15 Online Economics Internships for High School Students
Studying economics opens up a diverse range of career paths, including business, finance, data science, and entrepreneurship.
What do online economics internships involve?
These internships allow you to work on projects alongside professionals, gain academic research experience, and gain insight into aligned fields such as business, finance, and entrepreneurship. You also get the chance to explore potential career pathways in economics and understand the role of different professionals while receiving mentorship support.
Why pursue an online economics internship in high school?
Economics concepts are far more intuitive when you apply them to real projects rather than study them in isolation. Working alongside professionals on actual research or business problems gives you a sense of how economic thinking shapes decisions in practice, which is hard to get from coursework alone. It also helps you figure out which parts of the field genuinely interest you before committing to an academic direction.
To make the choice easier for you, we've narrowed down a list of 15 online economics internships for high school students. For related opportunities, check out our guides on finance workshops for high school students and 11 startups offering internships for high school students.
Quick Look
4 paid or stipended programs: MRU High School Fellowship ($2,000 stipend, US only), On The Money Internship ($17.05/hr, Chicago seniors only), Quantitative Finance Virtual Summer Research ($2,500 tuition, stipend not included), and Morgan Stanley JumpStart (stipend not specified, seniors only)
6 free programs: SPARK Teamship Statewide, Project Coin Volunteer, Acton Research Internship, High School Fed Challenge, Empowering Youth in Business, and MRU High School Fellowship (free to apply)
3 programs resulting in a published or co-authored paper: FinAcademy Research Lab, Scholastica Economic and Finance Internship, and Acton Research Internship
4 programs open to international students: George Mason ASSIP, Scholastica Economic and Finance Internship, Young Founders Lab, and Ladder Internship Program
2 fully open volunteer programs with rolling applications: Project Coin and Empowering Youth in Business (both accept volunteers from across the US and internationally)
Most selective programs: Acton Research Internship (10 total open positions per cycle, preference for published research) and MRU High School Fellowship (must have completed at least one economics course, reference required)
15 Online Economics Internships for High School Students
1. MRU High School Fellowship
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free to apply; Fellows receive a $2,000 cash stipend upon completion
Dates: June 15–July 28; 6-week remote program
Application Deadline: April 10
Eligibility: Current high school students or 2026 graduates; ages 16 and older at time of application; U.S. high school only (public, private, or homeschool); must have completed at least one introductory economics course; strong communication skills required (written, verbal, or video); reference contact (teacher or equivalent) required at time of application
The MRU High School Fellowship is a virtual internship program for academically motivated high school students interested in economics and communication. During the fellowship, you will work alongside experienced professionals, receive mentoring in content creation, and produce original economics content. The content can be in the format of a video podcast, workshop, or other formats. The fellowship runs for a total of six weeks, where you'll also get to explore academic and professional opportunities within economics.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Varies as per program (need-based financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Program Dates: 4-week program beginning in June (tentatively)
Application Deadline: Early Decision: March | Regular Admission I: April | Regular Admission II: May
Eligibility: High school students
The Young Founders Lab is a real-world startup bootcamp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. You will work towards building a revenue-generating startup that addresses a real-world problem, mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X. The program gives you a structured space to explore both theoretical and practical frameworks for building a successful business. You will gain hands-on experience with concepts such as pricing, market research, unit economics, and financial decision-making, skills that directly connect economics to entrepreneurship. You can check out the brochure here and access the application here.
3. George Mason Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Commuter option: $5,675 total; residential option: $13,274 total; need-based scholarships available; priority given to California residents
Dates: June 15–July 31
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–11; outstanding 9th graders considered on a case-by-case basis; minimum 3.80 weighted GPA required; unofficial transcript including grades required; must attend program in its entirety; international students eligible
George Mason University offers a summer internship program for high school students interested in gaining research experience alongside professional researchers. You can conduct your research in areas such as business, finance, entrepreneurship, and data science for social good. The internship runs for eight weeks, during which you gain hands-on experience with emerging technology, develop skills in scientific writing and communication, and explore different career pathways through discussion forums and mentorship sessions. The internship mode depends on your faculty mentor and may be virtual at their discretion.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Online
Cost: Varies as per program (financial aid available)
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November)
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students who can work 10–20 hours/week for 8–12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective startup internship program for ambitious students. You'll work with a high-growth startup on real projects across industries, including tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder's startups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars; past founders include Y Combinator alums and former employees of Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. Typical tasks may include economic research, financial strategy development, product support, or communication initiatives. You'll work closely with your manager and a Ladder Coach and present your work to the company at the end of the internship. You can apply here.
