12 Economics Summer Programs for High School Students in Massachusetts
If you are a high school student interested in economics, summer programs offer an opportunity to explore how economic ideas influence prices, policies, and decision-making. These programs help you develop skills in data interpretation, financial reasoning, and policy analysis through applied study and guided projects. You’ll also connect with students who share your interests while gaining early exposure to academic and professional learning environments.
Why should you attend a program in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts is home to universities, research centers, and financial institutions that offer economics programs during the summer break. In these programs, you might work on research projects, analyze data, or study financial systems to understand how economic ideas operate in practice. Whether you live in Massachusetts or are visiting from another state, these programs provide a structured way to explore your academic interests in economics.
To help you get started, we’ve narrowed our list to 12 economics summer programs for high school students in Massachusetts.
If you are looking for internships in Massachusetts, check out our blog here.
1. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
Location: Nationwide (the Leadership Summit is held in Washington, DC)
Stipend: Provided; all expenses towards the trip to Washington, DC, covered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer
Application deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who have authorization to work in the United States, live in an eligible area, and have not participated in the program before
The Bank of America Student Leaders Program places high school juniors and seniors in paid, eight-week internships with nonprofit organizations in their local communities. During the internship, you contribute to projects involving budgeting, fundraising, program operations, and community planning, helping you understand how economic decisions shape access to essential services. In addition to the local internship, all participants attend a national leadership summit in Washington, DC. The summit features sessions on business, public policy, and cross-sector collaboration, showing how nonprofits, governments, and private organizations work together to address economic challenges.
2. Veritas AI’s AI + Finance
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
The Veritas AI + Finance Deep Dive examines how artificial intelligence is used in modern financial systems through structured instruction and project-based work. You learn to use Python and machine learning techniques to analyze financial datasets and model trends. You'll work with applications such as stock price forecasting and time-series analysis, gaining insights into how data-driven models support financial decision-making. Rather than focusing on theory alone, the program teaches hands-on coding and practical implementation. With guidance from mentors, you'll build, test, and refine your own models while learning how these tools are used in real financial decision-making.
3. TIP Intern Program – Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Location: Boston
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Summer placements, with potential for year-round extension
Application deadline: Typically, March
Eligibility: High school students aged 16-18 who have completed their sophomore year in a Boston Public School
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s TIP Intern Program provides paid internship opportunities to eligible Boston Public School students who have completed their sophomore year. The experience begins with a summer internship that combines job assignments with workshops, mentorship, and professional skill development, giving you an early look at how a major public Institution operates. During the course of the program, you're introduced to the role of the Federal Reserve in the U.S. financial system. You'll also gain insights into expectations and the economic and financial institutions that function behind the scenes. Based on your performance and interest, you may be invited to continue in year-round roles for up to three years.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available) | None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly 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; you can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a 12-week virtual research experience that pairs you with a Ph.D. mentor for personalized academic guidance. You work through the entire research process, from refining a research question to analyzing data and writing a formal paper, while exploring fields such as economics and finance. Through regular mentorship sessions, you'll receive detailed feedback on methodology, analysis, and clarity of argument. Depending on your interests, you can focus on specialized topics such as corporate finance, accounting, or business strategy. By the end of the program, you'll produce a complete research paper that demonstrates independent research ability and strong analytical skills. This final paper can also serve as a substantive writing sample for future academic use, including publication.
5. Year Up
Location: Various locations, including Boston
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 12 months (6 months training + 6 months internship)
Application deadline: Varies by location
Eligibility: High school seniors and post-secondary students
Year Up is a fully funded, year-long workforce development program that combines professional training with paid internships in fields such as business, IT, and finance. The program begins with several months of classroom-based training, where you focus on technical skills, communication, and professional conduct. The second phase places you in a six-month internship with a major employer, where you gain direct experience in corporate environments and day-to-day professional work. You'll receive a stipend throughout the program, reducing financial barriers to participation. In some cases, the program also offers an opportunity to earn college credit through partner institutions.
6. Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) Internship Program
Location: Boston area
Stipend: $15 - $18 (wages vary based on employers)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 6 – 7 weeks between July and August
Application deadline: Typically late winter or early spring
Eligibility: 9th-12th graders at Boston Public Schools who are 16 years old by July 1 | Work authorization in the U.S.
The Boston Private Industry Council Internship Program connects you with paid summer positions through the Mayor’s Summer Jobs initiative, giving you real workplace experience while still in high school. Internships are available across more than 200 organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, law, technology, life sciences, and architecture. Depending on your placement, you may support tasks connected with accounting, marketing, human resources, or customer operations, helping you understand how organizations function day-to-day. Many students are placed with well-known employers and major institutions in the Boston area, including financial services firms and large companies. Alongside job-specific work, the program focuses on workplace readiness by helping you build professional habits, communication skills, and reliability.
