10 Free Business Summer Programs for High School Students
If you're a high school student interested in business, leadership, or tech, free summer programs can give you valuable experience without the financial burden. These programs, usually run by leading universities and organizations, provide practical projects, mentorship, and workshops to help you gain real-world skills in fields such as entrepreneurship, finance, and innovation.
Many also incorporate elements of technology, AI, or STEM, giving you a chance to explore how business intersects with today’s most in-demand fields. Along the way, you'll build connections, strengthen your college applications, and gain a clearer sense of your interests and goals.
In this guide, we’ve selected 10 free business summer programs for high school students. Be sure to check application timelines — some may have passed for this summer, but they’re worth bookmarking for future cycles.
1. McCombs School of Business Summer Programs – University of Texas at Austin
Location: University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Dates:
MFEA: June 1 – 6
Subiendo: June 8 – 12
DYNAMC: June 22 – 27
Application Deadline: Subiendo: January 31 | MFEA and DYNAMC: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors. Some programs prioritise first-generation or underrepresented students.
Cost: Fully funded
McCombs offers three selective, fully funded summer programs: the McCombs Future Executive Academy (general business), Subiendo (leadership development), and DYNAMC (accounting focus). Across all three tracks, you'll take part in hands-on workshops, hear directly from McCombs faculty, and connect with current students and professionals from the business world.
Many sessions include a technology component, especially helpful if you're curious about business applications in data, finance, or entrepreneurship. These programs also give you a chance to live on campus, work in groups, and gain firsthand exposure to what a business education looks like at a top U.S. public university.
2. Veritas AI Scholars – Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer sessions.
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions. Check the website for specific cohort deadlines.
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12. No prior coding experience required.
Cost: Fully funded for eligible students through need-based aid.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
The program runs in two formats. It has a 10-weekend track or a 2-week intensive, both adding up to 25 hours of live instruction. You’ll attend small group sessions led by mentors (5:1 ratio) that cover core AI concepts while working on a group capstone project that applies AI to a real-world problem, such as financial modeling, data analytics, or business automation. It’s a solid way to get exposure to both tech and business while building a standout project for your college portfolio.
3. MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) Summer
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Dates: 6 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: High school juniors from underrepresented or underserved communities; demonstrated passion for STEM required
Cost: Fully funded
MITES Summer is a six-week residential program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It has advanced STEM coursework with entrepreneurship training, designed for high-achieving juniors from underrepresented backgrounds.
It is an on-campus program that includes college-level classes in fields such as physics, biology, and engineering, along with hands-on laboratory work. It also has guest lectures by MIT faculty and real-world project work.
While not solely focused on business, the program provides valuable exposure to entrepreneurship and innovation, enabling students to explore how groundbreaking ideas can transition from the lab to the marketplace. You’ll take part in leadership development, college prep sessions, and collaborative projects with like-minded peers.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Lumiere Education
Location: Virtual
Dates: Multiple 12-week cohorts throughout the year, including summer
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort, rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students. No prior knowledge required, typically 3.3/4.0 GPA minimum
Cost: Fully funded for eligible low-income students
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you with a PhD mentor. You can work on a business or economics research project, resulting in a university-level paper that can significantly boost your college profile.
Across 12 weeks, you'll take part in online workshops and have regular one-on-one sessions with a mentor. During this time, you can dive into subjects such as AI-driven business models, the basics of venture capital, and innovations in finance. What truly sets Lumiere apart is its well-organized research journey, from shaping your initial proposal to conducting a thorough review of existing work, and finally, writing your research paper. Every step is guided, helping you create work that closely resembles real undergraduate-level research.
No prior experience is needed, just a strong academic record and curiosity. Students from low-income backgrounds can avail full scholarships from Lumiere’s Inclusion Foundation to make sure the program remains accessible.
