9 Summer Entrepreneurship Programs for High School Students
Entrepreneurship isn’t just for business professionals or MBA graduates—it’s a field that high school students can explore through structured programs. Trying your hand at entrepreneurship builds valuable skills like problem-solving, creativity, leadership, and financial literacy. These traits will be helpful in the future for any career you choose.
Summer entrepreneurship programs allow you to explore startups, innovation, and business strategy without the stress of schoolwork. These programs offer hands-on experience, mentorship from industry experts, and the opportunity to connect with other ambitious students. These programs can strengthen your college applications by highlighting your leadership and initiative.
Here are 9 summer entrepreneurship programs for high school 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.The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
Cost: The total cost to attend the 4-week program is $2900. There is need-based financial aid.
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
Program Dates: Vary according to cohort.
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. You can access the application link here!
Babson Summer Study is a 3-week program designed to give high school students an entrepreneurial mindset and practical skills to address real-world challenges. Through the program, you will explore social, economic, and environmental problems framed by the U.N. Global Goals. You will learn about entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, finance, and business communication from Babson’s faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Beyond the academic experience, you can earn 4 Babson College credits. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: USD $6,295 (+ $95 application fee). Includes tuition for 4 Babson College academic credits and all virtual activities.
Location: Fully online or in-person at NEIA.
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who will be at least 16 by the program’s start.
Program Dates: July 7-28.
Application Deadline: Not specified; early registration is encouraged.
LBW offers a rigorous mix of classes with Wharton professors and industry leaders designed to give you an introduction to Wharton's undergraduate curriculum. You will explore leadership in 21st-century organizations through lectures, business simulations, team-building exercises, and case competitions. The program also provides opportunities to research business enterprises and network with successful leaders in industries such as finance, entrepreneurship, entertainment, real estate, and retail.
Cost: $7,899–$9,799.
Location: Philadelphia, USA (on campus).
Eligibility: Open to high school students.
Program Dates: June 8–28 | June 29–July 19 | July 20–August 9
Application Deadline: April 2.
B-BAY is a two-week business program for high school students that blends innovation with business skills. You will develop a business idea, work in teams to create a business plan, and present your final project at the end of the program. The curriculum includes classroom instruction, team projects, and insights from Berkeley Haas professors and corporate guest speakers. You will get a taste of college life at UC Berkeley, interact with undergraduates, and receive guidance on the college admissions process, including tips for writing personal statements and essays. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: California Resident: $6,292 | Out-of-State Resident: $7,332 (Cost includes tuition, materials, housing, UC campus fees, and administrative fees.)
Location: UC Berkeley, California, USA (on campus).
Eligibility: Open to high school students worldwide.
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.
The Georgetown Entrepreneurship Academy is a two-week program designed to explore the advantages and challenges of managing your own enterprise. You will learn about start-up selection, prototype testing, market research, social innovation, and global business operations. By engaging with experienced entrepreneurs and participating in activities, you will refine your business idea into a plan 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 insights into entrepreneurship. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: $5,950.
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., USA.
Eligibility: Open to high school students with CGPA above 2.0
Program Dates: June 15–June 27.
Application Deadline: April 15.
The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy is a two-week program for rising high school seniors to explore business fundamentals. Through faculty-led classes and workshops across various business disciplines, you will gain insights into how successful companies operate and how leaders address complex challenges. The program offers college-level academic work and opportunities to engage with business concepts firsthand. You will also benefit from interactions with industry speakers. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: $5,500 (includes program events, speakers, course materials, and apparel).
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0, preference is given to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Program Dates: June 13–June 27.
Application Deadline: January 21 at 3 p.m. EST.
Exploring Entrepreneurship introduces high school students to business creation. Combining theory with hands-on experience, you will develop and pitch your own business ideas while learning key entrepreneurial skills. You will engage with entrepreneurs, take part in off-campus field trips, and build essential teamwork and presentation skills. The program explores Los Angeles' business ecosystem.
Cost: Not specified.
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA.
Eligibility: Must have completed at least the 9th grade by June 15.
Program Dates: June 15–July 12.
Application Deadlines: Domestic Students: May 2 | International Students: March 14
The Accelerated Business Program is a highly selective, pre-collegiate opportunity for rising high school juniors and seniors. The program explores various business fields and focuses on high-demand career paths. It offers exposure to executives from top organizations like PricewaterhouseCoopers and Google. You will experience college life by staying in UGA residence halls and attending lectures from UGA professors. Evenings are filled with social events, including a night tour of Athens.
Cost: $295 (with limited need-based financial scholarships available upon acceptance).
Location: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors, including students entering UGA in the fall.
Program Dates: June 8–11.
Application Deadline: March 23.
This course is designed to give students the necessary skills to realize their entrepreneurial visions. It covers the entire entrepreneurial process, from initial research to the legalities of setting up a business, financial considerations, and marketing. You will explore various types of enterprises, including for-profit, nonprofit, and social entrepreneurship. The course examines common pitfalls and success stories within the business world through real-world examples. Class time is divided between lectures and hands-on work. By the end of the course, you will develop a business idea and present a final business plan proposal.
Cost: $6,100
Location: Columbia University
Eligibility: Open to students interested in entrepreneurship.
Program Dates: August 11–15.
Application Deadline: Rolling
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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