15 Business Analytics Summer Programs for High School Students
For high school students interested in business, finance, data, and strategy, business analytics summer programs offer a practical way to explore how organizations use data analytics to make decisions. These programs often combine academic instruction with applied projects, giving you opportunities to work with datasets, financial models, business case studies, and industry-standard tools such as Excel, Tableau, Bloomberg Terminals, or coding platforms. Along the way, you may develop skills in data visualization, financial analysis, market research, statistical reasoning, and professional presentation.
Check out other business internships available for high-school students here!
Why should I do a business analytics summer program in high school?
Participating in a business analytics summer program for high school students can help you determine whether you enjoy the analytical and strategic aspects of business before committing to the field in college. These programs will allow you to build concrete skills such as spreadsheet modeling, data cleaning, valuation, coding, statistical analysis, and presenting data-informed recommendations, abilities that can strengthen your resume and future internship applications. Many will also provide opportunities to work with professionals, complete capstone projects, earn college credit, receive certificates, or gain experience you can discuss in college essays and interviews. Hosted by universities, business schools, and established organizations, these programs can also connect you with faculty, industry experts, and peers who share similar academic interests.
To help you identify strong options, we’ve compiled 15 business analytics summer programs for high school students that provide substantive exposure to business analytics concepts and related quantitative fields.
1. USC Pre-College — Know Your Customer, Spot the Trend, Tell the Story
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Cost: $7,401; total estimated cost $11,570 for residential participants and $8,130 for commuters; $85 nonrefundable application fee and $1,000 deposit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small per-course cohorts
Dates: Four-week residential or commuter course beginning June 22
Application Deadline: Domestic: May 8; International: March 13
Eligibility: Completion of at least the ninth grade by the program start; pursuit of a rigorous high school curriculum; current high school student; international applicants must demonstrate English proficiency through approved tests; open to international students
In this program, you step into the role of a market analyst at the USC Marshall School of Business, working with a product to discover how demographic data drives marketing and sales decisions. Across four weeks, you read and interpret population data through a "Know Your Zip" scavenger hunt, build customer segments and detailed personas, and translate those insights into a go-to-market framework. Using tools such as ESRI mapping software and a ChatGPT subscription on your own laptop, you learn to connect raw data to compelling narratives and confident sales pitches. Field trips to sites like SoFi Stadium show how brands engage real audiences. You finish by presenting a team final project featuring your target customer, plan, and story.
Why it stands out: It pairs USC Marshall faculty instruction and hands-on demographic-analysis tools like ESRI with Los Angeles field trips and a team go-to-market project, while awarding three units of USC elective credit on successful completion.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 10%; 70–100 students per cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Summer
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort; summer cohort deadlines are typically in May
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! 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 finance, business analytics, marketing, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long. Apply now!
3. George Mason University (GMU)’s Young Scholars Research Program – NextGen FinTech Scholars: Data Science, AI & Digital Finance
Location: Hybrid with in-person at GMU’s Fairfax campus, VA
Cost: Not publicly listed (applicants must email execed@gmu.edu for current tuition and program fee details; waivers and financial aid are available; scholarships and awards of up to $2,000 given to outstanding students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited seats available
Dates: June 26 – September 11
Application Deadline: First-come, first-served basis until full
Eligibility: High-achieving high school students (Grades 9–12)
This 12-week research program allows you to explore how analytics, AI, and financial technology are used in modern finance through hands-on research and faculty-guided projects. You’ll work with financial datasets, corporate reports, and tools such as Python, R, SAS, and Stata to analyze markets, evaluate a company’s financial performance, and study data-driven financial decision-making. Students will complete a collaborative research project and develop a scholarly paper with support from faculty mentors, refining their work over multiple phases before final submission. The program will also include optional conference presentations where you can present your research paper and poster to university faculty and industry experts.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies depending on the program type; full financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small mentor groups
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer
Application Deadline: Varies based on cohort; summer cohort deadline is May 10
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students with demonstrated high academic achievement (accepted students typically maintain an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. The Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy (SBA): The Data-Driven Decision Lab
Location: University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus
Cost: $3,000 + $75 application fee; application fee waivers are available by request
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; 50 students
Dates: June 7–12
Application Deadline: April 5
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
The Michigan Ross SBA’s The Data-Driven Decision Lab is an intensive pre-college program designed to introduce rising high school seniors to the field of business analytics through applied, data-driven problem solving. You will take on the role of junior business analysts, working with a custom dataset based on real operations from the Michigan Theater to investigate the factors that influence revenue and business performance. Throughout the program, you will learn core business analytics skills such as defining business problems, cleaning and analyzing data, building visualizations, and developing data-driven recommendations. The experience will include site visits and stakeholder interviews, allowing students to gather business requirements before refining their analysis plans with feedback from Michigan Ross faculty.
