15 Global Finance Programs for High School Students
If you’re interested in finance and want to understand how it works on a global scale, global finance programs offer a focused way to explore that interest.
What are global finance programs for high school students?
Global finance programs often cover topics like international finance, global investing, currency markets, and how economic events affect financial decisions worldwide. Some programs focus fully on these areas, while others include them as part of a broader business or economics curriculum.
Why pursue global finance programs for high school students?
You may work through case studies, simulations, or data-based exercises that show how global finance decisions are made. This type of experience can strengthen your profile by showing clear interest and follow-through.
If you’re also looking for finance extracurriculars, check here, or go here for paid finance internship opportunities.
To help you explore strong options, we’ve put together a list of 15 global finance programs for high school students.
15 Global Finance Programs for High School Students
1. Wharton Global Youth – Essentials of Finance
Cost: $8,299 (need-based financial aid available)
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Program Dates: June 7–20; June 21–July 3; July 12–25; July 26–August 8
Application Deadline: Priority: January 28, Final: March 18
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–11; strong interest in finance, economics, or business preferred; international students welcome
This two-week residential program introduces you to core financial concepts through lectures, case studies, and daily analytical exercises. You will work through topics such as time value of money, discounted cash flow, corporate finance, fixed income, equities, and valuation models, applying these frameworks to real companies. A major component of the program involves teamwork, where you analyze a publicly traded company and present an investment recommendation using structured financial tools. You also attend the Wharton Global Youth Speaker Series, giving you access to Wharton faculty who discuss areas ranging from crisis management to neuroeconomics and the future of AI. Some sessions may include site visits or simulations, offering additional real-world exposure.
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. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
3. Colorado State University – Global Business Academy
Cost: $3,750. Financial aid is available
Location: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Program Dates: July 12 - July 22
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Current high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors; residential participation required
Colorado State University College of Business’s Global Business Academy is a ten-day residential program that mixes business learning with real college life. You live in campus housing in Fort Collins and spend your days working with faculty from the College of Business and the Institute for Entrepreneurship. You’ll work on topics like global sustainability, entrepreneurship, ethics, and decision-making in international organizations. You tour Colorado-based companies to see how they operate, then apply what you learn through the Rec Tech Challenge, a startup-style simulation where you develop and test a business idea with your team. Conversations with global executives and leadership sessions help you understand how business decisions play out across cultures.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote. Attend from anywhere in the world
Cost: Cost applies; Financial aid available
Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: Various cohorts including winter, spring, summer & fall
Application Deadline: Varies by your cohort type
Eligibility: High school students and gap-year students
Ladder Internships places you inside a real startup, working on projects that actually matter to the company. You are matched with a fast-growing startup in fields like tech, AI, health, marketing, journalism, or consulting, depending on your interests. These are not mock internships. You work directly with founders and managers, contribute to active projects, and get regular guidance from a Ladder Coach who helps you stay on track. Many of the startups are early stage but well funded, often led by founders with serious industry or startup experience. The program ends with you presenting your work to the company, giving you a clear sense of how startups operate and what it feels like to be part of a small, fast-moving team.
5. Fordham University – Global Finance
Cost: $1,400
Location: Fordham University, Rose Hill Campus, Bronx, NY (Hybrid: in-person or remote)
Program Dates: July 6–10
Application Deadline: Priority: April 1; Rolling admissions after
Eligibility: Any high school student interested in global finance; international students eligible to attend virtually; no on-campus housing provided
Fordham University’s Global Finance program is a one-week introduction to how money, markets, and economies connect across borders. You learn how international finance evolved after World War II and how today’s global system works, with a strong focus on foreign exchange markets and currency systems. You spend time understanding how FX trading functions, how investors evaluate foreign stocks, and how global trade, tariffs, and imbalances affect economies. Discussions also look ahead, covering globalization, emerging markets, and shifts like Brexit. Guest speakers from finance firms and Fordham alumni connect the material to real careers.
6. Bentley University – Global Finance and Trade
Cost: Online: $1,490; Commuter (5-day): $2,450; Residential (5-day): $3,380 (application fee: $75, non-refundable)
Location: Bentley University, Waltham, MA (near Boston)
Program Dates: June 29–July 3
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; applications accepted on a space-available basis until June 1
Eligibility: High school students interested in international business and global events; students must be 16 by September 1 to live in residence halls (younger students can attend as commuters or online)
Bentley University’s Global Finance and Trade program is a one-week course that shows you how countries, companies, and investors are linked through global markets. You work with real data, simulations, and case studies to understand how exchange rates move, how trade policies shape supply chains, and how international decisions affect business and investment. You also examine how world events, from geopolitical shifts to economic crises, change market behavior and investor choices. The learning stays applied, asking you to think through decisions the way professionals do.
