12 Economic Research Internships for High School Students
Explore 12 economic research internships designed for high school students. Kickstart your career with hands-on experience and valuable insights into the field.
If you are a high school student interested in economics, consider applying for an economics research internship! An economic research internship allows you to explore the subject beyond classroom work and see how economics is applied. You can work on projects that involve analyzing data, testing economic models, studying policy outcomes, and learning how economists build arguments from evidence.
By participating in an economic research program, you will develop skills in research, data handling, writing, and critical thinking, all of which are valuable in academics and beyond. Doing an internship like this also gives you experience to highlight on your resume, adds weight to your college admissions essays, and gives you clear examples to talk about in interviews.
To make the choice easier for you, we’ve narrowed down the 12 best economic research internships for high school students!
1. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program for ambitious high school students. You’ll be matched with a high-growth startup and work on real-world projects in fields like tech, AI/ML, health tech, journalism, marketing, and consulting. Internships typically last 8 weeks and require a commitment of 5–10 hours per week. You’ll work closely with your startup manager and a Ladder Coach, and present your work to the company at the end. The program includes one-on-one training in communication and time management, plus group sessions with other interns. Startups in the program often have raised over $1 million and are led by founders with experience at places like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. Apply here.
2. J‑PAL Economics Transformation Project (ETP)
Location: Various high schools and colleges in the U.S.
Cost: Free
Dates: Scheduled in partnership with host schools or organizations
Application Deadline: No formal application process. Schools or organizations request workshops directly from J-PAL North America
Eligibility: High school students from underrepresented backgrounds
The J-PAL Economics Transformation Project (ETP) is a free summer program for high school students, focused on students from underrepresented backgrounds. You’ll study how economics connects to real-world issues like climate change, housing, voting access, and criminal justice reform. As a participant, you will attend workshops that teach you how economists study inequality and policy. You’ll learn about the history of women and people of color in the field, and explore how economics can be used to solve social problems. You will also hear from professionals working in public policy, business, and academia, and get guidance on what to do next if you want to study economics further.
3. Young Founders Lab
Cost: Varies according to program. There is need-based financial aid.
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Program Dates: Varies by the cohort
Application Deadline: There are 3 application deadlines that you can choose between; more details in the brochure!
Eligibility: Open to all 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 ideation, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
4. UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP)
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
Cost: $4,975 (commuter) | $11,874 (residential)
Dates: June 16 - August 1
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: High school students in 10th or 11th grade; minimum GPA of 3.80
The Research Mentorship Program is a summer research program for high school students. As a participant, you’ll receive mentorship and be paired with a UCSB faculty member on a research project in many disciplines, including Economics and statistics. Previous participants have worked on research topics such as economic inequality, cryptocurrency markets, labour economics, demographic trends, higher education systems, and caregiving dynamics. You’ll get to share your research experience in college applications and competitions, and an end-of-program symposium.
5. UCLA Economics Summer Institute
Location: Virtual or in-person at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Virtual - $1,916; Commuter - starting $2,486
Dates: June 14 - August 1
Application Deadline: June 13
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 - 12 who are at least 15; minimum GPA of 3.2
The UCLA Economics Summer Institute is a three-week program for high school students to study economics. As a participant, you will learn about topics such as economic policy issues, principles of financial analysis, and economic issues affecting the U.S. You’ll gain exposure to various research methods and methodologies to understand economic problems, such as data analysis, statistical modelling, and impact evaluation methods. You’ll attend lectures on topics including empirical data analysis, taxation, price controls, and international trade, with a focus on evaluating policies like rent control through case studies. You’ll also receive mentorship from the UCLA Economics faculty and undergraduate students.
6. Research Science Institute
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free (includes tuition, housing, meals, and programming)
Dates: June - August (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: Typically in Late December or early January
Eligibility: High school juniors can apply
The Research Science Institute (RSI) is a fully funded, six-week summer research program for high school juniors, hosted at MIT. You’ll start with a week of intensive STEM classes taught by MIT faculty, then spend five weeks working on your research project under the guidance of professional scientists and researchers. You’ll learn how to conduct literature reviews, design a research plan, and present your findings through written reports and oral presentations. Past students have researched topics in economics, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics, and the humanities.
