12 Competitive Entrepreneurship Summer Programs for High School Students
If you're a high school student interested in business, leadership, or starting something of your own, a summer entrepreneurship program can be a solid next step. These programs are built to help you develop practical skills in a short time, without interfering with your school year. You’ll see how real businesses operate, work on actual problems, and get the chance to learn from mentors and industry professionals.
Since these programs happen during the summer, they won’t clash with your academic schedule, but add something solid to your profile. By joining a competitive program, you show colleges that you’re serious about your interests, willing to step up, and ready for a challenge. And that can make your application stand out.
How did we identify the most competitive entrepreneurship programs for high school students?
We used three main criteria to select the programs on this list:
Selectivity: We looked for programs with an acceptance rate below 10 percent. These are highly competitive and only accept students who show a clear interest in entrepreneurship, leadership, or related fields. Getting into one of these programs means you’ve already stood out from a large pool of motivated applicants.
Host institutions: Every program on this list is offered by a well-known university, business school, or respected organization with a proven track record in entrepreneurship education. Many are affiliated with institutions that have strong ties to the startup world or offer top-ranked business programs. This adds credibility and value to your experience.
Program structure and rigor: We prioritized programs that are intense, hands-on, and challenge you to think like a real entrepreneur. These programs go beyond basic instruction and include real-world projects, team-based problem solving, mentorship from business professionals, and opportunities to present your work.
Without further ado, here are 12 competitive entrepreneurship summer programs for high school students!
12 Competitive Entrepreneurship Summer 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. Apply here!
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost: $2,900. Need-based financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: There are 3 application deadlines that you can choose from. More details in the brochure!
Program Dates: June 2 (Individual Program); June 9-29 (Group Program, Summer 1); August 4-24 (Group Program, Summer 2)
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
2. Ladder Internship Program
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. 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!
3. NYU’s Innovation, Entrepreneurship and the Science of Smart Cities
In this five-week summer program, you will explore both technology and entrepreneurship. On the technical side, you will learn how to code and build simple electronic systems using microcontrollers, sensors, and circuits. You will also study how smart city technologies work.
On the business side, you will be introduced to the basics of entrepreneurship, such as economics, product development, branding, and intellectual property. You will also attend communication workshops that help you improve your presentation skills and learn how to pitch a business idea.
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: May 15
Program Dates: July 7 – August 8
Eligibility: Current 9th – graduating 12th-grade students who are at least 15 years old and are residents of NYC and Nassau County
4. Wharton Global Youth Program: Essentials of Entrepreneurship
This is a selective summer program that helps you build an entrepreneurial mindset—whether you want to launch your own startup or bring new ideas to a company. You will learn how startups begin and grow. This includes user research, testing ideas, building a product, marketing, scaling, and even selling a business.
You will attend sessions taught by Wharton professors and researchers. Topics may include business models, customer discovery, A/B testing, funding, and social entrepreneurship. You can also take part in the Wharton Global Youth Speaker Series to hear from people with real-world experience. In teams, you will work on a startup idea and create a pitch for it.
Location: Philadelphia, PA.
Cost: $7,899 + $100 application fee. Financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: April 2
Program Dates: June 8 – 21 (session 1), June 22 – July 4 (session 2), July 13 – 26 (session 3), or July 27 – August 9 (session 4)
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9 – 11
5. Berkeley Business Academy for Youth: High School Entrepreneurship
In a small group of about 50 students, you will spend two weeks exploring how businesses work and how new ideas can grow into real ventures. The program is led by UC Berkeley Haas professors and features guest talks from people working in the business world. You will learn about business through hands-on projects, research, and team assignments.
You’ll also get to experience what college life is like while developing useful skills like writing business plans, doing market research, and presenting your ideas clearly. You will work with a team to build a business plan and present it at the end of the program. You’ll also hear directly from Berkeley students and college advisors about the admissions process.
Location: Berkeley, CA
Cost: $6,292 (California Resident) or $7,332 (Out of State Resident)
Application Deadline: March 1
Program Dates: Session I: July 5 to July 19; Session 2: July 19 to August 2
Eligibility: High school students
6. Babson Summer Study for High School Students
Babson is well known for entrepreneurship. Its Summer Study program is designed to show you how to turn ideas into real solutions. You will study leadership, marketing, finance, communication, and other business topics. You will also look at global issues using an entrepreneurial lens.
You will spend about five hours each day on assignments outside the classroom. Babson students will serve as your mentors and guide your work. You will also meet entrepreneurs, faculty members, and alumni who will share their experiences and advice. If you complete the program successfully, you will earn four college credits.
Location: Online or in-person at the New England Innovation Academy in Marlborough, MA
Cost: $6,295 (online), $9,295 (commuter), or 12,795 (residential) + $95 application fee. Need-based financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: March 14
Program Dates: July 7 – 28
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program.
