Publishing in a peer-reviewed journal as a high schooler is more achievable than most students think. The journals below are organized into two tiers: those built exclusively for high school researchers, and legitimate professional journals with no age restriction that high schoolers have successfully published in, with the right preparation and mentorship.
Tier 1: Built for High School Students
These journals were created specifically for high school (and in some cases middle school) researchers. Their editorial processes, reviewer training, and submission requirements are calibrated for student-level work. Start here if you are publishing for the first time.
1. Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)
Organization: Harvard-affiliated, student-run
Fields: Biology, chemistry, and experimental physical sciences (hypothesis-driven research only; review articles not accepted)
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: No ($49 submission fee; fee waivers available)
Review timeline: 6–10 weeks
Website:emerginginvestigators.org
The most established journal exclusively for middle and high school scientists. Peer reviewers are graduate students and postdocs — rigorous but calibrated to student experience. JEI is widely recognized by college admissions advisors and has the strongest brand recognition among student-specific journals. If you are submitting for the first time, start here.
2. National High School Journal of Science (NHSJS)
Organization: Student-run, independent
Fields: Biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, STEM policy
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: Yes (expedited 2-week review available for $250, but standard publication is free)
Review timeline: 8 weeks standard; 2-week expedited initial review available
Website:nhsjs.com
A free, online, peer-reviewed journal founded specifically for high school students, with a Scientist Advisory Board of professional researchers overseeing quality. Accepts two types of submissions: original research conducted by high school students, and essays on significant developments in science and policy. One of the most recognized HS-specific platforms in the US. Note: there is a $250 publication fee if your paper is accepted.
3. Journal of Student Research (JSR)
Organization: Independent, Houston TX
Fields: All disciplines — science, engineering, medicine, social sciences, humanities, arts
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: No ($50 pre-review submission fee; $99 publication fee if accepted)
Review timeline: 12–24 weeks
Website:jsr.org
A multidisciplinary, faculty-reviewed journal that explicitly accepts submissions from high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Notably, it accepts AP Research papers, IB Extended Essays, and other formats common in high school programs — making it one of the most accessible entry points for students who have already completed a structured research project. Over 2,000 student authors from high schools worldwide have published here.
4. Journal of Student Science and Technology (JSST)
Organization: Science Teachers Association of Ontario
Fields: All STEM
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: Yes
Review timeline: 8–12 weeks
Website:ojs.library.dal.ca/JSST
One of the few journals that requires a teacher-sponsor signature, making it especially compatible with school-based research projects. Accepts empirical research papers from high school students across all STEM disciplines. Strong in Canada but indexed and recognized internationally.
5. Young Scientists Journal (YSJ)
Organization: UK-based, student-edited
Fields: All sciences, environmental science
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: Yes
Review timeline: 8–16 weeks
Website:ysjournal.com
An international peer-reviewed journal run by students for students, with a strong presence in the UK, India, and the United States. Accepts original research papers, literature reviews, and science communication pieces. The editorial team is student-led, making it one of the most welcoming venues for first-time authors.
6. International Journal of High School Research (IJHSR)
Organization: Independent
Fields: STEM and humanities
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: No
Review timeline: 6–10 weeks
Website:ijhsr.terrajournals.org
Explicitly designed for high school researchers across STEM and humanities disciplines. Publishes monthly issues on a rolling submission basis. One of the more accessible options for first-time authors. Verify current indexing status before submitting, as student-focused journals can change over time.
7. American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS)
Organization: AAAS affiliate
Fields: All STEM
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: Yes
Review timeline: Annual competition cycle
Website:americanjunioracademyofscience.org
Less a traditional journal and more a symposium with published proceedings. Admission is highly competitive and routed through state science academies. Accepted students present their work at the AAAS Annual Meeting alongside professional researchers. Being selected is a significant credential in itself, even without a traditional journal publication.
