25+ High School Entrepreneurship Programs

May 3

TL;DR

You'll find 27 entrepreneurship programs here, grouped into university courses, venture-building intensives, and short camps. Prices run from free, credit-bearing options like Suffolk University's three-week program to multi-week residential courses costing several thousand dollars. Eligibility varies widely, with some programs open to 9th graders and the most selective reserved for rising seniors. Each entry lists cost, eligibility, and what you finish with, from a pitch to a working prototype. If you'd rather build a revenue-generating startup with a mentor, Young Founders Lab offers that as a live online program.

If you are a high school student thinking about launching a startup, building a product, or exploring what it takes to run a business, an entrepreneurship program can give you structured experience that goes far beyond what most schools offer. These programs range from intensive multi-week courses at top universities to short camps and bootcamps you can fit into a single week of summer.

What skills do high school entrepreneurship programs teach?

Most high school entrepreneurship programs teach the same core sequence: find a problem worth solving, test whether people want your solution, and pitch it to people who can say no. Programs differ mainly in how far you get toward a working product.

Customer discovery: You learn to interview potential customers before building anything, so evidence shapes your idea instead of assumptions.
Business model design: Many programs replace the long business plan with a one-page model you revise as you learn. NYU's Entrepreneurship and Business Startups course teaches the lean startup model, which uses an experimental business canvas in place of a traditional plan.
Prototyping: Technology-focused programs ask you to build something people can test, whether that's a physical prototype, an app mockup, or a landing page.
Financial basics: You work through pricing, startup costs, and simple projections, which are the first numbers judges and investors ask about.
Pitching: Nearly every program on this list ends with a pitch to faculty, entrepreneurs, or investors. That trains you to explain an idea in a few minutes and defend it under questioning.

Entrepreneurship programs v.s. business programs: which fits you better?

Choose an entrepreneurship program if you want to build and pitch your own venture, and a business program if you want a broad view of how established companies run. The two overlap in topics, but what you finish with is different.

For more information, read our guide on what high school entrepreneurship programs cover.

	Entrepreneurship programs	Business programs
What you finish with	Your own venture concept, prototype, or pitch	A case competition or simulation, covering finance, marketing, and management as separate subjects
How you learn	Testing ideas with customers and changing course based on what you hear	Case studies and frameworks drawn from existing firms
Credit and transcripts	Varies by program. Suffolk University's Summer Entrepreneurship Program is worth three Suffolk credits, while NYU's one-week startup course gives a graded NYU transcript but no college credit	Varies by program, so check each one individually
Best for you if	You want to build and pitch your own idea	You want a broad view of how established companies run

How much do high school entrepreneurship programs cost?

Costs on this list range from free to several thousand dollars. Short commuter camps sit at the low end, and multi-week residential university programs sit at the high end.

Free programs: Some programs are fully funded by alumni or corporate sponsors. Suffolk's three-week program is offered at no cost to participating students, though it is a commuter program meant for students from the metro-Boston area.

Low-cost camps: Short campus-based camps keep costs down by skipping housing. UM-Flint's Summer Entrepreneurship Institute charges $50 for three days. It also gives an automatic $25 scholarship to students related to UM-Flint students, alumni, employees, or faculty.

Residential programs: Housing and meals drive most of the cost at multi-week university programs. Where a commuter option exists, it's usually much cheaper if you live nearby.

Financial aid: Ask about need-based aid before ruling a program out on price. Aid budgets often go first to applicants who meet early or priority deadlines, so apply early if you'll need it.

Can you join an entrepreneurship program at 14?

Yes, but you'll have fewer options at 14 than at 16 or 17. Many university programs only admit juniors and seniors.

Programs open to 9th graders: Some university programs accept students as early as freshman year. Wharton Global Youth's Essentials of Entrepreneurship is a two-week program for students currently in 9th to 11th grade, so you can apply as a freshman.

Programs for older students: Several programs on this list are closed to younger students. UM-Flint's institute takes rising juniors and seniors, Suffolk's program was built for rising seniors, and Penn's Management & Technology Summer Institute is aimed at rising seniors.

