15 Finance Workshops for High School Students
Finance is one of those subjects that starts becoming important very quickly once you begin looking seriously at business, investing, or entrepreneurship. This is where finance workshops come in. They help high school students understand how markets, investments, and financial decisions actually work long before college-level business courses.
What do finance workshops involve?
As a high school student, you may explore topics like stock analysis, startup funding, budgeting, investing strategies, or financial planning through workshops and simulations. Many programs also use case studies and group exercises, so students actively work through financial decisions instead of only learning definitions.
Why should I participate in a finance workshop in high school?
Finance workshops help students understand how businesses grow, how investments are evaluated, and how financial systems operate in practical settings. They also introduce students to areas connected to entrepreneurship, economics, startups, and consulting. If you are considering business in college or thinking about building something of your own later, these workshops can give you a strong early foundation.
To make your search easier, here are 15 finance workshops for high school students.
If you’re also looking for finance extracurriculars, check here, or go here for paid finance internship opportunities.
Quick Look
2 free or low-cost options: DePaul Invest for Kids Challenge (free, Chicago-based, competitive) and University of Arizona Entrepreneurship Summer Academy ($500 including housing and meals, scholarships available)
2 virtual options: Wharton Financial Decision Making ($4,099, grades 9-12) and UCLA Python for Economics and Finance ($2,770, grades 9-12, coding and data analysis focus)
Paid programs: range from $500 (University of Arizona) to $9,085 residential (Georgetown programs); need-based financial aid available at Wharton, UChicago, Michigan Ross, UC Berkeley, and Tufts
3 programs open to 8th graders or rising 9th graders: Georgetown Economics Policy Academy, Georgetown Global Business Academy, and Georgetown Business and Leadership Academy (all accept current 8th graders through 12th graders)
3 most quantitative or technical programs: UCLA Python for Economics and Finance (coding with Python, financial datasets, regression models), Wharton Financial Decision Making (Excel exercises, real-world datasets), and DePaul Invest for Kids (Bloomberg terminals, Excel modeling, real market data)
Earliest deadlines: Wharton programs (priority January 28), Georgetown programs (early bird January 31), UChicago Career Insight (priority February 11)
15 Finance Workshops for High School Students
1. Wharton Essentials of Finance
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: $8,299, plus a $100 non-refundable application fee; limited need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 7 to June 19; June 21 to July 3; July 12 to July 25; July 26 to August 8
Application Deadline: Priority deadline - January 28; Final deadline - March 18
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–11 with a minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA
In this finance workshop for high school students, you will study core financial concepts through structured lessons and real-world examples. You will learn topics like time value of money, risk and return, and capital budgeting. You will take part in guided activities that apply these ideas to business decisions. Your role will also involve analyzing financial scenarios and completing assignments that build practical understanding. The course also includes instructor support and peer interaction. You will also work on exercises that mirror real finance tasks.
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. Rather than studying finance in isolation, you apply financial thinking to practical decisions such as pricing products, estimating costs, assessing market size, and allocating limited resources. 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. Georgetown Economics Policy Academy
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost: Residential tuition and meals - $9,085; commuter tuition - $7,085 with a $50 application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 28 to July 17
Application Deadline: Early Bird deadline - January 31; final deadline - May 15
Eligibility: High school students (current 8th graders - 12th graders) with at least a 2.0 GPA; homeschool and international students are welcome to apply
In this finance workshop for high school students, you will study how economics and public policy shape markets and financial systems. You will attend classes and discussions that cover topics such as trade, labor, taxation, and government policy. You will work through case studies and applied exercises based on the United States and other countries. Your role will include examining policy questions, discussing economic trade-offs, and completing academic work during the program. You will also take part in hands-on learning activities that connect economics with finance and public decision-making.
4. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote. You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies. Financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; exact cohort size not specified
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
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. Depending on your placement, you may contribute to projects involving market research, financial modeling, operations, strategic planning, or growth analysis. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
5. Georgetown Global Business Academy
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost: Residential tuition and meals - $9,085; commuter tuition - $7,085 with a $50 application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 7 to June 26
Application Deadline: Early Bird deadline - January 31; final deadline - May 15
Eligibility: High school students (current 8th graders - 12th graders) with at least a 2.0 GPA; homeschooled and international students are welcome to apply
In this finance workshop for high school students, you will study global business with finance woven into the curriculum. You will learn about markets, globalization, financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, and international investment challenges. You will attend class sessions, work through case studies, and take part in field trips and group presentations. You will get a broad view of how business and financial systems operate across borders, which is useful if you want a workshop that goes beyond stock market basics.
