15 Finance Pre-College Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in finance, pre-college programs offer a structured way to explore the field before college. These programs introduce you to essential financial concepts, such as investing, budgeting, and risk management, while also allowing you to work on case studies, simulations, and group projects. Hosted by universities or research institutions, these programs include mentorship from faculty, graduate students, and industry professionals. You might study topics ranging from cryptocurrency and financial planning to global markets and monetary policy, while developing quantitative skills and building connections with peers who share your interests.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 15 finance pre-college programs for high school students.
If you are looking for online internships, check out our blog here.
1. Loyola Marymount University Save It Forward (SIFI)
Location: Loyola Marymount University (Hilton Center for Business), Los Angeles, CA
Cost: No cost
Dates: June 23 – 27 | July 7 – 11 | July 14 – 18
Application Deadline: Rolling until full
Eligibility: High school students
The Save It Forward Initiative (SIFI) at Loyola Marymount University is a summer residential program designed for high school students seeking to develop financial literacy skills. The five-day curriculum includes investing basics, the stock market, credit and loan management, and preparing for major life purchases, such as a home or a car. Under mentorship from current LMU undergraduate students, you will explore practical money management skills, working through real-world datasets and interactive workshops.
2. Veritas AI - AI + Finance Deep Dive
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type; full financial aid available
Dates: Multiple 12–15 week cohorts offered in spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions, with main cycles in January, May, September, and 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. University of Kansas’ Summer Venture in Business (SVB)
Location: The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Cost: No cost
Dates: Session 1: June 15 – 20 | Session 2: July 13 – 18
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Rising 11th- and 12th-grade students
The Summer Venture in Business (SVB) program at the University of Kansas' School of Business is a fully funded, residential pre-college academy for rising high school juniors and seniors. This five-day program offers a comprehensive college experience, blending both academic exploration and social engagement with a focus on business. Participants attend sessions led by KU School of Business faculty, engage in panel discussions with alumni, and go on industry tours with the program’s corporate sponsors, providing a valuable glimpse into various business fields and professional life.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Finance Track
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available
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 that you can explore as a high schooler. 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 finance, economics, data science, and more. Students can receive post-baccalaureate credit from UCSD Extended Studies! You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. University of Tennessee’s Pre-Collegiate Accounting and Information Management (AIM) Academy
Location: Haslam College of Business, Knoxville, TN
Cost: No cost
Dates: July 13 – 17
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors
The Accounting and Information Management (AIM) Academy at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business is a six-day summer program to introduce rising high school juniors to the field of accounting and information management and business-related careers. During the six days, you will be taught by university faculty and staff, and attend workshops in accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, and professional development. Additional sessions include team-building exercises, college readiness workshops, and meetings with industry leaders.
6. University of Texas’ McCombs Future Executive Academy
Location: University of Texas, Austin, TX
Cost: No cost
Dates: May 31 – June 5
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors
The McCombs Future Executive Academy (MFEA) is a fully funded, six-day business and leadership residential program at the University of Texas at Austin. Designed for high school sophomores and juniors, the academy introduces participants to the fundamentals of business through interaction with McCombs students and faculty. The program includes workshops, guest lectures, networking with industry professionals, and a culminating case competition that allows students to apply their newly acquired skills. This experience can provide an immersive taste of college life and a strong foundation in business leadership.
7. UC Irvine’s Investments, Financial Planning & You
Location: Paul Merage College of Business at the University of California, Irvine, CA
Cost: $1,395
Dates: 1 week in July
Application Deadline: Applications open in January
Eligibility: High school students
UC Irvine’s Investments, Financial Planning & You is a week-long commuter summer program for high school students willing to expand their financial and investing expertise. During the program, you will participate in case studies, group projects, online simulations, and presentations with industry professionals and faculty from the Paul Merage School of Business. The capstone project of the program requires you to create a personal wealth management plan to lay the foundation for long-term financial success.
8. Harvard University’s Summer School: Personal Finance and Financial Well-Being
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $6,100
Dates: June 22 – July 3
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who will graduate from high school and enter college in the upcoming years, between 16 and 19 years old
The Personal Finance and Financial Well-Being course at the Harvard Summer School is a Pre-College program for high school students. The two-week course focuses on analyzing major topics in personal finance while emphasizing the importance of behavioral biases that often influence household financial decisions. High school students will develop the necessary skills to create and maintain financial well-being, a crucial capability for prospective undergraduate students managing their finances now and in the future.
