13 Online Business Internships for High School Students
Internships are one of the most useful ways for high school students to explore what a business career actually looks like. While you might learn theories about marketing, management, or finance in class, an internship allows you to see how those concepts play out in day-to-day operations. You’ll get a chance to work on real tasks—whether that’s helping with social media strategy, conducting market research, supporting client communication, or observing how business decisions are made. This kind of early exposure not only helps deepen your understanding of business but also helps you figure out what parts of the field you enjoy most - this comes in handy while selecting electives or major courses at college!
If you’re thinking about majoring in business or pursuing a career in areas like marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, or management, an internship can help you make more informed choices. You’ll also develop valuable soft skills—like communication, time management, and teamwork—that are critical in any workplace.
Remote internships make this experience even more accessible. You can gain practical knowledge and mentorship by working with startups, nonprofits, or established companies from anywhere, without needing to commute or relocate. This flexibility makes it easier to fit into your school schedule while still gaining meaningful work experience.
To make your search easier, here are 13 online business internships for high school students!
Note: While some programs on the list may not be a traditional internship, they do follow a strong work-learn model!
Cost: $2490 (Financial Aid Available)
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 connects you with high-growth startups for an online internship experience. These startups span fields like tech, deep tech, AI and machine learning, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting. You’ll work directly with a startup team on real-world projects and receive guidance from both your manager and a Ladder Coach.
Past startups have been founded by Y Combinator alumni or by former employees of companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. Some have raised over $30 million in funding. You’ll present your work to the company at the end of the internship. You can explore current internship options through the application form.
2. Young Founders Lab
Cost: The total cost to attend the 4-week program is $2900. There is need-based financial aid.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The final summer deadline is May 11.
Program Dates: Individual Program: June 2; Group Program Summer 1: June 9-29; Group Program Summer 2: August 4-24.
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students. You can access the application link here!
The Young Founder’s Lab is an online startup boot camp run by Harvard student entrepreneurs. You’ll join a cohort of high school students to build a real startup that solves a specific problem and can bring in revenue. You’ll be guided by mentors from Google, Microsoft, and X (formerly Twitter), and get direct feedback on your product, pitch, and growth strategy.
The program includes live sessions on market research, user discovery, business models, and fundraising. You’ll also take part in workshops, panel discussions with founders, and weekly progress check-ins. The program ends with a pitch presentation to a panel of entrepreneurs and investors. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
3. NASA Pathways
Cost: None. Pays a stipend.
Program Dates: Varies depending on the internship availability
Application Deadline: Varies as per internship
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old and have a cumulative GPA of 2.9 or higher on a 4.0 scale. More info here.
The NASA Pathways Internship Program lets you explore business roles in a federal agency setting. You can work in areas like Human Resources, Program Management, Accounting, Budgeting, or Public Affairs. You’ll support ongoing projects and learn how NASA manages teams, tracks budgets, handles recruitment, and runs internal communications.
Depending on your role, you might work with spreadsheets, write reports, support event planning, or analyze financial data. This is a paid internship, and if you perform well, you may be eligible for a long-term position through the Pathways pipeline.
4. Startup Internship - Empowerly
Cost: None. Some startups offer stipends.
Dates: Fall, Spring, and Summer sessions are offered.
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students from 9th grade through college
Empowerly Startup Internship Program connects you with startups across fields like education, health, AI, communication, and nonprofits. You can choose roles in business-related areas such as marketing, operations, product research, or business development. The program runs during fall, spring, and summer, and all internships are remote.
You’ll get support with your resume, cover letter, and interview prep before being matched with a startup. You’ll work on real tasks like market research, content creation, competitor analysis, or outreach campaigns. There are over 40 startups in the network, and you choose the ones that align with your interests.
5. Business Research for Innovation, Design, Growth, and Entrepreneurship (BRIDGE)
Cost: $ 2,500
Application Deadline: First-come first first-served basis
Program dates: Session 1: July 7 – July 25 | Session 2: July 7th – July 25th
Eligibility: High school students (9th- 12th)
UC San Diego Research Scholars: Business Research for Innovation, Design, Growth, and Entrepreneurship (BRIDGE) is a six-week program designed to prepare high school students for careers in business innovation and entrepreneurship. You’ll learn core business concepts such as venture financing, growth strategy, and business model design.
The program focuses on building the skills needed to create an innovative business proposal and gain a strong understanding of economic principles. By the end of the program, you’ll be equipped to approach business challenges with a strategic mindset and practical skills.
6. SPARK Summer Internship Program
Cost: None. Some internships offer a stipend.
