15 Online Investment & Trading Programs for High School Students
As a high school student, financial literacy is essential for managing your money responsibly, making informed financial decisions, and building a foundation for future investments as you prepare for college and adulthood. For those interested in investing and the stock market, online investment and trading programs can provide a structured way to build that knowledge.
What do online investment & trading programs cover?
These programs break down how the stock market actually works, introduce effective investment strategies, and cover key concepts such as risk assessment, equity analysis, and portfolio diversification. Many programs also teach you how to use tools to manage your stock portfolio and optimize performance with the goal of maximizing your returns.
How are online investment & trading programs helpful for you?
You can gain hands-on experience by managing a simulated portfolio, analyzing company performance, and practicing various trading approaches in a guided environment. These experiences can help you understand how the market works, and you can use that knowledge in scaling up your business.
If you’re also looking for in-person opportunities, you can check out investment & trading summer programs. You might want to further sharpen your skills and practice teamwork by participating in investment competitions.
To help you get started, we have curated a list of the top 15 online investment and trading programs for high school students.
15 Online Investment & Trading Programs for High School Students
1. Wharton Global Youth Program: Financial Decision Making
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $4,099
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 15–26; July 6–17
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 with an interest in economics and finance
Wharton's Financial Decision Making program is aimed at strengthening your ability to navigate everyday financial choices by building your understanding of fundamental financial concepts and principles. During the program, you’ll build an in-depth understanding of topics including stocks, credit, interest rates, financial markets, economic cycles, investment strategies, compound interest, and long-term investing. The curriculum includes practical tools such as Excel, which will help you develop analytical skills, weigh different financial options, analyze trends, and make better investing decisions using data. By working through real-world case studies, you’ll practice applying these concepts to various financial decisions.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost: Varies according to program. There is need-based financial aid
Program Dates: Varies by the cohort
Application Deadline: There are 3 application deadlines that you can choose between; more details in the brochure!
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up bootcamp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating venture that addresses a real-world problem, whether as a for-profit enterprise or a non-profit. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from companies such as Google, Microsoft, and X. You will learn about finance, the basics of investing, and understand the financial aspects of running a business. Apart from building the start-up itself, you will participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideation, as well as workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, and panel discussions. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
3. Notre Dame Pre-College | Finance: Creating and Building Wealth
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,795
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: Dates vary; flexible course start dates with a choice of two‑week or four‑week sessions
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and above
This program offers a structured introduction to financial literacy, investing, and risk management by covering essential financial topics such as investing, budgeting, insurance, and financial planning. You'll develop an understanding of key financial concepts, explore financial instruments, and understand how financial institutions work to help make better financial decisions. You will work on problems such as examining the wealth gap in the U.S., approaching unexpected events, protecting your assets, understanding asset classes, and developing effective strategies for managing debt and saving for your future. The program culminates in a capstone project where you apply your learning to simulated financial scenarios. In these exercises, you make financial decisions related to expenses, investing, earnings, and income, demonstrating your ability to translate financial knowledge into informed action.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; Financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 10%; 70-100 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 8-12 weeks
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for high school students interested in acquiring experience with fast-growing start-ups. The start-ups offering internships span various fields, including finance, tech/deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting. Many of Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies backed by accelerators such as Y Combinator and have raised an average of over $1 million in funding. In addition to project-based work, the program includes one-on-one training in communication and time management, as well as group learning sessions with other interns. Though you won’t be enrolled in an investment course, you will learn investing, trading, and finance skills if you pursue an internship in these fields. Startups in the program are led by founders with experience at organizations such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.
5. Columbia Pre-College | Introduction to Finance and Investment Management
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,995
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
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's Pre-College finance and investment management course introduces high school students to the workings of the global financial system and the role of asset managers, investment banks, central banks, and other institutions. The course dives into topics such as time value of money, risk and reward, stock valuation, interest rates, and compound interest. You'll also explore how the stock market functions, how investors make stock selections, and how portfolios are structured and managed, through case studies and examples. Furthermore, you will work on activities and projects where you will have to prepare your own investment strategies and build an investment portfolio.
6. New York Institute of Finance Young Finance Scholar Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $2,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 10–21
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students; strong interest in finance and business
The New York Institute of Finance's Young Finance Scholar Program is designed for high school students interested in learning about finance and business. During the program, you will explore foundational financial topics such as inflation, monetary policy, market structure, taxation, and income. You will gain insights into investing by examining the history of Wall Street, understanding the difference between equity and debt, and learning how to analyze a company from a financial perspective. You will also study key stock market concepts such as securities and trading strategies, while gaining a broad understanding of how capital markets function. The program culminates in a group capstone project where you assume the role of a fund manager and work on portfolio strategies, manage simulated investments, and present your results to the faculty.
7. Dartmouth Pre-College | Finance: Investing & Market Insight
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,895
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Flexible dates throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies based on start date
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and above
The Investing and Market Insights program focuses on breaking down essential financial topics to help you make better investment choices. During the program, you will explore fundamental financial topics such as financial markets, the basis of risk and return, market structures, key instruments, the role of investment banks, IPO mechanics, and core valuation principles. You'll also develop technical financial skills, including learning how to read financial statements, identifying what drives company success, analyzing cash flows, evaluating debt structures, applying valuation methods, and assessing risk factors. You will gain a real-world understanding of how markets operate in practice, including the role of financial institutions such as banks, investors, and regulators. You'll practice what you've learned through a final capstone project. Furthermore, you'll also have the opportunity to explore various finance roles, such as in investment banking, private equity, and venture capital.
