15 Finance Summer College Programs for High School Students
If you are looking for ways to build skills and strong financial knowledge before college, summer programs can be a solid next step. Summer programs led by finance schools and universities can introduce you to investing, financial modeling, and economic decision-making in a structured way. As a participant, you will get access to faculty, mentors, and sometimes professionals from finance-related fields, who can help you understand how the industry functions.
What are the benefits of a finance college program?
When you join finance-focused college-led programs, you are not just learning definitions; you’re actually working through financial problems while learning from university faculty. You will learn to analyze financial statements, understand market behavior, interpret numbers, trends, and risk scenarios, and evaluate investment decisions using structured frameworks, thereby building analytical thinking skills. Many programs introduce tools like Excel for financial modeling and even touch on valuation methods such as discounted cash flow (DCF).
From a college admissions perspective, participating in finance summer college programs can show that you have explored your interests in a more applied and structured way, going beyond the school curriculum. You will additionally gain exposure to different areas within finance, like corporate finance, investment banking, personal finance, and fintech, which can help you narrow down potential majors and choose the path you want to explore in college.
To help you with your search, here is a list of 15 finance summer college programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These 15 programs span personal finance, investing, financial modeling, corporate finance, quantitative finance, wealth management, and fintech, so students with a wide range of interests within finance can find a relevant summer program.
Several programs are low-cost or accessible, including NCCU Wealth Management Camp ($50), Western Michigan Dollars and Sense Camp ($299), USF Bulls Finance Camp ($750), and Hofstra Finance and Investment for Teens ($780), while university programs, such as Wharton, Bentley, and Babson, offer more structured academic environments at higher price points.
Many programs teach hands-on financial skills using professional tools, including Bentley's Wall Street 101 (Bloomberg terminals and FactSet), Babson Summer Program (trading software and real startup financial projections), Stevens Institute (Python, R, Bloomberg Market Concepts, and Capital IQ certifications), and NYU Wall Street Pro (financial modeling templates and DCF valuation).
Programs vary in length and format, from one-week in-person intensives, such as Fordham Finance Institute and Hofstra Finance Camp, to four-week online programs with mentorship, such as Northwestern Finance and Dartmouth Investing and Market Insights, so students can choose based on their schedule and depth of interest.
Application deadlines for the most selective programs fall early, including Wharton Essentials of Finance (January 28 priority), Wharton Financial Decision Making (January 28 priority), and NYU Wall Street Pro (March 14 for international students), so students should begin researching options in the fall.
1. University of Pennsylvania Wharton Global Youth Program: Essentials of Finance
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $8,299 + $100 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 7 – 19 | June 21 – July 3 | July 12 – 25 | July 26 – August 8
Application deadline: Priority deadline: January 28; Final deadline: March 18
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9 – 11; demonstrated interest in economics or business is preferred but not required. International applicants can apply.
This two-week program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School is designed to help you explore personal and corporate finance. You will explore topics such as valuation models, the time value of money, financial statements, interest rates, and risk and return through lectures, group work, and case studies. A key part of the program is a team project in which you will evaluate a publicly traded company and provide a market recommendation. Outside of class, the university runs a speaker series featuring Wharton faculty and offers access to evening activities. On completing the program, you will get a Wharton Global Youth certificate.
2. Wake Forest University’s Finance and Investing Institute
Location: Wake Forest University Reynolda Campus, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: $3,500 + $60 non-refundable application fee; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 14 – 19 | June 21 – 26
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Current 9th–12th grade students
At the Wake Forest Finance and Investing Institute, you will spend a week exploring how investment decisions are structured in real market environments. You will learn about financial instruments like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, along with investing approaches and techniques, and then move toward analyzing financial statements. The program requires you to build and pitch your own investment portfolio, which forces you to justify your choices with data. You will also participate in a mock investment competition where risk and return are evaluated continuously. Site visits to financial institutions will help you connect classroom learning with real-world trading environments.