Planning ahead: If you're 14, pick a program open to 9th graders or a short camp, and use it to test an idea. You can keep building that idea toward a more selective program in junior or senior year.

How we selected these programs

We checked every program on this list against its official page. We included a program only if entrepreneurship is a core part of its curriculum.

Who teaches you: We weighted programs where you work directly with faculty, practicing entrepreneurs, or investors, and gave credit for structured mentorship over lectures alone.

What you leave with: We favored programs that end with something you can show, such as a pitch, a prototype, a venture plan, or college credit. A certificate of attendance alone counted for less. Penn's Management & Technology Summer Institute is one example, since students build and present a prototype and a go-to-market plan for their own venture.

Cost transparency: We listed full prices and aid where programs publish them, and we marked estimates clearly wherever a program doesn't.

Section	Top programs	Cost	Best for
University pre-college courses	Wharton Essentials of Entrepreneurship, Columbia Venture Creation, Georgetown Entrepreneurship Academy, Cornell Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship	Free (Cornell varies) – $12,838	Students who want structured, faculty-led coursework on a university campus, often with real transferable credit
Startup & venture-building intensives	Penn M&TSI, Lehigh IGEI, UMD SELF, Bossgirls at CCNY, Suffolk Summer Entrepreneurship Program	Free – $10,771	Students who want to build an actual prototype or venture and pitch it at a demo day, not just study theory
Entrepreneurship camps & short programs	Young Founders Lab, Ladder Internships, NYU SPS Career Edge, CSU Global Business Academy, South Carolina Business Week	$50 – $6,595	Students exploring entrepreneurship for the first time, or wanting a short credential without a multi-week commitment

University Pre-College Entrepreneurship Courses

These programs bring high school students onto university campuses to study entrepreneurship through structured coursework, faculty-led lectures, and real-world case studies. Most run two to four weeks and are taught by the same professors who lead the school's undergraduate business programs.

1. Wharton Essentials of Entrepreneurship

Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost/Stipend: $8,299 per session; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; exact rate not published
Dates: Four 2-week sessions from June 7 through August 8, 2026
Application deadline: March 18, 2026
Eligibility: Ages 14-17; open to students worldwide

Run through Wharton Global Youth, this two-week on-campus program introduces students to the foundations of launching a startup. Students work through interactive lectures, hands-on activities, and team collaboration covering innovation, marketing, and venture creation. The program ends with a final pitch competition where teams present their startup ideas and receive real-time feedback from Wharton faculty and entrepreneurs.

Who it's best for: A student who wants a rigorous Ivy League introduction to startup thinking and is ready to compete in a pitch environment alongside a highly international cohort.

2. Columbia Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Venture Creation

Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $12,838 residential or $6,381 commuter per 3-week session (plus $80 application fee); financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; in-person sections cap at 30 students
Dates: Session A: June 29 to July 17; Session B: July 21 to August 7, 2026
Application deadline: Rolling; early application recommended
Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades 8-12 in spring 2025

Part of Columbia's School of Professional Studies Pre-College program, this course immerses students in the full arc of venture creation. Students learn to identify market opportunities, develop business models, and build pitch decks under the guidance of Columbia faculty. The program draws on New York City's startup ecosystem, incorporating guest speakers and real-world case studies from the city's entrepreneurial community.

Who it's best for: A student drawn to the energy of New York's startup scene who wants to experience Columbia-level coursework and leave with a working venture concept.

3. Columbia Empowering Change: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship

This Columbia Pre-College course focuses specifically on building ventures that address social and environmental challenges. Students explore how entrepreneurial thinking can drive systemic change, studying frameworks for measuring social impact alongside traditional business metrics. The course blends classroom theory with community-oriented projects, pushing students to design solutions for problems they care about.

Who it's best for: A student who wants to build something that solves a social or environmental problem rather than purely a commercial venture, and who wants to do it within an Ivy League academic framework.