9. Columbia University’s Pre-College: Statistics Applications in Finance
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $12,764 (Residential ) | $6,310 (Commuter)
Dates: June 30 – July 18
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: High school students with a basic knowledge of statistics and probability mathematical concepts
Columbia University’s Statistics Applications in Finance is a three-week pre-college course for high school students with an understanding of statistics and probability interested in a career in finance, economics, or data science. This course will equip you with the essential tools and knowledge used by finance professionals. You will gain an understanding of how financial markets operate, learn to manage risk, make predictions, and explore the critical role of statistics within the field of finance. You'll analyze financial data and make decisions using statistical methods, something you can apply to your interests in stocks, investment strategies, or risk management. You’ll also participate in group projects, stock market simulations, and case studies to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
10. University of Southern California’s Bitcoin & AI: Unlocking The Future of Finance and Technology
Location: University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $11,570 (Residential) | $8,130 (Commuter)
Dates: June 22 – July 17
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: High school students who have completed 9th grade
The Bitcoin & AI: Unlocking The Future of Finance and Technology course at the University of Southern California is designed for high school students interested in a detailed analysis of the interaction between Bitcoin, the financial system, and AI’s accelerating impact on the digital economy. You begin with the evolution of today’s dollar-based financial system, then move to the origin of Bitcoin. The program will cover the transformative influence and rapid spread of AI across the global economy. Participants will investigate which sectors are most susceptible to disruption by AI. Additionally, the analysis will focus on the future convergence of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, stablecoins, and official government digital currencies.
11. Columbia University’s Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, AI, and Beyond
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $12,764 (Residential) | $6,310 (Commuter)
Dates: June 29 – July 17 | July 21 – August 7
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.3 GPA
The Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, AI, and Beyond course at Columbia University is designed for high school students interested in the intersection of finance, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence. You begin with financial technology and explore its impact on banking, real estate, and Wall Street. Additionally, you examine the future of automation in finance, brought about by artificial intelligence, along with the economic changes introduced by blockchain, Bitcoin, and cryptocurrency.
12. Brown University’s Mathematical Modeling of Finance: An Introduction to Quantitative Analysis
Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,554
Dates: June 22 – July 17
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: High school students with a strong background in Algebra
Offered virtually by Brown University, this four-week course provides an introduction to the quantitative analysis used in financial modeling. The curriculum is built for high school students with a strong algebra background, covering essential concepts like compound interest, rates of return, present/future value calculations, and types of annuities. Students will also learn about basic probability distributions and the application of conditional probability to real-world financial issues like loan defaults, establishing a solid mathematical basis for future financial planning and advanced study in quantitative finance.
13. Brown University’s Introduction to Accounting: The Language of Business
Location: Virtual
Cost: $6,520
Dates: June 15 – July 24
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: High school students
Brown University’s Introduction to Accounting: The Language of Business is a six-week online course designed for high school students interested in exploring accounting. Students will learn to apply general accounting principles, develop and communicate financial information, and analyze financial data for management decision-making. The curriculum extends to computing simple ratios, making inferences from financial statements, and planning for both short- and long-term business goals, including product pricing and control systems. The course emphasizes the ethical and social responsibility inherent in financial decision-making.
14. Cornell University’s Summer/Winter Online Program: Introduction to Business Management
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,940 per credit
Dates: Varies depending on cohort
Application Deadline: Varies depending on cohort
Eligibility: High school students
The Introduction to Business Management at Cornell University is a two-week course designed for high school students interested in management and business. You will review the impact of technological innovation on business operations and globalization. You’ll analyse how concerns involving human resources, marketing, finance, and strategy are addressed, and how ethics, leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurship align to keep the financial systems running. The course also includes the opportunity to deliver an integrative group project and earn three college credits.
15. UPenn Wharton Global Youth Program: Financial Decision Making
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,099; Need-based scholarships and financial awards help with full or partial funding for selected participants
Dates: June 15 – 26 | July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: January 28 (priority deadline); rolling admissions after
Eligibility: High school students
The Financial Decision Making course at the University of Pennsylvania is a two-week summer program for high school students at the renowned Wharton School. During the program, you’ll attend live lectures from program instructors for about two hours, along with an hour of recitation led by Teaching Assistants (TAs). You’ll collaborate with peers on a group project focused on future financial planning, and continue to develop skills as you work with real data. You’ll also have access to the Wharton Global Youth Meetup (GYM) for ten weeks, where you can explore new topics and learn alongside your peers.
Image source - Columbia Logo