5. Spark Teamship Statewide Internship Experience
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: July 13–23; July 27–August 6; year-round sessions also offered, including fall, winter, spring, and summer cohorts; programs typically consist of 23–25 hours spread across multiple meetings and weeks
Application Deadline: Varies based on session; registration generally opens approximately two months before each session, and students are encouraged to apply early due to limited seats and waitlists.
Eligibility: High school students, grades 9–12; students attending North Carolina public high schools; students must commit to attending all required meetings, launch activities, and final presentations.
Spark Teamship Statewide is a virtual internship offered to high school students that helps them gain business experience. During the internship, you will work collaboratively with peers to solve a real problem for a high-tech business. You will gain an understanding of foundational business and economics concepts and build skill sets valued in business environments. The experience allows you to network with professionals, explore pathways, and develop professional skill sets.
6. FinAcademy Research Lab
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Dates: June 8 - August 3 (meetings once a week with task assignment)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 - 12
FinAcademy offers a summer research lab experience for high school students interested in gaining research experience at the intersection of economics and emerging technology. During the eight-week program, you will produce structured reports and conduct research into how innovations such as fintech, AI, and digital infrastructure are affecting the economy, markets, and financial systems. The program includes weekly meetings where you will be assigned structured tasks and guided through your research, from ideation to publication. You will collect data, conduct a literature review, draft your report, and present it at the end of the program.
7. Project Coin Volunteer
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Not specified; volunteer/team applications via Google Form available on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Student volunteers welcome from any background
Project Coin is a student-led financial education initiative that offers volunteer opportunities to high school students interested in democratizing financial literacy. As a volunteer, you can work in different areas, such as finance, where you will be assigned tasks including handling grant applications, financial planning, and budgeting. You will be responsible for securing funding and ensuring the financial sustainability of different outreach programs. You can also work in other areas, including outreach, social media, and newsletter. Where you would work on creating financial content and make sure it reaches the target audience.
8. On The Money High School Internship
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Paid; $17.05 per hour; 20 hours per week
Dates: June 15–July 31; Monday–Friday
Application Deadline: May 29
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors and college students; City of Chicago residents only
On The Money magazine is a financial literacy publication that offers internship opportunities to high school students passionate about financial education and promotes financial literacy among young adults. The internship is in partnership with the Economic Awareness Council, where you will be trained to deliver financial education presentations and outreach programs for youth. You will work alongside financial institution representatives, learn about different roles, gain business experience, and earn a financial literacy certification.
9. Rockfleet Financials Internship
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Not specified; rolling
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students are eligible; must be eligible to work in the United States; requires 120 hours of participation
Rockfleet Financial Services is an investment bank that provides wealth management and fixed-income products to institutional investors and public and private entities. The company offers internship opportunities to high school students seeking experience in the financial services industry. As an intern, you can expect to assess advisors and analyze tasks such as market research, financial modeling, and client presentations. You'll also get to explore different pathways in the financial services industry and understand the roles of different professionals.
10. High School Fed Challenge
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: Academic year competition; competition runs September through March; Journal published in the summer following the competition cycle
Application Deadline: Registration deadline February 17; paper submission deadline March 16
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12; national competition open to all U.S. high schools; teams must be registered by a faculty advisor who submits a signed principal acknowledgment form; one team and one submission per school
The Federal Reserve Bank hosts the high school Fed Challenge, where students gain research experience in economics while developing skills in data literacy, teamwork, and analytical writing. During the competition, you will get to apply foundational economic concepts and write about a topic related to that year's theme. Your research will enable you to work with data, analyze trends, and draw thoughtful conclusions. Previously, your teams have included the economics of food, work, globalization, climate change, and music. By the end of the competition, you would have worked on your project management, creativity, and communication skills.
11. Acton Research Internship
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free; unpaid internship
Dates: Year-round, ongoing; approximately 2–3 hours per week commitment; all work conducted online via project management platform and Zoom
Application Deadline: Rolling; applications open March 1; 10 total open positions per cycle
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors; strong GPA and SAT scores preferred; preference for students who have excelled in academic competitions (e.g., STEM Olympiads, Scholastic Arts, National History Day); preference for students currently working on or who have completed original research papers or projects
The Acton Research Internship is offered to academically motivated high school juniors and seniors seeking research experience. As an intern at Acton Research, you will work alongside journal editors, staff, and professionals, assisting them with editing, reviewing, and commenting on research papers and articles. Your task will also include writing summaries and marketing content, liaising with nonprofit partners, and staying in contact with student researchers. You get to work at the intersection of many research areas, and students currently working on their own research papers and projects will be given preference in the selection process.
