14 Economics Programs in Florida for High School Students
What do economics programs cover?
Economics programs in Florida often cover core topics such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, data analysis, and market research. Many programs incorporate hands-on components like business plan development, stock market simulations, economic research projects, and internships with local companies.
Why participate in economics programs in Florida as a high schooler?
You gain a clearer understanding of potential career paths , whether in finance, entrepreneurship, public policy, or corporate management , while building confidence in your academic and professional goals. Florida’s diverse economy , spanning tourism, real estate, international trade, and technology , provides a dynamic backdrop for you to examine supply and demand, global markets, and economic development in action.
For adjacent opportunities, you can check out business summer programs in Florida or online economics programs.
Here are 14 economics programs for high school students in Florida!
14 Economics Programs in Florida for High School Students
1. University of South Florida’s Bulls Finance Camp
Location: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Cost: $750
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all the slots are filled
Dates: June 22 – 26
Eligibility: Open to high school students (9th — 12th grade), including those who have completed eighth grade
The Bull Finance Camp at the University of South Florida introduces you to core concepts in finance, with a focus on financial literacy and its role in business decision-making. During the program, you study topics such as economics, investing, corporate finance, personal financial planning, and financial technology. You also apply practical skills related to budgeting, evaluating risk, and managing financial resources — skills that can support your academic goals or future business interests. Throughout the camp, you participate in sessions led by faculty members and finance professionals, work on collaborative projects, and interact with current university students studying finance. The program also includes a campus tour and conversations about potential career paths in areas such as investment banking, financial consulting, and technology-related finance fields.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. You can access the application link here!
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
The Young Founder’s Lab is a startup-focused program developed by entrepreneurs affiliated with Harvard. In this program, you work on shaping a business idea aimed at solving a defined and complex problem, with an emphasis on creating a model that could generate revenue. As you refine your concept, you receive guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and professionals, some of whom have worked at companies such as Google, Microsoft, and X. Alongside building your venture idea, you participate in structured sessions that cover core business topics such as market research, product development, and strategic planning. You will gain hands-on experience with concepts such as pricing, market research, unit economics, and financial decision-making, skills that directly connect economics to entrepreneurship. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
3. Economics Olympiad Future Leaders Academy
Location: Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Cost: Early-Bird Fee: $4,588; Regular Fee: $5,130
Application Deadline: April 15
Dates: July 18 – August 1
Eligibility: High school students worldwide with an interest in economics
In this two-week residential program at Florida State University, offered by the Economics Olympiad and the Stavros Center for Economic Education, you engage in intensive coursework on economic fundamentals. You cover topics such as incentives, scarcity, opportunity cost, marginal analysis, gains from trade, and supply and demand, completing over 34 hours of classroom instruction. The program also includes workshops on entrepreneurship, leadership, and public speaking, along with discussions about the government’s role, monetary stability, and property rights in supporting economic growth. You interact with economists, policymakers, and business professionals, exploring how economic concepts apply to business, public policy, international relations, and the social sciences.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost: Full financial aid available
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
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 program for high school students who want hands-on experience with early-stage companies. Through the program, you are paired with a startup and contribute to ongoing projects that align with the organization’s needs. The companies operate in areas such as technology, artificial intelligence, health technology, marketing, journalism, and consulting. Some founders have participated in accelerator programs like Y Combinator or previously worked at established firms such as Microsoft, Google, or Facebook. During the internship, you work closely with a designated supervisor at the company and receive additional support from a Ladder Coach. By working with a finance or economics company, you will learn about how economic principles influence business decisions.
5. University of Miami Pre-College — Summer Scholars: Business, Finance, and Global Relations
Location: University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
Cost: Varies by format; Scholarships available
Application Deadline: November 14 – December 31 (early), March 1 (international), April 1 (regular)
Dates: June 27 – July 17
Eligibility: Rising 11th-12th graders with a GPA of at least 3.0 (prerequisites vary by course)
The University of Miami offers pre-college programs for high school students, including the Summer Scholars Program, with coursework that incorporates key economic concepts. Through faculty-led classes and structured academic activities, you examine how economic theory applies to business and policy decisions, particularly within programs focused on business and global studies. In the Business, Finance, and Global Relations track, you engage directly with economics topics such as supply and demand, market structures, global trade, and the role of economic policy in shaping international markets. You analyze how businesses respond to economic incentives, currency fluctuations, and global competition, while also exploring connections between economics, accounting, and management.
6. Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance
Location: Fairfax County Public Schools, Online
Cost/Stipend: $130 full tuition ($65 reduced meals, $13 free meals)
Application Deadline: June 5 (registration closes)
Dates: June 22 – July 24
Eligibility: Current FCPS students, grades 9–12 (including rising 9th graders with counselor approval)
In this asynchronous, self-directed summer course offered through FCPS Schoology, you complete the Economics and Personal Finance graduation requirement on a pass/fail basis without direct teacher instruction. You work independently through a structured set of modules that cover core topics in economics and personal finance, demonstrating your understanding through exit tickets, module assessments, a midterm, and a final exam. The course focuses on foundational economic principles and practical financial skills, such as budgeting, saving, credit, investing, and understanding how markets operate. Because the format is fully online and self-paced, you develop independence, time management, and self-discipline while building essential knowledge in economics and personal financial decision-making.
