15 Tech Entrepreneurship Programs for High School Students
If you’re curious about how startups turn ideas into real businesses, and whether entrepreneurship is the right fit for you, tech entrepreneurship programs for high school students could be helpful.
What are tech entrepreneurship programs?
Tech entrepreneurship programs give you early exposure to innovation, business thinking, and advanced problem-solving. You'll explore how startups are built from the ground up by learning skills such as idea generation, market research, product development, coding basics, financial modeling, and pitching ideas to investors. These experiences help you see how classroom concepts in economics or business apply to real market challenges.
How are tech entrepreneurship programs for high school students helpful?
Beyond technical knowledge, tech entrepreneurship programs are a chance to discover your own interests, strengths, and long-term goals before entering college. You'll also develop practical skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership ; skills that matter whether you launch a startup or pursue another career. Taking part in these programs also strengthens college applications by demonstrating initiative, creativity, and commitment to learning beyond the classroom.
For a broader focus, you can check out entrepreneurship summer programs for high schoolers. If you’re looking for startup ideas in tech, you can go here.
15 Tech Entrepreneurship Programs for High School Students
1. Babson Summer Study — Finance & Entrepreneurship Track
Location: Fully Online or In-Person at New England Innovation Academy (NEIA), Massachusettsà
Cost: $6,295 (Online), $9,295 (In-Person Day), $12,995 (In-Person Residential) + $95 application fee; full and partial need-based scholarships are available
Application deadline: March 14
Dates: July 8 – 28
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors scheduled to graduate in the next two years. At least 16 years old by program start
Babson Summer Study is a three-week program for rising high school juniors and seniors who want to experience entrepreneurship in action. You'll learn through Babson’s Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® approach, which emphasizes learning by doing and applying ideas to practical situations. The coursework covers areas such as problem-solving, leadership, marketing, and finance, with projects connected to global issues outlined in the United Nations Global Goals. You work closely with Babson faculty, student mentors, and classmates on team-based assignments that mirror how entrepreneur teams operate in practice. The experience places an emphasis on project-based learning, helping you build confidence in communication, teamwork, and cross-cultural collaboration. By the end of the program, you'll earn college credits and gain a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurial thinking can address complex business issues.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available
Application deadline: Varies according to cohort. You can access the application link here!
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
The Young Founder’s Lab is a start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs that challenges you to turn your idea into a viable business. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up, while being 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 business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, and panel discussions. The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore both theoretical concepts and practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
3. Technology Entrepreneur Academy (TEA) Summer Camp — Stony Brook University
Location: College of Business, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: Unspecified
Application Deadline: April 1 (early bird); May 15 (regular) (tentatively)
Dates: July 14 – 19
Eligibility: High school students (9th to 12th grade)
This week-long residential camp helps you explore how emerging technologies intersect with business and entrepreneurship. The program focuses on technology-driven entrepreneurial ventures and teaches how innovative ideas can be transformed into viable businesses. You will learn to assess customer needs, perform feasibility analyses, explore financing strategies, and craft persuasive business pitches. The academic sessions cover entrepreneurial opportunity generation, customer discovery, and exposure to technologies such as AI, blockchain, genomics, and robotics. You will work collaboratively through lectures and experiential activities designed to simulate the startup process. The camp concludes with hands-on projects and presentations showcasing your business ideas. Upon completion of the program, you'll gain heightened confidence and insights into how data, innovation, and entrepreneurship interact in the modern economy.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost: Full financial aid available
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
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 who want real-world experience with fast-growing companies. In this program, you'll be matched with a high-growth start-up in fields ranging from tech/deep tech, and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies that have, on average, raised over a million dollars. Past founders have included YCombinator alums, entrepreneurs who have raised over 30 million dollars, and founders who have previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. By participating in tech or AI/ML internships, you’ll develop technical, business communication, and analytical thinking skills. Alongside project responsibilities, you'll receive one-on-one training in communication, time management, and other valuable skills, and also have the opportunity to attend group training sessions with other interns in your cohort. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
5. Quantitative Finance 6-Week Virtual Summer Research Experience — Stevens Institute of Technology
Location: Online (Stevens School of Business, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ)
Cost: $2,000
Application Deadline: March 1 (tentatively)
Dates: June 30 – August 11 (tentatively)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; coding experience preferred, familiarity with MS Excel required
This six-week virtual program focuses on quantitative finance, financial analysis, and data-driven decision-making. You'll engage in interactive lectures, practical exercises, and real-world case studies to understand quantitative finance concepts.