7. Harvard Secondary School Program
Location: Virtual or on-campus at Harvard University, Cambridge
Cost/Stipend: $4,180–$15,735 + $75 application fee; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 4-Week: July 12 – August 7 | 7-Week: June 20 – August 8
Application deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Students graduating high school in the current or next two years | At least 16 years old by June 21 and under 19 years old as of July 31
Harvard’s Secondary School Program allows high school students to enroll in actual Harvard courses for college credit during a four- or seven-week summer term. You choose from a wide range of subjects, including economics, entrepreneurship, and business-related fields, and complete coursework along with undergraduates and other advanced students. This allows you to experience what college academic life is truly like. Classes are academically demanding and follow the same structure as the regular academic year, with reading, discussion, problem sets, and formal assessments. Depending on the session you choose, the program may be residential, online, or commuter-based. Upon completion of the program, you earn an official Harvard transcript and college credit that reflects your academic performance.
8. Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy
Location: Harvard University Campus, Cambridge
Cost: $1,800 (80% need-based financial aid available)
Dates: Week-long sessions from June to August
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12, age 14+ at the time of the program
The Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy offers two focused one-week tracks that let you explore either entrepreneurship or management and strategy. In the Entrepreneurship Academy, you dive into startup fundamentals such as financial literacy, market research, and business planning, culminating in a simulated pitch presentation. The Management and Strategy Academy takes a consulting-style approach, where you analyze business data, financial statements, and operational challenges drawn from real case scenarios. You work through topics such as pricing, profitability, mergers, and company valuation using different frameworks. Experienced Harvard undergraduates lead instructions, giving you insights into how business concepts are applied in college-level coursework and consulting environments.
9. Boston College Experience (BCE)
Location: Virtual or in person at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
Cost: Starts at $1,800; tuition varies by program type. Check details here
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Session 1: June 29 – July 10; Session 2: July 13 – 24; Session 3: July 29 – August 7
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, ages 15 – 18 by program start
The Boston College Experience is a two-week, non-credit academic program that combines classroom learning with a preview of campus life at Boston College. You can choose from a range of courses taught by Boston College faculty in areas such as economics, business and leadership, philosophy, government, and writing. Economics courses introduce both microeconomic and macroeconomic principles, with a focus on decision-making, public policy, and real-world applications of economic theory. In addition to coursework, the program includes workshops on college preparation, resume writing, and networking. Residential participants live on campus and take part in organized weekend excursions around Boston.
10. Harvard Pre-College Summer School Program
Location: Harvard campus, Cambridge
Cost/Stipend: $6,100 + $75 application fee; limited scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 15 students per class
Dates: Session I: June 21 – July 2 | Session II: July 5 – 17 | Session III: July 19 – 31
Application deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old by June 21 and will not turn 19 years old before July 31
Harvard’s Pre-College Program is a two-week residential experience where you live on campus and take one non-credit, college-level course that mirrors the pace and expectations of undergraduate study at Harvard University. If you choose an Economics-related course, you'll engage with analytical frameworks, discussion-based learning, and assignments, without the pressure of grades or GPA impact. Outside the classroom, you take part in co-curricular activities such as lectures, debates, workshops, and cultural events that complement the academic schedule. At the end of the session, you receive a written evaluation and transcript that documents your academic progress.
11. Brown University Pre-College: Pre-Baccalaureate: Principles of Economics
Location: Virtual
Cost: One course: $8,973 | Two courses: $17,935 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 - 12, aged 14 - 18 by June 14
Brown’s Pre-Baccalaureate Program allows high school seniors to enroll in credit-bearing undergraduate courses during the university’s seven-week Summer Session. In the Principles of Economics course, you study core topics such as market behavior, resource allocation, unemployment, inflation, and income distribution. Classes are taken alongside Brown undergraduates and follow a fast-paced schedule equivalent to a full college semester. The teaching combines lectures, discussions, and independent work, reflecting standard college expectations. You'll also learn how economists apply theory to real-world social and policy issues, strengthening both analytical and critical thinking skills. On successful completion of the program, you'll earn college credit and a performance report documenting your academic work.
12. Wharton Global Youth Program: Financial Decision Making
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,099
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – 26 | July 6 – 17
Application deadline: Rolling | Priority deadline: January 28
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–12
Wharton’s Financial Decision Making course is a two-week summer program that shows how economic and financial ideas influence real decisions, both personal and institutional. Designed by faculty at the Wharton School, the course explores topics such as personal finance, interest rates, credit, inflation, financial markets, and monetary policy through case studies and data-driven exercises. A strong emphasis is placed on practical analysis. You'll regularly use Excel to interpret financial data and model real-life decisions, helping you understand how numbers guide financial choices. On successful completion of the program, you'll receive a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.
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