15 Online Business Pre-College Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in exploring academics in business, finance, marketing, or just curious about how companies work, consider joining an online business pre-college program. These programs are made for students like you who want to learn real-world skills without having to travel or take time off school.
You get to learn how businesses make decisions, manage money, build products, and grow. You’ll pick up skills like how to read financial reports, make a budget, run a basic analysis, or even pitch an idea. If you’re thinking about studying business in college or want to try out a business education first, these programs are a great way to engage in structured learning with college faculty.
To make your search easier, here are 15 business pre-college programs for high school students!
15 Online Business Pre-College Programs for High School Students
Cornell University Summer Session Online
Cost: $1,840 per credit (most courses are between 3-8 credits)
Application Deadline: Three-week session 1: May 5; Three-week session 2 and Six-week session: May 19; Three-week session 3: June 16
Program dates: Three-week session 1: June 2–20; Three-week session 2: June 23–July 11; Three-week session 3: July 14–August 1; Six-week session: June 23–August 1
Eligibility: Rising 11th-12th grade students, age 15+
Cornell offers online summer courses for high school students in business, economics, and technology. Each course is taught by Cornell faculty and helps you build specific skills used in real-world careers. In Business Management, you’ll practice strategic planning and decision-making. Financial Accounting teaches you how to read balance sheets and income statements.
Macroeconomics explains how interest rates, inflation, and government policies affect the economy. For global business, Risk Management in Emerging Markets teaches you how to assess financial and political risks, and Global Business Strategy covers how companies expand and compete internationally.
Duke Pre-College Program
Cost: $795.00
Program dates: June 16-27 | July 7-18
Application Deadline: January 23
Eligibility: Rising 9 to 11
Through the Duke Pre-College Online Program, you’ll attend daily live and recorded lessons while enjoying flexible online learning. You’ll engage in small and large group activities, connect with students from around the world, and explore a topic you’re passionate about.
In the entrepreneurship workshop, you’ll learn how to develop business ideas, understand the basics of starting a venture, and build key problem-solving and leadership skills. You’ll work on creating a business plan, conducting market research, and learning strategies for scaling a startup.
Summer@Brown
Cost: Varies, approximately $3,218 - $17,162
Application Deadline: May 9
Program Dates: June 16 to July 25, but varies with the course
Eligibility: High school students (9th- 12th)
Brown’s Summer@Brown program offers flexible online courses for high school students interested in business, economics, and law. You can choose from several subjects and learn at your own pace.
In Mathematical Modeling of Finance, you’ll use formulas and data to price assets and measure financial risk. Behavioral Game Theory focuses on how people make business decisions by combining economics with psychology. Introduction to Accounting teaches you how to read financial statements, track company expenses, and understand the basics of profit and loss.
Wharton Global Youth Programs
Cost: Starts at $4,099. Financial aid is available!
Deadline: Priority deadline April 2 | Final deadline May 1; If space is available, applications will be accepted until the final deadline. Once full, applications will close.
Program Dates: Future of the Business World - June 16 – June 27 | July 7 – Jul 18 | July 21 – August 1; Essentials of Leadership - June 16 - June 27 | July 7 - July 18
Eligibility: High School students in grades 9–12
The Wharton Global Youth Program runs several business programs for high school students. One of them is Future of the Business World. If you're in grades 9 to 12, you can apply to join this two-week summer course.
The program introduces you to business concepts taught in Wharton’s college classrooms. You will work with Wharton faculty and learn how to use design thinking, scenario planning, and group strategy tools. You will also participate in two business simulations where you apply what you’ve learned to solve real-world problems.
Babson Summer Study
Cost: $6295 + $95 application fee
Program Dates: July 7 - 28
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors. All applicants must be age 16 by the start of the program.
Babson Summer Study is a three-week online program where you earn 4 college credits while learning how to build and run a business. The main course, Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience, focuses on solving real-world problems using business tools. You’ll practice customer research, budgeting, writing business emails, building pitch decks, and analyzing markets.
You’ll also learn how to lead group projects, test product ideas, and plan marketing strategies. You’ll work on challenges tied to the United Nations Global Goals, join live classes with Babson professors, and connect with students and alumni from around the world. You’ll also complete your own business project by the end of the course.
Georgetown Pre-College Online Program
Cost: $1,795 per enrichment course; $3,995 per college credit course
Program Dates: 1-4 weeks (enrichment courses); 6-12 weeks (college credit courses)
Application Deadline: varies depending on course
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 and older
Georgetown’s Pre-College Online Program offers flexible, self-paced courses you can start anytime if you're 13 or older. You can choose from 18 business-related courses, including marketing, investing, and entrepreneurship.
In these courses, you’ll learn how to create a brand, build a budget, conduct market research, and plan business strategies. You’ll also see how areas like finance, marketing, and operations work together in real companies.
Northwestern Pre-College Online Program
Cost: $1,795
Program Dates: Vaires, 1-4 week programs
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Ages 13 and up
Business: Innovation, Strategies, and Success is a self-paced online course from Northwestern that helps you understand how businesses grow and succeed. You’ll learn the basics of marketing, product development, and business strategy.
Through video lessons, case studies, and hands-on assignments, you’ll practice solving business problems and making smart decisions. You’ll study at your own pace, get support from mentors, and build skills like critical thinking, planning, and communication.