6. Cornell Institute for China Economic Research (CICER) High School Program in Business, Economics & Data Analytics
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Cost: $5,700 (reduced commuter fee of $1,300 offered to students residing in Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Onondaga, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, or Yates County)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 13–25
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school students
In this program, you can take courses in areas such as Big Data & Business Analytics, where you’ll learn to organize, manipulate, and analyze business data using Excel for real-world decision-making. The program will also include practical capstone projects such as a business analysis simulation, where you manage a company through multiple rounds of strategic decisions, and a business pitch competition, where you’ll research markets and propose expansion strategies for a company. Students will attend seminars led by faculty and researchers, participate in discussion-based learning sessions, and consult with Cornell faculty, staff, and students on academic and career interests.
7. University of South Florida (USF)’s Bulls Finance Camp
Location: USF Tampa campus, FL
Cost: $750 + an optional $1,395 for the Rocky's Residents residential add-on, which offers on-campus accommodations for students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; up to 60 students
Dates: June 22–26
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12
USF’s Bulls Finance Camp is a summer program for high school students that introduces them to foundational concepts in finance through instruction from USF faculty and experts from the USF Federal Credit Union. The curriculum will cover topics such as personal finance, financial planning, investments, corporate finance, and FinTech, providing broad exposure to key areas of the field. You will gain hands-on experience using Bloomberg Terminals in USF’s Lasher Center trading room, where you’ll learn how financial analytics and stock trading tools are used in practice. The program will also include guest speakers from the finance industry who’ll share career insights and professional perspectives on the field.
8. Wharton Global Youth Online Programs – Financial Decision Making
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,099 + $100 application fee; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 20–30 students
Dates: Session 1: June 15–26; Session 2: July 6–17
Application Deadline: Rolling; priority deadline is January 28
Eligibility: Current high school students with a minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA
In this program, you’ll study topics such as personal finance, corporate finance, financial markets, banking, inflation, and financial ethics. A major component of the program involves working with real-world financial datasets and case studies to analyze trends, evaluate financial options, and understand how data informs investment and business decisions. You will also learn to use Excel throughout the program while applying quantitative tools to practical financial scenarios. The course is fully online and includes live lectures, TA-led recitations, collaborative small-group discussions, and independent work. Students who complete all program requirements will earn a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.
9. TCU Neeley Analytics Academy
Location: Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX
Cost: $1,950
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; up to 80 students
Dates: June 21–26
Application Deadline: March 8
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors with strong math skills, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities, and an interest in analytics and problem-solving
The TCU Neeley Analytics Academy is a one-week residential summer program that explores how businesses use data analytics and market research to guide decision-making. You’ll participate in informative daily instruction and hands-on projects focused on collecting, organizing, analyzing, and visualizing data, while learning how to turn raw information into actionable business insights. The curriculum will introduce you to statistical tools, modeling techniques, machine learning concepts, regression analysis, and data-driven storytelling through applied exercises and team projects. Students will also build models to evaluate business performance and examine how data can influence profitability and strategic planning. You’ll also receive a Data Analytics Certificate at the end of the program.
