15 Finance Programs in California for High School Students
If you’re a high school student aiming for a future in finance or business, exploring finance programs can be a smart early step. These programs are very useful if you want to understand what a career in finance or business actually involves before committing to it in college.
What do finance programs in California for high school students involve?
Finance programs often connect classroom concepts such as budgeting, investing, valuation, and financial planning to real scenarios. You may work on case studies, analyze companies, track markets, or learn how financial models are built. Some programs also introduce entrepreneurship, showing how founders think about capital, cash flow, and long-term sustainability.
Why is California a strong place to study finance early?
California is home to a wide mix of financial institutions, startups, and fast-growing companies, which makes it a strong place to see how finance operates beyond textbooks. Finance programs here are designed to give students early exposure to how financial decisions shape businesses, markets, and growth. Participating in a finance program also strengthens college applications by showing initiative, applied learning, and early engagement with a demanding field.
If you’re looking for prestigious finance summer programs, check here, or go here for finance extracurriculars.
With that, here is our curated list of 15 finance programs in California for high school students!
15 Finance Programs in California for High School Students
1. Investments, Financial Planning and You (IFPY)
Cost: $1,395
Location: Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, CA
Program Dates: Week-long summer program (exact dates not specified)
Application Deadline: Applications open in January and close in the spring
Eligibility: Incoming high school freshmen through recently graduated seniors; no prior finance or economics coursework required
This week-long commuter program places you in a structured, college-style finance classroom where you work through investment case studies, portfolio simulations, and group projects centered on personal finance and wealth management. You analyze asset classes such as stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds, practice fundamental and technical analysis, and apply bond math and asset allocation frameworks. A key component is the capstone personal wealth management plan, which you develop and formally present, mirroring real-world advisory work. The curriculum integrates Bloomberg-style demonstrations, strategy testing, and exposure to career paths in finance and wealth management.
2. Young Founders Lab
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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 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 complex 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. The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
3. University of the Pacific Pre-College Program - Investing in Stocks Camp
Cost: $3,800 (includes housing, meals, and activities)
Location: University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
Program Dates: June 2–June 12; June 17–June 27
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until sessions fill (typically close in the spring)
Eligibility: High school students; no prior investing or finance coursework required
This two-week investing program places you in a structured pre-college finance environment focused on equity markets and investment decision-making. You learn how global financial markets function while analyzing stocks, bonds, commodities, and economic cycles, with exposure to valuation styles and quantitative analysis. A standout feature is access to the Eberhardt School’s Financial Markets Center, where you work with Bloomberg terminals to explore real market data. Instruction includes presentations from faculty, alumni, and members of the Eberhardt Student Investment Fund, offering insight into both academic finance and professional pathways.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
5. Bank of America Student Leaders
Cost: Paid internship (exact stipend amount varies by location)
Location: Multiple U.S. cities + Washington, D.C. (National Leadership Summit)
Program Dates: Eight weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in winter; exact dates vary by region
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors; U.S.-based applicants with demonstrated leadership and community involvement
The Bank of America Student Leaders® program is a highly selective paid summer experience that combines a full-time nonprofit internship with a national leadership summit focused on economic mobility and civic engagement. You will spend eight weeks working with local nonprofits such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America or Habitat for Humanity. You’ll gain firsthand exposure to how community organizations, financial institutions, and governments collaborate to address economic challenges. In addition to professional work experience, you are invited to attend a leadership summit in Washington, D.C., where you will explore public policy, workforce development, and the role of large financial institutions in driving economic opportunity.
6. USC Pre-College Programs — Finance: From Personal Literacy to Global Markets
Cost: $1,990
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (Online)
Program Dates: Self-paced (recommended 4 weeks; up to 90 days access)
Application Deadline: Rolling admission
Eligibility: High school students and pre-college learners
This online pre-college finance course introduces high school students to finance across personal, corporate, and global contexts, starting with budgeting, saving, and investment planning before moving into stocks, bonds, and capital markets. You study core concepts such as time value of money, risk and return, interest rates, and portfolio fundamentals through recorded lectures, readings, and applied assignments. The course also includes an introduction to digital currencies and blockchain technologies, offering exposure to emerging areas of modern finance. Instruction is led by USC faculty, including the academic director of USC’s Master of Business Taxation program, giving the curriculum clear academic credibility. Students who complete the coursework earn a Certificate of Completion.
