15 Online Finance Courses for High School Students
Finance is a pathway that combines both conceptual knowledge and analytical skills, where financial professionals make decisions on investment strategies, company valuations, and risk assessments.
What do online finance courses involve?
Many of the courses on this list combine theory with hands-on learning, so you gain a comprehensive understanding of why things are done the way they are. Some learnings include investment decisions, learning to read financial statements, and analyzing market trends, often through capstone projects where you apply what you've learned.
Why pursue an online finance course in high school?
These courses being online makes them accessible, with many offering capstone projects where you get to practice what you've learned and add something to your resume and college applications. They cover topics such as personal finance, corporate finance, investment theories, entrepreneurship, fintech, private equity, and capital investment.
To help you get started, we've compiled a list of 15 online finance courses for high school students. For related opportunities, check out our guides on finance workshops for high school students and investment and trading programs 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 rather than complete coursework.
Costs range from $1,000 to $4,099, with most courses (Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Rice, Northwestern, Dartmouth) clustering around $1,595 to $1,895.
3 courses focused specifically on fintech, blockchain, or cryptocurrency: Wake Forest's Financial Markets course, Rice's Entrepreneurship in Fintech course, and Georgetown's Becoming an Investor course.
1 program requiring the most hands-on portfolio management: Stevens Institute's Finance and Investing Boot Camp, where you actively manage and optimize a simulated portfolio over a week.
Most courses culminate in a capstone project, such as analyzing a publicly traded company or presenting an investment recommendation.
15 Online Finance Courses for High School Students
1. Wharton Global Youth Program: Financial Decision Making
Cost/Stipend: $4,099
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 15–26; July 6–17
Application Deadline: Applications are processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 with an interest in economics and finance
Financial Decision Making is a two-week course designed for high school students to learn financial literacy and build a strong foundation for making the right financial decisions. During the course, you will dive into fundamental economics and financial principles, engage with data sets and practical examples to build your analytical skills and decision-making abilities. Some topics you learn about include budgeting, credit, interest rates, mutual funds, investment choices, market function, the role of financial institutions, understanding inflation, compound interest, and long-term investing.
2. Young Founders Lab
Cost: $2,900 (need-based financial aid available)
Location: 100% virtual, with live interactive workshops
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Program Dates: 4-week program starting June 5th, tentatively
Application Deadline: Early Decision: March | Regular Admission 1: April | Regular Admission 2: May
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. New York Institute of Finance Young Finance Scholar Program
Cost/Stipend: $2,000
Dates: July 10–21
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students; strong interest in finance and business
The Young Finance Scholar Program is offered to high school students interested in building a foundational understanding of finance and business. During the program, you will apply theoretical knowledge to hands-on projects and learn the different skills required in economics- and finance-aligned pathways. The broad topics covered during the course include entrepreneurship, financial management, capital markets, financial services, and pathway exploration. Each topic delves into the subject through real-world case studies and examples, followed by a project at the end that allows you to practice what you've learned.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote — work from anywhere in the world
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 YCombinator alums and former employees of Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. 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. Wake Forest Pre-College | Learn How Today’s Financial Markets Work
Cost/Stipend: $1,595
Dates: Multiple online session start dates throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies based on start date
Eligibility: Students who are 13 or older; high school students interested in finance fundamentals
The Wake Forest Financial Markets course takes high school students through how financial markets work and pathway exploration in finance. The course takes you in-depth through the functioning of financial institutions, where you will study topics like calculating the value of investments, advantages of capital-raising options, the role of venture capital, ECG within companies, and how fintech companies are disrupting traditional finance. You will learn through the experience of financial professionals, including investment bankers, private equity executives, traders, and portfolio managers. The capstone project will put you in the shoes of a financial analyst and require you to write a report on a publicly traded company.
