Business Programs for High School Students
Browse 47 verified business, finance, and entrepreneurship opportunities for high schoolers — competitions, programs, and internships with real deadlines.
Business opportunities for high schoolers are mostly hands-on: case competitions, investment challenges, pitch contests, and chapter-run programs where you actually run something rather than study it.
That makes them unusually friendly to students with no business background — several of the competitions here are open to anyone who registers, and the free ones cost nothing but the time you put in.
Conrad Challenge
Multi-stage innovation competition for teams of 2-5, judged on a lean canvas, innovation brief, video, and team site. The activation stage closes in October and the innovation stage in January; advancing teams pay a $499 team fee.
LaunchX Summer Entrepreneurship Program
Selective summer program where teams launch a real startup, offered in person and online. Priority applications land in mid-November with a final round in early March; need-based awards are available.
Tar Heel Business Academy
One-week business courses taught by Kenan-Flagler professors in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, including Business Essentials, Business of Sports, and Entrepreneurship. The fee is $2,995 and a need-based scholarship can be requested. Apply by the November 16 priority deadline.
World Series of Innovation
Free online challenge series where students submit solutions tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, solo or in small teams, for cash prizes up to $1,500.
Yale Young Global Scholars
Two-week residential academic session on Yale's campus, with students from over 150 countries and all 50 states choosing one interdisciplinary track. Need-based financial aid is offered.
High School Entrepreneurship and AI Video Pitch Competition
Pitch a business idea in a short video. Entries are individual, the registration fee is $25, and prizes are $500, $250, and $100. Register by January 8, 2027 and submit the video by January 15.
Diamond Challenge
Global venture pitch competition with business and social innovation tracks and a $100K prize pool. Teams of 2-4 students need one adult advisor; finalists compete at the Limitless World Summit.
Essentials of Finance
Two-week online introduction to corporate valuation, venture capital, and alternative investments, taught by Wharton faculty.
Financial Decision Making
Two-week online certificate covering the fundamentals of saving, borrowing, and investing through daily live lectures and recitations.
Global Stock Pitch Competition
Students pick a public company and build their best stock idea, alone or in teams of two, then pitch it. The fee is $30 per person, registration opens December 15, 2026, and finalists attend the Global Youth Investment Summit.
Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition
Complete a free online mini-course and submit a video pitch under five minutes for an original product idea, judged by entrepreneurs for cash prizes. Fully virtual, free, and no school sponsorship needed.
Technovation Girls
Girls and gender-expansive students build a mobile app or AI project addressing a community problem with a volunteer mentor, then submit code, a demo, and a business pitch. Free, and you can register without a school program.
INSIGHT
All-expenses-paid, multi-day program at Jane Street's New York office introducing women, transgender, and gender-expansive juniors and seniors to quantitative trading and software engineering. No finance background required.
High School Terminal
Free, virtual, round-robin team coding competition where students build algorithms for finance and data-driven problems, with cash prizes and Citadel recruiting exposure.
Global High School Investment Competition
Free ten-week competition where teams of 4-6 build an investment strategy for a real client case and manage a virtual portfolio. A teacher at your school must register the team.
Ayn Rand Essay Contests
Open essay competitions on literature, ethics, politics, and individual rights, with prompts and awards listed by contest cycle.
Babson Summer Study
Three-week program for rising juniors and seniors on building an entrepreneurial mindset, offered online or in person in 2027. There is a $100 application fee, waived for students applying for need-based aid.
Business Professionals of America Events
Workplace-skills competitive events in finance, management, information technology, and digital communication, run through a school's BPA chapter from regional to national leadership conferences.
Civics Unplugged
Civic leadership community and fellowship opportunities for young people developing projects that strengthen democracy and public participation.
Coca-Cola Scholars Program
Achievement-based scholarship for high school seniors recognizing leadership and service, awarding 150 scholarships each year. Applications are free and open in the fall.
DECA Competitive Events
Join your school's DECA chapter to compete in marketing, finance, and management case-study events, advancing from regionals to states to nationals.
Dell Scholars Program
Scholarship and support program for seniors who have overcome significant obstacles, combining funding with a college-readiness curriculum and a personal coach. No application fee.
Economics for Leaders
Residential and online program using economics to explore public decisions, leadership, tradeoffs, and policy choices.
FBLA Competitive Events
Compete in banking, accounting, and financial-systems events through your school's FBLA chapter, from local conference up to nationals.
Fed Challenge
School-team competition where students analyze economic conditions and present a monetary-policy recommendation to Federal Reserve judges.
Global Youth Institute
Students research a global food-security challenge and write a paper, then present at a multi-day institute alongside scientists and policymakers. Participation is usually through a state or regional youth program.
Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest
Academic writing competition for high school students addressing international affairs, global policy, and contemporary world issues.
High School Investor Challenge
Pre-college finance program where students manage a $100,000 virtual portfolio and learn securities analysis and portfolio management. The 2027 application has not opened yet.
InvestWrite
National essay contest about investing. It is open only to students in The Stock Market Game, so your teacher must run it.
JA Company Program
Start and run a real student company with classmates through Junior Achievement.
JA Titan
Junior Achievement business simulation where you make decisions to run a company.
John Locke Institute Essay Competition
Essay competition with prompts in politics, economics, law, philosophy, history, and related humanities subjects.
KP LAUNCH High School Internship
Paid seven-week summer internship across Northern California Kaiser facilities in non-clinical roles like operations, IT, communications, and finance. Ages 16-19 living in a Northern California KP service area; 2027 applications open in November.
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Paid, fully online 1-on-1 research mentorship pairing a student with a PhD mentor over about 12 weeks to produce an independent research paper in a topic of their choosing. Need-based aid is available.
National Economics Challenge
Team economics competition testing students on economic reasoning, current events, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and international economics.
National Personal Finance Challenge
Nationwide contest on earning, spending, saving, investing, and credit. Teams with a coach compete at state and national levels.
One Summer Chicago
Chicago's summer jobs, internships, and training for youth ages 14 to 24, with city agencies, companies, and community groups.
Polygence Core Program
Paid, online 1-on-1 mentorship pairing a student with an expert to complete a self-chosen research project, paper, or app over roughly 10 sessions. Need-based aid is available.
PYNtern Program
Paid work-based learning in Philadelphia. Rising 9th and 10th graders start with career exploration, and older teens move into internships.
Spirit of America Youth Leadership
Four-day residential civics and leadership program at Valley Forge with a free enterprise team challenge. The fee is $850, and many students attend free thanks to donor support. Sessions run from October 2026 through July 2027.
Student Leaders Program
Paid eight-week summer internship with a local nonprofit plus a week-long national leadership summit, for students with a record of community involvement.
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
Paid summer work and career exploration for New York City youth ages 14 to 24.
The Gates Scholarship
Last-dollar scholarship covering the full cost of attendance for highly motivated, low-income high school seniors from minority groups underrepresented in higher education. No application fee.
The Stock Market Game
Ten-week online investing simulation where teams manage a virtual portfolio and compete against other schools. Participants learn research, diversification, and risk through a teacher-registered session.
TiE Young Entrepreneurs
In-person academy in Palo Alto where Bay Area students build a startup in teams over about eight weeks and pitch to Silicon Valley judges, with winners advancing toward TYE Global. Seats fill first-come.
Wharton Moneyball Academy
Summer program at Wharton where rising juniors and seniors study sports analytics. Tuition is charged.
Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!)
Class run by local YEA! chapters where you build a real business. Top students compete for college scholarships and start-up money.