15 Venture Capital Programs for High School Students
If you’re interested in startups, investing, or building your own company, exploring venture capital programs for high school students can be a smart first step.
What do venture capital programs involve?
VC programs give you early exposure to how investors evaluate businesses, fund ideas, and scale innovation. Many venture capital programs for high school students also connect you with founders, investors, and mentors who can shape your understanding of the industry.
Why participate in venture capital programs as a high schooler?
You’ll often learn skills like market research, financial modeling, pitching, and due diligence, tools that are valuable whether you pursue venture capital or launch your own startup. These experiences can also strengthen your college applications by showing initiative, real-world engagement, and intellectual curiosity. On top of that, you gain access to networks and mentorship opportunities that are hard to find elsewhere at your age.
For adjacent opportunities, consider venture capital internships for high schoolers.
In this blog, we’ve put together 15 venture capital programs for high school students.
15 Venture Capital Programs for High School Students
1. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies – Capital Markets and Investments
Location: Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes, Redwood City, CA
Cost: $3,200
Dates: Session One: June 15 – 26 | Session Two: July 6 – 17
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 16 students
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Grades 9 – 11 at the time of application
This course covers the basics of capital markets and how investment choices are assessed. You will learn essential financial ideas such as stocks, bonds, and how companies fund themselves through Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). The course also includes important valuation methods like Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratios, Net Present Value(NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), and Discounted Cash Flow (DCF). Using a combination of lectures, discussions, and group activities, you'll apply these principles to real-world situations.
2. Young Founders Lab
Location: 100% virtual, with live interactive workshops
Cost: Varies by program type (need-based financial aid available)
Dates: 4-week program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
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. You will learn about finance, the basics of investing, and understand the financial aspects of running a business. You can check out the brochure here and access the application here.
3. Next Generation Investors – Junior Venture Capitalist Program
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $800 (in-person) / $100 (online)
Dates: 4-month program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: May 31
Eligibility: High school girls in grades 9 - 12
This program introduces you to venture capital through a structured, hands-on experience focused on evaluating early-stage businesses. You learn how investors assess companies by analyzing business fundamentals, key performance indicators, and growth potential. Throughout the program, you interact with entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors to understand how companies are built and funded. A central component involves reviewing real startup pitches from Fast Pitch finalists and deciding which businesses are investment-worthy.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote — work from anywhere in the world
Cost: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November)
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 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. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Though you won’t be enrolled in a venture capital program, you will learn investing, trading, and finance skills if you pursue an internship in these fields. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
5. Y Combinator – Startup School
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Rolling (open year-round)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Eligibility: Open to all; suitable for high school students interested in startups and entrepreneurship
This program introduces you to the process of building a startup through a structured, self-paced online curriculum. You learn core concepts such as developing a minimum viable product (MVP), acquiring users, raising funding, and leading teams. The course includes lessons from experienced founders and industry leaders, along with practical guidance based on startup case studies. You can track your weekly progress and stay accountable as you work on your own idea or explore potential business concepts.
6. University of Michigan Ross – Summer Business Academy
Location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Cost: $5,500 program fee; $75 application fee
Dates: Session One: June 7 – 17 | Session Two: June 21 – July 1
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 12th-grade students; minimum GPA of 3.0; preference for U.S. citizens or permanent residents
This program provides an introduction to business through a two-week, college-style academic experience. You examine company operations, decision-making by leaders, and the factors behind high-performing organizations. The curriculum features classes, workshops, and group projects led by faculty from various business disciplines. You also engage in activities like guest lectures, field experiences, and collaborative assignments with peers.
7. Venture & Tech Summer Program (VTSP)
Location: Cambridge, MA
Cost: $4,750 (financial aid available; $35 application fee)
Dates: Session I: June 8 – July 17 | Session II: July 6 – August 14
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: April 30
Eligibility: High school students
This program merges startup internships with organized learning in entrepreneurship and technology. Participants are paired with venture-backed startups to work on actual projects, collaborating with founders and teams to address business or product issues. In addition to the internship, participants join workshops and seminars conducted by founders, investors, and industry experts, focusing on topics like innovation, strategy, and operations. The program also offers regular mentorship sessions, providing guidance on personal interests, career paths, and project development.
8. New York Institute of Finance – Young Finance Scholar (YFS) Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,990
Dates: July 20 – 31
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18
The Young Finance Scholar Program gives high school students a structured introduction to finance, economics, and financial analysis. As a participant, you’ll examine how markets function by studying supply and demand, inflation, interest rates, and government economic policy. The program also builds foundational skills in company analysis, including interpreting financial statements, assets, liabilities, revenue, and cash flow. Students are further exposed to the structure of Wall Street, with topics such as investment banking, IPOs, and major financial institutions.