12. Empowering Youth in Business
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: Year-round; ongoing
Application Deadline: Not specified; sign up via Google Form on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students can apply as volunteers; volunteer applications are welcome from across the U.S. and internationally
Empowering Youth In Business is a student-led organization that provides free education to youth interested in business, entrepreneurship, and economics. As a student volunteer with them, you will work to provide content and distribute financial education through virtual workshops, tutoring, lesson plans, curriculum, and competitions. During the course of the work, you get to work with people all around the world and learn skills in project management, outreach, organization, and teamwork.
13. Quantitative Finance: 4-Week Virtual Summer Research Experience
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: $2,500
Dates: July 6–31; synchronous live sessions plus self-paced learning modules; fully virtual
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; coding experience preferred; familiarity with MS Excel expected
The Stevens School of Business offers a virtual summer research program for high school students interested in gaining experience in quantitative finance. The research program runs for four weeks, during which you'll delve into the quantitative side of finance, learn the essential skills for these pathways, and gain an understanding of fundamental concepts in finance, probability, computer science, and statistical methods. Throughout the program, you will attend lectures, conduct real studies, complete practical projects, practice coding skills, and earn certifications.
14. Morgan Stanley JumpStart Scholars in Finance
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Dates: November - April (bi-weekly learning sessions taught by Morgan Stanley employees)
Application Deadline: Not specified; applications open in early fall
Eligibility: High school seniors
The Morgan Stanley Jumpstart Scholars in Finance is a virtual finance-based learning experience for academically motivated high school students interested in finance. The program runs for five months, where you will engage in biweekly learning sessions taught by finance professionals. Some of the topics covered during the program include finance, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, wealth building, and professional development topics such as career development, leadership, and emotional intelligence. You get to apply what you've learned during the program in a capstone competition, where you solve a real-world case study.
15. Scholastica Economic and Finance Internship
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: £995 (approximately $1340) tuition fee
Dates: June, July, August; each internship runs for one month across four weekend sessions
Application Deadline: Rolling until programs reach capacity
Eligibility: High school students, ages 15–18; students interested in business, economics, finance, behavioral economics, fintech, AI, and labor economics, or global economic governance; reliable internet connection required for live participation
Oxford Scholastica offers virtual internship opportunities for high school students interested in the intersection of business, economics, and finance. During the internship, you will work on a research project in which you will explore fundamental economic theories in detail and co-author a research paper. Internship topics vary by session, but you can expect to intern on topics such as global economic governance, fintech, behavioral economics, the influence economy, and artificial intelligence. The internship runs for a month, during which you will study concepts related to your topic, understand research methodology, and work on completing your academic research paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are there paid online economics internships for high school students?
Yes, several programs on this list are paid. The MRU High School Fellowship provides a $2,000 cash stipend upon completion and is open to current high school students and 2026 graduates aged 16 and older in the US. The On The Money Internship pays $17.05 per hour but is restricted to graduating seniors and college students who are Chicago residents. The Morgan Stanley JumpStart Scholars program is also paid but restricted to high school seniors. Young Founders Lab and Ladder Internship both offer need-based financial aid for students who want a flexible, broader business and economics program.
2. Which programs result in a published research paper or formal credential?
Three programs on this list culminate in a co-authored publication. FinAcademy Research Lab has you produce a structured research report on economics and emerging technology that is presented at the end of the program. Scholastica Economic and Finance Internship guides you through co-authoring an academic research paper over four weekend sessions. Acton Research Internship involves assisting journal editors and writing summaries and marketing content alongside real research professionals. The High School Fed Challenge produces a written research paper submitted to the Federal Reserve's competition, which is a recognized credential in economics.
3. Which programs are most accessible to students with no prior economics experience?
SPARK Teamship Statewide, Empowering Youth in Business, and Project Coin Volunteer all accept students from any background with no prior coursework required. The Ladder Internship Program and Young Founders Lab are also explicitly open to all high school students with no prior experience. The most selective programs prefer students who have completed at least one economics course or who have existing research experience, making them better suited as a second step after you've built some foundational knowledge.