15 Business Programs for High School Students in Massachusetts
If you are a high school student interested in exploring careers in business, summer programs can be a smart way to gain early experience. These programs allow you to gain insights into multiple aspects of business, including entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and leadership, while also connecting you with mentors and peers. You’ll build practical skills that translate to real situations, giving you a head start on understanding how businesses operate and grow.
Many opportunities are offered by respected universities and organizations in Massachusetts, giving you access to established faculty, campus resources, and industry partnerships. You’ll be exposed to fresh ideas and see firsthand how business principles are applied in dynamic environments. You can explore your interests early on and get a better understanding of future academic and professional options.
To make your search easier, we’ve compiled a list of 15 business programs for high school students in Massachusetts.
1. Suffolk University — Summer Entrepreneurship Program
Location: Suffolk University, Boston, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: July 7 - 24
Application Deadline: Opens in January - deadline not specified
Eligibility: High school rising juniors
If you attend this program, you’ll learn how to take a business idea from concept to pitch. You’ll work in small groups to explore entrepreneurship, marketing, and management while receiving guidance from Suffolk faculty. The program includes site visits to Boston-area companies, giving you a first-hand look at the startup ecosystem. In the final week, you’ll present your business plan to an audience, practicing both strategy and communication skills.
2. Veritas AI — AI + Finance Deep Dive Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2490; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 10 weeks; year-round cohorts in winter, summer, spring, and fall; Fall dates: September 21 - November 23
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines based on cohorts; Fall deadline: August 31
Eligibility: High school students, grades 8-12, with completion of AI Scholars or a background in coding
In this program, you’ll explore how artificial intelligence is transforming finance. You’ll learn to handle financial datasets, apply machine learning models, and see how algorithms can be used to analyze markets. With guidance from mentors, you’ll design your own independent project, such as predicting stock movements or evaluating trading strategies. You’ll finish by presenting your findings, giving you the chance to explain how technology and finance intersect in practice.
3. CLA High School Internship Program
Location: Various locations nationwide, including select cities in MA
Cost: Free (paid internship)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not Specified
Dates: Summer internships, typically starting in June, duration varies by location
Application Deadline: Varies; internships start in June
Eligibility: Students aged 16 to 18 currently in high school
CLA’s High School Internship Program offers paid summer internships where students can explore careers in accounting, business, and professional services. Interns work on projects, interact with clients, and build practical skills while discovering potential career paths in a supportive and inclusive environment. The program is designed to help students identify their strengths, develop new abilities, and gain early familiarity with professional work settings. Participants receive mentorship and feedback from experienced professionals, while networking and career exploration remain central for those considering business or accounting fields. To stay updated on future opportunities and events, students, parents, and teachers are encouraged to join CLA’s talent community.
4. Young Founders Lab
Location: Virtual
Cost: Individual Program: $3990; Summer Group Program: $3490; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Group program 1: June 9-29, Group program 2: August 4-24; Individual program: rolling
Application Deadline: Rolling throughout the year based on cohorts; Fall deadline, September 12
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
In this program, you’ll learn what it takes to launch a startup by building one yourself. You’ll attend live workshops on topics like customer research, product design, and fundraising, while working with other students to develop your idea into a prototype. With mentorship along the way, you’ll see how entrepreneurs move from concept to execution. The program ends with you pitching your startup to an audience, giving you practice in presenting and defending your work.
5. Bentley University — Wall Street 101
Location: Bentley University, Waltham, MA
Cost: $1,490 (online) to ~$3,180 (residential), depending on the course + $75 application fee; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 6 weekly sessions in the summer, A-F (dates vary by session). Check here for all dates
Application Deadline: January - until spots filled, till June 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who have done two years of college preparatory coursework, 16+
This business program for high school students in Massachusetts gives you the chance to work in Bentley’s trading room and learn how financial markets really work. You’ll practice using Bloomberg terminals to analyze stocks, explore how investment strategies are built, and take part in simulations that mirror real-world trading. Each week focuses on a different finance theme, so you’ll be able to choose the track that matches your interests. By the end of the program, you’ll present your trading decisions and strategies, building both analytical and communication skills.
6. Tufts Pre-College — Entrepreneurship & Innovation Bootcamp
Location: Tufts University, Medford, MA
Cost: $4,225 (commuter); $5750 (residential); limited financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: July 6-18
Application Deadline: December 2 - May 1
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12
In this bootcamp, you’ll learn how to design and test new business ideas in a fast-paced environment. You’ll work in teams to brainstorm solutions, research markets, and create a pitch for your startup concept. Along the way, you’ll get feedback from Tufts faculty and mentors, practicing the same skills entrepreneurs use to launch companies. At the end of the session, you’ll present your business plan, showing how your idea evolved over the course of the program.
7. UMass Amherst — Isenberg Business Ethics Academy
Location: UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA
Cost: $3907 residential; $2262 commuter; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: July 13 - 26
Application Deadline: Varies yearly
Eligibility: High school rising sophomores to seniors
At this academy, you’ll explore how ethics plays a role in modern business decisions as part of the business programs for high school students in Massachusetts. You’ll study real-world cases where companies faced tough choices, and you’ll discuss issues like corporate responsibility and fairness in decision-making. With guidance from Isenberg faculty, you’ll practice analyzing problems from different perspectives. You’ll finish the program by working with peers on a team project that tackles an ethical dilemma and presenting your solution.
