10 High School Entrepreneurship Programs You Should Check Out
If you’re a high school student interested in business, leadership, or innovation, gaining hands-on experience through an entrepreneurship program can be a solid step. These programs offer structured opportunities to develop business ideas, learn from industry professionals, and collaborate with peers who share similar interests.
Before applying to the entrepreneurship programs below, here are a few things that you should keep in mind!
The best entrepreneurship programs offer a blend of practical skills, industry exposure, and valuable networking opportunities.
Most of these programs take place in the summer, which makes them super easy to commit to outside of the school year.
They include a curriculum that covers business fundamentals, problem-solving, and innovation—which are essential tools for budding entrepreneurs.
When we say entrepreneurship programs, we have included startup incubator programs, internships, pre-college programs, and immersions!
How did we identify the best high school entrepreneurship programs?
When curating this list, we prioritized programs that stand out for their rigor, selectivity, and impact. Our selection process focused on programs that:
Offer rigorous and value-packed experiences – Programs like the Young Founders League (YFL) provide intensive mentorship, hands-on challenges, and opportunities to pitch to real investors.
Are highly selective – Programs with low acceptance rates, such as MIT LaunchX, are not only competitive but also prestigious, signaling the exceptional caliber of participants.
Provide meaningful outcomes – We looked for programs that emphasize tangible results, such as creating a business plan, launching a startup, or developing a portfolio project.
Let’s dive into the list of the 10 best entrepreneurship programs and explore how they can shape the future of high school students.
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students. In the program, you work as an intern with a startup on real-world problems and present your solutions at the end of the internship. Start-ups that offer internships through Ladder range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.
Apart from building the start-up itself, you will also participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
Apply here!
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost: The total cost to attend the 4-week program is $2900. There is need-based financial aid.
Program Dates: The 2024 edition of the program starts on June 5th and spans over 4 weeks.
Application Deadline: There are 3 application deadlines that you can choose between, more details in the brochure!
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
3. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
The Bank of America Student Leaders Program provides high school juniors and seniors with a paid internship experience at local nonprofit or charitable organizations. This program is designed to empower students by offering hands-on experience in leadership and community service. It culminates in a week-long Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., where students have the opportunity to engage with leaders and learn about important issues.
Location: Remote, with internship placement at a local nonprofit
Cost: Stipend provided
Program Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: Applications open Fall
Eligibility: Open to students who are currently juniors or seniors in high school and legally authorized to work in the U.S.
4. UGA Athens Accelerated Business Program
The Accelerated Business Program is a selective, pre-college opportunity for rising high school juniors and seniors to explore various business fields with a focus on high-demand career paths. The program, held at the University of Georgia’s Athens campus, offers participants an insider’s view into the business world with exposure to executives from top organizations like PricewaterhouseCoopers and Google. You will also experience college life by staying in UGA residence halls, dining in award-winning facilities, and attending lectures from UGA professors. The evenings are filled with social events, including a night tour of Athens and campus pool parties.
Location: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Cost: $295 (with limited need-based financial scholarships available upon acceptance).
Program Dates: June 8–11.
Application Deadline: March 23.
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors, including students entering UGA in the fall.
4. Georgetown Entrepreneurship Academy
The Georgetown Entrepreneurship Academy is a two-week program designed to explore the advantages and challenges of managing your own enterprise. Participants delve into topics such as start-up selection, prototype testing, market research, social innovation, and global business operations. Through engaging with experienced entrepreneurs and hands-on activities, you will refine your business ideas into promising plans and participate in a final pitch competition. The program emphasizes personal development, helping you enhance your public speaking, networking, and team-building skills while gaining valuable insights into the entrepreneurial process.
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., USA.
Cost: $5,950.
Program Dates: June 15–June 27.
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Open to high school students interested in entrepreneurship and business with CGPA above 2.0
5. Babson Summer Study for High School Students
Babson Summer Study is a 3-week program designed to give high school juniors and seniors a deep dive into entrepreneurship. Students will learn how to approach social, economic, and environmental challenges through the lens of the U.N. Global Goals. With a curriculum that covers leadership, marketing, finance, and business communication, the program emphasizes practical skills and real-world application. Participants will work with Babson’s expert faculty, collaborate with mentors, and engage with peers from around the world. Through hands-on projects and exposure to Babson’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, students will develop innovative solutions while earning 4 college credits that can bolster their college applications.
Location: Fully online or in-person at NEIA.
Cost: $6,295 (plus a $95 application fee); includes tuition for 4 college credits and virtual activities.
Dates: July 7-28.
Application Deadline: Not specified; early registration is encouraged.
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors; participants must be at least 16 years old by the program’s start date.
6. Wharton Leadership in the Business World (LBW)
Wharton’s Leadership in the Business World (LBW) program immerses high school students in the fundamentals of business and leadership. Through interactive classes led by Wharton professors and industry experts, you will explore 21st-century organizational leadership, participate in real-time business simulations, and collaborate on team-building exercises. The program includes opportunities to conduct research on business enterprises and engage in case competitions. You will also benefit from networking with leaders in fields such as finance, entrepreneurship, real estate, and retail, offering valuable insights into various industries.
Location: Philadelphia, USA (on campus).
Cost: $7,899–$9,799.
Dates:
June 8–28
June 29–July 19
July 20–August 9
Application Deadline: April 2.
Eligibility: Open to high school students interested in leadership and business practices.
7. Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY)
B-BAY is a two-week business program for high school students that combines innovation with practical business skills. Participants develop a business idea, collaborate with a team to create a business plan and present their plan at the program's conclusion. The curriculum includes classroom instruction, team projects, and insights from Berkeley Haas professors and corporate guest speakers. You will also gain exposure to college life, engage with UC Berkeley undergrads, and receive guidance on the college admissions process, including tips for writing personal statements and essays.
Location: UC Berkeley, California, USA (on campus).
Cost:
California Resident: $6,292
Out-of-State Resident: $7,332
(Cost includes tuition, materials, housing, UC campus fees, and administrative fees.)
Program Dates:
Session I: July 5–July 19
Session II: July 19–August 2
Application Deadline: Applications open in January and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Early applications are encouraged.
Eligibility: Open to high school students worldwide interested in business and entrepreneurship.
8. Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy
The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy is a two-week program designed for rising high school seniors to explore the fundamentals of business. Through faculty-led classes and workshops across various business disciplines, participants gain insights into how successful companies operate and how leaders address complex challenges. The program offers rigorous, college-level academic work and opportunities to engage with business concepts firsthand, though no college credit is awarded. You will also receive Michigan Ross apparel and benefit from interactions with industry speakers.
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Cost: $5,500 (includes program events, speakers, course materials, and apparel).
Program Dates: June 13–June 27, 2025.
Application Deadline: January 21, 2025, at 3 p.m. EST.
Eligibility: Open to rising high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Preference is given to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
9. Exploring Entrepreneurship @USC
The “Exploring Entrepreneurship” course immerses high school students in the world of starting and building a business from scratch. The program combines theoretical foundations with hands-on entrepreneurial experiences, allowing you to develop and pitch their own business ideas. Students will interact with guest entrepreneurs, participate in off-campus field trips, and learn essential teamwork and presentation skills, all while exploring Los Angeles' vibrant business ecosystem.
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA.
Cost: Not enough information to be asserted
Program Dates: June 15–July 12
Application Deadlines:
Domestic Students: May 2
International Students: March 14
Eligibility: Must have completed at least the 9th grade by June 15.