4. Georgetown Entrepreneurship Academy

Location: Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Cost/Stipend: $6,465 (includes tuition, housing, and meals); scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; the 2026 program reached full capacity
Dates: June 7-19, 2026 (2-week session)
Application deadline: April 15, 2026 (early bird January 31); 2026 session is full/waitlist
Eligibility: Ages 13-18

Georgetown's Entrepreneurship Academy is a residential summer program where students develop their own business ideas from concept through pitch. Students work alongside Georgetown faculty and DC-area entrepreneurs, gaining exposure to the intersection of business, policy, and innovation that defines the capital's startup ecosystem. The program includes company visits, workshops on market research and financial modeling, and a culminating business plan presentation.

Who it's best for: A student interested in how entrepreneurship intersects with government, policy, or international affairs, who wants a D.C.-based campus experience at a top university.

5. Dartmouth Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Impact

Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Cost/Stipend: $7,999 per 2-week session (residential, through Dartmouth Summer Scholars)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; exact figures not published
Dates: 2-week sessions, summer 2026 (multiple sessions available)
Application deadline: Check Dartmouth Pre-College/Summer Discovery page
Eligibility: Rising 10th-12th graders

Formerly called "The Art of Entrepreneurship," this rebranded Dartmouth course expands its lens to cover innovation and impact alongside startup fundamentals. Students study how entrepreneurs identify problems, validate ideas, and scale solutions, with Dartmouth faculty drawing on case studies from both traditional startups and social enterprises. The small-town campus setting provides an intimate learning environment with strong faculty access.

Who it's best for: A student who prefers a smaller, close-knit academic setting over a big-city program, and who wants to explore entrepreneurship through an innovation and social-impact lens.

6. Berkeley Summer Entrepreneurship Residency (formerly B-BAY)

Location: UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Berkeley, CA
Cost/Stipend: Check official Haas page for current pricing (historically in the $5,000-$8,000 range; estimate)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not published
Dates: Summer 2026
Application deadline: Check official page
Eligibility: High school students

Recently renamed from the Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY), this Haas School of Business program gives students a hands-on introduction to entrepreneurship at one of the top public business schools in the country. Students develop business plans, conduct market research, and work on venture pitches guided by Haas faculty and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. The Bay Area location provides unmatched access to the tech startup ecosystem.

Who it's best for: A student who wants exposure to Silicon Valley's startup culture and the chance to study entrepreneurship at one of the country's highest-ranked public business schools.

7. USC Exploring Entrepreneurship

Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Check USC Pre-College page for current pricing (historically in the $7,000-$10,000 range for 4-week residential; estimate)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not published
Dates: June 22 to July 17, 2026 (4-week session)
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students

USC's four-week pre-college program in entrepreneurship takes students through the full lifecycle of building a business. Students learn from USC Marshall School of Business faculty and L.A.-based entrepreneurs, covering topics from opportunity recognition and lean startup methodology to branding and financial projections. The program leverages Los Angeles's position as a major hub for entertainment, tech, and consumer startups.

Who it's best for: A student who wants a full month of immersive entrepreneurship training in one of the country's most dynamic startup cities, with access to USC's extensive alumni network.

8. Cornell Entrepreneurship and Concept Development in the Food and Beverage Industry

Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Cost/Stipend: Approximately $3,500-$6,000 for the summer course (3 credits; check Cornell Summer Session for exact tuition; estimate)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to high school students (not open to matriculated Hotel School students); for-credit course
Dates: Summer 2026 (confirmed on SU26 roster)
Application deadline: Check Cornell Summer Session deadlines
Eligibility: High school students; earns 3 Cornell credits

This Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration course is a unique entry point for students interested in food and beverage entrepreneurship specifically. Students use the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas to develop, refine, and pitch a professional-quality food or beverage concept, with guest speakers and industry case studies throughout. The course prioritizes strategic clarity and evidence-based reasoning over operational execution, culminating in a formal pitch presentation.

Who it's best for: A student with a specific interest in the food and beverage industry who wants to earn Ivy League credit while learning entrepreneurship through a focused, industry-specific lens.

