15 Market Research Programs for High School Students
If you're interested in business, entrepreneurship, or marketing, market research is a great place to start.
What do market research programs involve?
You might spend your time designing surveys, analyzing consumer data, studying buying behavior, or working on real business case studies. Along the way, you'll learn how businesses turn information into decisions and why understanding customers is often just as important as building a great product.
Why pursue market research in high school?
Market research combines business, psychology, data, and communication in a way that's both practical and analytical, giving you an early look at skills used in college coursework and future careers. It also proves something grades alone can't, since a real research project shows admissions officers and future employers that you can actually do the work.
For related opportunities, check out our guides on finance workshops for high school students and 30 startup ideas for high school students.
Quick Look
1 fully virtual, entrepreneurship-focused option: Young Founders Lab, which pairs you with mentors as you build a real startup and conduct your own market validation.
Costs range from $1,600 to $8,299, with the Hinksey Scholars Programme as the most affordable option at $1,600 to $1,800.
3 programs offering college credit: Babson Summer Study, Georgetown's Pre-College Marketing course, and Wharton's Viral Marketing course.
1 program pairing you with a real partner organization: the Hinksey Scholars Programme, where you complete a research project for an actual business.
Most programs conclude with a capstone project analyzing a real or simulated company, culminating in an investment recommendation, marketing strategy, or business plan presentation.
15 Market Research Programs for High School Students
1. Wharton Essentials of Finance
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, PA
Cost: $8,299 + $100 non-refundable application fee
Acceptance Rate: Selective admission; cohort size and acceptance rate not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 7 - 19, June 21 - July 3, July 12 - 25, or July 26 - August 8
Application Deadline: Priority Deadline January 28; Final Deadline March 18
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–11. International applicants are welcome. Prior knowledge of economics or business is preferred but not required.
If you're curious about how companies are valued or why investors make certain decisions, Wharton's Essentials of Finance offers a strong introduction to the subject. Over two weeks, you'll study concepts like the time value of money, interest rates, accounting, corporate valuation, investing, and risk and return through lectures, case studies, and classroom discussions. The curriculum also looks beyond public markets, covering areas such as venture capital and alternative investments. One of the central parts of the program is a team project where you'll evaluate a publicly traded company using financial data and develop an investment recommendation. The program is taught by Wharton faculty and concludes with a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.
2. Young Founders Lab
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
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!
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 marketing fundamentals and business ideation, economic & market research sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more. 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. UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) Summer Entrepreneurship Residency
Location: Berkeley, California, CA
Cost: $7,450 (California residents); $7,950 (out-of-state and international students)
Acceptance Rate: Approximately 50 students per session; acceptance rate not publicly disclosed
Dates: July 5 - 18 or July 19 - August 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students from the United States and abroad interested in entrepreneurship, business, and innovation.
At UC Berkeley's Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY), market research is introduced as one of the first steps in building a business. Working in teams, you'll investigate potential customers, study competitors, and evaluate whether an idea addresses a genuine market need before developing a business plan. Classes taught by Berkeley Haas faculty and industry professionals cover entrepreneurship, business strategy, and startup development while showing how research supports business decisions. Throughout the program, your team refines its idea using the information gathered before preparing a final presentation. The program concludes with a business plan presentation and a UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth Certificate of Completion.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
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 marketing, advertising, tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long. Apply now!
5. Hinksey Scholars Programme
Location: Online
Cost: $1,600 (Priority Tuition); $1,800 (Regular Tuition)
Acceptance Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: June–August (12 weeks, 2 live hours per week)
Application Deadline: Priority Deadline – April 14; Regular Deadline – May 1
Eligibility: High school students aged 14 and above (parent/guardian consent required if under 18). International applicants are welcome.
The Hinksey Scholars Programme combines business research with mentorship from PhD and MBA mentors over a twelve-week online programme. You'll complete a research project for a real organisation, investigating a business challenge using structured research and analysis. Weekly live sessions introduce research methods, business analysis, and professional communication while mentors guide you through each stage of your project. Guest speakers from industry also share how research informs business strategy and decision-making across different sectors. Throughout the programme, you'll collect evidence, analyse your findings, and develop recommendations based on your research. The experience concludes with a completed business research project prepared for the partner organisation.