9. Babson College – Bank on It: A Financial Literacy Experience
Location: Babson College, Miami, FL
Cost: $999
Dates: June 8 – 9
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising sophomores through rising seniors, at least 15 years old
Bank on It is a short, in-person program designed to strengthen students’ financial literacy and decision-making skills. Over the course of two intensive days, participants explore money management, budgeting, investing, and risk-taking through workshops, discussions, and case studies. The experience also connects financial decision-making to entrepreneurship, resource planning, and long-term goals. Sessions are led by instructors and business professionals who bring practical insight into finance and entrepreneurship.
10. Columbia University – Introduction to Venture Capital: Intersection Between Entrepreneurship and Finance
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $12,838 per session
Dates: July 21 – August 7
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: High school students at least 15 years old
This course examines how venture capital functions within the startup ecosystem, focusing on both investor and founder perspectives. You learn how venture capitalists evaluate companies, structure investments, and support portfolio businesses after funding. The curriculum also explores how entrepreneurs raise capital and negotiate with investors. Through case studies and simulations, participants assume the roles of founders and investors and analyze business models, investment criteria, fund economics, and real-world startup scenarios.
11. Howard University – High School Summer Enrichment: Pre-Business Program - Finance Program
Location: Howard University, Washington, DC
Cost: $2,000
Dates: Session One: July 18 – 24 | Session Two: July 25 – 31
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Max 50
Application Deadline: Early Decision: March 16 | Regular Decision: April 3
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors with a strong academic interest in business
The AltFinance Pre-College Program is a selective, one-week summer experience designed specifically for rising high school seniors interested in investing and exploring potential careers in finance. You’ll explore how investors evaluate companies, markets, and financial opportunities through case discussions, real-world examples, and conversations with industry professionals. The program emphasizes analytical thinking, curiosity, and confidence while helping students prepare for college-level business coursework and future opportunities in finance.
12. STEM to VC – High School Venture Capital Program / Chapter Network
Location: San Francisco, CA
Cost: Free
Dates: Ongoing (year-round; ~1 hour/week commitment)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12)
STEM to VC uses a student-led chapter model to help high school students explore venture capital, entrepreneurship, and startup evaluation. Members meet weekly to analyze startups, discuss market opportunities, and apply basic investment frameworks. Activities may include scoring real companies, creating pitch decks, and participating in mock investment decisions. You also attend sessions with guest speakers, including investors and entrepreneurs, to understand how funding and innovation work in practice.
13. VC University – Venture Finance Certificate Program
Location: VC University, Berkeley, CA Cost: $1,850 ($1,500 early-bird)
Dates: June 1 – October 30
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all; suitable for advanced high school students interested in venture capital and finance
The Venture Finance Certificate Program offers a more advanced look at how startups are funded and how venture capital firms operate. Students study fund structures, startup formation, deal terms, valuation, and the economics behind venture investments. The program combines lectures, case studies, exercises, and deal-modeling modules to build practical understanding. Participants also have access to live webinars, office hours, and discussions with industry professionals.
14. EverFi – Venture: Entrepreneurial Expedition
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Dates: Self-paced (modular lessons; flexible completion time)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling (available year-round)
Eligibility: Middle to high school students (grades 7–10)
EverFi’s Venture: Entrepreneurial Expedition is a free, self-paced online course that introduces younger students to entrepreneurship and financial decision-making. Through short interactive lessons, students develop a business idea, create a basic plan, and explore concepts such as budgeting, market research, teamwork, and career planning. Simulations and scenario-based activities illustrate how businesses operate in everyday situations and connect entrepreneurial choices to personal financial habits.
15. Università Bocconi (Coursera) – Private Equity and Venture Capital
Location: Online
Cost: Free to audit (paid certificate option available)
Dates: Self-paced (~9 hours total; flexible schedule)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Rolling (available year-round)
Eligibility: Beginner-level course open to all
This course introduces you to private equity and venture capital, focusing on how companies are funded and grow across different stages. You learn how investors evaluate businesses, structure deals, and support companies from early-stage startups to mature firms. Topics include company valuation, fund management, deal structuring, and the legal and financial dimensions of investment. Lectures, examples, and assignments help reinforce core concepts in investment analysis and deal-making.