8. Regeneron ISEF Science Proceedings
Organization: Society for Science
Fields: All STEM
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: No | Free to submit: Yes
Review timeline: Annual competition cycle
Website:societyforscience.org/isef
Not a traditional peer-reviewed journal, but ISEF finalist and award-winner research is indexed and citable. Winning projects are referenced in scientific literature and recognized by universities globally. Extremely competitive. If you compete at ISEF, the proceedings entry is a meaningful and legitimate addition to your research portfolio.
9. The Concord Review
Organization: Independent
Fields: History, social sciences (not STEM)
Open access: No | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: No (submission fee $70–$150)
Review timeline: 3–5 months
Website:tcr.org
Included for interdisciplinary researchers. The Concord Review is the gold standard for high school history and social science scholarship — exclusively publishing essays by high school students, with an acceptance rate under 5%. Essays must be 5,000–9,000 words. A publication here is a significant credential, particularly for students interested in humanities, law, or policy.
10. Journal of Computational Science Education (JOCSE)
Organization: SHODOR / NSF-affiliated
Fields: Computer science, computational science
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: Yes
Review timeline: 2–4 months
Website:jocse.org
Accepts papers on computational thinking, simulations, and CS education. A strong fit for students who built computational models, simulations, or tools as part of their research project. Open review process and accessible to student authors with faculty guidance.
Tier 2: Professional Journals With No Age Restriction
Important caveat: The journals in this section are professional academic publications not designed for high school students. They impose no age restriction, and high schoolers have successfully published in them — but only with a faculty or professional co-author, institutional-level research rigor, and in most cases IRB ethics clearance. Do not approach these as your first submission. They are appropriate for students who have completed a research project through a university lab, mentorship program, or similar structured setting.
11. PLOS ONE
Organization: Public Library of Science
Fields: All sciences
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: No (APC ~$1,800 USD)
Review timeline: 3–5 months
Website:journals.plos.org/plosone
One of the world’s largest open-access journals. PLOS ONE evaluates papers purely on methodological soundness — not novelty or perceived importance — and imposes no restriction on author age or institution. High school researchers have published here, almost always with a university mentor as co-author who holds institutional affiliation. The article processing charge is significant; institutional fee waivers and low-income country discounts are available.
Who this is realistic for: Students who conducted lab-based research under direct university faculty supervision, with IRB clearance if applicable, and whose mentor is listed as corresponding author.
12. Cureus Journal of Medical Science
Organization: Springer Nature
Fields: Medicine, health sciences
Open access: Yes | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: No (fees vary by article type)
Review timeline: 4–8 weeks
Website:cureus.com
An open-access medical journal indexed in PubMed Central that accepts case reports, reviews, and original research from authors at any career stage. No age restriction. High school students interested in health sciences who have worked in a clinical or medical research setting can submit here — but physician or faculty co-authorship is effectively required. Cureus is debated in medical academia for its lower selectivity, so understand its positioning before listing it on applications.
Who this is realistic for: Students with direct clinical research experience under physician supervision, typically through a hospital research program or medical school mentorship.
13. American Meteorological Society — BAMS Student Notes
Organization: American Meteorological Society
Fields: Atmospheric science, climatology, earth systems
Open access: No | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: No
Review timeline: 3–6 months
Website:journals.ametsoc.org
AMS occasionally publishes student research notes and letters. Best for students who have conducted atmospheric, climate, or earth systems research. Requires AMS student membership and faculty co-authorship. One of the most discipline-specific and credible options for students interested in geosciences who have institutional backing.
Who this is realistic for: Students involved in a formal meteorology or earth science research program with an AMS-affiliated faculty mentor.
14. ACS Environmental Science & Technology Letters
Organization: American Chemical Society
Fields: Environmental chemistry, earth and space chemistry
Open access: No | Peer reviewed: Yes | Free to submit: No
Review timeline: 3–5 months
Website:pubs.acs.org/journal/estlcu
ACS occasionally features standout environmental chemistry research through its letters format. Requires faculty co-authorship and ACS member sponsorship. A high bar — appropriate only for students who have conducted rigorous environmental chemistry or earth systems research in a university or professional lab setting.