7. USC Summer Programs — Bitcoin and AI: Unlocking the Future of Finance and Technology
Cost: $8,130 (commuter) or $11,570 (residential)
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Program Dates: June 22–late July (four-week summer session)
Application Deadline: May 8 (domestic students); March 13 (international students)
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least 9th grade; domestic and international students are eligible
This on-campus summer finance program examines the modern financial system through the lens of Bitcoin, digital assets, and artificial intelligence, beginning with monetary history and the structure of today’s dollar-based economy. You study Bitcoin’s technical foundations, including cryptography, mining, blockchain data, and valuation methodologies, while also analyzing its role as a financial asset relative to traditional markets. The curriculum integrates AI by exploring how machine learning and automation are reshaping finance, banking infrastructure, and economic decision-making. You’ll engage in applied work such as blockchain-based valuation analysis, entrepreneurship projects supported by AI tools, and a capstone presentation forecasting future monetary systems. Notable features include a JP Morgan site visit, exposure to central bank digital currencies and stablecoins, and instruction delivered in a college-level classroom setting at USC.
8. University of California Precollege: Introduction to Investments
Cost: Paid program; tuition varies by format (in-person commuter or virtual)
Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (in-person commuter option available; virtual option also offered)
Program Dates: June 22 – July 10
Application Deadline: June 12
Eligibility: High school students (typically grades 9–12); no formal finance prerequisites required
This pre-college three-week investment-focused program introduces you to the core mechanics of financial markets through a structured, college-level curriculum. You study asset classes such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds while learning how valuation, risk, and return drive investment decisions. The program focuses on topics like applied market thinking, covering topics like the role of the Federal Reserve, macroeconomic indicators, and portfolio diversification. You engage with real-world financial scenarios through guided analysis and problem-solving exercises designed to mirror undergraduate finance coursework.
9. Dartmouth College — Finance: Investing & Market Insights (Pre-College Online)
Cost: $1,895, need-based scholarships available
Location: Online
Program Dates: Multiple 4-week sessions offered year-round (e.g., January–March)
Application Deadline: Rolling; typically 1–2 weeks before each session start
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up
This pre-college online finance course introduces you to investing and market analysis through a structured, college-level curriculum designed by Dartmouth instructors. You study core finance concepts such as risk versus return, valuation methods, financial statements, IPOs, and market structures, with a strong emphasis on applied analysis rather than theory alone. The course walks you through advanced topics like discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation and discount rates, culminating in a capstone project where you evaluate a real company and present an investment recommendation. Instruction is supported by expert mentoring, guided assignments, and simulations that mirror undergraduate finance coursework. You earn a Certificate of Completion from Dartmouth College.
10. New York Institute of Finance – Online Finance Programs
Cost: Varies by program format ($950 for self-paced Young Finance Scholar; $1,990–$2,000 for live and specialized programs)
Location: Online
Program Dates: Multiple sessions offered year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling (varies by course)
Eligibility: High school students (generally ages 13+)
This suite of online finance programs allows high school students to explore finance through different learning formats and levels of rigor, all delivered by the New York Institute of Finance. You can choose from three distinct tracks based on your background and goals. The Young Finance Scholar (Self-Paced) option introduces personal finance, financial markets, and investing fundamentals, making it well-suited for students seeking flexible, independent learning. The Young Equity Analyst Program (Live Online) is more advanced and instructor-led, focusing on equity research, valuation, and financial statement analysis through real-world case studies and guided projects. The Accelerated Young Finance Scholar (Live Online) offers a faster-paced version of core finance concepts for students who want an intensive, time-bound experience.