9. UNC Tar Heel Business Academy: Entrepreneurship Track

Location: Charlotte, NC (Bank of America Tower) and Chapel Hill, NC (Kenan-Flagler Business School)
Cost/Stipend: $2,995; includes course fees and lunch/snacks
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not published
Dates: Entrepreneurship track: Charlotte, June 15-19 and June 22-26, 2026. Business Essentials: Chapel Hill, July 13-17, 2026
Application deadline: 2026 deadline has passed; 2027 applications expected in fall
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors

UNC Kenan-Flagler's Tar Heel Business Academy offers a dedicated entrepreneurship track called "Next Gen Entrepreneurship with AI: Build, Fund and Lead the Future." In this fast-paced bootcamp, students develop a new venture idea and prepare a presentation for feedback from entrepreneurs and investors, with an emphasis on using AI tools throughout the process. The program is taught by Kenan-Flagler faculty and is non-residential, running five days at either the Charlotte or Chapel Hill campus.

Who it's best for: A student in the Carolinas (or willing to commute) who wants a concentrated one-week entrepreneurship bootcamp at a top-25 business school, especially one interested in the intersection of AI and venture creation.

Startup and Venture-Building Intensives

These programs go beyond coursework. Students build real prototypes, develop go-to-market plans, or launch actual ventures. The emphasis is on doing, not just learning, and most programs end with a formal pitch or demo day.

10. Penn Management & Technology Summer Institute (M&TSI)

Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost/Stipend: $9,000 (includes tuition, room and board, materials, and field trips)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 50-55 students per cohort from 309+ applicants
Dates: July 5-25, 2026
Application deadline: Priority deadline January 28, 2026
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (and select rising juniors); for-credit

Run jointly by the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Penn Engineering, and the Wharton School, M&TSI is one of the most selective pre-college entrepreneurship programs in the country. Students build and present a working prototype alongside a go-to-market plan for their own high-tech venture, with project presentations evaluated by Penn faculty, seasoned entrepreneurs, and investors. The three-week residential program includes courses taught by full-time Wharton and Penn Engineering faculty, simulations led by industry innovators, and guest lectures from leaders in their fields. Students earn a full Penn college credit upon completion.

Who it's best for: A student who is equally strong in engineering/technology and business, wants to build something real in three weeks, and thrives in a highly selective, fast-paced academic environment.

11. Lehigh Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive (IGEI)

Location: Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Cost/Stipend: $7,000 all-inclusive (housing, meals, classes, trips, and activities)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 45 students per cohort
Dates: July 5-25, 2026
Application deadline: Priority admissions deadline February 15, 2026
Eligibility: Ages 15-17; open to U.S. and international students

IGEI is a three-week residential program affiliated with the National Conference of Governors Schools that combines entrepreneurship, leadership development, and intercultural learning. Students complete a small business bootcamp, design thinking and innovation workshops, and a team-based business consulting project for a real client company, alongside field trips to companies and startups including a multi-day trip to New York City. The program draws students from around the world, creating a genuinely global cohort that collaborates across cultures.

Who it's best for: A student who wants to develop entrepreneurial skills alongside global leadership and intercultural competencies, and who values working in a diverse, internationally-mixed cohort.

12. UMD Snider Enterprise and Leadership Fellows (SELF)

Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Cost/Stipend: Approximately $4,960 full cost (residential); online option also available; some scholarships available based on need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 68 students in 2025 cohort (15 residential)
Dates: July 12-31, 2026
Application deadline: Check Terp Young Scholars deadlines
Eligibility: High school students; offered as 3-credit undergraduate course BMGT262 "Enterprising Leader" through Terp Young Scholars

Named after Philadelphia Flyers founder Ed Snider, SELF challenges students to become the "CEO of ME (My Enterprise), Inc." Students work in teams with Maryland Smith faculty and visiting business executives to develop enterprise and leadership skills, applying lessons in marketing, strategy, economics, and personal finance to a real venture pitch presentation. Now in its 10th year, the program combines rigorous business academics with a personal leadership philosophy rooted in self-reliance and self-discovery. Students earn 3 undergraduate credits from the University of Maryland.

Who it's best for: A student who wants to combine personal leadership development with practical venture-building experience, and who values earning transferable college credit from a top public university.

