13 Online Business Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in business, an online program can be a great way to learn more about your interest without the cost of travel. Exploring business at an early stage can give you a good foundation for future studies and career paths. These online programs often combine interactive classes, projects, and mentorship opportunities to help you understand how businesses are built and how they operate, without having to commute long distances.
There is a wide range of online business programs for high school students that focus on skills such as entrepreneurship, management, and leadership. You’ll find programs that cover topics such as marketing, finance, social impact, and even technology-driven ventures. By exploring different online business programs for high school students, you can begin to see how concepts from the classroom connect to real-world challenges.
To help you start, we have prepared a list of 13 Online Business Programs for High School Students.
1. More SPARK
Location: Virtual
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Monthly sessions from November to April
Application Deadline: Registration typically opens in early Fall
Eligibility: Middle and high school students interested in entrepreneurship
More SPARK is a monthly online series designed to help students turn entrepreneurial ideas into actionable projects. Each session focuses on topics like the Business Model Canvas, marketing, and project management, while also offering pitch practice opportunities for seed funding through OtterCares. The format is interactive, bringing together educators, community leaders, and peers to share resources and feedback. You can choose which sessions to attend based on your schedule, but joining multiple sessions allows you to develop your project step by step.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies based on program type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Several cohorts year-round
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs designed to help high school students dive into artificial intelligence. The AI Scholars program is a 10-session boot camp where you’ll learn the fundamentals of AI and data science while collaborating on projects in small groups. For more advanced students, the AI Fellowship provides 1-on-1 mentorship with AI experts from top universities. You’ll work on a project in your area of interest, with the option to publish your work in high school research journals.
3. The Academies by Harvard Student Agencies – Virtual Business Academies
Location: Virtual
Cost: $450 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Several week-long programs ranging from June 23 – August 22
Application Deadline: No information available; check the website for updates
Eligibility: 9th to 12th graders who are at least 13 years old
These online business programs for high school students are led by Harvard students and focus on entrepreneurship, management, and strategy. In the Entrepreneurship Academy, you’ll create a startup idea, research product–market fit, and present your work in a simulated investor pitch. In the Management and Strategy Academy, you’ll take on the role of a consultant, analysing company performance, mergers, and pricing strategies while learning to interpret balance sheets and income statements. Both tracks emphasise problem-solving through case studies and real-world scenarios. By the end of your program, you’ll have practised skills ranging from SWOT analysis to persuasive business pitching.
4. Young Founders Lab
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies based on program type
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Fall cohort: August 22 | Winter cohort: November 16
Eligibility: High school students
The Young Founder’s Lab is a startup boot camp created by Harvard entrepreneurs to help high school students turn ideas into businesses. In this online business program for high school students, you’ll build a revenue-generating startup that addresses problems while receiving mentorship from professionals at companies like Google, Microsoft, and X. Alongside your startup journey, you’ll take part in interactive classes on business fundamentals, workshops, case studies, and panel discussions. It’s an opportunity to explore entrepreneurship, gain skills, and see what it takes to grow a successful venture.
5. Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute (KWLI)
Location: Virtual
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: November 5 & 12; spring and summer dates will be posted soon
Application Deadline: October 3
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5
The Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute is an online business program for high school students that introduces you to leadership in business with a focus on inclusion and representation. You’ll participate in faculty-led lectures, explore case projects, and strengthen your communication and teamwork skills. The program highlights both the challenges and opportunities facing women in business, while encouraging all participants to think critically about leadership roles. Interactive sessions with peers allow you to discuss personal goals and connect your interests to different areas of business study.
6. UGA Accelerated Business Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $25
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: July 10 – 11
Application Deadline: June 2
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors with a strong academic record
The Accelerated Business Program offers a condensed introduction to different fields of business through live virtual sessions. Over two days, you’ll hear from professionals at companies like PwC and Charles Aris while gaining an overview of high-demand career paths. In addition to guest speakers, the program provides opportunities to learn directly from UGA students about college life and the transition into business studies. The curriculum is designed to give you a fast but structured survey of core business areas. At the end, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.