7. Athena Summer Innovation Institute at Barnard University
The Athena Summer Innovation Institute is a boot camp-style program that teaches you how to build a venture from the ground up. You will study product development, customer research, branding, marketing, startup finances, and more. Field visits to startups will give you a look at how real companies work.
You do not need to join with a business idea. Instead, you will join a team to create a pitch for a startup, nonprofit, or advocacy project. You will get training in public speaking and presentation from Barnard’s Speaking Fellows to prepare for the final pitch.
Location: New York, NY
Cost: $10,171 (residential) or $8,160 (commuter). Need-based financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: July 21 – August 8
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school or gap year students
8. Columbia’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Changing the World via Venture Creation
Columbia’s entrepreneurship program guides high school students through the key steps of launching a new venture. You will learn through lectures, peer activities, and real-world assignments that reflect the process of starting a business. The program focuses on developing and testing business ideas.
You will study topics like business models, customer discovery, product-market fit, branding, go-to-market planning, team management, funding, and legal basics. You will receive instructor and peer feedback to refine your ideas. By the end of the program, you will have created business plans, investor pitches, websites, and crowdfunding videos to showcase your venture.
Location: New York, NY
Cost: $12,764 (residential) or $6,310 (commuter). Need-based financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: April 20
Program Dates: June 30 – July 18 (Summer A) or July 22 – August 8 (Summer B)
Eligibility: High school students who will be enrolled in grades 9–12 in the fall and students currently enrolled in grade 12. The NYC Residential Summer program is open to students who are 15 years of age or older.
9. USC Exploring Entrepreneurship
This USC program mixes classroom learning with real-world experience to help you understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur. You will explore subjects like accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, creativity, ethics, business planning, and personal branding. You will be expected to dress in business attire and take part in lectures, group projects, and guest speaker sessions led by entrepreneurs and industry professionals.
You will also go on field trips to see how businesses operate in Los Angeles. In previous years, students visited Silicon Beach startups, retail companies, manufacturing sites in Downtown LA, and food ventures run by local entrepreneurs. At the end of the program, you will create and present your own business idea, applying what you learned throughout the course.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $11,347 (residential) or $7,812 (commuter).
Application Deadline: May 2
Program Dates: June 15 – July 12
Eligibility: Students who have completed at least 10th grade by June 15
10. Startup UCLA: Social Entrepreneurship Summer Institute
Startup UCLA focuses on how to build ventures that solve real-world problems. This program is designed for high school students who are interested in starting a nonprofit or a mission-driven business. In the first part of the program, you will attend lectures, guest speaker sessions, and hands-on workshops.
Topics include social entrepreneurship, lean startup methods, idea generation, MVPs, team building, and interview preparation. You will learn how to design and test ideas using the Lean Canvas and Design Thinking approaches. In the second part, you will work in teams to build your own social venture. At the end, you will pitch your idea in a five-minute presentation to a panel of entrepreneurs and investors who will provide feedback.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $3,921 (on-campus) or $1,850 (virtual). Financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: June 13 (Session A), June 5 (Sessions B and C), or July 25 (Session D)
Program Dates: June 23 – July 4 (Session A: Virtual), July 6 – 19 (Session B: Residential), July 20 – August 2 (Session C: Residential), or August 4 – 15 (Session D: Virtual)
Eligibility: 10th – 12th grade students in Spring
11. The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy
The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy is an intensive summer program that introduces high school students to how businesses operate and solve real-world challenges. Through classes and workshops led by Michigan Ross faculty, you will explore key business topics and develop leadership skills.
You will work on group projects and assignments that focus on teamwork and practical problem-solving. Field trips and guest speaker sessions will provide insights into the business world. Outside the classroom, social activities will help you experience life on a college campus
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Cost: $5,500. Financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: January 21
Program Dates: June 13 – 27
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
12. Brown’s Leadership in Changing Business: Social Entrepreneurship
Brown’s program focuses on how businesses can make a positive impact on society. You will learn how social-purpose businesses, nonprofits, and revenue-generating enterprises address challenges in health, education, and the environment. Through guest lectures and group discussions, you’ll explore the rise of social ventures and the importance of their work.
As part of the program, you will develop a business plan and elevator pitch for a social-impact organization. You will also dive into the legal structures of social enterprises to understand how to best shape these ventures for success.
Location: Virtual or on-campus in Providence, RI
Cost: $5,534 (residential) $4,286 (commuter), or $5,314 (virtual). Financial aid is available.
Application Deadline: May 9
Program Dates: June 23 – July 18 (virtual) or June 30 – July 11 (on-campus)
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 – 12, who will be 14 – 18 years old by June 15