13. Athena Summer Innovation Institute (Barnard College)

Location: Barnard College, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $10,771 residential or $8,160 commuter; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not published
Dates: June 29 to July 17, 2026 (3-week session)
Application deadline: Rolling (application opens in December)
Eligibility: Ages 15-18 (women and gender-expansive students)

Barnard's Athena Summer Innovation Institute brings students to the Columbia University campus for a program focused on innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurship. Students work through the full innovation cycle, from identifying a problem through prototyping a solution, guided by Barnard and Columbia faculty alongside New York City-based entrepreneurs and innovators. The program draws on Barnard's Athena Center for Leadership, connecting entrepreneurship to broader themes of women's leadership and social change.

Who it's best for: A student who identifies as a woman or gender-expansive individual and wants to build innovation and entrepreneurship skills in an environment designed specifically to support their leadership development.

14. Bossgirls at CCNY (Zahn Innovation Center)

Location: City College of New York (CCNY), New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Completely free (sponsored by Standard Chartered's Futuremakers Initiative)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 24-44 students per cohort
Dates: June 29 - July 30, 2026 (Mon-Thu, 10am-1pm)
Application deadline: Check official page (info sessions held Jan-Feb 2026)
Eligibility: Current high school girls and nonbinary students, grades 9-12

Bossgirls is a five-week summer incubator where students develop real social enterprises from scratch. Working in teams, participants move through customer discovery, branding, competitive analysis, financial modeling, UI/UX prototyping, and business model development, then pitch their ventures to a panel of Standard Chartered executives in a Shark Tank-style finale. Now in its 10th cohort, the program has launched dozens of student startups tackling issues from educational access to sustainable fashion. Mentorship from Standard Chartered professionals runs throughout.

Who it's best for: A high school girl or nonbinary student in the New York area who wants an intensive, fully-funded startup experience and is motivated to build a venture that addresses a real social problem.

15. Suffolk Summer Entrepreneurship Program

Location: Suffolk University, Boston, MA (commuter program)
Cost/Stipend: Completely free; includes lunch, local transit pass, and 3 Suffolk credits
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not published
Dates: July 7-24, 2026 (Mon-Thu 9am-1pm; Fri 9am-3pm)
Application deadline: 2026 applications closed; interest form open for 2027
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with a 2.7+ GPA; rising juniors considered on space-available basis

Suffolk's three-week program takes students through the full process of shaping a business idea into a formal pitch. Students work in small groups on entrepreneurship, marketing, and management projects with Suffolk faculty guidance, visit Boston-area startups and established businesses, and present their own new venture concept at a culminating event. The program is fully funded and includes 3 transferable Suffolk University credits, making it one of the strongest free entrepreneurship programs for students in the Boston area.

Who it's best for: A rising senior in or near Boston who wants a serious, credit-bearing entrepreneurship experience at no cost, and who can commute to downtown Boston daily.

16. HEC Paris Junior Entrepreneur Bootcamp

Location: HEC Paris campus, Jouy-en-Josas, France
Cost/Stipend: EUR 950 + EUR 30 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; places filled on a rolling basis
Dates: July 15-17, 2026 (Fall 2026 edition also planned)
Application deadline: Rolling; early application recommended (limited places)
Eligibility: Ages 15-18; program taught entirely in French

This three-day intensive on the HEC Paris campus introduces students to digital entrepreneurship through the lens of one of Europe's top business schools. Students learn to transform a business idea into a viable project and find its first customers through practical masterclasses, teamwork, and structured exercises. The program is taught entirely in French and runs during French school holidays. Students who complete all three days receive an HEC Paris Certificate. The program is non-residential; participants arrange their own accommodation and transport.

Who it's best for: A French-speaking student who wants a brief, high-quality entrepreneurship intensive at one of Europe's most prestigious business schools and can travel to the Paris area.

Entrepreneurship Camps and Short Programs

These programs range from a single week to ten days and offer a concentrated introduction to entrepreneurship. They are a strong fit for students exploring the field for the first time or those who want to add an entrepreneurship credential without committing to a multi-week residential program.