6. Babson Summer Study for High School Students
Location: Online or Marlborough, Massachusetts, MA (In-person hosted at New England Innovation Academy)
Cost: Online: $6,295; In-Person Day Student: $9,295; In-Person Residential Student: $12,995; Additional $95 application fee
Acceptance Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: July 8 - 28
Application Deadline: Early Bird Deadline: February 13; Standard Deadline (Online Format): March 13
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors (students entering grades 11 and 12)
At Babson Summer Study, entrepreneurship is taught as a way of solving real-world problems, starting with understanding the people and markets involved. Over three weeks, you'll earn four college credits while studying leadership, marketing, finance, business communication, and venture creation through Babson's Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience course. Working in teams, you'll tackle social, economic, and environmental challenges connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, researching the problem before developing a business solution. The program combines lectures, group work, and independent assignments, with a workload similar to a college course. By the end of the program, your team will present its venture idea, and you'll earn four Babson College credits upon successful completion.
7. Economics for Leaders (EFL)
Location: Multiple U.S. campuses; example site: University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, WA
Cost: $2,800
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Approximately 25–40 students per site; roughly 50% acceptance rate (about two applicants per available spot)
Dates: Vary by location; July 6–12: University of Washington
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until programs fill
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors (rising juniors and seniors) with demonstrated leadership potential, maturity, and interest in public policy, economics, or leadership.
Economics for Leaders (EFL) shows how economic thinking can improve leadership and decision-making. During the residential program, you'll study concepts such as incentives, markets, trade-offs, and opportunity costs before applying them to public policy, business, and community leadership through simulations and case studies. Much of the learning happens through interactive exercises where you'll evaluate different choices, consider their consequences, and discuss the reasoning behind them with other students. Leadership workshops are woven into the academic curriculum, helping you connect economic analysis with practical decision-making.
8. Columbia University Pre-College: Entrepreneurial Finance and New Venture Management
Location: Online
Cost: Tuition not specified in the provided information
Acceptance Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: July 20 - 31
Application Deadline: Summer applications are currently being accepted
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in Columbia University's Pre-College Program. Prior coursework in business, economics, or entrepreneurship is recommended.
Launching a startup requires more than a good idea, and Columbia's Entrepreneurial Finance and New Venture Management focuses on the financial decisions that shape a company's growth. Over two weeks, you'll examine business models, market validation, startup valuation, fundraising, and performance metrics while learning how entrepreneurs move from an early idea to a scalable business. The course also introduces different funding pathways, including bootstrapping, angel investing, venture capital, crowdfunding, and accelerators, explaining when each is commonly used. Throughout the program, you'll work with a team to develop a venture idea, evaluate its market potential, and prepare a presentation for a simulated investor pitch.
9. Harvard Pre-College Program – Invention, Innovation, and Markets
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA
Cost: $6,100 program fee + $75 application fee
Acceptance Rate: Selective admission; average class size of approximately 15 students
Dates: July 6 -17 or July 20 - 31
Application Deadline: Early Application & Priority Financial Aid: January 7; Regular Application & Financial Aid: February 11; Late Application: April 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; students must be at least 16 years old by June 20, and under 19 years old by July 31
Technology changes markets in ways that aren't always obvious, and Harvard's Invention, Innovation, and Markets explores those connections through an economics lens. The course looks at how innovations in transportation, medicine, automation, and other industries influence productivity, international trade, businesses, consumers, and public policy. Through lectures and classroom discussions, you'll examine both the opportunities and economic challenges created by technological change while learning how economists analyze innovation. As part of the broader Harvard Pre-College Program, you'll also experience residential campus life and study alongside students from around the world. The course offers a thoughtful introduction to how new technologies reshape economies over time.
10. USC Pre-College Online: Digital Marketing – From Content Creation to Strategic Planning
Location: Online (self-paced)
Cost: $1,990 tuition + $35 application fee
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Multiple start dates available throughout (including June 8, June 22, July 6, and July 20); students are expected to complete the course within 4 weeks and receive up to 90 days of access
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort; applications are due approximately 5 days before each start date
Eligibility: High school students, including international applicants, interested in marketing, business, communications, or digital media.
Understanding your audience is at the center of USC's Digital Marketing: From Content Creation to Strategic Planning. This self-paced online course introduces the foundations of digital marketing through topics such as brand voice, content creation, customer experience, social media strategy, web design, and marketing analytics. As you work through recorded lectures, case studies, and practical exercises, you'll see how organizations research audiences, plan campaigns, and measure their performance using data. The course also explains how marketers use analytics to refine their strategies and improve customer engagement over time. Students who complete all course requirements receive a USC Pre-College Programs Certificate of Completion.