8. Stevens Institute Finance and Investing Boot Camp
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: August 3–7
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with an interest in finance and investing fundamentals
The Stevens School of Business is offering a week-long finance and investing bootcamp that introduces you to fundamental investment principles through applied learning. Over the course of the program, you'll explore topics such as risk assessment, equity analysis, and portfolio diversification. A central feature of the bootcamp is the opportunity to step into the shoes of a professional portfolio manager. Through simulated exercises, you will manage a diversified portfolio of assets, use professional trading platforms to analyze performance, gather data, and learn optimization techniques to maximize returns. You will also work towards earning investing and finance-related certificates, which will help with future career pursuits and further your knowledge in the field.
9. EVERFI Marketplaces: Investing Basics
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Accepting
Dates: Self‑paced (no fixed dates)
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis; self-enrolment
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12) exploring investing basics
The Everfi Investing Basics course introduces high school students to core investment concepts designed to build both knowledge and confidence in navigating the stock market. Real-world scenarios will help you learn about the stock markets, explore investment strategies, and understand how money compounds over time. The program covers topics including stock pricing, financial assets, the investing process, asset allocation, time horizon, and diversification. A key component of the program is an active simulation, in which you apply what you've learned throughout the program to grow a virtual portfolio and practice making financial decisions in a guided environment.
10. Wake Forest Pre-College | Learn How Today’s Financial Markets Work
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,995
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
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 program is aimed at deepening your understanding of how financial markets work and how capital flows through the global economy. The program includes lectures by professionals such as investment bankers, covering core investment topics such as the role of shareholders, how companies attract investors, and the structure of equity markets and stock exchanges. You will also examine venture capital partnerships, the role of decentralized finance, and emerging trends in finance such as ESG Investing, the rise of FinTech, and the growing role of blockchain and cryptocurrency. The program culminates in a capstone project, where you will step into the role of a financial analyst as you analyze a publicly traded company, present your findings, and receive feedback from your mentors.
11. Junior Achievement Take Stock in Your Future
Location: Virtual or after-school, based on location
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: Program dates take place in the academic year
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
The Junior Achievement Stock In The Future program introduces you to the fundamentals of how the stock market works and builds your understanding of core investing concepts. You'll examine the impact of current events on stock market fluctuations while developing a grasp of long-term investing principles of the stock market. You will analyze the stock market activity, gain insights into investing, and learn how to build a long-term investment strategy. You will put your knowledge into practice through activities that simulate investing and trading. In many cases, the experience culminates in a competitive event where you will compete with like-minded peers to test your investing strategy and financial decision-making.
12. Northwestern Pre-College | Think Like an Investor
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,895
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: Flexible 2‑week or 4‑week sessions
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and above
The Think Like an Investor program gives high school students an introduction to the world of finance. You will explore topics such as financial markets, time value of money, market dynamics, consumer behavior, supply and demand, asset classes, and risk management, among others. You will learn how to evaluate market trends, understand real case studies, interpret financial statements, analyze balance sheets, and assess potential investments. Furthermore, you will get to practice what you learn during the program by applying it to a private equity case study, where you will build financial projections and present a formal investment recommendation. The program also gives you access to mentors who will support you through the program and help you explore pathways in finance.
13. USC Pre-College | Finance: From Personal Literacy to Global Markets
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,990 tuition; $35 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple start dates
Application Deadline: Varies by start date
Eligibility: Students who are 14 or older; enrolled in high school
This course provides a broad introduction to finance, covering topics ranging from personal financial literacy to corporate finance and global markets. You will begin by developing an understanding of how to manage your own finances, including investing strategies and long-term financial planning. Through lectures and presentations, you are introduced to concepts such as corporate finance, stocks and bonds, digital currencies, and the structure of financial markets. You will also examine practical topics such as mitigating investment risks, strategies for saving, building healthy financial habits, understanding how stocks operate, and the role of stock exchanges, through a mix of recorded lectures, assigned readings, and structured assignments.
14. Georgetown University Pre-College | Becoming an Investor: An Inside Look at Finance
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $1,895
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
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 program is designed to build your understanding of financial markets, so you can make informed investment decisions. During the program, you'll learn to build an investment portfolio, discover the steps involved in buying a stock, and apply valuation methods to assess potential opportunities. You will examine the characteristics of a strong portfolio, evaluate portfolio risks, and explore principles such as diversification and portfolio constraints. The program culminates in a capstone project, where you analyze a publicly traded company and determine its potential for investors. Apart from investment concepts, you'll gain insights into the workings of the U.S. stock market, the broader process of wealth creation, and the role of innovation in modern finance.
15. Teach Me Wall Street: Wall Street and Investing Classes
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: $497 for one‑week sessions; varies for multi‑week boot camps
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: Live virtual sessions throughout the year and summer
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12; interested in finance and investing
Teach Me Wall Street offers a range of workshops and classes designed to introduce high school students to the basics of Wall Street and investing. You will understand how the stock market works and how to make investing decisions through real case studies and projects. The programs cover the basics of investing, including researching investments, managing custodial and Roth IRA accounts, tokenization, and digital payments. You’ll also gain insights into various careers within the finance industry and guidance on choosing a college major aligned with your interests and long-term goals in business and finance.
Image Source - Ladder Internships logo