15 Economics Summer Camps for High School Students
If you are a high school student interested in economics, summer can be a good time to explore the subject beyond your regular classes. Summer camps can be one of the best choices for that!
What do economics summer camps cover?
Economics summer camps give you a chance to step out of routine learning and spend a few days or weeks focusing on how economic ideas actually work in real situations. You will work through case studies, discuss real-world issues, and explore topics like markets, policy, and trade. You might look at how prices change, why governments make certain decisions, or how global events affect economies.
Why should you attend an economics summer camp in high school?
Unlike regular programs or internships, summer camps are shorter and more feasible to join. They usually run from a few days to a few weeks and focus more on practical, hands-on learning rather than just theory. You are actively participating instead of only listening. They give you useful exposure, help you build confidence in discussing ideas, and add value to your college applications by showing that you explored your interests early.
For more economics opportunities, have a look at online economics programs and economics pre-college programs.
With that in mind, here are 15 economics summer camps for high school students!
15 Economics Summer Camps for High School Students
1. Oakland University – International Economics and China Summer Camp
Location: Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan
Cost: $365 (includes lunch)
Application Deadline: Applications open in February (tentative)
Dates: July 13 – 17
Eligibility: Open to high school students entering grades 10–12
The Oakland University School of Business International Economics and China Summer Camp is a weeklong program that introduces you to the fundamentals of global economics and business. During the camp, you explore how economic systems shape international trade and business relationships, with a particular focus on the economic environments of the United States and China. Through lectures, discussions, and collaborative activities, you gain an understanding of how globalization influences markets and business strategies. Throughout the program, you are introduced to core business disciplines such as economics, marketing, entrepreneurship, and supply chain management. You also explore topics like the evolving global business landscape, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the role of technology in modern economies.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: 100% virtual, with live interactive workshops
Cost: Varies depending on the program type; full financial aid available
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The Young Founders Lab is a startup boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs, where you work to build a revenue-generating startup that addresses a complex real-world problem. Throughout the program, you receive mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and professionals from companies such as Google, Microsoft, and X, giving you insight into how successful startups are built and scaled. 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. The program also includes case studies, panel discussions, and collaborative activities that help you explore both the theoretical and practical frameworks behind launching a business.
3. New York Tech – High School Business Bootcamp
Location: Virtual (New York Institute of Technology School of Management)
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling registration for individual sessions
Dates: Multiple sessions throughout the year (March – December)
Eligibility: Open to all high school students interested in business or related fields
The New York Tech High School Business Bootcamp is structured as a series of online workshops where you explore business topics one session at a time. You can attend individual workshops on areas like leadership, financial literacy, or workplace communication. Each session focuses on a specific concept and walks you through how it applies in real settings. You spend time discussing examples, working through small activities, and understanding how these ideas show up in professional environments. The format is flexible, so you can choose sessions based on your interests.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote (work from anywhere in the world)
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort — Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November)
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Eligibility: Students who can commit 10–20 hours per week for 8–12 weeks; open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students
The Ladder Internship Program is a selective startup internship designed for ambitious students seeking hands-on experience at fast-growing companies. During the program, you are placed with a startup operating in fields such as technology, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting. Many participating startups are high-growth ventures that have raised significant funding and are led by experienced founders and industry professionals. During the internship, you work directly with a startup manager on real-world projects, gaining exposure to how early-stage companies operate and scale. Typical tasks may include economic research, financial strategy development, product support, or communication initiatives. The program is usually 8 weeks long, and by the end of the internship, you present your work to the startup team.
5. Wharton Global Youth – Future of the Business World
Location: Online
Cost: $4,099
Application Deadline: Priority deadline: January 28; final deadline on a rolling basis
Program Dates: June 15 – June 26; July 6 – July 17
Eligibility: Open to high school students currently enrolled in grades 9–12
This course runs over two weeks and introduces you to how businesses respond to changing markets. You attend sessions where you study topics like design thinking, market research, and strategy. The program includes simulations where you work through business problems and test different approaches. You also collaborate with other students to develop ideas and present solutions. The structure follows a classroom format, but most of the learning comes from applying concepts to realistic scenarios.