Who this is realistic for: Students with direct wet-lab or field research experience under an ACS-affiliated faculty mentor with institutional resources.
Quick Reference Table
| Journal | Tier | Field | OA | Peer Reviewed | Free to Submit | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journal of Emerging Investigators | HS-specific | Biology, Chem, Env, Physical Sci | Yes | Yes | No ($49 fee) | 6–10 weeks |
| National HS Journal of Science | HS-specific | All STEM | Yes | Yes | Yes* | 8 weeks |
| Journal of Student Research | HS-specific | All disciplines | Yes | Yes | No ($50 + $99) ** | 12–24 weeks |
| JSST | HS-specific | All STEM | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8–12 weeks |
| Young Scientists Journal | HS-specific | All sciences | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8–16 weeks |
| IJHSR | HS-specific | STEM + humanities | Yes | Yes | No | 6–10 weeks |
| AJAS | HS-specific | All STEM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Annual |
| ISEF Proceedings | HS-specific | All STEM | Yes | No | Yes | Annual |
| The Concord Review | HS-specific | History, social sci | No | Yes | No | 3–5 mo |
| JOCSE | HS-specific | CS, computation | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2–4 mo |
| PLOS ONE | Professional | All sciences | Yes | Yes | No | 3–5 mo |
| Cureus | Professional | Medicine | Yes | Yes | No | 4–8 wks |
| AMS BAMS | Professional | Atmospheric sci | No | Yes | No | 3–6 mo |
| ACS EST Letters | Professional | Environmental chem | No | Yes | No | 3–5 mo |
*$250 optional for expedited review only
**Fees for expedited review or additional authors beyond 5
How to Choose the Right Journal
Journal fit matters more than journal prestige. Submitting a biology paper to a math journal is the fastest path to rejection. Use the journal’s stated scope as a checklist before you write your cover letter — if your abstract doesn’t use at least three keywords from their aims-and-scope page, it is probably the wrong venue.
For first-time submitters: Start with Tier 1. JEI, NHSJS, JSR, and YSJ are designed for students and their editorial processes reflect that.
If your research came from a university lab or formal mentorship program: Tier 2 journals become realistic targets, provided you have a faculty co-author and met any required ethics review standards.
For interdisciplinary or policy-focused research: JSR and The Concord Review cover humanities and social sciences, most STEM journals do not.
For computational or CS students: JOCSE is purpose-built for this work and is often overlooked.
What Makes a Paper Publishable
Peer reviewers evaluating student work are not expecting you to cure cancer. They are expecting methodological integrity, honest reporting, and a genuine contribution, even a small one, to an existing body of knowledge.
The core test: Can you answer “So what?” in one sentence? Your research must answer a specific question with original data, analysis, or synthesis that did not exist before your paper.
Strong paper types for high school students:
- Observational and field studies
- Citizen-science datasets
- Survey and questionnaire research
- Literature reviews with novel synthesis
- Computational modeling and simulation
- Replication studies (undervalued and genuinely needed)
- Local environmental assessments
Paper types that tend to struggle:
- Science fair reports formatted as papers without a defined research question
- Overclaiming conclusions from a small sample size (n < 20 with sweeping claims)
- Papers that primarily summarize existing knowledge without an original contribution
- Projects where the hypothesis was invented after the data was collected
Pre-Submission Checklist
Before submitting to any journal, confirm all of the following:
- Research question is clearly stated in the introduction
- All methods are described in sufficient detail to replicate
- Statistical analysis is appropriate for your data type and sample size
- Sample size is justified or explicitly acknowledged as a limitation
- All figures have numbered captions and are referenced in the body text
- Limitations section is honest and specific
- References are formatted in the journal’s required style
- Paper has been proofread by at least one person other than you
- Cover letter is addressed to the correct editor and journal
- If human subjects are involved: IRB or ethics waiver is obtained
- Plagiarism check has been completed (Turnitin, iThenticate, or similar)
- All co-authors have reviewed and approved the final draft
Predatory Journal Warning Signs
Not every journal that claims to publish student research is legitimate. Predatory journals charge fees, publish without real peer review, and carry no academic weight. Watch for these red flags:
- Acceptance within 24–48 hours of submission (no real peer review is that fast)
- No named editorial board with verifiable credentials
- Article processing charges over $500 with no waiver policy
- Journal name that closely mimics a well-known legitimate publication
- Not indexed in PubMed, DOAJ, Scopus, Google Scholar, or ERIC
- Unsolicited email invitations to submit or join an editorial board
- Website with poor grammar or broken links
Glossary
Abstract — A 150–250 word summary of your paper covering background, question, method, result, and significance. Written last; read first.
