14 Economics Programs for High School Students in California
If you're a high school student interested in economics, then enrolling in a structured program can prove valuable for you. Economics programs allow you to engage in projects, learn directly from industry experts, gain leadership skills, and build meaningful connections with peers and professionals. Hosted by top institutions, these programs enable you to connect with university faculty and industry professionals, helping you build your network.
Why should you attend a program in California?
California is home to many universities and organizations that offer economics programs for high school students. These programs allow you to explore different concepts, including budgeting, personal finance, and game theory, helping you develop critical thinking and leadership skills. Both local and out-of-state students can take advantage of California’s strong academic and professional ecosystem with these opportunities.
To make your search easier, we have a list of 14 economics programs for high school students in California.
If you are interested in summer research programs in California, check out our blog here.
1. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
Location: Multiple locations in California. More information here + A mandatory week-long summit in Washington D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free. A stipend of $15-$20 is paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 300 students
Dates: Eight weeks between June and July
Application Deadline: January 15 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors must have U.S. work authorization and permanent residence in one of the eligible locations
The Bank of America Student Leader's Program is an eight-week work-learn opportunity for high school students. The program will allow you to participate in paid internships with local non-profit organisations and engage in skills development. You will gain practical work and life skills while attending a national leadership summit. You will closely witness the collaboration among nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Habitat for Humanity, as well as businesses and governments, to meet the needs of local people. The program will conclude as you attend a week-long National Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C.
2. Veritas AI+ Finance
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Rolling. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the AI + Finance Deep Dive, students gain a deeper understanding of AI applications in the financial field. They get a chance to engage in lectures, code walkthroughs, and real-world projects using AI & ML models to predict future financial patterns using past data, forecasting stock prices, and more.
3. KP Launch - High School Program
Location: Northern California
Cost/Stipend: Free; a $24/hour stipend is paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly Selective
Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 9
Eligibility: High school students (ages 16-19), legally authorized to work in the U.S., and residing in a Northern California Kaiser Permanente designated service area
The KP Launch High School Program is a seven-week summer work experience for high school students. The program will allow you to understand organizational research and business administration through exposure to a healthcare environment. You will explore different economics-related careers, including accounting, finance, and actuarial. You will work in areas such as audit management, financial reporting, and tax planning and preparation. As a member of the finance team, you will support important business functions including strategic planning, national Medicare finance, corporate finance, and more. You will attend weekly workshops, gain hands-on experience, and participate in meaningful activities. The program is a great learning opportunity that allows you to develop valuable skills in economics and administration.
4. Lumiere’s Economics Track
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as economics, psychology, physics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth Summer Entrepreneurship
Location: University of California, Berkeley, CA
Cost: In-State: $7,450; Out-of-State: $7,950
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 50 students
Dates: HSEN 1: July 5 – 18; HSEN 2: July 19 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 8
Eligibility: High school students
UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth Summer Entrepreneurship is a two-week, selective program for high school students. The program will allow you to gain real-world knowledge and insights from Berkeley Haas professors and guest speakers. You will participate in classroom sessions, work on computer lab assignments, projects, and independent research. The program will allow you to engage in activities outside the classroom environment, including campus tours, karaoke nights, scavenger hunts, and more. You will team up with other participants to develop a comprehensive business plan. After completing the program, you will present your business plan and receive a program completion certificate from UC Berkeley.
6. UC Santa Barbara’s Research Mentorship Program: Economics Track
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
Cost: Residential: $13,274; Commuter: $5,675
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: 10th or 11th-grade high school students with a minimum 3.80 GPA; Outstanding 9th-grade students are eligible on a case-by-case basis
UC Santa Barbara’s Research Mentorship Program: Economics Track is a six-week in-person program for high school students. The research areas include economics, psychology, physics, music, earth science, and many more. You will engage in hands-on research, work one-on-one with a research mentor, and participate in field work. You will get the opportunity to access library resources, engage in data collection, and describe your research findings in a technical research paper. Your research mentors will be renowned faculty members, postdocs, or graduate students. The program will allow you to present your research paper at a formal research symposium.
7. USC Summer Programs- Philosophy of Economic Markets, Money, and Property
Location: University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $85 Application fee; Residential Cost: $11,570; Commuter Cost: $8,130; A non-refundable deposit of $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 22 – July 17
Application Deadline: For domestic students: May 8; For international students: March 13
Eligibility: High school students
USC Summer Programs- Philosophy of Economic Markets, Money, and Property is an in-person program for high school students. The program will provide you with an in-depth understanding of decision theory and game theory frameworks. You will have the opportunity to analyze real-world problems, share critical opinions on ethical issues in the daily market interactions, and give presentations. You will learn about a range of topics, including economics, cryptocurrencies, lending practices, logic, law, wealth & money, and many more. The program is a great opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and understand different perspectives.
