15 Economics Internships for High School Students in San Diego
If you’re a high school student interested in economics or considering studying the subject in college, consider participating in an economics internship. Economics internships give you the chance to learn practical skills like data handling and market analysis while showing you how these ideas are used in industry settings.
In San Diego, there are many opportunities for high school students looking for internships related to economics. You could get involved in research projects, finance-related roles, or programs at local organizations that deal with economic issues. Taking part in a local internship also has added advantages; it helps you stay close to home, which cuts down on travel costs, and allows you to build connections with professionals in your own city.
To help you find the right fit, we’ve put together a list of 15 economics internships for high school students in San Diego!
15 Economics Internships for High School Students in San Diego
1. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies according to program (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
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!
Ladder Internships is a selective 8-week virtual program where you work with a high-growth startup on a real-world project. You’ll work directly with your startup manager and a Ladder Coach, gaining experience in industries like tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Startups in the program have raised over $1 million on average, and many are led by founders from Y Combinator or companies like Google and Microsoft. You’ll attend one-on-one coaching sessions, join group training with other interns, and present your work to the company at the end of the internship.
2. 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: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
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. 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.
3. Cristo Rey San Diego High School Corporate Work Study
Location: On-site, remote, or hybrid at corporate partner locations across San Diego
Stipend: Stipend earned by students goes towards their education
Dates: Internships take place throughout the academic year
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students attending Cristo Rey San Diego
The Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) is where students gain practical experience in various professional jobs while they are still in high school. The program is designed so you can work at a real internship one full day per week (plus one extra day every fourth week) without missing any of your classes. You’ll be placed at a company in industries like finance, law, healthcare, consulting, marketing, technology, or nonprofits. Through CWSP, you’ll work on projects that introduce you to real-world business concepts like real estate market analysis, global logistics and trade, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and business operations and compliance.
4. City of San Diego Internship Program
Location: Various organizations within San Diego
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Dates vary based on the specific internship
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Open to San Diego youth ages 16–24, including high school and college students
The City of San Diego offers various internship opportunities for high school students. You can work at paid internships in areas such as asset management, audit and compliance, finance, government and policy, and real estate. The benefit of interning at a city administration office is that you’ll witness how the government makes decisions and implements tasks such as funding public projects, creating policies, and managing resources. You’ll learn how economic policies are implemented, where public funds are allocated, and you’ll get to work in areas such as policy evaluation, data analysis, and budgeting.
5. San Diego Unified School District Career Technical Education (CTE)
Location: Location varies based on the specific program (All programs are hosted at high schools in the San Diego Unified School District)
Stipend: Not Specified
Dates: Not specified
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students
The San Diego Unified School District offers Career Technical Education (CTE) courses in 15 different industries for high school students. The courses are chosen by evaluating local economic needs, and will allow you to explore different professional and academic career pathways. You can choose the business and finance course where you’ll learn about accounting, investment, taxes, insurance, asset management, and money handling. This course comes with internship support, where you can intern at financial institutions, accounting firms, and insurance companies.
6. UC San Diego Futures Program
Location: Virtually hosted by UC San Diego
Cost: $495-$795 for the Essential Employability Skills and Micro-Internship program
Dates: Dates vary based on cohort
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students
The UC San Diego Futures is an internship program for high school students to explore their interests and gain practical experience before entering college or the workforce. You can opt for the business management program, where you’ll learn about implementing business and economic-related policies through case studies and activities. You’ll learn about policy creation, resource allocation, cost-effective marketing strategy, and product development. The training program is accessible and takes place online, after which you’ll have access to internship opportunities with the San Diego Workforce Partnership.
7. Essential Employability Skills and Micro-Internship for High Schoolers
Location: Hosted Virtually by UC San Diego
Cost: $495–$795
Dates: Varies by the term
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students
UC San Diego’s Futures Micro-Internship Program is a career-readiness course where you learn essential workplace skills and apply them through a real micro-internship. After completing the Futures: Essential Employability Skills course, you’ll move into a virtual internship with a company, nonprofit, government agency, or community-based organization. In this program, you’ll participate in project-based activities that mirror real work settings. You’ll observe how companies operate, collaborate with peers, and receive mentorship from professionals in your field of interest, including opportunities in economics and business.
8. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
Location: Non-profit organizations across the U.S.
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Dates vary based on the specific internship | Summit dates - July 21 - July 26
Application Deadline: January 15
Eligibility: High school junior or senior; authorized to work in the U.S.
