medical fields as they would in an internship.
3. Ladder Internship Program
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. Main summer deadlines are March 15, April 15, and May 15
Duration: 8 weeks for the startup internship
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries from tech/deep tech, AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are all high-growth companies raising over a million dollars, on average.
Past founders have included YCombinator alumni, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, students work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company.
This program is designed to accommodate your schedule—internships are available throughout the year, and you can also do your work fully remotely. Students can expect to work 10-20 hours per week, for 8-12 weeks. Gap year students are also eligible to participate! Here is the application form.
4. Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Student Internship
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
This internship is open to students who live in Bergen County or go to school there. To earn high school credit, students must contact the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office as well as their school counselor. Interns get hands-on experience working in law enforcement departments.
5. NewBridge Services Free Summer Youth Employment Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: 3 weeks (Session I: July 1 – 17; Session II: August 5 – 21)
The New Bridge Services offers a free summer youth employment program for Morris County high school students between ages 14 and 18. Interns will learn interviewing, job search skills, resume writing, financial literacy, and stress-management techniques. The program includes weekly community service experiences with organizations like the NJ Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity. The program is held both in-person and virtually.
6. Middlesex County E.L.I.T.E. Youth One-Stop Center Internships
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Three months minimum
This program is open to Middlesex County residents between the ages of 16 and 24 and offers free training for youth not enrolled in another youth or educational training program. The goal of this program is to provide a pathway to full-time employment, with students being partnered with over 20 professional organizations that provide job training. Students must meet one of the following criteria to take part: in foster care, experiencing homelessness, have a disability, pregnant or parenting, low-income, or subject to the juvenile justice system.
7. Newark Museum of Art Explorers Teen Program
Application Deadline: June 1
Duration: Three to four years
Open to Newark-area high schoolers, the Newark Museum of Art’s Explorers Teen Program builds valuable skills like communication, leadership, and research through a curriculum that draws upon the Museum’s unique collections, resources, and staff.
This program is a multi-year commitment, but it provides both tangible and intangible benefits. Participants are paid and expected to commit six after-school hours per week during the school year, 25 hours per week in the summer, and perform 30 hours of community service per year.
8. Ocean County Historical Society High School Community Service Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
High school students in grades 9 through 12 with an interest in history will want to check out this opportunity to assist the Ocean County Historical Society. Participants work with staff and other volunteers in the day-to-day operation of the museum and its research center, helping with projects like inventorying and record keeping, exhibit research and display, and grounds beautification.
9. High School Cybersecurity Basics Internship Program
Application Deadline: May 9
Duration: One week (July 14 – 18)
The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) High School Internship Program offers high school students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field of cybersecurity. Interns will engage in various aspects of cybersecurity, including threat detection, analysis, and public outreach, while working alongside experienced professionals.
The basics program is designed to provide valuable work experience and insight into the cybersecurity industry for students who are interested in the field of cybersecurity but have little practical experience.
10. High School Advanced Cybersecurity Internship Program
Application Deadline: May 9
Duration: Three months (July 21 – October)
The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) High School Internship Program offers high school students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field of cybersecurity. Interns will engage in various aspects of cybersecurity, including threat detection, analysis, and public outreach, while working alongside experienced professionals.
Students who already have prior cybersecurity experience or completed the Basics Internship before should apply to the Advanced Internship Program.
11. NJIT High School Summer Research Internship Program
Application Deadline: February 27
Duration: Six weeks (June 23 – July 31)
The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) offers a competitive High School Summer Research Internship Program designed for rising 11th and 12th graders. This six-week program provides students with the opportunity to engage in hands-on STEM research under the mentorship of NJIT faculty and their research teams. Participants can choose from five broad research areas:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Bioscience & Bioengineering
- Data Science & Management
- Environment & Sustainability
- Materials Science & Engineering
Throughout the program, students will gain valuable experience in scientific research, enhance their problem-solving skills, and contribute to ongoing projects, culminating in a research report and presentation at the Summer Research Symposium.
12. Cory Booker Internship
Application Deadline:
- Summer: Spring
- Fall: July 11
- Spring: Fall
Duration:
- Spring: January to mid-May.
- Summer Session One: Mid-May through June.
- Summer Session Two: July to mid-August.
- Fall: September through December
Cory Booker, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, has year-round internship opportunities available to high schoolers in his Newark and Camden offices, as well as his Washington, D.C. office. Interns will assist with a variety of tasks, including answering phones, processing emails, and conducting research while gaining firsthand experience with the inner workings of Congress.