7. Yale Young Global Scholars - Politics, Law, & Economics
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT;
Cost: $6,500 (need-based scholarship available)
Dates: July - August (2 weeks)
Application Deadline: October (exact date not specified)
Eligibility: High school sophomore or junior; 16 or older
The Yale Young Global Scholars is an exploratory learning program for high school students that combines breakout discussions, group learning, lectures, seminars, projects, and a symposium. The Politics, Law, & Economics track is for students interested in understanding the interaction of economic policies, government practices, and legal frameworks. You will learn about topics such as public policy, human rights, market regulation, governance structures, and international policy. You will examine social systems and issues through interdisciplinary approaches and the lenses of economic, legal, and political theory.
8. Chicago Summer Business Institute
Location: Various locations in Chicago, IL
Cost: Pays a stipend
Dates: June - August (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school sophomores or juniors; Chicago residents; 3.0 GPA average
The Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI) is a paid summer internship program for high school students in Chicago. You’ll work four days a week at a professional site, such as a finance firm, law office, accounting department, or municipal agency, and spend one afternoon each week in seminars designed to build your business and workplace skills. Past interns have worked as office assistants and accounting interns at places like the City of Chicago’s Department of Finance. The program targets high-achieving students from Chicago’s public, private, and parochial high schools.
9. USC High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Virtual or in-person at USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: June 1 - August 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students; Minimum GPA of 3.5
USC’s High School Summer Internship Program is hosted by the Center for the Political Future in partnership with the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability. The program is fully online and designed for high school students interested in politics, public policy, and environmental economics. As an intern, you complete two major research projects: a legislative policy memo and a legislative process analysis. Both must focus on a bill: passed, pending, or failed, related to environmental policy or sustainability at the local, state, or federal level. Past interns have analyzed the economic impact of climate legislation, including how sustainability policies affect markets and communities.
10. Economics for Leaders (EFL)
Location: Virtual or In-person hosted at various U.S. university campuses
Cost: Virtual - $900 | Residential - starting from $2,000
Dates: Varies based on location
Application Deadline: April 9
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
The Economics for Leaders is a summer program hosted by the Foundation for Teaching Economics. It teaches high school students to apply economic reasoning to public policy while building leadership skills. You’ll take interactive classes on supply and demand, market dynamics, and international trade, taught by university-level economics instructors. Leadership workshops focus on decision-making, communication, and team-building. The curriculum connects economic theory to real-world issues in labor, government, and global markets.
11. PENN Management and Technology Summer Institute
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $9,000 (need-based scholarships available)
Dates: July 6 - July 26
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
The Management & Technology Summer Institute (M&TSI) is a summer program for students to explore the intersection of technology and management. Classes at the institute are taught by Wharton and Penn faculty with guest lecturers, including sessions taken by experienced entrepreneurs. As a participant, you’ll work on a prototype product along with a go-to-market strategy for the venture, which will be evaluated. You’ll have to present this idea to entrepreneurs and investors who will provide valuable feedback. The program includes field visits to various companies to see what they learn in class in practice. It also includes lab activities, college-level lectures, and case studies.
12. Summer Youth Internship Program
Cost: Free; A stipend is paid
Location: Miami, FL
Program Dates: July 1 – August 2
Application Deadline: Usually closes in April/May
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 (ages 15–18) enrolled in Miami-Dade County Public Schools
The Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP) is a paid summer opportunity for high school students in Miami-Dade County. You’ll be matched with a local business, nonprofit, or government office where you’ll work alongside professionals, complete weekly assignments, and build real-world career skills. You’ll have a certified teacher as your supervisor, and you’ll learn how to show up, communicate, and contribute in a professional setting. You’ll also take part in career-readiness training while you intern.