8. UCLA’s Pre-College Summer Institutes- Introduction to Investments
Location: Session A: University of California, Los Angeles, CA, Session B: Virtual
Cost: Virtual version: $2,330; Commuter version: To Be Determined
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – July 10
Application Deadline: June 12
Eligibility: 9th-12th-grade high school students (minimum age- 15 years)
UCLA Summer Institute: Introduction to Investments is a three-week program for high school students. You will have the opportunity to attend lectures and discussion sessions on investment options led by UCLA faculty and UCLA Majors. You will understand the fundamentals of financial literacy, money, banking, and personal investment decisions. The program will cover many key topics, including global markets, venture capital, stock ownership, bonds, commodities, international investing, and more. You will explore investment-related career paths and gain the tools and skills to begin your personal financial plan, earning college credit upon completion of the program.
9. USC’s Ethics in the 21st Century: Business, Politics and Technology
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Residential: $11,570; Commuter: $8,130 ($85 Application fee)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 22 – July 17
Application Deadline: For domestic students: May 8; For international students: March 13
Eligibility: High school students
Ethics in the 21st Century: Business, Politics and Technology aims to consider urgent moral questions through interacting with influential philosophical texts, documentaries, and news media. You will have the opportunity to engage in structured, respectful debates and make moral assessments of government and business policy decisions. The program will allow you to learn topics such as ethical theories, business, ethics, political philosophy, technology ethics, and critical thinking and logic. You will learn about economic inequality, immigration, the commodification of organs, and more. The program will also help you become a reflective, ethical member of society through argumentation, critical thinking, and writing skills.
10. Stanford Summer Session: Principles of Economics
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: Varies with program type. More information here
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 23 – August 17
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: High school, graduate, and undergraduate students
Stanford Summer Sessions: Principles of Economics is an eight-week, in-person introductory course. You will have the opportunity to learn concepts from microeconomics and macroeconomics. The program aims to develop your understanding of the approaches and analytical tools applied by economists. There are a total of five units covered in the program that will help you develop an in-depth understanding of economics news and data interpretation. You will get to explore economic models that will help you understand the choices made by companies, governments, households, and societies in the face of scarcity. The program is a great learning opportunity and is open to students from diverse backgrounds.
11. StanfordOnline: Principles of Economics
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free; $50 to earn a certification on completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Everyone is eligible, no prerequisites
Stanford Online: Principles of Economics is a self-paced virtual program that will introduce you to the functioning of a modern market economy. You will get the opportunity to learn microeconomic analysis, analyze the goods and service markets, and understand consumer behavior. The program will allow you to learn macroeconomic concepts, including employment, national production, interest rates, and inflation. You will learn in-depth about national economies and the growth and fluctuations associated with them. You will get the opportunity to discuss the role of government regulation, fiscal policy, and monetary policy.
12. Financial Markets by Yale University
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free; A fee is paid to earn a certificate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Everyone is eligible
Coursera’s Financial Markets by Yale University is a beginner-level, self-paced economics program for high school students. You will be introduced to risk management and behavioural finance principles, and you will understand how the insurance, security, and banking industries operate. The program is led by Robert Shiller, Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University, and covers seven modules. You will get the opportunity to develop valuable skills, including corporate finance, behavioral economics, market dynamics, financial regulation, investment banking, capital markets, and more. The program aims to work towards a better society by effectively using different finance and related industries.
13. Wharton Global Youth Program: Understanding Your Money
Location: Virtual
Cost: $329
Acceptance rate/cohort size: NA
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students
Wharton Global Youth: Understanding Your Money is a self-paced virtual program for high school students. The program aims to help you make wiser financial decisions. You will be introduced to fundamental concepts in economics, attend video sessions led by Wharton faculty, and participate in readings and quizzes. You will get to develop valuable skills in investing and basic money management. The program will include four learning modules on topics including economics, supply and demand, currency and international markets, budgeting, retirement planning, asset allocation, and more. You will get the opportunity to learn from renowned faculty and develop smart investing strategies. Upon completion of the program, you will earn a Wharton Global Youth Program certificate.
14. Summer@Brown Behavioral Game Theory: Experiments in Strategic Interaction
Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,554
Acceptance rate/cohort size: not specified
Dates: June 23 – July 18
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: 9-12 grade high school students (ages 14-18); Basic knowledge of probability, solving linear and quadratic equations, plotting linear functions, and computing averages.
Summer@Brown Behavioral Game Theory: Experiments in Strategic Interaction is a four-week virtual program for high school students. The program is divided into two parts and will introduce you to the tools economists use to understand human behavior. In the first part of the course, you will learn about game theory, how good decisions can lead to bad outcomes, and how the assumption that humans are rational is not always true. In the second part of the course, you will learn what happens when the assumption of rationality is no longer present. You will learn different examples of irrationality, including herd mentality, gambler’s fallacy, overconfidence, temptation, cognitive biases, and heuristics.
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