8. Northeastern University — Experiential Entrepreneurship (Accelerate Pre-College)
Location: Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Cost: $6,895 residential; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: July 6-18 or July 20-August 1
Application Deadline: February 28; Check here for priority and late deadlines
Eligibility: High school rising juniors and seniors
During this program, you’ll dive into the process of building and testing a business venture. You’ll learn the basics of entrepreneurship through workshops and mentorship while collaborating on a startup idea with your peers. The program emphasizes hands-on learning, so you’ll spend much of your time designing, testing, and refining your product or service. By the end, you’ll apply everything you learned into practice by pitching your business concept..
9. Boston University — Academic Immersion: Business (Questrom)
Location: Boston University, Boston, MA
Cost: $5,370 tuition + other fees
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: June 29 for residential /June 30 for commuter - July 18
Application Deadline: December 15 - until spots filled
Eligibility: High school rising juniors and seniors
If you enroll in this business program for high school students in Massachusetts, you’ll explore entrepreneurship, marketing, and management under the guidance of BU Questrom faculty. You’ll work in teams to develop a product and business plan, applying what you learn through case studies and site visits. Along the way, you’ll hear from guest speakers in industry, gaining perspective on different career paths in business. The program concludes with a group presentation, where you’ll pitch your business plan to faculty and peers.
10. MIT — Business & Entrepreneurship Program (via Summer Springboard)
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Cost: $6,498 residential, $3,298 commuter, $99 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Session 1: June 22 – July 4; Session 2: July 6 – 18
Application Deadline: Rolling; based on program availability
Eligibility: High school students, 3.0+ GPA
If you join this program, you’ll spend around two weeks on MIT’s campus learning directly from entrepreneurs and business experts. You’ll develop a startup concept through case studies, mentorship sessions, and guided ideation workshops. Peer collaboration will help you refine business models and pitch strategies. The program culminates in a pitch session where you’ll present your venture concept to a panel of business and entrepreneurship experts.
11. Harvard Pre-College — Business & Leadership
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $5800 + $75 application fee; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Session 1: June 21–July 2, Session 2: July 5–17, Session 3: July 19–31
Application Deadline: December 1 - February 11
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, age 16-18
If you take part in this program, you’ll explore leadership and business fundamentals through seminars and group projects. You’ll work with peers to examine case studies and tackle real-world problems. Daily discussions will push you to think critically and communicate clearly. At the end of the program, you’ll present your project to faculty and classmates, practicing skills that will carry over into future business studies, as part of the business programs for high school students in Massachusetts.
12. Babson College — Summer Study (Entrepreneurial Thought & Action)
Location: Babson College (online) or New England Innovation Academy, Marlborough, MA
Cost: $6,295 + $95 application fee; NEIA Residential: $6,500 and Day: $3,000; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: July 6 – 27
Application Deadline: December 5 - February 14 (In-person) / March 14 (Online)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, age 16+
As one of the business programs for high school students in Massachusetts, this program lets you learn how entrepreneurs turn ideas into action using Babson’s Entrepreneurial Thought & Action approach. You’ll spend your mornings in structured sessions with faculty and your afternoons working with peers on team projects. Along the way, you’ll practice leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills that mirror college-level business study. By the final week, you’ll present your project, showing how your team tackled a real-world challenge from concept to solution, while earning four college credits.
13. Wharton Global Youth — Online Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: $100 application fee; tuition fees vary depending on the program, ranging from $329 to $4,799; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 2 weeks in the summer, vary based on specific program
Application Deadline: November 5 - April 2/May 1 (online programs)
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9–12, 3.3+ GPA
If you join Wharton Global Youth online, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in faculty-led courses on various business-related topics, including leadership, finance, and entrepreneurship. You’ll work through live sessions, team projects, and assignments designed to mirror college-level business study. You’ll collaborate with students worldwide, giving you practice in both teamwork and cross-cultural communication. At the end, you’ll complete a project or case study that shows what you’ve learned.
14. UMass Amherst — How Business Works
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,925; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 14 - 25
Application Deadline: Varies yearly
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores to seniors
In this online program, you’ll explore the foundations of business and entrepreneurship. You’ll learn about how companies operate in areas like management, finance, and marketing. Through discussions and assignments, you’ll apply these concepts to case studies and examples from current events. By the end, you’ll have a stronger understanding of how businesses function in a global economy.
15. Harvard Student Agencies — Virtual Business Bootcamps
Location: Virtual
Cost: $450
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple week-long sessions during the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
If you enroll in this bootcamp, you’ll spend an intensive week learning business basics with Harvard undergraduates as your instructors. You’ll explore areas like marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship through interactive sessions and group projects. You’ll also develop presentation skills as you prepare a final pitch with your peers. The short format makes it a flexible way to get a concentrated introduction to business.
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