5. KeyBank Business Leadership Program – University of Colorado Boulder
Location: University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Dates: June 22 – 28
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: Current high school juniors; priority given to Colorado residents
Cost: Fully funded
This one-week residential program, held at the University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business, offers practical experience in leadership, entrepreneurship, and business innovation, with a strong tech element woven throughout. Over the week, you'll join interactive workshops, work through real-world case studies, and engage directly with business faculty and professionals.
Topics include Strategic thinking, effective communication in business, and the role of technology in today’s companies. Through extensive teamwork, you’ll work alongside fellow students on group projects and receive firsthand insights from industry experts on the practical application of business ideas.
You’ll also live on campus and get a preview of college life while building practical skills that will serve you in future studies. Although Colorado residents are prioritised, the program accepts students from across the U.S., and all costs, including housing and meals, are covered.
6. Summer Venture in Business – University of Kansas
Location: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Dates: June 15 – 20 or July 13 – 18
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Rising 11th–12th graders; preference given to Kansas/Kansas City students
Cost: Fully funded
The Summer Venture in Business program at the University of Kansas offers a fully funded, week-long experience that explores fundamental business concepts while examining the impact of technology on the industry. Throughout the program, you’ll sit in on interactive lectures, work in small teams during workshops, and take on projects that showcase the intersection of business and tech.
You’ll stay right on campus in the Kansas University residence halls, which gives you a taste of college life. Plus, you'll meet other students who are just as interested in business as you are, and connect with professionals working in the field. While they do prioritise students from Kansas and the Kansas City area, the program is open to qualified applicants from anywhere, so it’s worth applying if it sounds like a fit.
7. Howard University School of Business Summer Enrichment Program – Howard University
Location: Howard University, Washington, D.C.
Dates: July 13 – 18
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: High school students interested in business
Cost: Fully funded
In this program, you’ll spend a week at Howard University exploring four major business fields: Accounting, Information Systems, Actuarial Science, and Entrepreneurship. You’ll take part in workshops led by professors, work on practical projects, and even head off campus to learn directly from real businesses across Washington, D.C. Students reside on campus for the week, participating in leadership, team-building, and cultural enrichment activities.
8. Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute – Indiana University
Location: Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Dates: June 13 | June 27 | July 11 | July 25
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Female (girls or gender-expansive) rising 11th and 12th graders. A minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale is required
Cost: Fully funded
The Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute (KWLI) is a free pre-college program that introduces high school women to business education and leadership opportunities at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. During the session, you’ll work on communication strategies, build leadership skills, and tackle a business project that could involve areas like digital marketing or business analytics.
Each session is concise yet packed with valuable insights, offering a glimpse into college-level business learning and practical business thinking. You’ll also get to speak with women executives and Kelley School of Business faculty.
9. NAIOP-Drexel Summer Real Estate Program – Drexel University
Location: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Dates: July 13 – 22
Application Deadline: March 21
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors who are first-generation and/or low-income
Cost: Fully funded
The NAIOP-Drexel Summer Real Estate Program is a 10-day intensive residential program that teaches you how real estate projects are planned, financed, marketed, and sold. You’ll learn about real estate development, finance, architecture, construction, urban planning, and more through a case study project and site visits.
Participants work in teams with industry mentors and Drexel faculty, touring notable real estate developments in Philadelphia, including iconic skyscrapers such as the Comcast Center.
10. Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy (TLAE) - Rowan University
Location: Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
Dates: June 23 – 26
Application Deadline: May 18
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors in the U.S.
Cost: Free (includes 3 transferable college credits at no cost)
The Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy (TLAE) at Rowan University is a completely free, in-person program that runs for four days. It’s built for students like you who want to learn how to identify problems, develop solutions, and potentially even turn ideas into real-world products.
Students work in teams to develop a business idea addressing a real-world problem (often aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals). The curriculum covers ideation, design thinking, customer discovery, business model canvas, prototyping, finance, and pitching. The academy culminates with each team pitching their startup idea to judges.
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