6. University of Chicago – Career Insight: Business and Entrepreneurship
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Residential)
Cost: $5,890
Application Deadline: Varies by session (check program application page)
Program Dates: June 15 – June 25 (Arrival: June 13; Departure: June 26)
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 9–11
The University of Chicago Career Insight: Business and Entrepreneurship program is a two-week residential experience designed to help you explore potential career paths in business, economics, and entrepreneurship. During the program, UChicago professors and researchers introduce you to core concepts in entrepreneurship, finance, leadership, and economics through lectures, discussions, readings, and collaborative activities. The academic sessions provide an overview of how economic ideas and business strategies shape organizations and markets. In addition to classroom learning, the program emphasizes career exploration and professional development. In the afternoons, you connect with business practitioners through presentations, informational interviews, and career treks around Chicago. You also work with Career Advancement staff who help you understand different professional pathways and develop the skills needed to pursue them.
7. Economics for Leaders Virtual (EFL Virtual)
Location: Virtual or in person at various sites across the U.S.
Cost: $900 (virtual), $2,800 (residential); scholarships available
Application Deadline: Applications open in December
Program Dates: Multiple one-week sessions throughout the summer
Eligibility: Open to high school sophomores and juniors
The Economics for Leaders (EFL) program introduces you to fundamental economic concepts while helping you develop leadership skills. Through lectures, group discussions, and collaborative activities, you explore the principles behind economic decision-making and how these ideas influence businesses, governments, and global markets. The program is designed to help you understand the “economic way of thinking,” a framework for analyzing how individuals and organizations allocate limited resources. During the program, you study topics such as economic growth, scarcity, labor markets, incentives, opportunity cost, inflation, international trade, and property rights. You also participate in activities that demonstrate how economic reasoning applies to real-world challenges and public policy decisions.
8. UC Santa Barbara – Research Mentorship Program (RMP)
Location: University of California, Santa Barbara, California
Cost: $5,675 (commuter), $13,274 (residential); scholarships available
Application Deadline: March 9
Program Dates: June 15 – July 31
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 10–11
The UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program (RMP) is an intensive summer research experience where you work directly with a UCSB faculty member, postdoctoral researcher, or graduate student mentor on an original research project. The program allows you to explore academic disciplines such as economics while learning how scholars design research questions, collect data, and analyze complex problems. Working closely with mentors, you gain hands-on experience in the research process within a university environment. Throughout the program, you also attend writing workshops and academic seminars that guide you through producing a formal research paper and preparing a final presentation. Students enrolled in the program can earn up to eight university credits by completing courses focused on research methods and academic presentation.
9. Georgetown University – Economics Policy Academy
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost: $9,085 (residential, including meals); $7,085 (commuter)
Application Deadline: Varies by session (check program application page)
Program Dates: June 28 – July 17
Eligibility: Open to high school students (typically grades 9–12)
This program focuses on how economic ideas are used in policy decisions. You attend sessions where topics like trade, inequality, and regulation are discussed in detail. The work includes analyzing real policy issues and understanding how governments respond to economic challenges. You also visit organizations in Washington, D.C., which gives context to what you are studying. The program builds toward a research-based project where you apply what you’ve learned.
10. Penn Summer Prep Program
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: $5,949 + $100 application fee; fully funded scholarships available for students attending the School District of Philadelphia public or charter high schools
Application Deadline: April 27
Program Dates: July 5 – July 19
Eligibility: Open to current high school students in grades 9–11 with a minimum 3.5 GPA and strong writing skills; additional requirements apply for non-native English speakers
The Penn Summer Prep Program offers you the opportunity to experience undergraduate-style learning at the University of Pennsylvania through an intensive two-week academic program. During the program, you enroll in two non-credit modules, selecting one morning and one afternoon course from a range of subjects, including economics, the humanities, and STEM. Each module is taught by Penn faculty, graduate students, or staff and incorporates readings, discussions, group activities, and assignments that simulate the pace and expectations of college coursework. Throughout the program, you strengthen analytical thinking, research skills, and academic writing while exploring topics in greater depth than typical high school classes allow. Upon completing the program, you receive a Certificate of Completion, and you may also request letters of recommendation from your instructors, which can support your future college applications.