11. Introduction to Finance and Banking — Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies
Cost: $3,200 tuition. Need-based financial aid is available
Location: Online (hosted by Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, Stanford University, California)
Program Dates: June 15–June 26 or July 6–July 17
Application Deadline: Rolling; session-based
Eligibility: Grades 8–11 at time of application; completion of an algebra course required
This live, instructor-led online course offered through Stanford University introduces you to the fundamentals of finance and banking through a structured, academically rigorous lens. You explore how individuals, businesses, and governments use financial systems to save, invest, manage risk, and allocate capital, with focused coverage of banking institutions, financial markets, interest rates, and investment principles. The program combines daily live classes with asynchronous assignments, emphasizing critical thinking, applied analysis, and team-based problem solving rather than rote financial literacy. Through discussions, readings, and collaborative activities, you build the ability to evaluate real-world financial scenarios and understand how money flows through the global economy.
12. Wharton Global Youth Program – Financial Decision Making
Cost: $4,099, need-based scholarships available
Location: Online
Program Dates: June 15–June 26 or July 6–July 17
Application Deadline: Priority deadline January 28; rolling admissions thereafter
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12; international students welcome
This intensive two-week online program introduces you to core principles of economics and finance through a Wharton-designed curriculum focused on real-world financial decision-making. You study personal finance, financial markets, banking, monetary policy, and risk–return tradeoffs, while working directly with real datasets to evaluate financial choices. The program places a strong emphasis on analytical thinking, using tools such as Excel to support data-driven reasoning and applied case studies. You also examine how financial decisions intersect with ethics, public policy, and long-term wealth management, helping you understand finance beyond formulas and theory. By the end of the program, you will have earned a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.
13. Wharton Global Youth Program – Understanding Your Money
Cost: $329
Program Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Location: Online
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 (international students welcome)
This self-paced online program introduces high school students to foundational concepts in economics, personal finance, and investing through structured video lectures delivered by Wharton faculty. You work through four modules covering supply and demand, money and banking, budgeting and earning, and basic investing principles such as risk, return, and asset allocation. The curriculum helps you understand how financial choices affect both short-term spending and long-term goals like retirement planning. Coursework includes short quizzes, readings, and applied activities, allowing you to progress independently over approximately 13–15 hours. Successful participants earn a Wharton Global Youth Program Certificate of Completion.
14. National Student Leadership Conference – International Business & Finance
Cost: $4,295
Location: University of California, Berkeley, CA
Program Dates: July 6–July 14; July 18–July 26
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until sessions fill
Eligibility: High school students; no prior business or finance coursework required
This pre-college program places you in hands-on simulations focused on international business strategy, global markets, and financial decision-making. You work through collaborative challenges involving market analysis, supply chain design, trade policy considerations, and high-stakes financial choices, mirroring how firms operate across borders. The curriculum focuses on applying financial reasoning in cross-cultural contexts, with structured discussions on globalization, innovation, and economic risk. You also engage with guest speakers from business and finance backgrounds, gaining exposure to real-world career pathways.
15. Becoming an Investor: An Inside Look at Finance
Cost: $1,895
Location: Online
Program Dates: Multiple sessions available year-round (1-week, 2-week, or 4-week formats)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up
This online investing course introduces you to the mechanics of financial markets, valuation models, and portfolio construction through a structured, applied curriculum. You study how stocks are priced, how trades move through market infrastructure, and how investors evaluate risk, diversification, and returns using real-world frameworks. The program places strong emphasis on valuation, requiring you to analyze public companies, compare peers, and estimate investment potential using pricing and ROI concepts. You also examine fintech trends, including cryptocurrencies and digital assets, to understand how technology is reshaping capital markets. The course culminates in a capstone project where you build and defend an investment thesis, supported by quantitative and qualitative analysis. Successful participants earn a Georgetown University Certificate of Completion.
Image Source - Stanford University logo