7. Cornell University Precollege Studies — Summer/Winter Online Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,940 per credit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Multiple 3- and 6-week sessions
Application Deadline: Varies by course
Eligibility: Current or rising high school juniors & seniors who are 15–19 years old
Cornell University’s online pre-college programs allow you to take undergraduate courses alongside college students. Subjects range from business and hotel management to science, social change, and international relations. Depending on your course, instruction may be synchronous (live, scheduled sessions) or asynchronous (pre-recorded and flexible), with communication happening through discussion boards, video calls, and online chats. You’ll earn credits recorded on an official Cornell transcript, which may be applied toward future degrees depending on the institution. The condensed format means you’ll cover a full semester’s worth of material in just a few weeks, giving you an authentic college-level workload.
8. Columbia Business School Enrichment Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,995 (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Programs are available year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Anyone with an interest in business
Columbia Business School offers online business programs for high school students where you can explore different industries through a business lens. Topics range from luxury goods and sports management to TV/film and hospitality. Each course introduces you to how these fields operate, with perspectives from professionals like brand managers, executives, and consultants. You’ll examine strategies, analyse trends, and study core disciplines such as marketing, finance, and distribution. You’ll receive feedback from mentors throughout, and put what you’ve learned into practice with a final project.
9. Georgetown University’s Online Business Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: Enrichment course: $1,895 | College Credit Course: $3,995 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Multi-length courses year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students aged 13+
Georgetown University’s online courses let you dive into subjects such as entrepreneurship, investing, marketing, and international relations. Each course combines faculty-led video lessons with mentorship, giving you structured guidance while still allowing for flexible scheduling. Coursework often includes multimedia activities, simulations, and a capstone project where you will present what you’ve learned in the format of your choice. The enrichment track is designed to help you explore your interests, while some courses also offer the option of earning college credit. Because the courses are available year-round, you can plan around your school schedule and even take multiple subjects.
10. Wharton Global Youth’s Online Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: Ranges from $2,099–$4,099 + $100 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: Multiple sessions and programs over the summer
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: 9th to 12th graders with a minimum 3.3. unweighted GPA
Wharton Global Youth offers several online business programs for high school students that let you study business topics through a university-level lens. Courses cover areas like finance, leadership, sports analytics, and entrepreneurship, and each one is built around Wharton research and faculty teaching. Depending on the program, you might work on business simulations, complete group projects, or study the economics behind financial decisions. There are also specialised options such as Moneyball, which applies statistics and coding to sports, and Understanding Your Money, which focuses on personal finance. A unique feature of the summer programs is the Global Youth Meetup (GYM), where you connect with peers worldwide in a co-curricular online community.
11. Business Research for Innovation, Design, Growth, and Entrepreneurship (BRIDGE)
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: July 7 – 25
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: 9th to 12th-grade students with a minimum 3.3 GPA
The BRIDGE program centres on business innovation and strategy through an academic yet practical approach. Over several weeks, you’ll study how ventures move from concept to market, learning about financing, organisational leadership, and scaling models. Course activities include simulations that let you experiment with raising capital and managing growth, as well as case studies of startups that secured investor backing. A key outcome is developing an investor-ready business plan based on your own idea, integrating design, strategy, and financial principles.
12. Brown Leadership Institute
Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,528 (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: June 23 – July 18
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 through 12 who will be 14–18 years old by June 15
The Brown Leadership Institute combines academic coursework with leadership development. You’ll choose a course that connects leadership to areas like law, intercultural communication, or social entrepreneurship. Each program emphasises collaborative problem-solving, with group discussions and projects that tackle issues. As you work, you’ll practice public speaking, active listening, and teamwork, then translate what you’ve learned into a personal Action Plan for your school or community. While not exclusively an online business program for high school students, it includes courses like Leadership in Changing Business: Social Entrepreneurship, making it relevant if you’re interested in connecting leadership to innovation and enterprise.
13. Babson Summer Study for High School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: $6,295 + $95 application fee (financial assistance available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No information available
Dates: July 16 – 27
Application Deadline: March 14 (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years old
Babson’s Summer Study is a three-week online business program for high school students built around its Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® approach. You’ll earn college credit while working through an introduction to entrepreneurship course that emphasises teamwork, leadership, marketing, and finance. The program incorporates the United Nations Global Goals, so you’ll frame your projects around social, economic, or environmental challenges. Beyond coursework, you’ll hear from guest speakers, connect with faculty, and work with mentors who guide your progress.
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