7. Harvard Summer School – Economics, Finance & Public Policy (Secondary School Program)
Cost: Paid (tuition varies by course load; financial aid available for early/regular applicants)
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge / Online
Program Dates: July 12 – August 7; June 20 – August 8
Application Deadline: Early: January 7; Regular: February 11; Late: April 1 (or earlier if courses fill)
Eligibility: Students graduating from high school in the next three years; must be 16 by June 20 and not turn 19 before July 31; strong academic records and English proficiency required
The Secondary School Program lets you build a personalized finance or economics track by selecting two Harvard undergraduate-level courses, such as Financial Accounting, Econometrics, Public Finance, or Financial & Managerial Economics. You’ll complete college-style problem sets, analytical essays, data analysis tasks, and quantitative modeling assignments that strengthen core skills in micro and macro reasoning. Depending on your courses, you may work with statistical tools like Stata, Excel for financial modeling, or introductory econometric software. The program’s structure gives you exposure to long-form lectures, academic discussions, and structured office hours that mirror actual college rigor. You’ll also interact with peers worldwide through residential activities or online discussion groups, offering informal networking and academic collaboration.
8. Fordham University – Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom
Cost: $1,300 (plus $100 non-refundable deposit)
Location: Fordham University, Rose Hill Campus, Bronx, NY / Hybrid
Program Dates: June 15–19; June 22–26; July 20–24; July 27–31
Application Deadline: Priority deadline April 1; rolling admissions after
Eligibility: Open to all high school students; international students may attend virtually
Fordham University’s Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom is a one-week program that walks you through how finance actually works, using markets as the classroom. You spend the week learning core ideas like how stocks and bonds are priced, how risk is measured, how asset allocation decisions are made, and how monetary policy affects markets, with time also spent on newer areas like cryptocurrency. Sessions are built around short case examples, market scenarios, and hands-on exercises that push you to interpret financial data rather than memorize definitions. Guest speakers from finance firms and Gabelli School alumni join the program to talk through their career paths and explain how these concepts show up in day-to-day decision-making on Wall Street.
9. Columbia University Pre-College – Introduction to Business, Finance, and Economics
Cost: Paid (tuition varies by session)
Location: Columbia University, New York / Online
Program Dates: Summer A (In Person): June 29–July 17; Summer B (In Person): July 21–August 7; Summer A (Online): July 6–17; Summer B (Online): July 20–31
Application Deadline: Not specified; rolling until courses fill
Eligibility: High school students; laptop recommended; ID required for field trips
This course gives you a structured introduction to how firms make financial decisions, evaluate investments, and operate within financial markets. You’ll explore valuation models, capital budgeting concepts, stock and bond mechanics, and how firms raise and allocate capital. Through case studies and analytical exercises, you’ll practice identifying worthwhile investments, interpreting accounting statements, and understanding sources of financial risk. The curriculum also covers market structure, optimal investment strategies, and the dynamics of stock exchanges and bond markets. You may participate in field trips if attending in person, giving you insight into real financial environments.
10. Columbia University Pre-College – Investment Portfolio Management
Cost: Residential: $12,800, Commuter: $6,375
Location: Columbia University, New York
Program Dates: Summer A: June 29 - July 17; Summer B: July 21 - August 7
Application Deadline: Not specified; rolling until courses fill
Eligibility: High school students; strong math comfort recommended; laptop required
This course introduces you to how professional money managers construct diversified investment portfolios across stocks, bonds, ETFs, cryptocurrency, real estate, futures, and options. You’ll study valuation metrics, risk management frameworks, diversification theory, and performance measurement through interactive lectures and quantitative exercises. A major component of the course is a session-long simulation in which you act as a portfolio manager, allocating capital, monitoring market shifts, and adjusting positions in real time. You also analyze major investing strategies used by leading asset managers and explore common pitfalls that affect investor outcomes. Guest sessions with industry professionals offer additional context on real-world investment practices and global market trends.
