15 Economics Research Internships for High School Students
If you’re a high school student thinking about majoring in economics or pursuing a career in the field, enrolling in an economics research internship can give you practical work experience that school classes rarely provide.
What are economics research internships for high school students?
Economic research internships give you the chance to work with real data and real questions that economists study. You might examine how prices move in different markets, review how a policy affects certain groups, or look at patterns in household decisions. Many programs also teach you basic tools like Stata, R, or Python and walk you through building simple models or organizing your results.
Why should you pursue economics research internships for high school students?
The projects you complete will become useful additions to your resume, and the examples you gather can strengthen your college essays or interview answers. You gain material that shows your interest in economics and your ability to handle structured academic work, which can be helpful when you apply to selective programs later on.
If you’re also interested in international economics internships, you can check here!
With that in mind, here are 15 economics research internships for high school students!
Disclaimer: Some items below are economics programs (not internships) with a research component.
15 Economics Research Internships for High School Students
1. U.S. Department of the Treasury – Headquarters Student Internship Program
Cost: Free (unpaid internship)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Program Dates: Offered every semester — Spring (Jan–May), Summer (May–Aug), Fall (Sept–Dec)
Application Deadline: October (Spring), December (Summer), June (Fall)
Eligibility: U.S. citizens enrolled in high school, undergraduate, or graduate programs; must maintain an active student status throughout the internship
The Headquarters Student Internship Program at the U.S. Department of the Treasury offers high school students an opportunity to engage directly in federal economic and policy research. Depending on placement, you may work with the Office of Economic Policy, Domestic Finance, or Tax Policy, conducting data collection, literature reviews, and statistical analysis to support Treasury initiatives. You’ll develop critical skills in economic modeling, policy evaluation, and quantitative reasoning while observing how fiscal and monetary policies are designed and implemented.
2. J-PAL North America Research Opportunities
Cost: Free; Unpaid internship (some programs may offer stipends depending on partnership funding)
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts (MIT)
Program Dates: Varies by project; typically 6–8 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling, depending on project availability
Eligibility: Advanced high school students with coursework in economics, mathematics, or statistics preferred
Hosted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), J-PAL North America engages students in rigorous economic research that evaluates social and policy interventions through randomized controlled trials. As an intern or research assistant, you may help with data cleaning, survey design, literature reviews, and impact evaluations in areas such as labor markets, housing, or education. You gain experience using tools like Stata, R, and Python while learning the research methods commonly used in development and behavioral economics. The work shows you how economic theory is applied to real policy questions and how evidence is used to guide public decisions.
3. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies by program. Financial aid available
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 highly selective, virtual internship program designed for ambitious high school students who want to gain real-world experience working with fast-growing startups. Founded by Harvard entrepreneurs, the program matches you with a startup in industries ranging from economics, finance, consulting, to AI/ML, deep tech, and health tech. These startups are typically high-growth companies; many have raised over $1 million, and some are led by Y Combinator alumni or former employees of tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. As an intern, you work closely with your startup manager and a dedicated Ladder Coach on meaningful projects tailored to your interests and strengths. You’ll present your work to the company.
4. Young Founders Lab
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
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!
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.
5. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis – Internship Program
Cost: Free, Paid internship
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Program Dates: Typically June–August
Application Deadline: January–February (varies by department)
Eligibility: Advanced high school seniors and college students; strong interest in economics, finance, or data science preferred
Each summer, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis hires about 25 paid interns to support economic research, banking supervision, and policy evaluation. If you work with the Economic Research division or the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute, you may help with data cleaning, literature reviews, dashboard building, and regional economic analysis. You gain practical experience in how macroeconomic data is used to guide monetary and public policy, while developing technical skills in Excel, R, and Stata for economic modeling. You also take part in mentorship sessions, speaker events, and professional development workshops that introduce you to careers in economic analysis and public service.
6. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Cost: Free
Location: Online (Global) and on-site finale at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Program Dates: June–April (10-week trading window from September–December; finals in April)
Application Deadline: September 12 (Advisor registration closes)
Eligibility: Open to high school students (grades 9–12) worldwide; teams of 4–6 students guided by a teacher advisor
Hosted by the Wharton Global Youth Program, this investment challenge gives high school students a chance to practice real economic and financial research in a competitive setting. Using $500,000 in virtual capital on the Wharton Investment Simulator (WInS), you and your team study economic trends, analyze industries, evaluate companies, and create investment strategies for hypothetical clients. Across ten weeks, you build a portfolio, write detailed research reports, and present your analysis to judges that include Wharton faculty and finance professionals. Top-performing teams move on to the virtual Semifinals and later the Global Finale at Wharton, where you present your work to economists and investors.
7. Junior Economic Club (JEC) – Internship Program
Cost: Free (some internships may include stipends)
Location: Hybrid; opportunities available across Illinois, Texas, and online
Program Dates: Varies by partner organization (typically summer)
Application Deadline: Spring; rolling for select partnerships
Eligibility: High school students with an interest in economics, business, or finance
The Junior Economic Club (JEC) connects high-performing high school students with startups, investment firms, and policy-focused organizations for hands-on internships in economics and finance. You will gain exposure to real-world applications of economic principles through market research, policy writing, data analysis, and investment evaluation. Recent partners include the Henry George School of Social Science, where interns assisted in academic economic writing, and Dekos Capital, where interns conducted company research and supported investment underwriting. You’ll learn how economic reasoning drives both policy and financial strategy while developing technical skills in research, analysis, and communication. JEC’s partnerships with institutions like Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management make it a strong gateway for students exploring applied economics at an early stage.
8. University of Georgia – Young Scholars Internship Program (YSP)
Cost: Free to attend; paid internship
Location: University of Georgia campuses in Athens, Griffin, or Tifton
Program Dates: June 1 – July 7 (Internship); July 8 – 10 (Research Conference)
Application Deadline: January 23 (recommendations and transcripts due January 30)
Eligibility: High school students who have completed their sophomore year; minimum age 16; must have completed one science and one algebra course
The Young Scholars Internship Program at the University of Georgia offers a five-week, full-time research experience for high school students interested in scientific and quantitative fields, including agricultural economics and environmental policy. You’ll work 30 hours a week under faculty mentors, conducting original research that may involve data analysis, sustainability modeling, or market studies in agriculture. The internship culminates in a formal poster presentation at the Young Scholars Pre-Collegiate Research Conference on the Athens campus. You’ll gain hands-on experience in research design, data interpretation, and scientific communication under the guidance of UGA faculty mentors.
9. Georgia Institute of Technology – IPaT High School Summer Research Internship
Cost: Free
Location: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
Program Dates: June–July (students presented final projects on July 21)
Application Deadline: Typically closes in spring (exact date varies by year)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors interested in STEM and technology research
The Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) at Georgia Tech offers a summer research internship introducing high school students to real-world, interdisciplinary research. You will work in small teams under Georgia Tech researchers on projects that combine technology design, human behavior, and data-driven analysis. Past projects include machine learning–based life skills apps and browser extensions for productivity and collaboration, integrating principles from behavioral economics and cognitive science. You will gain research experience through prototype design, usability testing, and data interpretation, culminating in a final presentation at Georgia Tech’s Research Institute auditorium.
10. George Mason University – Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Cost: Free (except a $25 application fee; waivers available for financial need)
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia (with remote and hybrid options)
Program Dates: June 18–August 12
Application Deadline: February 15 (exact date varies yearly)
Eligibility: High school students aged 15+ (16+ for wet-lab placements)
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) offers an eight-week mentored research experience across a wide array of disciplines, including STEM-related business, finance, economics, and data science for social good. You’ll work one-on-one with George Mason faculty and research professionals on independent or team-based projects that often culminate in poster sessions, journal publications, or patent filings. You will gain hands-on experience with advanced data analysis, mathematical modeling, and computational tools used in modern economic and scientific research.
