15 Online Entrepreneurship Camps for High School Students
Not every good idea becomes a startup, and that's what makes entrepreneurship interesting. Online entrepreneurship camps let you explore that process by taking an idea from concept to pitch.
What can you expect from an online entrepreneurship camp?
Most entrepreneurship camps revolve around building something. Depending on the program, you could develop a startup idea, design a product, create a business model, or pitch your solution to a panel of entrepreneurs, often with mentorship from founders and industry professionals who can challenge your thinking.
Why pursue an online entrepreneurship camp in high school?
That experience can also strengthen your college applications. Building a real project shows initiative, creativity, and the ability to solve open-ended problems, qualities that universities value across business, engineering, computer science, and many other fields.
Without further ado, here are 15 online entrepreneurship camps for high school students! For related opportunities, check out our guides on startups offering internships for high school students and ivy league entrepreneurship programs.
Quick Look
1 free program: Venture Validator by Colorado State University, a five-week virtual course on customer discovery and business model refinement.
1 fully virtual, entrepreneurship-focused option: Young Founders Lab, the only program on this list built around launching an actual revenue-generating startup rather than coursework, with need-based financial aid available.
Costs range from free to $6,390 (Babson's tuition plus application fee), with several credit-bearing options like Babson and UCLA's Introduction to Investments.
3 shortest, most intensive formats: Virtual Business Academies by Harvard Student Agencies (1 week), Accelerated Business Program (2 days), and Finance Institute's Wall Street in the Classroom (1 week).
Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S. is the only fully free, credit-bearing option, limited to just 20 students per cohort.
15 Online Entrepreneurship Camps for High School Students
1. Babson Summer Study
Location: Online
Cost: $95 application fee + $6,295 (limited need-based financial assistance available)
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 8-28
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors of at least 15 years of age by the start date of the program, and must demonstrate English proficiency.
Through this online entrepreneurship camp for high school students, you will earn four Babson College credits while completing an experiential entrepreneurship course built around the college's Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® methodology. You will explore social, economic, and environmental challenges through the United Nations Global Goals and develop practical solutions with classmates from around the world. Each day will combine live instruction with small-group learning and collaborative project work. You will strengthen entrepreneurial thinking, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving while gaining a practical perspective on real-world business challenges. Babson faculty will guide your learning throughout the program, helping you build the skills and confidence to create value for yourself, your community, and future ventures.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: 100% virtual, with live interactive workshops
Cost: Varies by the program (need-based financial aid available)
Program Dates: 4-week program starting June 5th, tentatively
Application Deadline: Early Decision: March | Regular Admission 1: April | Regular Admission 2: May
Eligibility: Open to all 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. Alongside building your startup, you'll participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and ideation, workshops, skill-building sessions, case studies, and panel discussions. The program gives you a structured space to explore both theoretical and practical frameworks for building a successful business. You can check out the brochure here and access the application here.
3. Venture Validator by Colorado State University
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 5 weekly sessions (check official website for active term dates)
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Open to all
At the Venture Validator program, you will test whether your business idea solves a real problem before investing time and money in building it. Working with experienced entrepreneurs, mentors, and coaches, you will conduct customer discovery, interview potential users, research competitors, develop a business model, and refine your value proposition. As the program progresses, you will explore partnerships, supply chains, and product prototyping while evaluating market opportunities. Weekly office hours will give you additional guidance as you apply what you learn. The interactive format encourages you to gather real customer feedback, strengthen your business concept, and make informed decisions before moving toward launching a venture.
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 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. 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. Georgetown University - Becoming an Entrepreneur
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895; earn a Certificate of Completion
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: 1-week intensives, 2-week sessions, and 4-week sessions offered year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions based on selected session
Eligibility: For students ages 13 and up
Through this online entrepreneurship camp for high school students, you will build the foundations of a business by taking an idea from concept to product or service. Along the way, you will identify market needs, define target customers, create a value proposition, explore business models, and learn how entrepreneurs adapt through innovation and failure. You will also examine networking strategies, funding options, and leadership skills that help ventures grow. Throughout the course, mentors will provide you with guidance, answer questions, and support your brainstorming. The experience concludes with a Final Capstone Project, where you will present your business idea through a video pitch.