6. Stevens Institute Finance and Investing Boot Camp
Cost/Stipend: $1,000
Dates: August 3–7
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with an interest in finance and investing fundamentals
This one-week intensive bootcamp gives high school students hands-on experience in finance and investment by simulating projects and tools used by financial professionals. During the week, you will gain a foundational understanding of investing and step into the role of a portfolio manager to gain hands-on experience. You will manage this portfolio of assets during the week, gather data, analyse performance, and apply optimization techniques to maximize returns. You'll also get a chance to earn different S&P certifications, receive mentorship support, and build skill sets valued in financial pathways.
7. Notre Dame Pre-College | Finance: Creating and Building Wealth
Cost/Stipend: $1,795
Dates: Dates vary; flexible course start dates with a choice of two‑week or four‑week sessions
Application Deadline: Applications are processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and above
The Creating and Building Wealth Course takes high school students through complex topics within financial literacy along with familiarizing them with tools and techniques needed to protect their finances. The course gives you a practical guide on building financial security by first mastering foundational concepts, setting clear financial goals, and creating a budget that aligns with those goals. You will also learn how to analyze spending patterns, learn effective strategies for managing debt, understand different financial instruments, and learn how a lot of these techniques can also apply to a business's strategic objectives.
8. USC Pre-College | Finance: From Personal Literacy to Global Markets
Cost/Stipend: $1,990 tuition; $35 application fee
Dates: Multiple start dates
Application Deadline: Varies by start date
Eligibility: Students who are 14 or older; enrolled in high school
The USC Pre-College Finance Course takes you through all areas of finance, right from personal financial literacy to finance within corporate and global markets. You will start by learning how to build healthy financial habits along with strategies to save and make sound investment choices. Topics covered include interest rates, risk and returns, digital currencies, stocks, and bonds. Moving to the corporate side of finance, you will understand how stocks operate, the importance of stock exchanges in the global economy, and understanding emerging trends in FinTech, including cryptocurrency and blockchain.
9. Georgetown University Pre-College | Becoming an Investor: An Inside Look at Finance
Cost/Stipend: $1,895
Dates: Flexible dates throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies based on start date
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and above; high school students interested in finance and investing
The Becoming An Investor course gives high school students an insider look into financial markets and covers newer technology such as fintech and cryptocurrency. The course equips you with all the foundational financial knowledge needed for investing, such as different valuation models used to determine a company's value, how the stock of a company is determined, and the mechanics of the financial market. You will also understand different approaches to buying stocks and use them to create your own investment portfolio.
10. Rice University Pre-College | Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Impact in Fintech
Cost/Stipend: $1,795; need-based scholarships available
Dates: Multi-length sessions available throughout the year; 1-week intensive, 2-week, and 4-week sessions offered depending on time of year; approximately 20–30 total hours of instruction and coursework per session
Application Deadline: Rolling; decisions issued within approximately 1 week of applying
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up; international students welcome
This Rice University pre-college course takes high school students through emerging technologies within fintech, such as cryptocurrencies and blockchain, and newer innovations in investing, payment processing, and financial services. The course covers the mechanisms of these technologies along with real-world case studies and the impact that they are having on the financial industry. You will also study the implications of this technology, understand the areas of disruption, and explore various pathways in these emerging areas, including blockchain developer, compliance expert, cybersecurity analyst, and blockchain developer.
11. Bentley University Pre-College | Wall Street 101 Program
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Dates: Five-course options available; exact session dates vary by course
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students; students interested in finance, investing, macroeconomics, fintech, or global finance
Bentley University's Wall Street 101 program is offered to high school juniors and seniors interested in learning comprehensively about finance. There are five different courses you can choose from focused on finance, the stock market, investment research, fintech startups, and global finance and trade. The courses will help you gain hands-on experience through projects and assignments in learning to practice financial concepts such as valuing stocks and bonds, making investment recommendations, working on entrepreneurial strategies, and participating in macroeconomic simulations. You'll also learn about the role of FinTech and artificial intelligence, and how human psychology shapes our investment decisions.