3. Fordham University’s Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom
Location: Fordham University, Bronx, NY (hybrid program)
Cost: $1,300
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – July 31 (multiple week-long sessions within this window)
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 – 12
At Fordham’s Finance Institute, you will build a foundational understanding of how financial systems operate. You will start with concepts like time value of money and monetary policy, which form the base for more advanced topics. As the program progresses, you will explore financial instruments such as equities, bonds, and derivatives. You will also examine sectors like hedge funds, private equity, and cryptocurrency markets through guided discussions. Guest speakers from finance firms will help you connect these ideas to real career paths. The structure lets you build a conceptual framework before moving on to technical finance applications.
4. University of Pennsylvania Wharton Global Youth Program Financial Decision Making
Location: Online
Cost: $4,099 + 100 non-refundable application fee; scholarships available for eligible Philadelphia students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 15 – 26 | July 6 – 17
Application deadline: Priority: January 28; Final: Rolling
Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades 9 – 12
In the Financial Decision Making program by Wharton Global Youth, you will spend two weeks working through finance concepts using real datasets and structured analytical tools. You will explore how variables like interest rates, inflation, and credit can affect financial outcomes in different scenarios. The program will also introduce Excel-based analysis early on to help you start thinking in terms of models rather than just theory. As you move forward, you will evaluate stocks and bonds using frameworks like diversification and risk-adjusted return. You will also collaborate on a capstone project where you will apply the concepts you learn to a real financial case. At the end, you will earn a certificate from Wharton Global Youth.
5. Montclair State University’s Wall Street and the Investment Experience Pre-College Program
Location: Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ
Cost: $1,900
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 12 – 18
Application deadline: Rolling enrollment with payment due on June 15; applications open on November 25.
Eligibility: Current 9th – 11th grade students
This week-long program is designed to help you explore how markets function and how investors analyze data through real-world exposure to financial environments. You will evaluate market trends, study financial news, and learn how assets such as commodities, cryptocurrencies, and stocks behave. You will also examine the work of well-known investors such as Warren Buffett and analyze how investment strategies evolve over time. The curriculum additionally covers how AI is influencing financial markets and investment strategies. The highlight of the week is a trip to New York City’s Financial District, where you will see financial institutions and Wall Street up close.
6. Bentley University’s Wall Street 101: Personal Finance
Location: Online or Bentley University, Waltham, MA
Cost: Online: $1,490 | Commuter: $2,450 | Residential: $3,380 + $75 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 8 – July 24 (multiple courses within this window)
Application deadline: Rolling until June 1
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
Bentley University’s Wall Street 101 lets you enroll in five finance-focused courses: Macroeconomics & Financial Markets, Personal Finance, Stock Market & Investment Research, FinTech Startups, and Global Finance and Trade. The courses cover a wide range of aspects, from how to plan your savings and invest wisely to how government policies affect markets. Led by Bentley faculty, the program lets you explore foundational finance concepts through team-based stock pitches, investment strategy analysis, macroeconomic simulations, policy debates, and presentations from Wall Street professionals. In the process, you will develop skills in financial analysis, risk management, and investment decision-making. If you choose the on-campus format, you will get access to Bentley's trading room, a facility equipped with industry-standard tools like Bloomberg terminals, FactSet, and the Financial Trading System, where you can work with real-time financial data just like professional traders do.
7. NYU SPS High School Academy Career Edge: Investing Like a Wall Street Pro
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost: $2,579 + optional housing & dining: $684 + $50 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple one-week sessions: June 29 – July 2 | July 6 – 10 | July 13 – 17 | July 20 – 24 | July 27 – 31 | or August 3 – 7
Application deadline: March 14 (international students) | April 29 (residential students) | June 12 (commuter students)
Eligibility: High school students who have completed grades 9 – 11
Investing Like a Wall Street Pro is a one-week intensive course held on NYU’s campus, where you will learn how professional fund managers and Wall Street analysts evaluate companies and make investment decisions. The course begins with fundamental economic concepts, including how industries respond to business cycles and the idea of “economic moats,” which are competitive advantages that help certain companies outperform others. You will study real financial statements and learn to use valuation ratios to understand whether stocks are good investments. Throughout the course, you will analyze well-known companies like Apple, Disney, Nike, and Snapchat by studying their business models and financial information in real time. Using financial modeling templates, you will practice forecasting key business metrics and building cash flow models to value companies, along with learning other valuation methods. Toward the end of the week, you will complete building your own valuation model and learn how to conduct investment research using annual reports, financial software, and online resources.