The curriculum includes opportunities to earn Bloomberg Market Concepts and Capital IQ certifications through guided tutorials and sessions. You develop coding skills in Python and R for quantitative analysis, building on prior familiarity with programming. The program equips you with industry-valued skills for finance and analytics careers.
6. Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Science of Smart Cities (ieSoSC)
Location: New York University (NYU), New York
Cost: Free
Application deadline: April 14
Dates: July 1 – August 2
Eligibility: High school students
The Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Science of Smart Cities (ieSoSC) program at NYU Tandon School of Engineering is a five-week summer course that examines entrepreneurship through technology-driven urban challenges. You work in teams to study design thinking and venture development, with a focus on how technology can change city systems such as transportation, energy, and infrastructure. A defining feature of the program is its emphasis on working with real-world constraints. Each team manages a fixed budget while planning, testing, and refining a proposed solution, mirroring how startups operate in practice. The program emphasizes practical use of engineering and business concepts, including project management and technical communication. At the end of the course, you present your work in a formal showcase and walk away with confidence gained by collaborating at the intersection of STEM, technology, and entrepreneurship.
7. Management & Technology Summer Institute (M&TSI) — University of Pennsylvania
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $9,000 (includes 1 college credit, housing, meals, activities; excludes $100 application fee, travel, personal expenses)
Application Deadline: Priority: January 28; Final: March 25
Dates: July 5–25
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with academic achievement and extracurricular leadership
This three-week on-campus program introduces high school students to the integration of technology and management through coursework. You attend classes taught by Wharton and Penn Engineering faculty, participate in guest lectures from industry leaders, and undertake simulations such as those from Google. The core activity involves team-based prototyping of a high-tech venture, including building a prototype and developing a go-to-market plan. You'll pitch projects to Penn faculty, entrepreneurs, and investors, gaining actionable feedback. Field trips to innovation companies provide real-world insights into how ideas move from concept to impact. Around 75 participants are selected for the program, and successful completion earns 1 college credit unit from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
8. UC San Diego’s BRIDGE (Business Research for Innovation, Design, Growth, and Entrepreneurship)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $3,115
Application deadline: June 26
Dates: July 6 – 23
Eligibility: Open to current high school students entering grades 9–12
BRIDGE is an online course that introduces you to entrepreneurship and venture development with a strong focus on technology-enabled businesses. You'll learn how companies are created and run through case analysis, interactive simulations, and sessions led by instructors. The coursework addresses topics such as user research, digital growth strategies, funding models, and leadership in evolving markets. As part of the program, you'll develop a business proposal that balances both technical and operational factors. All work is completed remotely, reflecting how many modern teams collaborate using digital tools. Upon completion of the program, you earn three pre-college academic credits and gain experience in structured business planning and analysis.
9. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Academy — New York Institute of Technology
Location: New York Institute of Technology, Long Island and New York City campuses, NY
Cost: Varies by event/program; $5M venture fund supports startups
Application Deadline: Unspecified (rolling for events like hackathons/boot camps)
Dates: Ongoing summer programming (2026 dates TBA)
Eligibility: High school and college students (open to changemakers developing tech ventures)
This academy provides access to facilities, mentorship, and events for developing technology-driven entrepreneurial ideas. You use resources such as the Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) with labs for IT, cybersecurity, bioengineering, and green technologies. Additional spaces include the Technology Incubator for industry collaborations, Fabrication Labs for prototyping with 3D printers and CNC routers, and The HIVE for VR/AR/game design. Programming features hackathons, boot camps, pitch competitions, and startup weekends, giving you opportunities to apply what you learn through experiential practice. The NESTS course walks you through 11 steps to launching a tech startup, covering areas such as product development and building sales channels. Student-led ventures are supported by a $5M venture fund, while Startup Tech Central on the Long Island campus acts as a hub for maker spaces and training.
10. Digital Marketing & Social Media Academy — UCLA Anderson Summer Discovery
Location: UCLA Anderson School of Management, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Residential: $9,748; Commuter: $4,998 (3-week sessions)
Application Deadline: Unspecified (check Summer Discovery for 2026 cycle)
Dates: 3 Weeks Session 1: June 29 — July 18; 3 Weeks Session 2: July 21 — August 8
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12)
This three-week program teaches high school students digital marketing strategies for platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, mobile apps, search engines, and email. You develop frameworks for campaign execution, brand enhancement, and consumer behavior motivation through readings, case studies, industry speakers, and hands-on projects. Lecture topics cover user experience design, social media networks, SEO, mobile marketing, geo-targeting, web analytics, and measurement tools. The curriculum addresses shifts from traditional to online advertising and prepares you to track and optimize performance. You receive a Certificate of Completion from UCLA at the end of the program.