12. NorthWestern Pre-College | Finance: Think like an investor
Cost/Stipend: $1,895; need-based scholarships available
Dates: Multi-length sessions available throughout the year; 2-week and 4-week sessions offered (1-week intensive available depending on time of year); approximately 20–30 total hours of instruction and coursework per session
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students ages 13–19; international students welcome
The Think Like an Investor course gives you a comprehensive overview of the finance industry, from conceptual theories to understanding how financial institutions function. The course starts with understanding the roles of financial markets and institutions, and moves on to conceptual concepts like time value of money, risk, return, and market dynamics. The course also covers the intricacies of private equity, various investment strategies, and understanding financial statements to understand a company's financial health. The Capstone project requires you to analyze an investment opportunity by analyzing the company, building financial protections, and presenting a strategic recommendation.
13. Dartmouth Pre-College- Finance: Investing and Market Insights
Cost/Stipend: $1,895; need-based scholarships available
Dates: Multi-length sessions available throughout the year; options include 1-week intensive, 2-week, or 4-week sessions, depending on time of year; approximately 20–30 total hours of instruction and activities per session
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 13 and 19; international students welcome
This course provides a comprehensive overview of investing, where high school students will learn how financial markets function, how to evaluate companies, and make better investment choices. The course starts with teaching you conceptual financial concepts, such as valuation techniques, market analysis, and understanding the rules of financial institutions, such as investment banking, IPO mechanics, valuation concepts of bonds and stocks, and how to estimate a company's value. During the capstone project, you will step into the role of a private equity analyst where you evaluate and analyze an investment and present your recommendation report.
14. Columbia Pre-College | Finance and Investment Courses
Cost/Stipend: Varies based on course
Dates: Flexible online summer session (exact dates vary)
Application Deadline: Varies based on session
Eligibility: High school students ages 14 and above; interest in finance and investment management
Columbia University Pre-College Program offers a variety of finance, investment, entrepreneurship, and economics-based courses for high school students to strengthen their knowledge in these areas while earning college credit. The courses provide a comprehensive overview of the finance area you are interested in, ranging from hedge fund investing to emerging technology such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies, and an overview of topics like game theory and how the financial markets function. The courses help you practice what you've learned through team projects where you can work on different tasks related to the course topic, such as an investor pitch and investment analysis.
15. Wharton Global Youth Program: Essentials of Finance
Cost/Stipend: $4,099
Dates: Multi-length sessions available throughout the year
Application Deadline: March 18
Eligibility: High school students, grades 9–11; international students eligible; students interested in finance, investing, and accounting
The Essentials of Finance is an exploratory program that helps high school students cover the fundamentals of finance and alternative options in the finance industry, such as corporate valuation, venture capital, and alternative investments. The course takes you through the fundamentals of both personal and corporate finance, where you will explore concepts such as interest rates, compounding, time value of money, and learn how to make sound financial decisions. On the corporate side, you will learn how to analyse financial statements, evaluate publicly traded companies, and present how to back your recommendations with strong analysis tools.
Questions Students Often Ask About These Programs
1. What's the price range for online finance courses for high school students?
Costs range from $1,000 for Stevens Institute's one-week bootcamp to $4,099 for Wharton's Financial Decision Making and Essentials of Finance courses, with most other pre-college courses falling between $1,595 and $1,895.
2. Are there courses focused on fintech and emerging financial technology?
Yes. Wake Forest's Financial Markets course, Rice University's Entrepreneurship in Fintech course, and Georgetown's Becoming an Investor course all cover topics like blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital payments alongside traditional finance concepts.
3. Is there an option to build a business instead of just studying finance theory?
Young Founders Lab lets you apply financial thinking to a real venture, guiding you through go-to-market strategy and growth as you build an actual revenue-generating startup, led by Harvard entrepreneurs with need-based financial aid available.