8. Western Michigan University’s Dollars and Sense Camp
Location: Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business’s Greenleaf Trust Trading Room, Kalamazoo, MI
Cost: $299
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: August 17 – 21
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 – 12
The Dollars and Sense Camp is designed to help you explore long-term financial planning. You will learn about budgeting, insurance, risk management, and saving strategies through sessions conducted within Western Michigan University’s trading room. The program also introduces topics like cryptocurrency, blockchain, and real estate investment. You will participate in personal finance activities and create a financial plan to fund your post-secondary education. At the end, you will present your financial plans to professionals.
9. University of South Florida’s Bulls Finance Camp
Location: University of South Florida (USF) Muma College of Business, Tampa, FL
Cost: $750 + optional residential add-on: $1,395
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Up to 60 students
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application deadline: Open until full; applications open on February 1
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 – 12
At the Bulls Finance Camp at USF, you will explore financial concepts relevant to modern business practices. You will study topics like financial planning, investments, corporate finance, and FinTech through challenges, activities, and discussions led by faculty and finance professionals. The program gives you a chance to explore the USF campus and interact with finance majors. You will also hear from speakers associated with the USF Federal Credit Union. You will additionally work with other students on projects focused on financial strategy.
10. Hofstra University’s Finance and Investment for Teens
Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Cost: $780 + additional fee for transportation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – 17
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 – 12
This one-week camp at Hofstra University introduces you to core aspects of finance and investing. You will explore how companies make decisions, set financial goals, and measure their performance. The curriculum also covers how the stock market works and its role in the economy and personal financial planning. A key part of the experience is a stock market simulation game in which you will take on the role of a money manager and develop your own stock portfolio. Additionally, you will practice reading financial statements and applying investment strategies that you learn in lectures.
11. Babson College’s Arthur M. Blank School Summer Program
Location: Online or Babson College, Wellesley, MA (just outside Boston)
Cost: $1,608/week (online) | $2,680/week (commuter) | $3,400 (residential) + $75 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 31; multiple one- and two-week sessions in this window
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are at least 15 years old
This non-credit pre-college program at Babson College lets you enroll in short courses focused on finance and business. Depending on the track you choose, you may manage a simulated $100,000 portfolio, practice stock pitching, work with a real startup to build financial projections, and use professional trading software in Babson's finance lab. You may also get to refine personal financial literacy and investing skills. You will learn through lectures and hands-on activities, in which you may negotiate venture funding as either a founder or an investor, or research a real public company and develop an investment thesis. Courses are led by Babson faculty and follow the college's entrepreneurship-focused, hands-on approach.
12. Dartmouth College’s Finance: Investing & Market Insights Program
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple 1 – 4-week sessions throughout the year, including in the summer
Application deadline: Varies based on session
Eligibility: Students, ages 13 and up
In Dartmouth’s Investing & Market Insights online program, you will learn about finance through valuation and market behavior. You will explore how IPOs work, how companies are valued using discounted cash flow, and how investors identify inefficiencies in markets. You will also learn how to analyze financial statements and recognize factors that drive company success. The program relies heavily on case studies, so you will regularly assess real companies and interpret financial data. As you progress, you will take on the role of a private equity-style analyst, evaluating business models and risks. Mentors will guide you through your capstone project, where you will synthesize your findings into a structured analysis.