7. UF Florida Youth Institute (FYI)
Location: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Cost: $800 (scholarships available for Florida high schoolers)
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Dates: Session 1: June 28 – July 3; Session 2: July 5 – 10Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors
The Florida Youth Institute is a program run in partnership with the World Food Prize Foundation that focuses on agricultural and resource economics. In the program, you examine issues of global food security through the perspective of economic sustainability and the allocation of resources. The program includes visits to research labs and field sites, allowing you to see how economic policies affect agricultural practices and production. A central component involves researching the food security challenges of a particular country and developing a paper that proposes economic approaches to address those challenges. This allows you to apply economic reasoning to real-world problems in agriculture and resource management.
8. Florida Council on Economic Education INVESTed
Location: Miami Dade College/University of South Florida, FL
Cost/Stipend: None
Application Deadline: Not provided
Dates: January 21 (Miami Dade), March 20 (USF)
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 2.0 GPA
The INVESTed Program combines personal finance instruction with career exploration to give you practical tools for making financial decisions. Through interactive sessions, you apply concepts such as budgeting, saving, and planning for future careers in scenarios that reflect real-life situations relevant to students. The program also includes discussions and panels with professionals from finance and business, offering insight into different economic careers and workplace practices. Projects and exercises allow you to practice financial reasoning and decision-making, helping you understand how to manage resources and evaluate choices both as a student and in future professional contexts.
9. Florida Stock Market Challenge
Location: Classroom-based/virtual across FL
Cost/Stipend: None; cash prizes for winning teams
Application Deadline: February 20
Dates: January 26 – April 10
Eligibility: K-12 students in Florida
In this Florida economics competition, you take on the role of an investor managing a simulated $100,000 portfolio. You use both fundamental and technical analysis to make investment decisions based on real market data, applying the same methods that financial professionals use. The program connects concepts from economics, math, and social studies as you monitor factors such as inflation, interest rates, and corporate performance.High school students compete at the regional and state levels, and top participants are recognized by the Florida Council on Economic Education. The competition provides a hands-on environment to see how economic events and news affect individual stock prices and market trends.
10. Wharton Global Youth’s Online Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: $329 – $4,099 (scholarships available)
Application Deadline: January 28
Dates: Several sessions across June – August
Eligibility: High school students
The Wharton Global Youth offers online programs in economics and business designed for high school students. In these courses, you study core concepts in areas such as financial decision-making, economic theory, statistics, leadership, or specialized topics like sports business. Instruction combines lectures with simulations, projects, and discussions, giving you opportunities to apply theoretical concepts to practical situations. You work on case studies based on real research and market trends while collaborating with peers from around the world, gaining experience in both analysis and teamwork within an international learning environment.
11. Wake Forest University Finance Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,595
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: 1-, 2-, and 4-week sessions
Eligibility: Students aged 13+
The Wake Forest Pre-College Finance Track explores how contemporary financial markets operate within changing technological and structural contexts. In the program, you study topics such as capital raising, equity markets, ESG investing, and the influence of fintech and cryptocurrencies on financial systems. Through instructor-led sessions, you examine concepts like decentralized finance, blockchain, and shareholder interactions, with a focus on how investors, companies, and institutions evaluate risk and projected value. The course approaches finance as an applied area of economics, emphasizing the structure and functioning of financial systems rather than personal investment strategies.
12. Harvard Summer School 7-Week Online
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,180 (4 credits); financial aid available
Application Deadline: February 11
Dates: June 20 – August 8Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are 16–18 years old
Through Harvard Summer School’s online program, you can take college-level economics courses for academic credit while in high school. Depending on your interests, you may study topics such as microeconomics, monetary policy, global development, political economy, or decision analysis. The coursework involves reading academic texts, completing analytical assignments, and participating in structured discussions. You also have access to university resources, including libraries and writing support, providing an experience similar to a traditional college course and helping you develop skills for future academic study.
13. Columbia University — Globalization: Challenges in International Economics & Politics
Location: Virtual or in person at Columbia, NY
Cost: $4,015 (online); need-based financial aid available
Application Deadline: Online: April 2
Dates: Online A: July 6 – 17; B: July 20 – 31
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply
In this pre-college program, you study the interaction between economic and political forces at both global and domestic levels. Using case studies, you analyze trade patterns, capital flows, sovereign debt, foreign aid, the role of non-state actors, humanitarian challenges, energy sustainability, and the functions of international institutions. The program also explores domestic economic topics, including policy decisions, income distribution, social welfare, defense spending, and the impact of globalization on national economies. You gain additional perspective through a visit to the United Nations Headquarters, connecting classroom analysis with real-world international governance.
14. Columbia University — Game Theory: A Course in Mathematical Economics
Location: Virtual or in-person at Columbia University, NY
Cost: $4,015 (online); need-based financial aid available
Application Deadline: Online: April 2
Dates: Online A: July 6 – 17
Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply
The Game Theory program introduces you to the study of strategic decision-making in contexts where choices, rational behavior, and uncertainty interact. You explore fundamental concepts and key theories in the field, focusing on their applications in economics, business, political science, and project management. Throughout the course, you analyze practical situations such as pricing strategies, negotiations, and collaboration or competition between different parties. You also work with probability problems and assess how outcomes change depending on the decisions made by multiple actors, developing a structured approach to anticipating and responding to strategic interactions.