11. Indiana University – Business Is Global (BIG)
Location: Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Cost: Not specified; scholarships available for eligible students
Application Deadline: Varies by year(check program page for current deadlines)
Program Dates: Typically, a two-week summer program
Eligibility: Open to high school students, generally rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors
BIG focuses on how businesses operate across different countries and cultures. You attend sessions where you study global markets, then connect them to language and cultural understanding. The program introduces you to languages like Mandarin or Arabic while explaining how they relate to business contexts. You also work on group projects that require collaboration across different perspectives. The structure mixes classroom learning with cultural exploration.
12. Fordham University – Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom
Location: Fordham University Rose Hill Campus, Bronx, New York (Hybrid: in-person or virtual)
Cost: $1,300 total ($100 non-refundable deposit required at application)
Application Deadline: Priority consideration for registrations submitted before April 1
Program Dates: June 15 – June 19, June 22 – June 26, July 20 – July 24, July 27 – July 31
Eligibility: Open to high school students interested in finance, economics, and investing
The Fordham University Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom program is a one-week summer course that introduces you to the fundamentals of finance and financial markets. Hosted by the Gabelli School of Business, the program explores key financial concepts through lectures, discussions, and practical examples. You learn how financial markets operate while developing an understanding of topics such as investing, economic trends, and personal financial management. Throughout the program, you study topics such as the time value of money, financial markets, stocks and bonds, asset allocation, risk management, and alternative investments, including hedge funds and private equity. The curriculum also introduces emerging topics such as cryptocurrency and modern financial innovation.
13. Yale Young Global Scholars – Politics, Law & Economics
Location: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Cost: Approximately $7,000 tuition
Application Deadline: January 7
Program Dates: Three two-week sessions held in June and July
Eligibility: Open to high school sophomores and juniors from around the world (typically ages 16–18)
The Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) – Politics, Law & Economics program is an interdisciplinary summer course where you explore how economic systems interact with political institutions and legal frameworks. Over two weeks on Yale’s campus, you attend lectures led by Yale faculty, participate in small-group seminars, and engage in discussions that examine the connections between markets, governance, and public policy. The program emphasizes critical thinking and encourages you to analyze how economic theories shape real-world decisions. Throughout the program, you examine topics such as market regulation, economic inequality, human rights, and comparative public policy across different societies.
14. Murray State University – Fun with Economics Youth Camp
Location: Murray State University, Business Building, Murray, Kentucky
Cost: $35
Application Deadline: Not specified
Program Dates: Summer (dates not specified)
Eligibility: Open to middle and high school students
The Fun with Economics Youth Camp at Murray State University introduces you to the fundamentals of economics through interactive activities and real-world examples. The camp explores how individuals, businesses, and governments make decisions about using limited resources, helping you understand the basic principles that drive markets and economic systems. Through engaging lessons and discussions led by MSU faculty, you learn how economic thinking can be applied to everyday decisions and global economic issues. During the camp, you participate in hands-on activities and real-life economic scenarios that strengthen your analytical and problem-solving skills. You also explore how economic forces shape industries, public policy, and social outcomes. In addition to academic sessions, the program offers opportunities to interact with university instructors and other students interested in business and economics.
15. Brown University Pre-College – How a Nation's Economy Works: An Introduction to Macroeconomics
Location: Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
Cost: $8,372 (residential), $6,416 (commuter); financial aid available
Application Deadline: Rolling; final deadline approximately May 8
Program Dates: June 23 – July 11 (3 weeks)
Eligibility: Open to high school students; familiarity with math at an Algebra II level is preferred
The Brown University Pre-College program's How a Nation's Economy Works is a three-week introductory macroeconomics course that familiarizes you with real-world economic data and the theories that shape macroeconomic policy. During the program, you explore how fiscal and monetary policies influence the broader economy and learn to identify key macroeconomic indicators such as GDP, inflation, and unemployment rates. You examine the tools policymakers use to respond to economic conditions and understand how these decisions affect individuals, businesses, and governments. The course also encourages civic engagement by connecting economic theory to current policy debates and real-world outcomes.