11. Georgetown University Pre-College Marketing (College Credit Course)
Location: Online
Cost: $3,995 (tuition for college credit course), $1,895 (enrichment course fee)
Acceptance rate: Not specified (rolling, prompt admissions decision; no transcripts required)
Dates: June 28 - August 9 (other session options available within June 28 - Aug 9 window, including 2-week and 4-week variations)
Application Deadline: June 21
Eligibility: Ages 13 and up; open to high school students
Marketing starts with understanding why people choose one product over another, and Georgetown's Pre-College Marketing course explores exactly that. Through a flexible online format, you'll study consumer behavior, branding, audience targeting, digital marketing, and data analysis while learning how companies build successful marketing strategies. The coursework includes video lectures, assignments, and discussions that explain how businesses use research and performance metrics to guide marketing decisions. You'll also examine how brands communicate across traditional and digital channels and apply those ideas to a company of your choice. The program concludes with a final marketing project, and students enrolled in the credit-bearing option earn college credit from Georgetown University upon successful completion.
12. Northwestern University Business: Strategies, Innovation, and Success
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895
Acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: June 28 - July 26 (4-week); June 28 - July 12 (2-week); July 5 - July 12 (1-week)
Application Deadline: June 21 (June/July sessions); June 28 (July 1-week session)
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up
Every successful business depends on a clear strategy, and Northwestern's Strategies, Innovation, and Success course breaks down how companies build and sustain one. The online curriculum covers business strategy, marketing, product development, sales, and operations through recorded lessons, assignments, and mentor feedback. As you move through the course, you'll learn how businesses evaluate opportunities, bring products to market, and position themselves against competitors. The final capstone asks you to conduct a SWOT analysis of a real company before proposing a new product or service that fits its overall strategy. All program lengths cover the same material, allowing students to choose a schedule that works for them. Students who complete the course receive a Northwestern University Certificate of Completion.
13. Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, MI
Cost: $5,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 7 - 17; June 21 - July 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 12th-grade (senior year) high school students; Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; Preference for U.S. citizens or permanent residents (international students may apply)
The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy gives rising high school seniors a close look at how business is taught at one of the country's leading business schools. Over two weeks, you'll attend college-level classes covering business fundamentals while participating in workshops, group projects, and discussions with Ross faculty and industry professionals. The curriculum explores how companies make decisions, solve business problems, and respond to changing markets through collaborative classroom activities. You'll also experience residential campus life and work closely with other students throughout the program. While the academy does not award college credit, it offers a realistic introduction to undergraduate business education through its structured academic schedule and team-based projects.
14. The Academies by Harvard Student Agencies (Management & Strategy Academy)
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA (on-campus); virtual options available
Cost: $1,800 tuition (need-based financial aid available; no stipend)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple sessions (e.g., June 22 - 26, July 13 - 17, July 27 - 31)
Application Deadline: Not specified (varies by session)
Eligibility: High school students (Grades 9–12); Open to domestic and international students
The Management & Strategy Academy introduces high school students to the way consultants and business leaders approach complex business problems. Throughout the week, you'll work through case studies involving profitability, market entry, pricing, product launches, mergers and acquisitions, and operational strategy while learning how companies make strategic decisions. The curriculum also introduces financial concepts such as income statements, balance sheets, and company valuation to help you evaluate business performance. Many classroom discussions are built around real business cases developed by Harvard Student Agencies, giving students practical examples to analyze. By the end of the program, you'll have worked through structured business cases using the same analytical frameworks taught during the academy.
15. Wharton Global Youth Program (Marketing 0001: Viral Marketing)
Location: Online
Cost: Tuition not specified; additional course materials fee of $76 (no stipend)
Acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: Multiple sessions available (varies by term)
Application Deadline: Not specified (varies by session)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (typically Grades 11–12); Must meet pre-baccalaureate academic standards
Some products spread because of advertising, while others grow because people simply can't stop talking about them. Wharton's Viral Marketing course examines the psychology behind that process by exploring consumer behavior, social influence, word-of-mouth marketing, and how ideas spread through social networks. Taught by Wharton faculty, the course combines video lectures, live discussions, quizzes, written assignments, and case studies based on current marketing research. You'll also study concepts such as emotional triggers, social currency, and diffusion to understand why certain campaigns capture public attention while others do not. Students who complete the course earn both a Wharton transcript and college credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a market research program that involves working with a real organization?
Yes. The Hinksey Scholars Programme pairs you with PhD and MBA mentors to complete a research project for an actual partner organization, giving you exposure to a genuine business challenge rather than a simulated one.
Which programs let you earn college credit?
Babson Summer Study, Georgetown's Pre-College Marketing course (credit-bearing track), and Wharton's Marketing 0001: Viral Marketing course all offer college credit alongside their market research and marketing curriculum.
Is there an option to apply market research to my own business idea instead of a case study?
Young Founders Lab lets you do exactly that, guiding you through customer discovery and market validation as you build a real, revenue-generating startup, led by Harvard entrepreneurs with full financial aid available.