Physics Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Physics extracurriculars run from F=ma and the USAPhO ladder to astronomy research programs and university summer courses in mechanics, relativity, and astrophysics.

Physics olympiad results and research are heavily weighted by top engineering and physics departments.

53 verified programs match this page; 24 of the featured listings are completely free; 7 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• USA Physics Olympiad — AAPT: Compete in the elite USA Physics Olympiad to sharpen problem-solving skills, enhance college applications, and aim for the International Physics Olymp
• Fermilab Saturday Morning Physics — Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Free Saturday physics lectures at Fermilab. Learn particle physics from working scientists.
• Brookhaven National Lab Science Associates Program — Brookhaven National Laboratory: Summer research internship at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory. Work with scientists on physics, chemistry, and biology research.
• Penn Experimental Physics Research Academy — University of Pennsylvania College of Arts & Sciences: Hands-on physics experiments and data analysis at Penn.
• SLAC National Accelerator Lab Student Programs — SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: Particle physics research at Stanford's national lab.
• Physics Unlimited Premier Competition — Physics Unlimited: Challenging physics competition testing conceptual understanding and problem-solving
• Lawrence Berkeley National Lab High School Internship — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Research experience at DOE national laboratory in energy sciences.
• MITES Summer — MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs: Six-week, residential MIT program for underrepresented rising seniors in STEM.
• CERN Beamline for Schools Competition — CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research): Winning teams conduct actual experiments at CERN particle accelerator. One of world's most prestigious high school physics opportunities. Full expense
• Fermilab TARGET Summer Research Program — Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Summer research at America's premier particle physics laboratory. Work with world-class physicists on cutting-edge experiments. Paid internship.
• International Young Physicists' Tournament — International Young Physicists' Tournament Association: A global team-based physics research and debate competition for high school students.
• International Physicists' Tournament (IPT) — International Physicists' Tournament Association: Team-based international physics tournament where students solve open-ended research problems and debate their solutions.
• Ceres Connection Student Naming Program — MIT Lincoln Laboratory: A recognition program that names asteroids after top U.S. math and science students and teachers.
• International Observe the Moon Night — NASA: A yearly global public event inviting people to observe, learn about, and celebrate the Moon through organized in-person and online activities.
• UCSC Summer Session: Science Internship Program (SIP) — University of California, Santa Cruz: Explore STEM careers with UCSC's free summer internship for high schoolers. Gain hands-on lab experience in astronomy, biology, and bioinformatics. Pe
• USA Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad (USAAAO) — USAAAO: Compete in a hybrid astronomy and physics competition for high schoolers! Build STEM skills, boost college applications, and aim for the International
• Brookhaven High School Research Program (HSRP) — Brookhaven National Laboratory: Gain hands-on STEM experience in physics, chemistry, and more through this free high school research program. Build skills and boost your college appl
• Simons Summer Research Program — Stony Brook University: Explore STEM fields in the fully funded Simons Summer Research Program. Conduct hands-on research, gain mentorship, and boost college applications. Pe
• UC Davis Young Scholars Program (YSP) — University of California, Davis: Immerse yourself in a competitive STEM summer program at UC Davis. Conduct hands-on research in biology, chemistry, or physics and boost college appli
• UCSC Science Internship Program (SIP) - Data Science Track — UC Santa Cruz: Gain hands-on data science research experience in astronomy, bioinformatics, and more through this hybrid high school internship. Boost STEM skills fo
• United States Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad (USAAAO) — USAAAO: Compete in the USAAAO to advance astronomy and physics skills while boosting your college applications. Open to high schoolers passionate about STEM a
• Laboratory for Laser Energetics HS Summer Program — University of Rochester - LLE: Dive into cutting-edge physics research with this free summer program for high school juniors and seniors. Gain hands-on experience with lasers and bo
• Pulsar Search Collaboratory — Green Bank Observatory & West Virginia University: Free NSF-funded citizen-science program where students 13+ analyze real Green Bank Telescope data to discover new pulsars, with online training, an as
• NASA Exoplanet Watch — NASA: NASA citizen-science project where anyone with a web-connected device helps monitor exoplanet transits - no telescope needed; request data from a robo
• IASC Asteroid Search Campaigns — International Astronomical Search Collaboration: Free NASA citizen-science campaigns where school teams analyze fresh Pan-STARRS telescope images with Astrometrica software to discover real asteroids
• Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program — Argonne National Laboratory: Year-long research program in which Chicago-area high school teams of 4-8 students and their teacher run a real experiment at Argonne's Advanced Photo
• National Young Astronomer Award — Astronomical League: The Astronomical League's national award for high-school-aged astronomers ages 14-19: submit your astronomy research or observing work by January 31 t
• Fermilab Program for Research, Innovation, and STEM Mentorship (PRISM) — Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Fermilab's four-week paid summer program ($500/week) for Illinois high school seniors and new graduates, combining hands-on STEM projects and mentorsh
• AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest — American Association of Physics Teachers: International contest from the American Association of Physics Teachers: high school students submit a photo plus a written physics analysis of the ph
• Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP) — Columbia University: Selective Saturday science/math program during the academic year in NYC.

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