11. Economics for Leaders – Foundation for Teaching Economics
Cost: Typically around $2,800 for residential sessions (varies by campus; need-based scholarships available)
Location: Multiple U.S. university campuses and online options
Program Dates: June–August (specific sessions vary by site)
Application Deadline: Rolling; priority deadline in March
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors with a strong interest in economics, policy, or leadership
Hosted by the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE), this week-long intensive introduces students to advanced economic reasoning and decision-making models used in real-world leadership contexts. You will examine policy trade-offs, market dynamics, and behavioral economics through simulations and applied case studies. Each student engages in analytical exercises that mirror economic research, using data to evaluate policy outcomes and efficiency. You’ll build practical fluency in economic modeling and strengthen your understanding of how research informs leadership and policy decisions. The program also features lectures from university economists, collaborative workshops, and potential college credit for participants completing the coursework.
12. University of California, Santa Barbara – Research Mentorship Program (RMP)
Cost: Commuter: $5,675; Residential: $13,274 (includes tuition, housing, and activities); financial aid available
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, California
Program Dates: June 15 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 9 (applications open December 15)
Eligibility: High-achieving high school students (rising juniors and seniors) worldwide
The Research Mentorship Program (RMP) at UC Santa Barbara pairs high school students with university mentors, including faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students, to conduct original research in their chosen discipline. You could work on projects involving behavioral economics, econometrics, sustainability economics, or policy modeling, while learning professional research techniques such as data collection, statistical analysis, and academic writing. You will complete a university-level research paper and present your findings at the RMP Research Symposium, mirroring the process followed by undergraduate researchers. In addition to mentorship, you will attend the GRIT Talks lecture series, connecting them with UCSB researchers and innovators across diverse fields.
13. Yale University – Yale Young Global Scholars (Politics, Law & Economics)
Cost: $7,000 (need-based financial aid and scholarships available)
Location: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Program Dates: Session I: June 21 – July 3; Session II: July 5 – July 17; Session III: July 19 – July 31
Application Deadline: January 7 (Regular Decision); October 15 (Early Action)
Eligibility: High school students (typically ages 16–18) from all countries
The Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) program’s Politics, Law & Economics (PLE) session explores the intersections of economic theory, political institutions, and global policy-making. Through seminars, workshops, and faculty-led lectures, you will investigate topics such as market regulation, behavioral economics, and international economic systems. You will collaborate on small-group research projects that often culminate in written analyses or presentations reflecting undergraduate-level inquiry. You’ll strengthen your critical thinking and research skills while engaging in debates on fiscal policy, law, and global governance, guided by Yale-affiliated scholars and peers from over 150 countries.
14. TAG-Ed – High School Summer Internship Program
Cost: $2,000 fee; $1,500 stipend
Location: Georgia (placements with host companies across the state)
Program Dates: June 2 – late July (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in spring (February–March)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (age 17+); strong academic record and interest in STEM or analytical fields
The TAG-Ed High School Summer Internship Program, organized by the Technology Association of Georgia Education Collaborative, pairs high-achieving high school students with Georgia-based companies for an eight-week paid internship. You will work in teams on projects involving data analytics, business modeling, technology development, and market research, guided by professionals in STEM-related industries. The internship develops practical, analytical, and problem-solving skills through project-based learning, simulating the collaborative research environment found in economics and data science.
15. University of Pennsylvania – Management & Technology Summer Institute (M&TSI)
Cost: $9,000 (need-based scholarships and full/partial funding available)
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Program Dates: July 5 – July 25
Application Deadline: Priority: January 28; Final: March 25
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with strong academic performance and interest in economics, business, or engineering
The Management & Technology Summer Institute (M&TSI), hosted jointly by The Wharton School and Penn Engineering, is an intensive three-week, for-credit program that explores the intersection of economics, technology, and entrepreneurship. You study microeconomic decision-making, market structures, and financial principles while designing and presenting a tech-based business prototype. Guided by Penn faculty and industry mentors, participants conduct market research, analyze data, and develop go-to-market strategies evaluated by professors and investors. You will earn one Penn College credit upon completion.
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