6. Brown Pre-College Programs - Leadership Institute
Location: Online program through Canvas, Brown’s Learning Management System
Cost: $80 application fee + tuition
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 to July 17
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18 by June 14
At the Leadership Institute, you will explore leadership through courses centered on social change, communication, law, business, and related topics. You will assess your leadership style, strengthen public speaking, listening, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, and then create an Action Plan to use in your school or community. Throughout the online entrepreneurship camp for high school students, you will join live workshops, independent coursework, and one-on-one instructor meetings. You will learn alongside a cohort committed to positive change and receive guidance from instructors throughout the program.
7. UCLA Introduction to Investments
Location: Online
Cost: $2,330
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – July 31
Application Deadline: July 3
Eligibility: Participants must be at least 15 years of age by the first day of Summer Sessions on June 22. International students are welcome to apply
Financial markets affect almost every part of the global economy, and this UCLA course explains how they actually work. You'll study stocks, bonds, banking, valuation, venture capital, private equity, and international markets through live online classes taught by UCLA faculty. Investment case studies and small discussion sessions led by UCLA Economics majors help connect theory with real financial decisions, while classroom conversations explore how investors evaluate companies and manage risk. The program also introduces different careers in finance, and you'll finish with UCLA credit for Economics 4, making it a strong starting point if you're curious about investing before university.
8. Virtual Business Academies by Harvard Student Agencies
Location: Virtually on Zoom
Cost: $579
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Entrepreneurship: June 1 - 5 & July 20 - 24; Management and Strategy: June 29 - July 3 & August 3 - 7
Application Deadline: June 28
Eligibility: High school students. High-performing 8th-grade students who are intellectually curious and can keep up with fast-paced curricula
In this online entrepreneurship camp for high school students, you will learn how businesses grow by working through practical challenges in entrepreneurship or management. In the Entrepreneurship Academy, you will create a startup idea, research customers, develop a business plan, complete a SWOT analysis, and present your final pitch to judges. In the Management and Strategy Academy, you will step into the role of a consultant, analyze business data, study financial statements, and evaluate real Harvard Student Agencies case studies. Harvard student instructors will lead live sessions, interactive activities, and discussions throughout the week. You will finish with a final project presentation.
9. Accelerated Business Program
Location: Online
Cost: $75; earn a Certificate of Completion
Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: July 9 – 10
Application Deadline: June 14
Eligibility: High school rising juniors and seniors can apply
If you're looking for a quick introduction to business, this two-day program covers a surprising amount of ground. Terry College faculty introduce topics such as entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, leadership, and management, showing how each fits into real organisations. Along the way, professionals from companies including PwC and Charles Aris explain how these ideas are used in the workplace, while current University of Georgia students share what studying business at the university is actually like. The program concludes with a Certificate of Completion from the Terry College of Business.
10. Wharton Global Youth Program - Future of the Business World
Location: Online
Cost: $4,099 + $100 non-refundable application fee
Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: Jun 15 - Jun 26 & Jul 6 - Jul 17
Application Deadline: January 28
Eligibility: High school students from around the world enrolled in 9th to 12th grades with a minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA, or equivalent
Business doesn't exist in isolation, and this program looks at the forces shaping its future. Over two weeks, you'll examine how technology, geopolitics, sustainability, demographic change, and globalisation influence markets and entrepreneurship. The course combines business simulations, case studies, design thinking, market research, and scenario planning, giving you plenty of opportunities to test ideas and analyse future business trends. The final part of the program centres on forecasting how industries might evolve and presenting practical responses to emerging global challenges.
11. Entrepreneurship by USC Online Pre-College Programs
Location: Online
Cost: $35 application fee + $1,990 tuition; Certificate of Completion
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Self-paced. Start dates include June 22, July 6, and July 20
Application Deadline: June 17, July 1 & July 15
Eligibility: Students must be at least 14 years old or older and enrolled in a high school or secondary program. Recent high school graduates, students taking a gap year or time off from college, and students who are older than 18 can request an exemption to apply by emailing precollegeonline@usc.edu. International applicants are expected to be proficient in English.