Application Deadline: May
Program Dates: June to August (6-8 weeks)
Eligibility: Open to all students who can work for 40 hours/week, for 6-8 weeks
The Spark SIP is an exclusive summer internship program with a competitive acceptance rate of under 5%. It offers full-time internships in fields such as computer science, software engineering, market research, sales and marketing, competitive analysis, and social media content creation.
As an intern, you’ll work on 5-6 projects aligned with your interests, each guided by a mentor who helps you gain hands-on experience in your chosen field. You’ll work with industry professionals, learn real-world skills, and receive personalized guidance throughout the summer.
7. The Mary Miller Summer Program by the PHC Group
Cost: None. This is a paid internship.
Application Deadline: Not specified, but you are urged to apply as soon as possible.
Program Dates: Not specified, but the program takes place in the summer.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors can apply.
Mary Miller Summer Program by PHC Group is a prestigious, paid virtual internship for rising high school juniors and seniors. Named after community leader and youth advocate Mary Miller, this program gives you the chance to gain hands-on experience in business operations within public health management.
You’ll develop important business skills through real-world projects that support PHC Group’s mission in public health and management solutions. As an intern, you’ll work directly with the Public Health Director on tasks like social media marketing, online community engagement, social marketing research, technical support, and remote teamwork.
8. Communications & Marketing Intern, Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC)
Cost: None
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Program Length: 10 weeks, May to August.
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old can apply.
The Smithsonian Science Education Center Internship is a 10-week summer program for high school students with the Communications & Marketing team. You’ll help create marketing materials, support communication strategies, and manage digital assets to promote the SSEC brand.
Through hands-on experience, you’ll learn skills like content creation, digital marketing, branding, and project management. You’ll also contribute to the Smithsonian’s values of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion by helping find diverse experts, creating inclusive content, and connecting with a global audience.
9. Internships at Maryland Public Television (MPT)
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Application Deadline: May 15
Program Dates: Varies by internship.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors willing to commit to at least 16 hours per week
Internships at Maryland Public Television (MPT) offer both in-person and virtual, unpaid opportunities for you to gain experience in the business side of media. You’ll work on TV programming, show development, co-productions, and media business operations.
You’re expected to be creative, motivated, and energetic, with a commitment of at least 16 hours per week. MPT also offers internships in public relations, communications, content creation, sales, marketing, client relations, and administration.
10. Interns4-Good
Cost: None
Program Dates: Variable based on the internship selected.
Application Deadline: Open throughout the year.
Eligibility: High school students from grades 9–12 are eligible to apply.
Interns4Good is a remote organization that connects you with internship opportunities at various nonprofits. The list of available roles is regularly updated, covering fields like marketing, outreach, graphic design, social media management, and video editing. You can choose from both online and in-person internships, either with Interns4Good directly or through their partner organizations.
If you intern with a partner nonprofit, you’ll need to submit weekly reports detailing your hours and a short write-up about your work. You can also request verified hour reports to share with schools or other organizations.
11. Wharton Global Youth Programs
Cost: $7899 to $9799. Financial aid is available!
Deadline: January 29
Dates: Various sessions
Eligibility: High School students can apply
The Wharton Global Youth Programs (WGYP) offer high school students a chance to explore the business world through in-person and online summer programs. While not traditional internships, these programs focus on different areas of business, helping you learn key concepts and work on real-world case studies.
Programs like the Management and Technology Summer Institute (M&TSI) let you build a tech startup from the ground up, ideal if you’re interested in entrepreneurship. For a more traditional business experience, consider Leadership in the Business World (LBW), where you’ll explore more essential business topics.
12. Babson Summer Study
Cost: $6295 + $95 application fee
Program Dates: July 7 - 28
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors. All applicants must be age 16 or older by the start of the program.
Babson Summer Study is a three-week online program designed for high school students to build an entrepreneurial mindset. This program helps you learn about leadership, marketing, finance, and business communication.
Based on the United Nations Global Goals, you’ll work on real-world problems and develop creative solutions. You’ll earn 4 college credits from Babson, participate in live sessions, complete independent work, and connect with students, faculty, and alumni from around the world.
13. Stevens Institute of Technology Organizational Leadership 6-Week Virtual Summer Research Experience
Cost: $1500.00
Application deadline: March 1
Program dates: July 7 – August 11
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors entering the fall academic year
The Stevens School of Business Summer Research Program is a six-week virtual experience designed for high school students interested in business. You’ll engage in hands-on projects covering topics such as organizational leadership, corporate culture, ethics, social responsibility, and strategic communication. Through mentorship and practical activities, you'll develop skills in leadership, ethical decision-making, team collaboration, and effective communication. While this isn’t a traditional internship, it does follow a strong work-learn model!