17. Young Founders Lab

Location: 100% virtual, with live interactive workshops and one-on-one mentorship
Cost/Stipend: $2,900 for the core program; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No published rate or cohort size; selective via online application, an admissions review, and an interview process (estimate)
Dates: Cohorts run at scheduled points across the year; team track lasts about 4 weeks, individual track about 12 weeks; the most recently confirmed cohort started in June
Application deadline: Rolling within the cycle; the most recently confirmed cycle's deadlines fell in March, April, and May
Eligibility: Open to all high school students; students can build individually or as part of a team

Founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs, Young Founders Lab is a real-world startup bootcamp modeled on incubators like Y Combinator. Students spend the program building an actual revenue-generating startup, moving through business fundamentals and ideation, a market-research and MVP-building phase, and a growth and go-to-market phase that ends in a demo day. Mentorship comes from entrepreneurs who've worked at companies including Google, Microsoft, and Meta.

Who it's best for: A student who wants to build and launch a real, revenue-generating company rather than study business theoretically, and who's comfortable choosing between a shorter team-based sprint or a longer solo-mentored track.

18. Ladder Internships

Location: Remote, from anywhere in the world
Cost/Stipend: Starting at $2,490; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; exact rate not published
Dates: Multiple cohorts year-round, spring, summer, fall, and winter; the virtual internship typically runs 8 weeks
Application deadline: Rolling; cohorts open in January, May, September, and November
Eligibility: Able to commit 10 to 20 hours a week for 8 to 12 weeks; open to high schoolers, undergraduates, and gap year students

Ladder places students in real internships at high-growth startups, most raising well over a million dollars, spanning industries like tech, AI and machine learning, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting. You work directly with your manager on real projects, supported by a dedicated Ladder Coach, and present your work to the company at the end of the internship.

Who it's best for: A student who wants genuine startup work experience rather than a classroom program, and is comfortable being embedded on a real team.

19. NSLC Business & Entrepreneurship

Location: Multiple university campuses (Yale, Columbia, Duke, University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and others)
Cost/Stipend: $2,895-$6,595 depending on program length and location
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment (not selective); students are nominated or self-apply
Dates: Multiple 5-, 6-, and 9-day sessions from June through August 2026
Application deadline: Rolling; continues as long as space is available
Eligibility: Ages 14-18; grades 9-12

The National Student Leadership Conference's Business & Entrepreneurship track is a residential program available at over ten prestigious university campuses nationwide. Students participate in a business simulation where real-time decisions affect a fictitious public company's share price, then form teams for a pitch competition where they apply lessons learned in entrepreneurship, marketing, and leadership. The program includes guest speakers from industry, field trips, leadership training, and the experience of living on a college campus. NSLC runs since 1989 and has hosted students from over 110 countries.

Who it's best for: A student who wants a flexible, multi-campus option with a built-in leadership development component, especially one who has not yet committed to a single university or region.

20. NYU SPS Career Edge: Entrepreneurship and Business Startups

Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $2,579 per course + $50 non-refundable application fee; optional on-campus housing and dining add-on ($684)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not published
Dates: One-week sessions (Session 1 through Session 6, June 29 - August 7, 2026); Entrepreneurship offered in Session 6 (August 3-7)
Application deadline: 2026 applications closed
Eligibility: Students who have completed grades 9, 10, or 11; international students eligible

This one-week NYU course teaches students the lean startup model and how to systematically analyze the business problems that startups face. Through a mixture of exercises, case studies, lectures, and discussions, students learn to identify needs, deliver business solutions, and understand the dynamics and barriers to starting a company. The program includes field trips to relevant companies and organizations across New York City, and students receive an NYU transcript showing their grade upon completion. No college credit is granted.

Who it's best for: A student who wants a focused, one-week entrepreneurship deep-dive at NYU with real field exposure to New York City's business ecosystem, without the commitment of a multi-week program.

21. NYU Tandon Invention, Entrepreneurship, and the Science of Smart Cities (ieSoSC)

Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size limited
Dates: Summer 2026
Application deadline: Check official page
Eligibility: NYC residents only (correction from blogs that listed "NYC and Nassau County")

ieSoSC is a free, STEM-focused entrepreneurship program that challenges students to develop technology-driven solutions for urban problems. Students work at the intersection of engineering, entrepreneurship, and smart-city technology, learning to identify urban challenges, prototype solutions, and pitch their ideas. The program is run through NYU's Tandon School of Engineering and is exclusively available to New York City residents, making it one of the few fully-funded entrepreneurship programs with a geographic eligibility restriction.

