As a high school student, you may be wondering if it’s worth your time to work on and publish a research paper. The truth is that it is more than just an academic experience. It is something that lays the foundations for success in your university years and in your professional life.
Working on a research paper to the point where it’s worth publishing builds relevant skills (research, writing, communication). Additionally, it enhances your university applications, gives you recognition from the academic community and provides an opportunity to contribute to your field of interest.
With this in mind, we would like to provide you with a list of 18 research journals for high school students where you can publish your research on almost any relevant topic.
How to Choose a Research Journal
Before you write the first word of your research paper, you need to have a clear idea of which journal you want to submit it to. This will determine the structure, style, topic and even the content of your research paper.
To help you choose, we recommend that you start making a list of journals that accept submissions from under 18s. The list below is a good starting point. Then, you’ll want to start filtering out those that don’t cover the topic you’re interested in, or whose readers might not be interested in your findings.
You will also want to consider factors such as the reputation of the journal and its editors, the journal’s editorial/review and production speed, coverage and distribution. Each of these details plays a key role in the dissemination and acceptance of your work.
Once you have narrowed the list down to one journal, and you are happy with it, you can begin your work. You may want to read our blog post on how to publish a research paper.
18 Research Journals to Consider
At Immerse Education, we are always looking for ways to help you succeed in your academic journey. With this in mind, we have taken the time to compile a list of 18 research journals that publish work by high school students. Below you will find information on the topics they cover, the cost of submission, deadlines and more. Please note that the cost of submission for each journal is accurate as of early 2025.
Immerse Educations ORP Symposium Journal
At Immerse Education, we celebrate excellence in research and publish the best university-level work that demonstrates students’ ability to think critically and their passion for their chosen field. Only students taking part in our Online Research Programme are eligible to enter their work into The Symposium, our research journal.
Your essay, practical or interactive presentation can be on any of 20 different subjects, including architecture, artificial intelligence, biology, business, coding, economics, history and engineering.
Cost of submission: To participate, you must be part of one of the three varieties of Immerse Education’s Online Research Programme.
Deadline: Rolling
Type of research/article welcomed: Essays, practical works or interactive presentations.
Estimated acceptance rate: 5%
Columbia Junior Science Research Journal
A prestigious research journal that provides a platform for undergraduate students interested in publishing manuscripts in the natural, physical, engineering and social sciences. CJS Journal aims to promote the development of young researchers with strong technical and communication skills.
Cost of submission: No cost.
Deadline: Tends to fall in September.
Type of research/article welcomed: Original research submissions (2-3 pages), review articles (4-5 pages).
Estimated acceptance rate: 3%
Journal of Emerging Investigators
A peer-reviewed journal and mentoring programme that publishes the research of middle and high school scientists, with a focus on biology and the physical sciences. JEI, a non-profit organisation run by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors in the United States, offers students worldwide the opportunity to submit original research, receive feedback, and publish their findings in a scientific journal.
Cost of submission: £27.56
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Manuscripts.
Estimated acceptance rate: 70-75%
The Concord Review
One of the most prestigious research journals for high school students in the United States. The Concord Review was founded in March 1987 to recognise and publish exemplary history essays by high school students in the English-speaking world. Its prestige derives from its high level of selectivity, the quality of its research, and the long history of its contributors going on to top universities.
Cost of submission: eBooks £55.11, print US £86.59, print international £118.09.
Deadline: August 1 (Winter), November 1 (Spring), February 1 (Summer) and May 1 (Fall).
Type of research/article welcomed: Essays should be in the 5,000-10,000 (or more) word range.
Estimated acceptance rate: 5%
The Schola
A quarterly journal of essays in the humanities and social sciences written by high school students worldwide. The Schola provides a unique platform for high school students to cultivate their intellectual talents in philosophy, history, art history, literature, politics, public policy and sociology. The experience with them goes beyond the submission of manuscripts, they give you the full academic publishing experience, including presenting research to a publisher, receiving editorial feedback and editing the manuscript.
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Cost of submission: £196.84
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: essays of up to 5,000 words.
Estimated acceptance rate: The Schola is a rigorous and highly selective journal, although it does not publish its acceptance rate.
Young Science Journal
The largest and oldest international peer-reviewed science journal written, reviewed and produced by students aged 12-20. Young Scientist Journal was founded in 2006 at The King’s School, Canterbury, to enable young people to carry out original research in STEM subjects and have it published in a peer-reviewed journal with more than 1.5 million hits.
Cost of submission: £62.23
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Original research, review articles, and blog or magazine articles.
Estimated acceptance rate: 10-15%
The Young Researcher
A peer-reviewed journal edited by secondary school students, aiming to provide a wider audience for original academic research by ambitious secondary school students, providing a forum for peer review and creating a community of young researchers. The Young Researcher welcomes submissions of original research from a wide range of academic disciplines within the social sciences, humanities and physical sciences.
Cost of submission: No cost.
Deadline: Tends to fall in May.
Type of research/article welcomed: Original research papers of up to 5,000 words.
Estimated acceptance rate: 65%
The High School Journal
Founded in 1910 by the University of North Carolina’s School of Education with a commitment to be a venue for rigorous, multidisciplinary research that asks and answers questions of fundamental importance to high schools. The High School Journal values manuscripts that highlight implications for research, policy, and practice, and that emphasize issues of equity and justice.
Cost of submission: No cost.
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Scholarly research (less than 8,000 words), practitioner commentaries (less than 2,000 words).
Estimated acceptance rate: 70%
Journal of Student Research
An academic, multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the rapid dissemination of current research published by high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The Journal of Student Research (JSR) seeks articles that are novel, integrative, and accessible to a broad audience, including a range of disciplines (medicine, mental health, economics, cryptocurrencies, etc.) and accepts AP, IB, Honors Research Articles, Review Articles, Research Projects, Research Posters, and more.
