14 Business Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in business, consider a structured business program. Exploring business at an early stage gives you a clearer sense of how businesses work in different industries and what role you want to play in the future. Many colleges and organizations now offer business programs for high school students, designed to help you build skills while working on projects. These programs don’t just cover topics like management, marketing, and finance; they often connect you with mentors, peers, and professionals who can share perspectives from across industries.
Some focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, while others emphasize leadership, international business, or data-driven decision-making. By participating, you get the chance to test out ideas, practice teamwork, and gain exposure to how businesses respond to challenges. Whether you are interested in launching your own venture or simply want to understand how companies operate, these opportunities can give you a structured environment to learn and experiment.
To help with your search, we have found 15 business programs for high school students.
1. Bank of America Student Leaders
Location: You’ll be assigned to a local nonprofit
Stipend: Provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: <8%
Dates: 8 weeks following the end of the school year
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in good standing who can work in the U.S.
The Student Leaders program is centred on civic engagement and community-focused leadership. Over eight weeks, you’ll intern with a nonprofit in your area, learning how organisations address local needs while also gaining work experience. The program includes a national summit in Washington, D.C., where you’ll meet peers from across the country and explore how business, government, and nonprofits collaborate. A major emphasis is on developing leadership skills that balance social impact with professional growth. You’ll work on projects, guided by nonprofit staff, while also participating in structured training sessions.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, data science, and real-world problem solving. You start by building a foundation in Python and machine learning concepts, gaining familiarity with regression, neural networks, and natural language processing. From there, you work on group projects that introduce applications like image classification, deep learning, sentiment analysis, and AI ethics. If you choose the fellowship track, you take on an independent project with one-on-one mentorship, moving from research and ideation to coding and execution. The fellowship allows you to explore a question you care about, analyse data, and create a final project that you can present to your peers
3. Chicago Summer Business Institute
Location: Chicago, IL
Stipend: Provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: 6 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors who live in Chicago with a minimum 3.0 average and a Family Household Income below $80,000/year
The Chicago Summer Business Institute is different from classroom-focused business programs for high school students because it centres on professional experience. Since 1991, it has connected students with paid summer internships in the financial services sector and beyond. Through these placements, you’ll gain exposure to business operations, leadership practices, and workplace culture. The program emphasises career preparation while also encouraging you to see how business skills can strengthen your community. You’ll learn from supervisors, mentors, and peers while navigating the expectations of a professional environment.
4. Young Founders Lab
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer, spring, winter, and fall cohorts
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students
The Young Founders Lab is a startup incubator designed to help you move from idea to launch with the guidance of experienced mentors. Over the course of the program, you will work on building either a business or a nonprofit, drawing on best practices from leading startup accelerators. You’ll be paired with mentors from different industries who guide you through developing a sustainable model, testing your ideas, and understanding how to generate impact. The structure emphasises both strategic planning and execution, giving you space to refine your initiative step by step. The lab offers both group and individual business programs for high school students, so you can choose the format that works best for your goals.
5. Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP)
Location: Companies in Kansas City
Stipend: $12–14/hour and $1,250 on completion of the program ($2,500 for both sessions)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Session 1: June 2 – 27; Session 2: July 7 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors
YEP places you inside Kansas City’s startup community. During the program, you’ll work with a high-growth company, gaining experience with entrepreneurship while contributing to ongoing projects. Each week includes visits to different companies, giving you a sense of how industries support and scale new ventures. You’ll also be part of a cohort of peers, which creates a network that continues after the program ends. The structure is intentionally practical, and you’re matched with companies that align with your interests and skills.
6. NYC Ladders for Leaders
Location: New York City
Stipend: Provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Summer; specific dates vary by internship
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: High school or college students between the ages of 16–24 who reside in one of New York’s boroughs, have prior work experience (either paid or volunteer), and are legally allowed to work in the U.S.
Ladders for Leaders provides high school and college students in New York City with paid internships at companies, nonprofits, and government agencies. Before starting, you’ll complete pre-employment training that covers résumé writing, interviewing skills, and workplace etiquette. This ensures that when you begin your internship, you’re prepared to meet professional expectations. The program matches you with an employer, giving you experience in a field of interest. Beyond the summer, you’ll have access to an alumni network with events and opportunities to stay connected.
7. Wharton Global Youth Program
Location: The Wharton School, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $100 application fee (can be waived for eligible students)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: 2- and 3-week sessions across June and July
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–11 with a minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA
The Wharton Global Youth Program spans a wide range of business topics, from finance and leadership to product design and data science. Each of these business programs for high school students is led by Wharton faculty and designed to reflect the rigour of undergraduate study, while still being accessible to high school students. Depending on the focus you choose, you could prototype a product, analyse sports data, explore machine learning, or examine international leadership challenges. The mix of lectures, case studies, and simulations ensures that you’ll see business concepts in action, not just on paper.
