Last Updated on October 1, 2026
Quick answer: Research journals for high school students include The Young Researcher, the Journal of Emerging Investigators, The Concord Review for history essays, the Journal of High School Science, and the National High School Journal of Science. Choose a peer-reviewed journal in your field, check its submission windows, and follow its formatting rules closely.
For any student looking to enter higher education, research papers are a valuable asset to have on a college application. Research projects demonstrate to college admissions officers that a student has done the work, gained valuable insight, and continually pursued their interest in their field of choice. To add even more distinction to their profile, students can have their work published in an accredited academic journal, where it can be peer-reviewed to further demonstrate the integrity of their efforts. But where should rising high schoolers publish their work?
To help, here are 10 research journals for high school students to consider, followed by advice on choosing a journal and preparing your paper. Submission windows change, so confirm the current details on each journal’s website before you submit.
10 Research Journals for High School Students
The Young Researcher
Covering a wide range of fields and subjects worldwide, the Young Researcher is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal with a multidisciplinary focus on the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Its mission is to encourage students from all backgrounds to pursue their interests, and its reading period for submissions opens in January, so check the journal’s site for current dates. This Journal is a solid choice for students with a scientific or interdisciplinary interest.
Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)
The JEI is a journal for high school students focused on original research papers in the biological and physical sciences. Founded by Harvard graduate students, the JEI is a well-regarded journal with high standards for material written by middle and high school students. The JEI is a nonprofit organization that provides peer reviews and objective feedback to students who submit their research. JEI now publishes work in the biological sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and social sciences, and its editors and reviewers give feedback that helps authors revise their manuscripts toward publication.
Journal of High School Science
The Journal of High School Science is a peer-reviewed journal of STEAM publications. The Journal aims to highlight the ideas and innovations of high schoolers and publishes contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). [1] All submitted materials are subjected to a single-blind peer review.
The Young Scientists Journal
The Young Scientists Journal is a peer-reviewed, international journal that operates in and connects with students from 50 other countries. It publishes original research across all areas of science and aims to equip high school students to share their knowledge and interests worldwide. The Journal publishes several types of articles and accepts submissions from scholars aged 12-20.
The Concord Review
The Concord Review is a journal that publishes academic history papers written by high school students. Founded in 1987, the Concord Review has published history research papers by high schoolers in the US and around the world. Essay requirements can be found on its submission page [2].
The Schola
The Schola is a journal that publishes essays in the humanities and social sciences. It is unique in publishing academic research within the international high school curriculum. Schola publishes quarterly and takes submissions from high school students worldwide. Students can submit multiple essays.
National High School Journal of Science
The National High School Journal of Science is a student-run research journal that publishes peer-reviewed research papers by high school students. The Journal is published online, and it maintains a high standard for publication. Its scientific advisory board comprises professional researchers who peer-review each submission. The NHSJS publishes research in physics, biology, chemistry, and many other STEM fields and is a good choice for students with a scientific interest in one or more subjects.
International Journal of High School Research
The International Journal of High School Research is a journal dedicated to the research efforts of high school students. Students can submit “original research” or “literature review,” and submission is open to any scholar or mentor from any country. IJHSR accepts articles from a wide range of subjects, with its general scope being in science, engineering, and math.
STEM Fellowship Journal (SFJ)
The STEM Fellowship Journal (SFJ) is a peer-reviewed journal published by Canadian Science Publishing (CSP). It is open-access and publishes student research in STEM fields, aiming to support young researchers throughout their high school and university education.
Youth Medical Journal
Finally, the Youth Medical Journal is a publisher of medical-based research conducted by high school and undergraduate students. It is a nonprofit, open-access organization run by an international student cooperative. The YMJ has numerous sub-journals in the realm of medicine, including popular categories such as biomedical research, neuroscience, and COVID-19. [3] Submission forms and manuscript guidelines can be found on its publishing page.
How to Choose the Right Journal
The right journal depends on your field, your paper, and your goals. Before you submit, compare journals on four points:
- Fit with your subject: A history paper belongs in The Concord Review, not a STEM journal. Match your paper to journals that publish work like yours, and read two or three past articles to check.
- Peer review: Journals with real peer review, such as JEI and NHSJS, return detailed feedback and carry more weight with admissions readers than publications that accept nearly everything.
- Reputation: Check who runs the journal, whether working researchers sit on its editorial or advisory board, and whether its past articles are easy to find online.
- Timeline: Review can take several months. If you want the publication on your college application, submit by the spring of junior year so you have a decision before the Common App opens on August 1.
How to Prepare Your Paper for Submission
Most rejections come from preventable problems, not weak ideas. Follow these steps before you submit:
- Read the author guidelines closely. Match the required length, citation style, and section headings exactly.
- Have a mentor review your methods. A teacher, professor, or research mentor can catch gaps in your data or reasoning before a reviewer does.
- Write a clear abstract. Editors often decide whether to send a paper out for review based on the abstract alone.
- Cite your sources carefully. Incomplete or inconsistent citations suggest careless work.
- Plan for revisions. Most accepted papers go through at least one round of reviewer comments. Respond to each comment directly and on time.
Even if your paper is not accepted, the peer review process teaches you how researchers evaluate work, and you can describe that experience in your activities list or essays.
If your project involves people, such as surveys, questionnaires, or interviews, plan for ethics review before you collect any data. Under Society for Science rules for ISEF, student research with human participants must be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board before any recruitment or data collection begins. [4] Journals may ask how your study was reviewed, so keep that approval with your records.
Journals are not the only outlet for your work, either. Presenting at a science fair or entering one of the many science competitions for high school students also gives you a chance to share your findings and get feedback from judges who work in your field.
How Publishing Helps Your College Application
Conducting research and publishing a research paper in an accredited journal is a significant boost to the profile of anyone applying to college. But this is even more true for those pursuing acceptance into an Ivy League or top US school. Completing a research project and getting published shows college admissions officers that you’re motivated, dedicated, and interested in your field of academic interest. These qualities are sometimes more important to admissions officers than research itself. It displays a combination of academic rigor and character traits that make a positive impression on college admissions officers. Especially for those applying to highly selective schools, students should consider conducting and publishing a research project to gain a significant edge in the competitive college admissions landscape.
Keep the achievement in perspective. Admissions officers know that some student journals accept most submissions, so the publication itself matters less than the work behind it. List the paper in your activities or honors, but make sure a teacher recommendation, an essay, or your activity description explains the question you asked, how you answered it, and what you learned. That context is what turns a line on your application into evidence of real intellectual curiosity.
To learn more about research projects and how students can make the most of their field of interest, see InGenius Prep’s Academic Mentorship program. Pair your student with a mentor, professor, or working professional from their school of choice and work on a compelling research project that’ll tie their college application together.
For even more research journals for high school students, see our previous list, “10 Journals Where You Can Get Published in High School.”
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