Who can apply?
- The program primarily serves undergraduates from the U.S. and other countries between their junior and senior years, and also accepts exceptional undergraduates in earlier years.
- STScI says it is primarily open to upper-division undergraduates with a strong interest in space-based astronomy, engineering or public outreach; other candidates may be considered individually.
- Accepted interns come to the STScI campus in Baltimore, Maryland.
Offers must be accepted or declined within about five business days of the early-March letter, so decide how you would rank other summer offers before it arrives.
Dates, pay & program timing
The 2027 program runs May 31 through July 30, 2027, and applications open in January 2027. Students receive a stipend, housing assistance and travel reimbursement; amounts are not stated on the program pages. In the 2026 cycle, applications opened January 1 and closed January 31, 2026, and offers went out at the beginning of March with about five business days to accept.
View the deadline calendarThese details reflect the sources at the review date. An overview is not a live job offer. Check the official page for today's application status and the selected opening's written terms.
How to apply to Space Telescope Science Institute
- Watch for the application to open in January 2027, and plan for a short window; the 2026 window lasted one month.
- Complete every required section of the online application.
- If you receive an offer in early March, respond within the deadline in the letter — about five business days in the last cycle.
You leave FirstInternships to apply. We do not accept applications, offer referrals, or represent the employer.
Our editorial advice · not employer requirements
How to prepare a stronger application
The program spans astronomy, engineering and public outreach, so say which you are drawn to and show it: a data-reduction script, an instrument or optics lab, or an outreach event you organized. A clear focus helps match you to a mentor.
If you are earlier than junior year, you are competing as an exceptional case. Make one piece of independent work — research, a technical project or published outreach material — easy to find and easy to evaluate. This is our suggestion, not STScI's process.
Your preparation, on this device
Make it a plan.
Checking an item saves this program. These are planning prompts, not a substitute for the employer's full requirements.
Add a stage & next actionOfficial sources & update notes
We reviewed these publisher pages on . They establish the program facts above; our preparation suggestions are independent editorial guidance.
- Program page: 2027 dates, who it is for, support and application timing
- Application information: eligibility wording, 2026 dates and offer timing
We do not infer deadlines, remote eligibility, or guaranteed offers from older recruiting cycles. Read our editorial process.