Cost of submission: £39.38 for all submissions, and £236.37 to be paid after an editorial decision is recorded and emailed to the authors.
Deadline: Tends to fall in February.
Types of research/article welcome: Research articles, review articles and other articles including research project, analysis, short essay, opinion or update on current affairs.
Estimated acceptance rate: 65%
Open Journal of Business and Management (OJBM)
An international research journal dedicated to promoting, sharing and discussing issues and developments in two areas of interest: business and management. OJBM not only accepts submissions from experienced researchers, but is one of the few journals that accepts undergraduate research projects in any of the following areas: accounting, advertising, analytics, business and economics education, business ethics and corporate social responsibility, corporate finance and investment, business law, consumer behaviour, entrepreneurship, insurance, marketing, and any other area of business and management.
Cost of submission: £235.62
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Manuscripts, short reports (2-5 pages), short communications (2-5 pages), technical notes (2-5 pages), letters to the editor, book reviews, advertisements (1-2 pages), newsletters (1-5 pages).
Estimated acceptance rate: 15-20% for high school students.
National High School Journal of Science
Free, online, student-run, peer-reviewed research journal aimed at high school students. The National High School Journal of Science is a student-run journal that aims to bring science to a wider audience, engage students in learning beyond the classroom, and expose young people to new ideas and topics. Publications fall into two main categories: original research conducted by high school students, and articles describing significant developments in science and policy.
Cost of submission: No cost.
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Original research and reports.
Estimated acceptance rate: 65%
Walt Whitman Journal of Psychology
An entirely student-run psychology publication featuring research and literature reviews conducted by high school students. The Walt Whitman Journal of Psychology reaches hundreds of schools and psychology students around the world and is published electronically and is free to read.
Cost of submission: No cost.
Deadline: Tends to fall in January for the printed journal, and March for the online journal.
Type of research/article welcomed: Manuscripts of 20 pages or less.
Estimated acceptance rate: 20-30%
International Journal of High School Research
An open-source and peer-reviewed journal, launched in 2019, open to papers from all areas of science and surrounding disciplines, including behavioural and social sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. The International Journal of High School Research is primarily focused on publishing articles that include new experimental data. All manuscripts published by IJHSR are indexed internationally by EBSCO and Google Scholar, making them searchable by most libraries worldwide.
Cost of submission: £196.83
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Research and review articles.
Estimated acceptance rate: 30%
Journal of High School Science
Peer-reviewed STEAM publication showcasing the ideas and innovative contributions of high school students in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. JHSS is a quarterly journal published in March, June, September, and December. The editorial board is composed of a diverse group of science professionals from across the United States.
Cost of submission: £35.43
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Original papers, review papers, technical notes.
Estimated acceptance rate: 27%
Journal of Research High School
An open-access online research journal that aims to publish academic work produced exclusively by high school researchers. The platform provides the necessary opportunity for students to showcase their research and writing experience in high quality journals and articles. It also seeks to engage high school students in the dissemination of research under the guidance of research advisors. JRHS encourages and welcomes original research and meaningful literature reviews in various fields of study such as engineering, humanities and natural sciences, mathematics and social sciences for consideration of publication among other fields of study.
Cost of submission: £196.82
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Original research and review articles of less than 4,000 words.
Estimated acceptance rate: 30%
Critical Debates in Humanities, Science, and Global Justice Journal
The Critical Debates in Humanities, Science, and Global Justice Journal, hosted by Adelphi University, is a place for young scholars in high school to submit original scholarship and opinion pieces to this peer-reviewed journal on critical debates facing society. The journal aims to build dialogue around critical viewpoints, lenses and debates on pressing issues facing the world. Accepted topics include, but are not limited to, medical research and disease, technology and innovation, psychology, education, cultural policy and human rights.
Cost of submission: £7.86
Deadline: Submissions for the Winter/Spring issue tend to close in December. Submissions for the Summer issue tend to close in May.
Type of research/article welcomed: Manuscripts of 2000-4000 words.
Estimated acceptance rate: 20%
Curieux Academic Journal
A youth-led non-profit founded in 2017 to publish research by high school and middle school students. The Curieux Academic Journal is open to submissions from all academic disciplines, including the sciences and humanities. It encourages all forms of academic writing, including research papers, review articles, and humanities/social sciences pieces.
Cost of submission: £196.82 for Fast-Track Review, and a £157.53 publication fee will be charged for Seasonal Review upon acceptance of publication into the journal.
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: All forms of academic writing including but not limited to research papers, review articles, and humanity/social science pieces under 20 pages.
Estimated acceptance rate: 60-70%
STEM Fellowship Journal
An open-access, peer-reviewed STEM research journal for high school and university students, published by Canadian Science Publishing (CSP). SFJ is a unique platform for showcasing and serving student research from around the world. The following types of manuscripts are accepted: Original Research, Review Articles, Viewpoint Articles, and Conference Proceedings.
Cost of submission: £221.63
Deadline: Year-round submissions accepted.
Type of research/article welcomed: Original investigations (3000 words), review articles (3000 words), viewpoints (1500 words), and conference proceedings (250 words).
Estimated acceptance rate: Not available.
Conclusion
This list shows the top 18 research journals that accept and encourage high school research. However, there are many others you could consider. Remember, the first step in starting your research is to carefully consider where you want to publish your work.
Take the time to research each one carefully. Read their policies and guidelines. Budget for your work, but most importantly, think about the issues you want to address and the skills you need to succeed. Remember that success and publication will help you secure a place at the university of your choice. Immerse Education is here to help you master your research and writing skills and publish your first research paper. Ready to start? Click here and secure your spot!