APC (Article Processing Charge) — A fee some journals charge authors to publish, particularly for open access. Ranges from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Corresponding author — The author responsible for all communication with the journal. Usually the lead student researcher or the faculty mentor.
DOI (Digital Object Identifier) — A permanent URL assigned to a published paper that makes it permanently citable and findable.
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) — A curated index of legitimate open-access journals. Listing here indicates a journal has met minimum standards for peer review and transparency.
IMRaD — The standard structure for scientific papers: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.
Impact factor — A metric measuring how often a journal’s papers are cited by other researchers. Higher impact factor generally signals more influence in the field.
IRB (Institutional Review Board) — An ethics committee that must review and approve research involving human subjects, identifiable data, or certain animal studies.
Open access — A publishing model where the paper is freely available online to anyone without a journal subscription.
Peer review — The evaluation of a submitted paper by two or three anonymous experts in the relevant field before the journal makes an acceptance decision.
Predatory journal — A publication that charges author fees and claims peer review but does not conduct legitimate scientific evaluation. Publishing in a predatory journal is not a scholarly credential.
Preprint — A version of a paper posted publicly (for example, on arXiv or bioRxiv) before formal peer review. Preprints are citable but are not peer-reviewed publications.
R&R (Revise and Resubmit) — A journal decision indicating interest in the paper but requiring substantive changes before a final acceptance decision.
Scopus / PubMed / ERIC — Major databases that index peer-reviewed academic journals. Indexing in these databases is a strong signal of a journal’s legitimacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can high school students really publish in peer-reviewed journals?
Yes, and it is more common than most students realize. The Tier 1 journals in this guide were built specifically for this purpose. Tier 2 journals are also accessible, but require a higher level of research infrastructure and mentorship.
Do I need a faculty mentor or adult sponsor?
For Tier 1 journals, a mentor is strongly recommended but not always required. For Tier 2 professional journals, a faculty co-author is effectively mandatory. If your school does not have a research program, contact local university labs or apply to formal programs like Polygence or Lumiere Education.
Does publishing help with college admissions?
A genuine peer-reviewed publication is a meaningful differentiator, especially for research-focused programs. It demonstrates intellectual initiative that goes well beyond grades and test scores. Admissions officers can tell the difference between a student who genuinely led a research project and one who was peripherally involved.
Are predatory journals a real risk?
Yes. If a journal accepts your paper within 48 hours, charges high fees with no waiver option, or is not indexed in PubMed, Scopus, DOAJ, or ERIC, verify its legitimacy before paying anything. See the predatory journal warning signs section above.
How long does peer review take?
Expect 6–16 weeks for student-specific journals and 3–6 months for professional journals. Plan submissions well before college application deadlines if you want a decision — or even just a submission confirmation — in hand.
What if my paper gets rejected?
Revise using the reviewer feedback and submit to your next target journal. Most papers that eventually get published were rejected at least once. Rejection is information, not a verdict on your worth as a researcher.
What is the difference between open access and peer reviewed?
These are independent qualities. Open access means anyone can read the paper for free. Peer reviewed means experts evaluated it before publication. Both qualities together are the gold standard.
Can I submit the same paper to multiple journals at once?
No. Simultaneous submission violates the policies of nearly every academic journal. Submit to one at a time, wait for a decision, then submit elsewhere if needed.