13. Andy Kim Internship
Application Deadline:
- Summer: March 21
- Fall: June 20
- Spring: October 10
Duration:
- Summer: June 2 – August 15
- Fall: September 8 – December 12
- Spring: January 12 – May 15
Like his fellow Senator, Andy Kim also offers year-round internship programs in both his New Jersey and Washington, D.C. offices to students who are eager to get involved with American politics. Interns will assist in various tasks, including conducting research, attending legislative briefings, drafting memos, and engaging in community outreach efforts. This program is designed to enhance students’ understanding of how Congress operates and to inspire future careers in public service.
14. Mercer County Student Internship Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Eight weeks (July 7 – August 29)
This program provides students 15 years of age and older who either live or attend school in Mercer County with hands-on, real-world work experience in public service. The program offers a variety of activities designed to teach new skills, enhance existing knowledge, and explore potential career paths in public administration. In addition to gaining work experience, interns will also attend structured training workshops on topics like resume writing, public speaking, networking, financial literacy, and more.
High school interns work up to 25 hours a week and are paid $17 an hour.
15. Bank of America Student Leaders
Application Deadline: January 15
Duration: Eight weeks
The Bank of America Student Leaders program connects community-minded students with local non-profits to participate in paid internships in more than 100 communities, including New Jersey. Participants gain firsthand experience with how nonprofits, governments, and businesses collaborate to meet local needs while serving their local community. The program culminates with a week‐long Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. The program is open to high school juniors and seniors and interns should anticipate working 35 hours a week.
16. Rutgers New Jersey Medical School High School Interns
Application Deadline: Varies
Duration: Varies
A number of excellent high school internships are hosted by Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. High school students are responsible for independently arranging positions with Rutgers NJMS faculty members. You must be at least 16 years old to take advantage of this awesome opportunity.
17. The Governor’s School of New Jersey Program in Engineering & Technology
Application Deadline: January 10
Duration: Four weeks
This super-competitive, free, residential summer program brings together some of New Jersey’s most talented and motivated rising juniors at Rutgers University School of Engineering. Participants will take academic courses, conduct research projects, participate in workshops, visit local corporations, and engage in networking opportunities. Applicants must be nominated by their high schools and fewer than a quarter of nominees are accepted to the program.
18. Governor’s School of New Jersey Program in the Sciences
Application Deadline: January 10
Duration: Three weeks (July 6 – 26)
This three-week residential program immerses rising seniors in intense college-level research on the campus of Drew University. The program is tuition-free and seeks to introduce talented students to a range of scientific topics through academic courses, labs, projects, lectures, and math- and science-centered activities. This program is extremely competitive and applicants must be nominated by their high schools.
19. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Summer Internship
Application Deadline: March 1
Duration: Five weeks (June 30 – August 1)
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) High School Summer Internship offers graduating high school seniors the opportunity to engage in hands-on research in plasma physics and fusion energy. Interns collaborate with PPPL’s research or engineering staff on experimental or computational projects, gaining valuable experience in a real-world laboratory setting.
It’s recommended that students have some experience and an interest in plasma physics, they have experience with coding, and they have taken the following classes: physics, chemistry, advanced math, and engineering.
20. Princeton Laboratory Learning Program
Application Deadline: March 15
Duration: Five to six weeks
High schoolers who don’t have a niche research interest will appreciate the breadth the Princeton Laboratory Learning Program provides. Students who are at least 16 years old will work with Princeton faculty to contribute to ongoing research in topics like chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering. It’s important to note that this internship is intended for students local to Princeton as no housing or transportation is provided.
How to Find More Local Internships
If you’re struggling to find local internships online, try using your network. This means reaching out to friends or family and working with your school counselors to try and find a local internship.
Another option is to cold call or email local businesses in your area and ask about internships for high school students. Chances are there are more opportunities than you may think!
If you live in New Jersey but are also close to the New York City area, check out this list of high school internships in NYC.
How Much Do Internships Impact Your College Chances?
When creating your college profile, your extracurricular activities can be divided into four tiers. Tier 1 includes highly selective or rare extracurriculars, like the Governor’s School programs, while Tier 4 encompasses common activities that are seen frequently by admissions committees, such as volunteering at your local historical society.
Depending on their selectivity and rigor, different internships can be categorized into different tiers. While prestigious, Tier 1 internships are ideal, other less selective internships are still valuable to your extracurricular profile and personal growth.
If you’re curious about how your extracurriculars, including internships, will impact your odds of acceptance check out CollegeVine’s free chancing engine. This useful tool factors in your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and more to calculate your chances of admission at hundreds of schools across the U.S. You’ll also receive tips to help you improve and strengthen your profile.
Disclaimer: This post includes content sponsored by Lumiere Education.