6. Georgetown Business & Leadership Academy
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost: Residential tuition and meals - $9,085; commuter tuition - $7,085 with a $50 application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 19 to August 7
Application Deadline: Early Bird deadline - January 31; final deadline - May 15
Eligibility: High school students (current 8th graders - 12th graders) with at least a 2.0 GPA; homeschooled and international students are welcome to apply
Georgetown’s Business & Leadership Academy introduces you to core business concepts through case studies, daily business briefings, simulations, and discussion-based classes on Georgetown’s campus in Washington, D.C. During the program, you study how businesses identify opportunities, respond to challenges, and make strategic decisions in changing markets. Sessions also explore topics like entrepreneurship, global markets, leadership, and innovation through faculty lectures and collaborative projects. One major part of the experience involves business simulations and startup-style exercises where you work through practical management decisions with other students.
7. UCLA Introduction to Investments
Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, California, and virtual
Cost: Commuter - $3,156; Virtual - $2,330
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Session A: Commuter - July 13 – July 31; Session B: Virtual - July 13 – July 31
Application Deadline: June 12; enrolment deadline - July 10
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12 in Spring; you must be at least 15 by June 22; international students are welcome to apply
This is one of the more direct investing workshops available to high school students. You attend UCLA faculty lectures and smaller discussion sessions led by economics majors, then apply what you learn through investment-focused case studies and exercises. The curriculum covers markets, banking, personal investing, financial systems, and investment-related career paths while helping you understand how money moves through institutions and markets. UCLA also includes structured class discussions and applied activities rather than only lecture-based learning, so you regularly work through financial scenarios and market examples during the course.
8. UChicago 2-Week Experience: Career Insight, Business and Entrepreneurship
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Cost: $5,890 residential; commuter option available for local students; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 to June 25
Application Deadline: Priority deadline - February 11; regular deadline - March 12
Eligibility: Current grades 9 to 11; Must be at least 14 years of age.
The University of Chicago’s Career Insight program in Business and Entrepreneurship introduces you to how companies are built, managed, and scaled through workshops, case discussions, and career-focused sessions. During the course, you study topics like startup development, finance, marketing, venture capital, and business strategy while learning how entrepreneurs evaluate opportunities and solve operational problems. The program also includes conversations with professionals and industry speakers, which gives you a closer look at how business decisions are made inside startups and larger organizations. Since UChicago’s teaching style is strongly discussion-based, much of the learning happens through analysis, questioning assumptions, and examining real business situations rather than passive lectures.
9. Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Cost: $5,500, plus a $75 application fee; full and partial need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: About 70 students per cohort, held in two sessions
Dates: June 7 to June 17 & June 21 to July 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; preference is given to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Michigan Ross gives you a structured introduction to business through faculty-led classes, workshops, company-focused discussions, and collaborative projects on the University of Michigan campus. The program explores how businesses make operational and financial decisions while introducing areas like marketing, strategy, management, and entrepreneurship through applied learning activities. Guest speakers, field experiences, and team-based assignments help connect business theory to how firms function in practice. Since Ross is one of the strongest undergraduate business schools in the U.S., the program also gives you exposure to the pace and classroom style of a real university business program.
10. UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth: High School Entrepreneurship Residency
Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California
Cost: $100 application fee; In-state tuition - $7,450; out-of-state tuition - $7,950; limited need-based scholarships available;
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 50 students
Dates: July 5 to July 18; July 19 to August 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders
Berkeley’s entrepreneurship residency focuses heavily on how business ideas move from early concepts into structured startup plans. During the program, you work on market research, customer analysis, business planning, and presentations while developing a startup idea with other students. Team-based assignments and pitch preparation form a large part of the experience, so you regularly build written materials and present ideas throughout the residency. Berkeley also includes panels with undergraduate students and sessions connected to college preparation and entrepreneurship pathways. Since the program is residential, you spend two weeks inside a university environment while working through the early stages of business creation.