Through this online program, you will learn what it takes to build a business through recorded lectures, business case studies, industry spotlights, readings, and assignments completed at your own pace. You will study business models, customer value, market sizing, competition, funding, pitching, leadership, and ethical decision-making while examining how startups operate. Along the way, you will hear from professionals in finance, law, and other fields, gaining practical perspectives on entrepreneurship. You can connect with a USC Mentor for guidance on course content and complete knowledge checks across five modules to earn a USC Certificate of Completion and, upon request, a USC Pre-College Programs transcript.
12. Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Impact in Fintech by Rice University
Location: Online
Cost: $1,795; earn a Certificate of Completion
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Based on the cohort you choose
Eligibility: For students ages 13 and up
Think entrepreneurship is only about launching a startup? This course narrows its focus to one of the fastest-growing parts of business: financial technology. You'll trace how fintech companies have changed banking, payments, lending, investing, and cryptocurrencies, while learning the business models behind services like PayPal, Venmo, Square, Apple Pay, Robinhood, and LendingClub. The course also explains concepts such as credit, debt-to-income ratios, blockchain, robo-advising, digital lending, and financial regulation, using case studies and simulations to show how these ideas work in practice. As the program progresses, you'll develop a business plan for your own fintech product or expand an existing company's offering, with regular feedback from a mentor before earning a Rice University Certificate of Completion.
13. Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S. by SPICE (Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education)
Location: Live virtual classes
Cost: Free; earn Stanford Continuing Studies credit and a SPICE Certificate of Completion
Cohort Size: 20 students
Dates: Not specified
Application Deadline: Opens in September
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, or seniors enrolled in the United States. Applications from “gap year” students will also be considered.
Some entrepreneurship courses begin with business plans. This one begins with problems worth solving. Throughout the program, you'll identify local or global challenges before learning how entrepreneurs develop practical solutions through human-centred design, research, creative thinking, and structured problem-solving. Live sessions include conversations with Stanford scholars, Silicon Valley professionals, and guest speakers, while independent assignments encourage you to refine your ideas between classes. The emphasis stays on understanding people first and building thoughtful solutions from there, rather than rushing straight into launching a company.
14. Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom by The Gabelli School of Business
Location: Select ‘remotely’ when submitting your application
Cost: $1300
Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 15-19, June 22-26, July 20-24, July 27-31
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Any high school student interested in learning more about finance. International students are eligible to apply.
At the Finance Institute, you will build a strong foundation in finance through classroom instruction, discussions, and practical examples led by a former Wall Street global equity trader. You will study personal finance, investing, financial markets, time value of money, stocks, bonds, asset management, risk management, hedge funds, private equity, and cryptocurrency. Guest speakers from leading finance companies and recent Gabelli School of Business alumni will share their experiences and career insights. By the end of the week, you will better understand financial decision-making and the changing world of finance.
15. Essentials of Leadership by Wharton Global Youth Program
Location: Online
Cost: $4,099 + $100 non-refundable application fee
Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: Jun 15 - Jun 26, Jul 6 - Jul 17
Application Deadline: January 28
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9-12 with demonstrated leadership ability. International students are welcome.
Leading a team involves much more than making decisions, and this course explores what effective leadership actually looks like. Through case studies, simulations, lectures, recitations, and classroom discussions, you'll study negotiation, organisational behaviour, conflict management, ethics, communication, and decision-making in business settings. The program finishes with a capstone project focused on solving a realistic leadership challenge, while teaching assistants provide feedback through office hours and discussions. You'll also become part of the Wharton Youth Network, extending conversations with students from around the world beyond the program itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are there free online entrepreneurship camps for high school students?
Yes. Venture Validator by Colorado State University is free, and Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S. is also free while still offering Stanford Continuing Studies credit, though its cohort is limited to 20 students.
2. Which program is focused on building a real business rather than studying case studies?
Young Founders Lab is the one option built specifically around launching an actual revenue-generating startup, pairing you with mentors from Google, Microsoft, and X rather than working through simulated business scenarios.
3. Which camps offer the most intensive, short-format experience?
The Accelerated Business Program runs just two days, while Virtual Business Academies by Harvard Student Agencies and the Finance Institute's Wall Street in the Classroom both run one intensive week, making them good options if you want a taste of entrepreneurship without a long-term commitment.