13. Northwestern University’s Finance: Think Like an Investor
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple 2- and 4-week sessions throughout the year, including in the summer
Application deadline: Varies based on session
Eligibility: Students, ages 13 and up
The Think Like an Investor program at Northwestern University offers a comprehensive introduction to the financial industry. You will explore how financial markets and institutions work, learn to analyze financial statements, and discover different investment strategies used by real investors. The course is structured around six main modules that let you cover economic foundations, evaluate investments, analyze balance sheets and income statements, and explore the world of private equity through real-world case studies. Throughout the program, you will have access to a mentor who has expertise in finance and can answer your questions and offer feedback on your assignments. The course is flexible, with 20 to 30 hours of total instruction spread across either a two-week or four-week session through video lessons, simulations, and interactive assignments. Your final project will require you to analyze a private equity case study, develop financial projections, and present an investment recommendation.
14. Stevens Institute of Technology’s Quantitative Finance Virtual Summer Research Experience
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application deadline: March 16 (priority); June 1 (final)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; applicants with some coding and Excel experience are preferred.
This Stevens Institute of Technology program introduces high school students to quantitative finance and research in the field over a four-week period in a structured virtual format. The program covers the overlap between finance, probability, and computer science, allowing you to explore statistical techniques, code using Python and R, and build financial modeling skills. The curriculum focuses on applying data to real financial decision-making. You will also earn Bloomberg Market Concepts and Capital IQ certifications, gaining access to tools and credentials you can use for future career opportunities.
15. North Carolina Central University’s Peggy Ward Financial Education Center Wealth Management Camp
Location: North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC
Cost: $50
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th-grade students
This five-day camp is designed to help you build financial literacy and explore personal finance strategies. You will engage in challenges and discussions focused on financial independence and long-term planning. You will find opportunities to build communication skills, experience financial decision-making, and learn about wealth management strategies. The schedule also includes team competitions, leadership exercises, and opportunities to win scholarships and prizes. You will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the camp.
Frequently asked questions
1. What finance summer programs are available for high school students?
Options include university-based investing and finance programs, such as Wharton Global Youth, Wake Forest Finance and Investing Institute, and Fordham Finance Institute, online finance programs, such as Dartmouth Investing and Market Insights and Northwestern Think Like an Investor, quantitative and technical finance programs, such as Stevens Institute Quantitative Finance, personal finance and wealth management programs, such as NCCU Wealth Management Camp and Western Michigan Dollars and Sense, and fintech and market-focused programs, such as Bentley Wall Street 101 and Montclair Wall Street and the Investment Experience.
2. Which finance programs are the most affordable for high school students?
NCCU Wealth Management Camp costs $50, Western Michigan Dollars and Sense Camp costs $299, USF Bulls Finance Camp costs $750, and Hofstra Finance and Investment for Teens costs $780, making these among the most accessible options compared to university-level programs that can cost several thousand dollars.
3. Which finance programs teach professional tools like Bloomberg or Python?
Bentley University's Wall Street 101 provides access to Bloomberg terminals, FactSet, and the Financial Trading System on campus, and Stevens Institute of Technology's Quantitative Finance program teaches Python, R, and awards Bloomberg Market Concepts and Capital IQ certifications.
4. Are there online finance programs for high school students?
Yes, Dartmouth's Investing and Market Insights, Northwestern's Think Like an Investor, Wharton Financial Decision Making, and Stevens Institute Quantitative Finance are all fully online, making them accessible to students regardless of location.
5. Which programs are best for students with no prior finance experience?
Wake Forest Finance and Investing Institute, USF Bulls Finance Camp, NCCU Wealth Management Camp, and Hofstra Finance and Investment for Teens all welcome students with no prior finance background, making them strong entry points for students exploring the field for the first time.
6. When should I apply to finance summer programs for high school students?
Wharton Global Youth programs have a priority deadline of January 28, NYU Wall Street Pro closes March 14 for international students, Stevens Institute closes March 16 (priority), and several programs, such as Wake Forest, Bentley, and Babson, accept rolling applications, so students should begin researching options in the fall and apply early to secure preferred sessions.
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