11. University of Arizona Entrepreneurship Summer Academy
Location: University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Cost: $500 including housing and meals, plus a $50 registration fee due upon acceptance; scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 7 to June 12
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Current 9th-12th grade students
This is one of the more affordable entrepreneurship programs available on a university campus. During the week, you work on startup-focused team projects while learning from University of Arizona faculty, entrepreneurs, and business professionals through workshops and site visits. A large part of the experience revolves around identifying customers, understanding markets, and shaping business ideas into something practical enough for a final Shark Tank-style pitch competition. The site visits also help you see how businesses and entrepreneurial organizations operate outside the classroom. Since housing and meals are included in the fee, the program remains comparatively accessible for an in-person residential option.
12. Wharton Financial Decision Making
Location: Online
Cost: $4,099
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 15 to June 26; July 6 to July 17
Application Deadline: Priority deadline - January 28; final deadline - rolling admission
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–12
This Wharton program focuses directly on personal finance, corporate finance, and financial systems through applied online coursework designed for high school students. You work with real-world datasets while learning how saving, borrowing, inflation, investing, and financial products function both individually and institutionally. Excel exercises and financial analysis activities are built into the curriculum, so you spend time applying concepts rather than only reading about them theoretically. The course also connects everyday financial decisions with larger economic systems and business structures.
13. Tufts Finance Essentials
Location: Tufts University, Medford / Somerville, Massachusetts
Cost: Residential - $3,550; commuter - $2,750; limited need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not Specified
Dates: July 19 to July 24
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Entering grades 10 to 12
In this finance workshop for high school students, you will study financial instruments, institutions, and markets through lectures, simulations, group exercises, and micro-assignments. You will examine banks, investment firms, stock exchanges, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the U.S. Treasury. You will also work on money management, investment, risk evaluation, and institutional operations. During the week, you will attend faculty lectures, guest speaker sessions, and skills-based activities. Toward the end of the workshop, you will work in small groups on a final investing pitch deck and present it at the closing ceremony.
14. UCLA Python for Economics and Finance
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,770
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 to July 10
Application Deadline: June 12; enrolment deadline - June 19
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12 in Spring; minimum GPA of 3.2; at least 15 years of age by June 22
This UCLA course is built for students who want to understand finance through coding and data analysis rather than only through theory. You learn Python while working with regression models, time-series analysis, visualization, and financial datasets connected to economics and markets. Much of the course revolves around applying programming to real financial and economic problems, which makes it more technical than a traditional finance workshop. UCLA also includes lectures and discussion sessions where you examine how quantitative methods are used in finance-related fields.
15. Wharton Essentials of Entrepreneurship
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: $8,299, plus a $100 non-refundable application fee; limited need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 7 to June 19; June 21 to July 3; July 12 to July 25; July 26 to August 8
Application Deadline: Priority deadline - January 28; Final deadline - March 18
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–11 with demonstrated interest in business, entrepreneurship, and/or product design
This is one of Wharton’s most direct startup-focused programs for high school students. Across two intensive weeks, you study how entrepreneurs move from an early idea to an actual business concept through lectures, collaborative workshops, and team-based startup activities. The curriculum focuses on venture creation, innovation, marketing, and product development while also introducing how founders test ideas, refine business models, and pitch solutions. A large part of the experience revolves around group collaboration, where you work with other students to build and present a startup concept by the end of the program. The final pitch presentation also gives you experience explaining a business idea under real feedback conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are there free or low-cost finance workshops for high school students? Two programs on this list are free or very affordable. DePaul University's Invest for Kids Summer Investment Challenge is free and gives you hands-on experience with Bloomberg terminals and Excel financial modeling, though it is restricted to high school students in the Chicago area and is competitive. For students who want a virtual, flexible option with financial aid available, Young Founders Lab and Ladder Internships both provide practical business and finance exposure at lower or no cost.
2. Which finance workshops are available fully online or virtually? Two programs on this list are fully virtual. Wharton Financial Decision Making covers personal and corporate finance through Excel exercises and real-world datasets for students in grades 9-12, with sessions in June and July. UCLA Python for Economics and Finance is a virtual course that teaches Python programming applied to financial and economic data, requiring a minimum 3.2 GPA and at least 15 years of age. Young Founders Lab and Ladder Internships are also fully remote and available year-round, giving students ongoing access to practical finance and business experience outside of a summer window.
3. Which finance workshops are most suitable for students interested in investing or financial markets specifically? Three programs stand out for students focused on investing. UCLA Introduction to Investments covers markets, banking, personal investing, and investment-related career paths through faculty lectures and case studies, and is available both in-person at UCLA and virtually. Wharton Financial Decision Making works directly with saving, borrowing, inflation, and investing through applied online coursework with Excel components.