8. Penn State’s Business Opportunities Summer Session (BOSS)
Location: Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Cost: $350
Acceptance rate/cohort size: <10%
Dates: June 14 – 26
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: High school juniors interested in pursuing business in college
BOSS is a two-week business program for high school students that provides an introduction to business study at Penn State. While living on campus, you’ll take part in classes taught by Penn State faculty that focus on business fundamentals and college preparation. A highlight is the final project, where you’ll present what you’ve learned through a business-focused assignment. In addition to academic work, you’ll practice time management and independence in a university setting. The structure is meant to give you both academic exposure and a realistic preview of college life.
9. Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) High School Entrepreneurship
Location: Haas School of Business, Berkeley, CA
Cost: $80 application fee + Programs Fees (TBA)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 50 students
Dates: Session I: July 5 – 19; Session II: July 19 – August 2
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students
B-BAY compresses a wide curriculum into a two-week experience built around creating and presenting a full business plan. You’ll study entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, accounting, negotiation, and leadership, guided by Haas faculty and guest speakers from industry. Much of the work is team-based, giving you practice in collaboration, communication, and presentation. Classroom instruction is paired with independent research and projects, which means you’ll be applying concepts as you learn them. The program also emphasises critical thinking about ethics, global economics, and corporate responsibility.
10. Harvard Summer Business Academies
Location: Virtual/Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $1,800 (financial assistance available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available
Dates: Several weeklong programs during the summer
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12
Harvard’s Summer Business Academies give you a chance to approach business from two angles: entrepreneurship and strategy. In the entrepreneurship track, you’ll move from brainstorming ideas to building a startup plan, complete with financial analysis and product-market fit research. The management and strategy track shifts focus to corporate problem-solving, where you’ll study mergers, pricing, and company performance using case studies. Both of these business programs for high school students emphasise hands-on learning, from pitching an idea to interpreting balance sheets. By the end, you’ll walk away with a clearer picture of how businesses launch, grow, and adapt.
11. Georgetown's Global Business Academy
Location: Georgetown, Washington, DC,
Cost: $7,700 (residential), $5,800 (commuter)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: July 20 – August 8
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 2.0 GPA
Georgetown’s business program for high school students focuses on international business and the challenges of operating in a global economy. You’ll explore how markets, companies, and financial systems are interconnected, while also examining the role of institutions like the IMF and World Bank. The curriculum blends lectures with field trips, simulations, and workshops, giving you a mix of theory and practice. A highlight is the business simulation where you collaborate with peers to run a startup, making decisions under pressure. You’ll also look at strategies for companies in both developed and emerging markets, analysing the impact of technology and globalisation.
12. Babson Summer Study for High School Students
Location: Virtual/New England Innovation Academy, Marlborough, MA
Cost: $95 application fee + $6,295 (financial aid available for online students). In-person students have additional costs: $6,500 (residential), $3,000 (day student)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: July 6 – 27
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors who are at least 16 by the start of the program
Babson’s Summer Study is built around developing an entrepreneurial mindset and applying it to global challenges. Through a college-level course in entrepreneurship, you’ll practice problem-solving, teamwork, and research while exploring issues framed by the United Nations Global Goals. The program covers key areas such as marketing, finance, business communication, and leadership, with an emphasis on how these fields connect to ventures. Outside of class, you’ll work with mentors, learn from guest speakers, and take part in Babson’s wider entrepreneurial ecosystem. The faculty brings both academic and industry expertise, giving you insight into how businesses adapt to change.
13. The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy
Location: Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor, MI
Cost: $75 application fee (can be waived) + $5,500 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: June 13 – 27
Application Deadline: January 21
Eligibility: Rising 12th graders with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
The Summer Business Academy is designed to introduce you to the daily life of a business student. You’ll attend lectures and workshops taught by faculty across multiple business fields, ranging from management to finance. Each day balances classroom learning with group work, case studies, and interactive activities, such as guest speakers and field trips. This business program for high school students highlights how leaders make decisions and how companies succeed in competitive markets. A structured schedule encourages you to take part in collaborative projects and mentor-led activities while also giving space for reflection.
14. Business Is Global: Summer Language Program
Location: Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Cost: $2,000 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: June 22 – July 5
Application Deadline: April 14
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Business Is Global is a business program for high school students that combines business study with language and cultural immersion. Over two weeks at Indiana University Bloomington, you’ll study languages like Arabic, Korean, Estonian, or Brazilian Portuguese, connecting them directly to regional business practices. Morning sessions focus on business topics such as international markets and economic systems, while afternoons feature cultural and political context. You’ll also develop professional skills, with workshops on résumés, networking, and presentations, culminating in a final group project.
Image Source - UPenn logo