15 Leadership Summer Camps for High School Students
If you are a high school student looking to make better use of your summer, leadership camps will help you explore your interests in a more practical setting.
What do leadership summer camps look like?
These camps often combine workshops, team projects, discussions, case studies, and mentorship. You will build communication, decision-making, teamwork, and problem-solving skills while learning how leadership works in academic, business, and entrepreneurial settings.
Why choose summer leadership camps for high school students?
Summer leadership camps for high school students will help you build skills that go beyond the classroom. You will work on group projects, pitch ideas, solve real-world problems, or learn how to lead in high-pressure settings. If you are interested in entrepreneurship, these programs will help you think through business ideas, collaboration, and execution. They will also strengthen your college applications by showing that you used your summer with purpose.
In addition to leadership camps, you can consider leadership pre-college programs, or have a look at leadership programs abroad for an international and globally-focused experience.
To make your search easier, we have put together a list of 15 summer leadership camps for high school students that cover leadership, entrepreneurship, public speaking, teamwork, and hands-on learning.
15 Leadership Summer Camps for High School Students
1. Harvard Pre-College Program
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cost/stipend: $6,100, plus $75 application fee (limited number of scholarships are available); None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: Session I - June 21 to July 2; Session II - July 5 to July 17; Session III - July 19 to July 31
Application Deadline: Early deadline - January 7; regular deadline - February 11; late deadline - April 1, if space remains
Eligibility: Open to rising juniors and seniors; will graduate from high school and enter college in the next two years; must be at least 16 years of age by June 20 but still under 19 by July 31
If you want a serious campus experience, this is a good summer leadership camp for high school students. You will choose a college-level course, live on campus, and manage your time in a setting that feels closer to university than school. You will pick subjects tied to the government, including economics, public speaking, or social change, to sharpen discussion skills, judgment, and confidence. You will stay on-campus to think and act with more independence than in a standard summer class.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: Fully remote
Cost/stipend: Applies; financial aid available
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts through summer, fall, winter, and spring
Application Deadline: Based on your cohort
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Young Founders Lab works well as a work-learn option if you want leadership practice through entrepreneurship. You will work on a startup or non-profit idea, build with a team or through individual mentorship, and move from idea stage to something more concrete. Through team-based online summer workshops and an individual mentorship track, the format gives you room to work in the way that fits you. What stands out here is that you are not only studying entrepreneurship, you are building and refining a venture of your own.
3. Wharton Leadership in the Business World
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/stipend: $11,899; None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: Session I - June 7 to June 27; Session II - June 28 to July 18; Session III - July 19 to August 8
Application Deadline: Priority deadline - January 28; final deadline - March 18
Eligibility: Rising high school students with a strong academic performance and leadership roles in school or extracurricular work with a 3.5 unweighted GPA or higher; international applicants are welcome
Through this leadership program, you will work through Wharton-style classes, business simulations, and team-based learning while examining how organisations operate and how leaders make decisions under pressure. The program puts communication and teamwork at the centre of the experience, so you are expected to participate and contribute instead of sitting back. It combines business education with real attention to leadership, management, teamwork, and operations.
4. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost/stipend: Varies as per program; financial aid available
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Selective
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, you work closely with your managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present your work to the company. By participating in internships with leading organizations, you’ll build business management, leadership, and communication skills.
5. Yale Young Global Scholars
Location: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Cost/stipend: $80 (early action deadline) or $95 (regular decision deadline) application fee + $7,000 for one 2-week residential session (demonstrated financial aid available); None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: Session I - June 21 to July 3; Session II - July 5 to July 17; Session III - July 19 to July 31
Application Deadline: Early action deadline - October 15; regular decision deadline - January 7;
Eligibility: Must be between 16 and 18 years old by July 19, and be a current high school sophomore or junior, or the international equivalent
YYGS is broader than a business-only program. If you want summer leadership camps for high school students to build public speaking, discussion, and analytical thinking, you are in the right place. In the Politics, Law, and Economics track, you will work through policy and leadership questions with peers from many countries. The faculty will guide you with a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio. You will get a rigorous residential setting where you will practise speaking, questioning, and working across perspectives, which is central to strong leadership.
6. Wharton Essentials of Entrepreneurship
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost/stipend: $8,299; None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: Session I - June 7 to June 19; Session II - June 21 to July 3; Session III - July 12 to July 25; Session IV - July 26 to August 8
Application Deadline: Priority deadline - January 28; final deadline - March 18
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in 9th to 11th grades with a 3.3 unweighted GPA, or equivalent; international students are welcome to apply
Through this leadership program, you will help with venture creation, study how founders test ideas, think about markets, and build something concrete. It is campus-based, so you also get the pace and pressure of a residential summer setup while working through entrepreneurial problems with peers. This is a good option if you want to connect leadership with building, pitching, and developing an idea rather than only discussing leadership in the abstract.
7. UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth: High School Entrepreneurship Residency
Location: Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California
Cost/stipend: California resident tuition - $7,450; non-resident tuition - $7,950. $100 application fee (limited needs-based scholarships available); None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: 50 students
Dates: HSEN 1 - July 5 to July 18; HSEN 2 - July 19 to August 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school students (10th, 11th, or 12th grader); international students are welcome to apply
Berkeley’s residency puts you into a full two-week entrepreneurship environment with strong admissions selectivity and a clear leadership angle. You will work through team tasks, essays, a video essay, and final presentations, and the program also includes panels with Berkeley undergraduates and guidance around college applications. The program feels especially useful if you want a residential entrepreneurship setting that also gives you structured exposure to college admissions and startup thinking.
8. Subiendo: The Academy for Rising Leaders
Location: McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Cost/stipend: Free; None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: June 14 to June 18
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Current Texas high school juniors
If you want a true leadership camp, this one deserves a closer look. Subiendo is built around leadership development, policy issues, communication workshops, project-based learning, and networking with business and political figures. You will stay on campus, which gives the week more structure and energy. Subiendo stands out because it is free and tightly focused on leadership, civic thinking, and practical problem-solving rather than on general summer enrichment.
9. Georgetown Business & Leadership Academy
Location: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Cost/stipend: $50 application fee, residential tuition and meals - $9,085; commuter tuition - $7,085; None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: July 19 to August 7
Application Deadline: Early bird deadline - January 31; final deadline - May 15
Eligibility: Must be a current 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grader during the academic year before your summer program; must show evidence of good academic standing, with at least a 2.0 GPA
Georgetown’s academy places you in a city where policy, leadership, and institutions are part of the backdrop. During the program, you move through classes, workshops, simulations, group discussions, activities, and off-site visits. This combination makes the learning feel active rather than passive. This program earns its place because you work through business and leadership topics in a hands-on format and in a city that naturally supports that theme.
10. Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbour, Michigan
Cost/stipend: $5,500, plus a $75 application fee; full and partial need-based scholarships are available; None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: 70 students per cohort in 2 sessions
Dates: June 7 to June 17; June 21 to July 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 12th grader with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; preference is given to U.S. citizens or permanent residents; international students are welcome to apply
Ross gives you a focused business experience with faculty sessions, group work, guest speakers, workshops, field trips, and evening programming. You will also live on campus and work with a defined cohort, which can make collaboration feel stronger and more natural. If you want a business camp that balances classroom learning with workshops, guest speakers, and team-based work, Ross can be your call.
11. University of Arizona Entrepreneurship Summer Academy
Location: University of Arizona McGuire Entrepreneurship Centre, Tucson, Arizona
Cost/stipend: $500, including housing and meals, plus a $50 registration fee due upon acceptance; scholarships are available. No stipend
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not Specified
Dates: June 7 to June 12
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Open to current 9th-12th grade students; no prior business experience is required
One of the more practical and leadership-centred options on the list, you will work on team-based venture ideas, learn from University of Arizona faculty and local business professionals, visit businesses and the Arizona State Capitol, and finish with a Shark Tank-style pitch competition. The program is a short residential camp that mixes entrepreneurship, leadership, site visits, and a final pitch into one week.
12. Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive
Location: Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Cost/stipend: $7,000, including tuition, room and board, instructional materials, field trips, activities, and in-program transportation; None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: July 5 to July 25
Application Deadline: Priority admissions deadline, February 15, 2026; rolling after that until spaces fill
Eligibility: Globally minded high school students graduating within the next two years, and must be between 15 and 17 years of age during the program
IGEI is built as an immersive entrepreneurship and leadership program, so the structure is intense by design. Lehigh highlights small business bootcamp work, consulting-style projects, field trips, business visits, and intercultural collaboration. This makes it a good option if you want leadership practice in a setting that stays busy from start to finish. Through this immersive residential model, you will spend three weeks building ideas, working with peers, and staying close to the action.
13. Brown Leadership Institute
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $5,778; None
Cohort Size/Acceptance Rate: Not specified
Dates: June 22 to July 17
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Must be completing grades 9 to 12, and must be 14 to 18 years old by June 14
In this leadership summer camp for high school students, you will take one course in a four-week online format delivered through Canvas. The program includes asynchronous coursework, synchronous workshops twice a week, one-on-one meetings with your instructor, written discussions with classmates, and work on an Action Plan that you can apply in your school or community. You will also spend time reading course materials, watching guest lectures or instructor videos, and completing assignments.
14. Wharton Essentials of Leadership
Location: Online
Cost/stipend: $4,099; None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: June 15 to June 26; July 6 to July 17
Application Deadline: Priority deadline on January 28; final deadline - rolling admission
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9-12; international students are welcome to apply
This program is virtual, with a focus on leadership rather than only on business basics. You will study teamwork, management, and leadership in a two-week format with rigorous discussions and active participation. This is a direct leadership curriculum with Wharton backing, without requiring travel or a residential stay.
15. The Academies by Harvard Student Agencies: Virtual Business Academies
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Cost/stipend: $529; None
Cohort size/acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: June 1 to 5; July 20 to 24
Application Deadline: April 12
Eligibility: High school students; high-performing 8th-grade students who are intellectually curious and can keep up with fast-paced curricula are also welcome to apply
The Academies is a virtual boot camp held on Zoom, taught by Harvard students, and includes interactive activities plus a final project presentation. You join interactive activities during live sessions and complete a final project presentation at the end of the program. The main appeal here is the short, structured virtual format, which lets you explore business and leadership themes without committing to a longer residential program.