UCSD’s Business Research for Innovation, Design, Growth, and Entrepreneurship (BRIDGE)
Cost: $ 2,500
Application Deadline: First-come first first-served basis
Program Dates: July 7 – July 25
Eligibility: High school students who are in grades 9 through 12
BRIDGE (Business Research for Innovation, Design, Growth, and Entrepreneurship) teaches you essential business skills through Zoom sessions, real-world company examples, and interactive activities from top universities. You’ll learn how businesses get started, raise funds, and grow.
You’ll take part in business simulations where you act as a founder, make decisions, and work with a team to solve real-world problems. You’ll also study how successful companies turned small ideas into big businesses and attracted investors.
Summer Business Programs, Columbia University
Location: Online
Cost: Varies. More details here.
Dates: Varies
Application Deadline: The main summer deadline usually falls around April 2
Eligibility: The summer program is open to all high school students
Columbia University’s Pre-College Program in Business, Economics, and Entrepreneurship offers courses for high school students interested in finance and investing. In Introduction to Finance & Investment Management, you’ll learn how to calculate time value of money, measure risk and return, and understand how the stock market works.
You’ll study how Central Banks, investment banks, and hedge funds operate. You’ll also build your own investment portfolio and develop trading strategies, gaining experience in how real financial markets function.
Dartmouth Pre-College Online Program
Cost: $1,795
Eligibility: High School students can apply
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program dates: Courses available throughout the year
The Dartmouth Pre-College Online Program offers self-paced courses taught by Dartmouth instructors. You can choose subjects like finance, psychology, regenerative medicine, and biology.
In Finance: Investing & Market Insights, you’ll learn how to read financial statements, value companies, and assess investment risks. You’ll also study how stock markets work and build your own strategies for buying and selling stocks through hands-on projects. Each course ends with a capstone project, and you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion.
Notre Dame Pre-College Online Program
Cost: $1,495
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Varies
Eligibility: High school students
The University of Notre Dame’s pre-college online program is designed for high school students. With engaging video lessons from expert faculty and access to mentors, you can study at your own pace, anytime and anywhere.
In Business: From Startup to Success, you’ll learn about the risks and costs of starting a business, how to assess its health, and strategies for growth. This course covers legal, accounting, and financial aspects, how to write a business plan, and the steps to take a business public. It’s ideal if you're aiming to become an entrepreneur.
In Finance: Creating and Building Wealth, you’ll explore the basics of finance, the wealth gap, and how financial institutions play a role in building wealth. You’ll also create a financial plan to guide your long-term goals, making it perfect if you're interested in finance or investing.
Rice University Summer Sessions
Cost: $1,000 per credit hour
Application Deadline: Between April and June, depending on the block
Program dates: Varies
Eligibility: Rising 11th, 12th graders
Rice offers six summer "blocks" starting between May and July, with courses lasting 6 to 10 weeks. You can choose from courses like Financial Management, Issues in Financial Reporting I, Auditing, Computational Economics, and Introduction to Sport Management.
These courses cover topics in business, economics, and sport management. You’ll have the opportunity to earn college credit upon completion, and the courses are taught by faculty members from Rice University. Each course includes a mix of lectures, assignments, and assessments to give you a comprehensive learning experience.
Boston University – High School Honors Online
Cost: $3260 (four credits)
Program dates: June 30-August 8 | June 30-August 8
Application Deadline: May 23
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th graders
Boston University’s High School Honors Online program offers college-level courses for high school students. You can take Business Law, Contracts, and Regulation, covering business law, contracts, and employment regulations.
Introduction to Management covers business functions like marketing, finance, and human resources. Both courses are 4 credits, fully online, and include weekly live sessions. These courses build a strong foundation in business and prepare you for college.
Capital Markets and Investments | Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
Cost: $3,080 tuition fee plus $65 application fee. Financial aid available
Program Dates: July 07 - July 18
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students must be in grades 9-11
Stanford University’s Pre-College Summer Institutes offer a course called "Capital Markets and Investments" where you’ll learn the basics of financial decision-making and how capital markets work. You’ll explore topics like stocks, bonds, IPOs, and key valuation tools such as P/E ratio, NPV, IRR, WACC, and DCF.
Through lectures, group discussions, and hands-on activities, you’ll build a company financial model and present it as a final project. This course is ideal for anyone interested in finance, Wall Street, venture capital, or startups, giving you practical experience and a deeper understanding of financial markets and investment strategies.
USC Marshall Pre-College: Building Blocks of Business
Cost: $1,990
Program Dates: Year-round, self-paced (takes about 20–25 hours)
Application Deadline: Rolling, apply anytime
Eligibility: High school students, ages 14+
USC Marshall’s Building Blocks of Business is a fully online, self-paced course for high school students who want to learn the basics of business. The course takes about 20 to 25 hours to complete and is designed to fit around your school schedule.
You’ll study topics like accounting, finance, marketing, and leadership by watching recorded lectures, completing assignments, and working through real business case studies. By the end, you’ll earn a digital Certificate of Completion and receive a USC Pre-College transcript.
Bonus online business pre-college programs that you can consider:
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as business, finance, economics, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
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 start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships 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. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you build a startup in high school, consider the Young Founders Lab!
The Young Founders Labis a 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.
You can access the application link here!