11. The Academies by Harvard Student Agencies: Entrepreneurship Academy
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Application deadline: Varies according to session
Dates: June 1 – 5; July 20 – 24
Eligibility: High school students
The Entrepreneurship Academy at Harvard Student Agencies introduces you to the steps involved in launching a startup. You study core startup topics such as market research, user discovery, business modeling, and early financial planning, with a focus on digital products and services. Case analyses are used to show how these concepts play out and apply in real situations. As the program progresses, you'll shape and refine your own venture idea, thinking carefully about both its technical and business components. You also learn how to structure a clear pitch that explains the problem you are solving and why your solution works. The program concludes with a presentation of your project to a review panel, followed by feedback on your approach and assumptions.
12. Rice University Precollege | Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Impact in Fintech
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,795
Application deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Dates: Course available throughout the year; check program page for info
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up
Rice University’s entrepreneurship program explores the intersection of startups, financial markets, and fintech. You'll examine how technologies such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and digital payment systems are transforming investing and financial services, and creating new business opportunities. The program uses case studies of real companies, including PayPal, Lending Club, and Square, helping you understand their business models, technology infrastructure, and market strategies. Through this analysis, you learn how fintech innovations shape the operations and growth of modern financial ventures. The curriculum focuses on the role of technology in creating new opportunities and solving challenges in the financial sector.
13. Tar Heel Business Academy — UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Location: Charlotte, NC (Bank of America Tower at Legacy Union) or Chapel Hill, NC (UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School)
Cost: $2,995 (includes course fees, lunch/snacks)
Application Deadline: February 15 (priority; decisions by March 4)
Dates: Business Essentials: June 15–19, June 22–26 (Charlotte), July 13–17 (Chapel Hill); Next Gen Entrepreneurship: June 15–19, June 22–26 (Charlotte)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors
This week-long program introduces high school students to business concepts through real-world applications, case studies, and group projects for actual companies. You can build a strong foundation in strategy, finance, marketing, operations, and leadership through Business Essentials, or focus on identifying entrepreneurial opportunities, designing ventures, and crafting investor pitches in Next Gen Entrepreneurship with AI. Your daily activities will include discussions, team-building, coaching, and attending lectures by guest speakers from firms such as Coca-Cola and McKinsey. The week ends with team presentations to clients or investors, followed by feedback and prizes. You'll receive a Recognition of Achievement on successful completion of the program.
14. McIntire Business Institute Program — University of Virginia
Location: Fairfax, VA
Cost: $3,700 – $4,000
Application deadline: No information available. Check the program website for details
Dates: June 22 – July 2; July 13 – 24
Eligibility: Open to rising 10th-12th graders
The University of Virginia's McIntire Business Institute offers a two-week program where you explore core business areas such as strategy, marketing, finance, and accounting, with a focus on technology-driven applications. The program blends classroom learning with practical projects that use data analysis, problem-solving, and digital tools. Learning extends beyond the classroom through field visits to local companies, complemented by case studies and group assignments that strengthen your strategic thinking. Collaboration is central to the program, giving you experience working in teams, presenting ideas, and receiving constructive feedback. Throughout the course, you'll explore how technology supports decision-making, operations, and innovation in modern businesses. You also gain experience in developing and communicating solutions to real-world business challenges.
15. Snider Enterprise and Leadership Fellows (SELF) Experience
Location: University of Maryland (in-person or remote)
Cost: $1,365
Application deadline: June 1
Dates: July 13 – 31
Eligibility: Open to rising students in grade 10 to graduating from grade 12
The SELF program at the University of Maryland combines entrepreneurship with personal leadership development. Over three weeks, you take a college-level course called Enterprising Leader through the Terp Young Scholars program, earning academic credits. You’ll explore topics such as strategy, marketing, economics, and personal finance, with a focus on technology-driven solutions to real-world problems. You work in teams to develop a venture pitch that addresses real-world challenges, under the guidance of UMD faculty and industry mentors. By the end of the program, you'll gain a clear understanding of how entrepreneurial thinking supports both business ventures and personal growth.
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