Who it's best for: A NYC resident with interests at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship who wants a free, STEM-oriented program that applies business thinking to real urban challenges.

22. CSU Global Business Academy

Location: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Cost/Stipend: $3,750; limited scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; draws students from around the globe
Dates: July 12-22, 2026
Application deadline: May 1, 2026 (early admission February 1)
Eligibility: Ages 15-18; must be enrolled in high school for fall 2026 (freshmen through juniors)

CSU's ten-day residential program blends business fundamentals with hands-on entrepreneurship through its signature Ram Rumble workshop. Students rotate through coursework on international business, leadership, cross-cultural communication, ethics, financial literacy, and innovation, then compete in an immersive entrepreneurial-skills challenge where they take a business idea from ideation through validation and pitch. The program includes a team-building ropes course at CSU's Mountain Campus in the Rockies and connects students with CSU College of Business faculty and corporate partners.

Who it's best for: A student who wants a well-rounded business and entrepreneurship introduction in a residential setting with an international cohort, and who would enjoy an active, outdoors-integrated program in Colorado.

23. Harvard Student Agencies Academies: Business and Entrepreneurship

Location: Harvard University campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Check academies.hsa.net for current pricing (estimate not available from search results)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; class sizes capped at 30 with a 15:1 student-instructor ratio
Dates: 1-week sessions running June through August 2026
Application deadline: Check official page
Eligibility: High school students

Harvard Student Agencies is the largest student-run company in the world, and its Academies program brings high school students onto the Harvard campus for an entrepreneurship-focused summer experience. Students learn business fundamentals and entrepreneurial thinking from current Harvard students and recent graduates who have launched real ventures, giving the program a peer-to-peer energy that differs from faculty-led alternatives. The program covers topics from startup strategy and marketing to financial modeling and leadership.

Who it's best for: A student who values learning from near-peer entrepreneurs (Harvard undergrads and recent graduates) rather than solely from professors, and who wants to experience life on the Harvard campus.

24. UM-Flint Summer Entrepreneurship Institute

Location: University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI
Cost/Stipend: $50 (includes instruction, materials, lunch, snacks, and a camp t-shirt); need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open; limited to approximately 25 students
Dates: June 16-18, 2026
Application deadline: April 30, 2026
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors (entering 11th or 12th grade in fall 2026)

This three-day camp at UM-Flint's Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is one of the most affordable entrepreneurship programs in the country. Students attend lectures and workshops, visit local businesses and startup spaces in downtown Flint, hear from guest entrepreneurs, and work in teams to develop and present a venture idea. The program is designed to help students decide whether entrepreneurship is a path they want to pursue in college, combining classroom learning with real community exposure.

Who it's best for: A Michigan-area student who wants a low-cost, low-commitment introduction to entrepreneurship before deciding whether to pursue it more seriously in college.

25. South Carolina Business Week

Location: University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business, Columbia, SC
Cost/Stipend: $75 application fee; all other costs (housing, meals, programming) covered by corporate sponsors
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 100-160 students per year from across South Carolina
Dates: Typically one week in July (2026 dates to be announced; 2025 ran July 13-18)
Application deadline: Varies; apply through high school guidance departments
Eligibility: Rising South Carolina high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the top third of their class with demonstrated leadership

Now in its fifth decade, South Carolina Business Week is one of the longest-running pre-college business and entrepreneurship programs in the country. Students form mock companies led by executives from South Carolina businesses and compete through a computer-driven business simulation that requires real-time strategic decisions, alongside a Shark Tank-style pitch competition and workshops on entrepreneurship, ethics, and leadership. The program includes presentations from more than 30 business executives and offers four college scholarships to top-performing students at the end of the week.

Who it's best for: A South Carolina high school student with strong academics and leadership who wants a heavily-sponsored, competition-driven business and entrepreneurship experience with scholarship opportunities.