The Bank of America Student Leaders Program is an eight-week summer internship where you work at a local nonprofit and learn how organizations serve their communities through business strategy, policy, and service. You’ll spend 35 hours a week helping nonprofits tackle real challenges, whether that’s researching grants, analyzing data, evaluating financial opportunities, or supporting youth programs and food bank operations. You’ll gain firsthand experience in how nonprofits work with businesses and government to address community needs. Past interns have worked with organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way chapters.
9. San Diego County Sheriff's Department Student Worker
Location: Locations vary based on the county department in San Diego County, CA
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Varies based on department
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, graduate, or tech students; Minimum 2.0 GPA
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department offers internship opportunities to students in various areas. You’ll gain practical work experience working with peers. Some of the departments you can work in include general services, auditor and controllers, county clerk and treasurer tax collector. Interns will work under the mentorship of professionals and gain experience working in city administration. You can apply to the department of your choice by contacting the specific person mentioned here.
10. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Location: Virtual up till semi-finals; Finale held at Wharton School, Philadelphia
Stipend: No stipend
Dates: September–April
Application Deadline: September 12
Eligibility: A team will consist of high school students from the same school; the team leader should be at least 16 years old; and can apply from anywhere in the U.S.
The Wharton Global High School Invested is a free investment competition and learning opportunity for high school students. Some of the things you’ll learn about include investing, diversification, risk, industry analysis, and strategy building. Participants will work in groups, and you’ll be tasked with examining a client’s case study and working on a long-term investment goal for them. You’ll have access to an online stock market simulator, and you’ll be required to work on an investment strategy and build a portfolio. Winners are not just decided on their portfolio growth, but also on their team strategies.
11. Junior Achievement Fellows
Location: Hosted in various San Diego area high schools
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Internships typically take place over 1-2 academic semesters (Exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors at select San Diego-based schools, including Lincoln High School, Chula Vista Learning Community Charter High School, and Avenues for Success at Hoover High School
The Junior Achievement of San Diego County hosts a JA Fellows program where high school students are connected to San Diego’s local businesses in a year-long leadership and work-based learning program. As a fellow, you’ll build a foundational understanding of the local economy, learn about personal finance, build professional skills, and explore various career pathways. You’ll receive mentorship from an industry professional based on the areas of your interest and participate in paid internships in local businesses.
12. U.S. Trade Administration Pathways Internship Program
Location: San Diego Office of the U.S. Commercial Service, San Diego, CA
Stipend: Unpaid
Dates: Dates align with academic semesters (spring, summer, and fall)
Application Deadline: October 15, March 15, and July 15
Eligibility: Primarily open to college students, though exceptional high school or trade school students may be considered on a case-by-case basis
The U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) offers a Pathways Internship Program where students can gain practical experience at a federal agency office. Through the internship, you’ll learn how the ITA aids U.S. businesses in global markets and supports U.S. trade and investment. You’ll work alongside professionals and assist with tasks such as market research, data management, and economic analysis. You’ll develop skills in economic and market analysis and get to explore various career pathways in areas such as economics, international business, and public policy.
13. High School Fed Challenge
Location: Takes place virtually
Cost: Free
Dates: March - May (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school students; each school can register only one team
The High School Fed Challenge is a competition for high school students to engage in Economics research. As a participant, you’ll work in teams to author an economics research paper and have the opportunity for your work to be published in the Journal of Future Economists. The challenge follows a theme every year, and your final work will be sent to be evaluated by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Past themes have been on topics such as the Economics of Food. You’ll also gain broad exposure to the field of economics, explore different pathways in the field, and build skills in critical thinking, writing, teamwork work and conducting research.
14. CLA High School Internship Program
Location: Carlsbad, CA (30-minute commute from San Diego)
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Summer (8 weeks, typically starting in June)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 16-18
CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) offers a high school internship opportunity for high school students to gain practical experience working in a professional services firm. At the internship, you’ll learn in depth about professional services, the accounting industry, and wealth advisory. You will get to shadow different professionals and learn about various career paths in accounting. Interns will engage in interactive case studies, get to work on client projects, and work on group projects with like-minded peers.
15. Interns4Good
Location: Virtual
Stipend: Unpaid; volunteer-based
Dates: Applications open throughout the year
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students
Interns4Good offers virtual internship opportunities for high schoolers at non-profit organizations. Interns will gain practical experience working in social impact in various areas such as outreach, finance, social media, HR, and blog writing. As a finance intern, your tasks will include working closely with the finance team to manage budgets, apply for grants, and assist in making financial decisions. Interns will gain experience in the area of their choice and gain volunteer hours for their work.