10 Online Business Internships for High School Students
MD: 10 online business internships for high school students where they can work with professionals and explore real-world challenges.
An understanding of business is incomplete without gaining some real-world experience. If you’re in high school, one great way to get this experience is through a business internship!
What are business internships for high school students? Why should I apply to an online business internship?
For high school students, internships offer the opportunity to move beyond textbooks and explore how concepts like marketing strategy, financial planning, or entrepreneurship actually play out in real-world settings. Virtual business internships, in particular, make this kind of exposure more accessible than ever - letting you collaborate with professionals, solve real challenges, and understand what everyday work in business involves, all virtually!
Whether you're interested in startups, finance, consulting, or management, the internships in the blog below allow you to test-drive your interests while developing skills like communication, project planning, and data analysis. They also help you connect classroom learning - like your economics or business studies classes - to practical application. Most importantly, they can help you clarify your academic/professional trajectory before college begins.
To help you explore these opportunities, we've compiled a list of business-focused summer programs and virtual internships open to high school students:
Cost: No cost; Stipend provided, exact amount not specified
Dates: June – August (tentative based on last year’s timeline)
Application Deadline: To be announced. You can reach out via email at info@thephcgroup.com or by phone at (888) 320-3370 for more information.
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors are eligible to apply; must have work authorization in the U.S.
This internship offers a hands-on introduction to online business and communications work. As part of the PHC Group’s virtual summer program, you'll assist the team with social media strategy, online engagement, performance tracking, and client-facing planning meetings. You’ll also conduct social marketing research and contribute to discussions around campaign trends and analytics.
The work is collaborative and remote, with interns invited to test creative ways to build community online. Along the way, you'll gain experience in content development, data-informed decision-making, and stakeholder communication. You will be guided by the Public Health Director and are expected to contribute meaningfully to both group projects and independent initiatives aligned with PHC Group’s mission.
Cost: The total cost to attend the 4-week program is $2900. There is need-based financial aid.
Dates: Vary according to cohort.
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. You can access the application link here!
Eligibility: The program is currently 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.
While this isn’t a traditional internship, it follows a work-learn structure very similar to one!
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: $2490 (Financial Aid Available)
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 start-up internship program for high school students interested in working with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across 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.
Past founders have included YCombinator alums, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, You will work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present your work to the company. Here is the application form. You will also be offered one-on-one training in communication, time management, and other skills, and have the opportunity to attend group training sessions.
4. Smithsonian Science Education Center – NESST Communications Internship
Cost: No cost; Stipend provided, exact amount not specified
Dates: Flexible; internship runs between May and August, based on availability and agreement.
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: High school students (age 16+) are eligible to apply; virtual or hybrid options are available; open to both U.S. and international students
As an intern with the Smithsonian Science Education Center’s NESST initiative (Network for Emergent Socio-Scientific Thinking), you will work on real-world communications and public engagement strategies. You’ll help create social media content, conduct interviews, and draft blog posts to represent the network’s work to a broader audience.
This internship combines skills in digital storytelling, audience engagement, and strategic content planning, all within the context of a global education and sustainability network. You may also assist in producing speaker events, managing virtual gatherings, and refining outreach materials. You’ll be mentored by the Assistant Director of Professional Services and receive regular feedback on your writing and public-facing content.
5. American Psychological Association – Remote Internship Program
Cost: Paid internship or for academic credit (stipend amount varies)
Dates: Year-round (spring, summer, fall, and winter options)
Application Deadline: Rolling; applications accepted via APA Internship Portal
Eligibility: Open to high school students with U.S. work authorization. Applicants under 18 must submit a D.C. Work Permit. Remote work is restricted to certain states; major exclusions include CA, NY, and WA.
APA’s internal internship program offers a chance to contribute to the operations of a large nonprofit membership organization. Available year-round, the internships are structured around departments like policy, communications, publishing, and operations, giving you a broad perspective on the business side of psychology.
You may assist with content writing, web projects, outreach strategies, or organizational research depending on your assigned office. You will report to a dedicated supervisor and may also participate in additional programming such as workshops or networking events.
6. Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) – Remote Internship Program
Cost: A limited number of stipends are available based on financial need; part-time unpaid options are also offered
Dates:
Spring - February - May
Summer: June – August
Fall: September – December
Application Deadline: Summer applications are closed. Fall: to be announced (Please check their internship page for updates)
Eligibility: Open to all students, including international students; no official age requirement listed, but high schoolers must demonstrate strong qualifications. FPRI does not sponsor visas.
If you're curious about the intersection of communications, global affairs, and nonprofit operations, this remote internship offers multiple business-facing tracks. You can apply to areas like Operations, Communications, or Special Events/Development, and assist with projects involving content creation, event logistics, stakeholder engagement, or internal coordination.
FPRI pairs you with a scholar or professional mentor, and you will attend weekly seminars with foreign policy experts. You’ll also have the opportunity to draft a research paper for possible publication. While this is primarily a think tank environment, many internships here focus on real-world communication, event planning, and strategy.
7. Spark Summer Mentorship Program (SPARK SMP)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; some projects offer stipends.
Dates: Vary based on the opportunity but typically span 8 to 12 weeks between May and August.
Application Deadline: April 22
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents living in the United States.
The Spark Summer Mentorship Program offers high school students hands-on internship experiences. You can choose up to five projects that match your interests, including business. The program offers several remote projects where you can apply concepts like machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data visualization to practical challenges. During the program, you will collaborate with industry leaders, university professors, and mentors from various organizations. The program is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of 3-5%. For tips on getting into this program, check out our guide here.
8. EnergyMag – Virtual Internship in Energy Research & Analysis
Cost: Free to participate; unpaid internship
Dates:
Half-time option: 2–8 weeks in summer (~20 hrs/week)
Quarter-time option: 1–9 months, year-round (~8 hrs/week)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; no information is available on the application closing date. Check the website for updated information.
Eligibility: Open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with GPA above 3.25; at least one honors. Science or English class recommended
EnergyMag offers a virtual internship that blends research, writing, and industry analysis in the rapidly growing field of renewable energy storage. As a high school intern, you’ll work on a real-world project — researching a company, a market trend, or a specific energy technology.
The work involves business-oriented research, stakeholder outreach, and professional report writing, all done under the guidance of a dedicated mentor. You’ll learn how to synthesize information from diverse sources and develop insights that can be published on EnergyMag’s site. While the internship is unpaid, if you produce a publishable report, you will receive a letter of accomplishment summarizing your contribution and performance.
Cost: Free
Dates: Internships run year-round for 3 months.
Application Deadline: Applications are rolling; interested students can send an email to apply.
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in grades 9-12
Building-U allows high school students to address real-world business challenges while gaining experience in marketing, coding, multimedia production, and resource research. Teams include Resource R&D, Student Ambassadors, Blog Squad, Marketing, Social Media, Coding, Animation, Data Privacy, and Business Development. Each team works on meaningful projects, from developing Google Ad campaigns to producing YouTube content, hosting podcasts, and building websites. You will develop leadership, teamwork, and communication skills, often collaborating across teams for integrated learning. The marketing and business development teams are good fits for high schoolers interested in entrepreneurship.
10. BSD Education x Young Founders School High School Internship Program
Cost: The program fee is US$770. Scholarships for reduced tuition or free participation are available through application.
Dates: Rolling cohorts throughout the year, spanning 4-6 weeks with a minimum commitment of 4 hours per week.
Application Deadline: No fixed deadline; apply early for the best placement options
Eligibility: Open to high school students (grades 9–12); no prior experience required
This program offers a structured entry point into real-life business projects through a combination of online coursework and internship matching. Once you complete an introductory course aligned with your chosen career path - ranging from business and finance to technology and healthcare - you’ll be paired with a startup or organization to work on a real-world project.
Over the 4–6 week period, you’ll build your skills in communication, collaboration, and problem-solving while gaining exposure to industry-standard tools and workflows. Each internship concludes with a final project presentation, giving you a tangible portfolio piece.