15 Economics Pre-college Programs for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in economics, business, or finance, pre-college programs offer an early way to explore these fields in a structured setting. These programs introduce how economic ideas operate beyond textbooks, from business choices and pricing to public policy and financial systems.
What do economics pre-college programs for high school students involve?
You study topics such as markets, incentives, supply and demand, basic finance, and policy analysis. Many programs use case studies, data exercises, simulations, and group discussions that mirror how economics is taught in college classrooms. This helps you move from theory to application and understand how economic thinking is used to study real problems.
Why consider economics pre-college programs for high school students?
Unlike regular school programs or internships, pre-college programs are run by universities. That means you learn in an academic environment designed to reflect university-level expectations. You follow college-style syllabi, manage deadlines, and engage with material at a deeper pace. This exposure helps you understand what studying economics in college actually feels like, while building reasoning, data interpretation, and decision-making skills that carry across fields such as business, finance, policy, law, and technology.
If you’re also interested in online economics programs, check here, or go here for free economics summer programs for high school students.
Without further ado, here are 15 economics pre-college programs for high school students!
15 Economics Pre-college Programs for High School Students
1. Economics, Finance, and Public Policy - Harvard Summer School
Location: On campus at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Online or commuting options are available.
Cost: Non-refundable $75 application fee. 7-week program: $15,735 for residential (8 credit hours), $4,180 for online/commuting (4 credit hours), or $8,160 for online/commuting (8 credit hours). 4-week program: $9,100 for residential (4 credit hours).
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 7-week program runs mid-June through early August; 4-week program runs mid-July through early August
Application Deadline: Early: January 7; Regular: February 11
Eligibility: Graduating high school students entering college in the next three years. Must be at least 16 years old by June 20, and will not turn 19 years old before July 31
In Harvard Summer School’s Secondary School Program, you study economics the way undergraduates do. You enroll in one or two college-level courses and work through lectures, readings, problem sets, and exams that demand sustained attention and careful reasoning. Course options cover core areas like microeconomics, macroeconomics, financial and managerial economics, econometrics, public finance, and strategic decision-making. The work is graded and paced like a university class. You analyze how markets function, how financial systems operate, and how government policy affects economic outcomes. Writing and problem-solving are central, with assignments that require you to explain arguments clearly and use evidence correctly.
2. Young Founders Lab
Cost: Varies by 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. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
3. Yale Young Global Scholars
Location: Yale University campus, New Haven, Connecticut
Cost: $7,000 + application fee of $80 or $95 (need-based financial aid available)
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Session I (June 21 - July 3), Session II (July 5 - July 17), Session III (July 19 - July 31)
Application Deadline: October 15 for early admits and January 7 for regular admission
Eligibility: Current high school sophomore or junior (or international equivalent); Be between the ages of 16-18 years old by July 19; international students are welcome to apply
Yale Young Global Scholars is one of the world's most globally diverse two-week pre-college programs, bringing together exceptional high school students from 150+ countries. You will live on Yale's campus and engage in a rigorous, collaborative academic curriculum led by Yale faculty, instructors, and teaching assistants. The program structure includes daily lectures by Yale faculty and visiting scholars, small seminar discussions (approximately 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio), breakout group sessions for deeper analysis, and a multi-week capstone project where you work with peers to research or solve real-world challenges within your chosen track.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies by the program. There is need-based financial aid.
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 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. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. 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, 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.
5. UCLA Summer Pre-College Focus Series - Economics
Location: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus
Cost: Fees of $3,186; financial aid available
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – July 10
Application Deadline: June 12
Eligibility: 9th-12th grade students; minimum GPA to apply is a 3.0 cumulative
This three-week economics program introduces you to how economists study policy problems and institutional decision-making. You work through core ideas in economic policy and financial analysis, focusing on how these tools are used to evaluate real economic issues in the U.S. and globally. The program emphasizes building a usable foundation rather than covering many topics quickly, so you spend time understanding how economic methods are applied in practice. You also interact with UCLA faculty and current undergraduates, gaining exposure to how economics is studied at the university level while developing basic data analysis skills and learning how economists frame questions, test assumptions, and interpret outcomes.
6. Economics Policy Academy - Georgetown University
Location: Georgetown University campus, Washington, D.C.
Cost: Residential tuition: $9,085; Commuter tuition: $7,085
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 28–July 17
Application Deadline: Early Bird Deadline Dates: January 31; Final Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Be a current 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grader during the academic year prior to your summer program with at least a 2.0 GPA; homeschooled students are welcome to apply. International students with English-speaking skills are welcome to apply.
In the Economics Policy Academy, you will spend a week on Georgetown University’s campus studying how economics shapes public policy. You will take part in lectures, discussions, and guided activities that examine real policy issues and economic decision-making. You will analyze case examples, discuss policy trade-offs, and work in groups to explore current economic challenges. You will receive daily instruction from Georgetown faculty and program instructors who lead structured classroom sessions. Set in Washington, D.C., it helps you connect economic theory to government institutions and policy environments while gaining early exposure to college-level academic learning.
7. Pathways in Economics - University of Chicago
Location: University of Chicago campus, Chicago, Illinois
Cost: $9,300 + $75 application fee (financial aid available)
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 - July 2
Application Deadline: February 11 (Priority Deadline); March 12 (Regular Deadline)
Eligibility: High school students in 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade
Pathways in Economics introduces you to how economists approach real-world problems. You attend lectures, work through problem sets, and take part in discussions focused on markets, incentives, and public policy. The program focuses on economic reasoning and basic data analysis, asking you to apply concepts to concrete examples. Daily instruction from experienced educators guides you through the material, offering a clear picture of how economics is studied in a university setting.