26. Startup UCLA Social Entrepreneurship Summer Institute

Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (in-person program currently paused)
Cost/Stipend: $2,000 for the current online self-paced version
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment for the online version
Dates: In-person program paused until July 2027; online self-paced version available now
Application deadline: Rolling for online version
Eligibility: High school students

Startup UCLA's Social Entrepreneurship Summer Institute normally runs as an in-person program on UCLA's campus, but the in-person format is paused until July 2027. The program teaches students to apply entrepreneurial thinking to social challenges, covering business model development, impact measurement, and startup methodology with a focus on ventures that create positive social change. Currently available only as a self-paced online course, the program is expected to return to its in-person format in summer 2027. Students interested in the on-campus experience should check back for 2027 applications.

Who it's best for: A student interested in social entrepreneurship who either wants to start with the online version now or plans ahead for the in-person return in 2027.

27. Stony Brook Technology Entrepreneur Academy

Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: Approximately $1,500-$2,999 (based on prior years)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 20-25 students
Dates: Not offered in summer 2026 (program ran July 2024; not listed in 2026 pre-college lineup)
Application deadline: N/A for 2026
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (ages 16-18)

Offered through Stony Brook's Center for Entrepreneurial Finance and Innovation Center, this one-week residential camp is designed to inspire high school students to pursue technology entrepreneurship. Students learn about emerging technologies including AI, blockchain, genomics, robotics, and sustainable tech, then work through the foundational steps of commercializing an invention, covering opportunity generation, customer discovery, feasibility analysis, and financing strategies. The program did not appear in Stony Brook's 2026 pre-college course lineup and is expected to return in a future cycle.

Who it's best for: A student in the New York area interested in technology-driven entrepreneurship who can plan ahead for when the program returns (check Stony Brook's pre-college page for future offerings).

Frequently asked questions: entrepreneurship programs for high school students

1. Is there a free entrepreneurship course for high school students?

Yes, several programs on this list cost nothing to attend. Suffolk University's three-week summer program is free and carries three Suffolk credits, and Bossgirls at City College of New York is fully sponsored by Standard Chartered. NYU Tandon's ieSoSC is also free, but it is open only to New York City residents. Free programs often restrict eligibility by location, grade, or background, so check those limits before you plan around one.

2. What classes should I take in high school to become an entrepreneur?

Economics, statistics, and computer science give you the most direct foundation, covering how markets work, how to read data, and how products get built. Writing and public speaking classes matter just as much, as you'll spend a lot of time pitching and persuading. If your school offers business, accounting, or marketing electives, take at least one to learn the vocabulary investors use.

3. Do entrepreneurship programs help with college admissions?

They can, but only when you leave with something specific to show and discuss. A venture you launched, a pitch you competed with, or credit you earned gives an admissions reader more to evaluate than a certificate alone. Attending a program at a university won't improve your odds of getting into that university: Wharton states that its Essentials of Entrepreneurship program does not guarantee admission into Penn. Pick a program that connects to interests you already have, so it fits a clear pattern in your application.

4. Are there online entrepreneurship programs for high school students?

Yes, though this list covers in-person programs only. Online formats range from self-paced video courses to live programs with mentors and fixed deadlines. Young Founders Lab runs fully online, with a team track of about four weeks and an individual track of about twelve, both ending in a demo day. Ask any online program how much live time you get with mentors, as that is where formats differ most.

5. What is a high school business incubator?

A high school business incubator is a program where you develop your own venture over several weeks with mentor support, then pitch it at the end. The focus is on building and testing your idea rather than studying business topics in the abstract. Bossgirls at City College of New York, for example, runs as a five-week summer incubator that ends with a pitch to Standard Chartered executives. Many incubators also expect you to work in a team and show progress each week.

6. When should I apply for entrepreneurship summer programs?

Plan to apply between January and May for the summer you want to attend, with the most selective programs closing earliest. Penn's M&TSI set a priority deadline of January 28 in its most recent cycle, and Wharton's Essentials of Entrepreneurship closed in mid-March. Shorter camps such as UM-Flint's tend to accept applications into late spring. If you need financial aid, aim for the earliest deadline a program offers.

Luke Taylor

Luke is a two-time founder, a graduate of Stanford University, and the Managing Director at the Young Founders Lab