11. USC Pre-College – Finance: From Personal Literacy to Global Markets
Cost: $1,990 tuition + $35 application fee
Location: Online (Self-paced)
Program Dates: Self-paced four-week recommended schedule; 90-day course access
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; deadlines occur a few days before each published start date
Eligibility: Students aged 14+ enrolled in high school; short-answer essay required; optional media submission; international applicants welcome
This self-paced online program introduces you to the full spectrum of finance, from personal budgeting and savings strategies to corporate finance and global capital markets. You’ll work through video lectures, readings, and formula-driven exercises to understand concepts like time value of money, interest rates, risk and return, and how companies raise capital through stocks and bonds. The course also covers investment fundamentals, allowing you to practice evaluating financial decisions and assessing investment risk using real-world scenarios. You’ll explore how stock exchanges function, why global markets matter, and how emerging financial technologies such as cryptocurrencies and blockchain reshape modern finance. Designed to be completed in 20–25 hours, the course helps you build essential quantitative reasoning and financial planning skills while exposing you to potential career paths in the finance industry.
12. NSLC – International Business & Finance
Cost: $4,295–$6,395, depending on campus location
Location: Columbia University (NY), UC Berkeley (CA), University of Oxford (UK)
Program Dates: Columbia University: June 12–20; June 24–July 2; UC Berkeley: July 6–14; July 18–26; University of Oxford: July 5–16; July 20–31; August 4–15
Application Deadline: Rolling until filled
Eligibility: High school students; residential participation required; international students welcome
This program immerses you in the fundamentals of international business and finance through hands-on simulations that mirror real global market dynamics. You’ll step into the role of a global strategist as you analyze markets, design supply chains, and make cross-border financial decisions under time pressure. Simulation exercises require you to respond to trade disruptions, currency fluctuations, and competitive shifts, helping you understand how global firms navigate complexity. Sessions with guest speakers expose you to professionals working in global finance, trade, and multinational business operations.
13. Georgetown University – Becoming an Investor: An Inside Look at Finance
Cost: $1,895
Location: Online
Program Dates: Options include 1-week intensives, 2-week sessions, and 4-week sessions (e.g., December 21–January 4; January 4–February 1; January 18–February 15)
Application Deadline: Rolling; typically one week before each session start date
Eligibility: Students ages 13+; basic contact info required; short application describing interest; optional media submission; international students welcome
This online program introduces you to the mechanics of financial markets and the fundamentals of investing, blending valuation analysis, portfolio design, and financial decision-making exercises. You’ll learn how stocks trade, how pricing models work, and how investors balance risk and return through diversification and asset selection. The course includes hands-on activities such as building an investment portfolio, analyzing a public company, and examining how fintech, crypto, and digital assets are shaping modern markets. You also complete a capstone project where you assess a company’s value, estimate returns, and justify a hypothetical investment decision using frameworks taught in class.
14. Bentley University – Wall Street 101
Cost: Online: $1,490, Commuter (5-day): $2,450, Residential (5-day): $3,380
Location: Bentley University, Waltham, MA
Program Dates: Summer session (multiple courses offered; dates vary)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
This competitive pre-college finance program immerses you in core Wall Street–level concepts through faculty-led coursework and applied market simulations. You study areas such as stock valuation, investment research, macroeconomics, global finance and trade, personal finance, and FinTech, with coursework structured around real-world financial decision-making. The program emphasizes hands-on analysis using industry-standard platforms, including Bloomberg and FactSet, supported by Bentley’s dedicated trading room infrastructure. Team-based projects include stock pitches, macroeconomic policy debates, and investment strategy analysis, reinforcing both quantitative reasoning and financial communication skills.
15. Georgetown University – Global Business Academy
Cost: $9,085 (residential) or $7,085 (commuter)
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, DC (in-person; residential or commuter)
Program Dates: June 7–June 26
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; apply early for availability
Eligibility: Open to high school students; no formal prerequisites
This three-week residential academy introduces you to global business through a structured mix of faculty-led lectures, case studies, simulations, and group projects. You examine how globalization connects markets, firms, and financial systems, while studying institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, and WTO that shape international economic activity. The curriculum focuses on applied learning through business simulations, investment challenges, and collaborative capstone-style presentations. You also explore how technology, emerging markets, and national economic policies influence global competition and strategy. Instruction is led by faculty from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, with added exposure to business professionals in Washington, DC.
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