8. Introduction to Business, Finance, and Economics - Columbia University
Location: Columbia University campus, New York City
Cost: $9,383
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 19 – August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students ages 16-18
This summer program at Columbia introduces you to how economics and finance drive business decisions in the heart of New York City. You work through real-world case studies and financial simulations that show how firms raise capital, evaluate investments, and manage risk. The program covers microeconomics, macroeconomics, and financial strategy, with visits to Wall Street and the Financial District. You also complete team-based financial analysis projects and explore how economic forces shape global markets and corporate strategies.
9. Precollege Studies: Economics Courses - Cornell University
Location: Cornell University campus, Ithaca, New York
Cost: $5,040 (for a 3-credit course)
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Various summer sessions
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (age 15+)
Cornell's Precollege Studies lets you take real undergraduate economics courses for college credit. You choose from applied economics and management classes that cover macroeconomic theory, financial accounting, marketing, and risk management. You study alongside Cornell students, learn from Cornell faculty, and earn 3-8 credits with an official Cornell transcript. The program emphasizes college-level academic skills and gives you direct experience with Ivy League coursework while building your understanding of economic principles and business applications.
10. The Business of Economics - Rice University
Location: Online
Cost: $1,795
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple multi-length sessions offered throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: High school or U.S.-high-school-equivalent students above the age of 13 and up
Rice University’s Business of Economics course walks you through how economic theory shows up in real business decisions. You study topics like markets, labor dynamics, inflation, energy economics, and public policy, then apply those ideas to concrete business cases rather than abstract models. The course relies on guided assignments and simulations to show how firms and consumers respond to economic pressures in practice. Along the way, instructors provide structured feedback as you work through each unit. The program ends with a capstone focused on stagflation.
11. The Wharton Global Youth Program
Location: Online and on-campus options through the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
Cost: Non-refundable application fee of $100 is required for application + a tuition fee of $4,230
Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: Spring 1: January 20 – March 3, Summer 1: May 26 – July 1, Summer 2: July 2 – August 7
Application Deadline: Spring 1 (December 5), Summer 1 (March 25), Summer 2 (May 6)
Eligibility: Exceptionally high school juniors and seniors, with a minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA; international students are welcome to apply
Through the Wharton Global Youth Program, you take structured, pre-baccalaureate courses that introduce how economics, business, and finance are studied at the college level. Coursework follows a university-style format built around lectures, assigned readings, and graded assignments that emphasize analytical reasoning rather than surface exposure. You work through applied projects that require you to interpret data, evaluate tradeoffs, and make decisions using economic and business frameworks. Instruction is led by Wharton-affiliated educators, and the academic pacing mirrors what you would encounter in an undergraduate classroom.
12. Business Opportunities Summer Session (BOSS)
Location: Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
Cost: $350
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 14-26
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: High school juniors from the U.S. and Puerto Rico, entering 12th grade
BOSS places you on Penn State’s campus to study how business and economics fit together in practice. You move through structured workshops that introduce accounting, finance, management, and marketing, with a focus on how these areas connect inside real organizations. Much of the learning happens in teams, where you work through assignments, discuss tradeoffs, and practice presenting ideas clearly. Faculty, staff, and student mentors guide the process, helping you understand what business study looks like in a university setting.
13. Brown Pre-College Online
Location: Online
Cost: Nonrefundable application fee: $80; course tuition for online programs ranges from $3,094 to $6,238
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Varies by session. Typically in July
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18 by June 14
In Brown University's Pre-College Online program, you will spend the summer taking college-level courses from wherever you are. You will engage with readings, discussions, and written assignments that reflect Brown's open curriculum and academic style. You will learn from Brown-affiliated instructors and participate in community-building activities and workshops with other online students from around the world. Brown offers over 80 online courses across multiple subject areas, including Business, Economics, and Legal Studies. All online students receive a Certificate of Completion upon finishing their course, and those completing 3-week or longer courses receive a detailed Course Performance.
14. Leadership in the Business World by Wharton Global Youth Programs
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
Cost: $11,899 + $100 non-refundable application fee
Cohort Size: 120 students
Dates: Jun 7 - Jun 27; Jun 28 - Jul 18; Jul 19 - Aug 8
Application Deadline: Priority: January 28; Final: March 18
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grade 11 with demonstrated leadership experience and academic excellence of a 3.5 unweighted GPA or higher
This Wharton program focuses on how leadership functions inside real business organizations. You analyze case studies, attend lectures, and take part in structured discussions around management, strategy, and ethical decision-making. Much of the work is team-based, requiring you to collaborate, assess business situations, and present arguments clearly. Instruction follows a college-style format led by Wharton-affiliated educators, giving you early exposure to how economic thinking and leadership intersect in professional environments.
15. Capital Markets and Investments - Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
Location: Online
Cost: $3,080; need-based financial aid available
Cohort Size: Small class sizes (typically 15-20 students per section)
Dates: Session I: June 15-26; Session II: July 6-17
Application Deadline: March 13 (Regular Decision); March 20 (Financial Aid Application Deadline)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 8–11; ages 14–17; intermediate to advanced English proficiency
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes' Capital Markets and Investments course introduces you to the fundamentals of how financial markets operate and how investors make decisions. You explore essential tools and concepts for evaluating financial assets, understanding market structures, and analyzing investment strategies. Through two weeks of intensive online study, you attend daily live seminars led by Stanford-affiliated instructors, participate in small-group office hours, and complete collaborative projects focused on real-world investing scenarios. You work alongside highly motivated peers from 50+ countries, earning a certificate of completion and a detailed written evaluation from your instructor.
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