10. Stevens School of Business – Quantitative Finance: 4-Week Virtual Summer Research Experience
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,500; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 6–31
Application Deadline: June 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; must be familiar with MS Excel
In this program, you’ll explore quantitative finance concepts and how statistical and computational methods are applied in finance decision-making through live interactive sessions, practical exercises, and real-world case studies. The program will also help improve your technical skill set by strengthening your coding abilities, particularly in R, and applying those skills to quantitative financial analysis. You will also have the opportunity to earn both Bloomberg Market Concepts and Capital IQ certifications, gaining experience with industry-standard financial analysis and investment research platforms. The combination of synchronous instruction and self-paced learning modules will provide structured exposure to quantitative finance tools commonly used in academic and professional finance settings.
11. Dartmouth’s Finance: Investing & Market Insights
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,895; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Multiple sessions throughout the year, including summer
Application Deadline: One week before the course start date
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 and up
In this program, you’ll learn how to analyze financial statements, evaluate risk and return, understand valuation methods such as Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), and assess how investors make decisions in public and private markets. The program will include quantitative and qualitative analysis of real companies and investment opportunities, helping you build practical skills in financial evaluation and market analysis. Throughout the course, you’ll receive support and feedback from an expert mentor who’ll guide you through assignments and coursework. The experience will culminate in a capstone project in which you’ll act as a private equity analyst, evaluate an investment opportunity, and present an investment recommendation based on your analysis.
12. USC Pre-College Programs – Analytics: The Power of Data for Businesses
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,990 + $35 application fee (scholarships available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not published
Dates: Multiple sessions throughout the year, including the summer
Application Deadline: 5 days prior to each start date
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years old
Analytics: The Power of Data for Businesses is an online pre-college course that introduces high school students to how businesses use data to support strategic decision-making. Through real datasets, case studies, and applied analytics exercises, you’ll learn core business analytics skills such as data organization, cleaning, visualization, classification, and pattern interpretation. The course will also explore how analytics is applied across industries while examining emerging topics such as AI and neural networks in business contexts. Delivered through recorded lectures, demonstrations, and applied activities led by USC Marshall faculty, the program emphasizes active analysis and communication of data-driven insights. Students who complete the course earn a Certificate of Completion from USC.
13. Howard University’s High School Summer Enrichment: Pre-Business Program
Location: Howard University campus, Washington, D.C.
Cost: $2,000; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; maximum of 40–50 students per track/session
Dates: Session 1: July 18–24; Session 2: July 25–31
Application Deadline: April 3
Eligibility: Motivated high school sophomores and juniors; academic requirements may vary based on the track
In this program, you will choose from specialized tracks such as Finance, Information Systems, Actuarial Science, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Music Business, and other business-focused areas, allowing you to explore a particular discipline in depth. Depending on the track selected, students will engage with topics such as data analytics, financial analysis, risk assessment, programming, entrepreneurship, and market evaluation through classroom instruction, case discussions, and applied projects. The program will also include corporate visits, networking opportunities, workshops, and professional development sessions led by faculty and industry professionals. By living on campus and participating in group projects and business-focused activities, students gain exposure to both business education and college life in a collaborative residential setting.
14. Rowan University’s Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy (TLAE)
Location: Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 60–100+ students
Dates: July 6–9
Application Deadline: May 17
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors from the U.S.
TLAE is a four-day pre-college entrepreneurship program hosted by Rowan University’s School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship for students interested in business, strategy, and innovation. In this program, you’ll work collaboratively in teams to identify practical challenges and develop business solutions, progressing from early-stage idea generation through final pitch development. You will learn entrepreneurial frameworks such as design thinking, customer discovery, prototyping, and the Business Model Canvas while also applying financial analysis and data-informed decision-making to evaluate their ideas. The academy emphasizes structured problem-solving and business communication as students refine their concepts through storytelling and pitching exercises. You will earn three transferable college credits upon successful completion of the program.
15. Syracuse University’s Summer College – Data Visualization and Analysis
Location: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Cost: $2,795 (Residential); $2,309 (Commuter) + $65 application fee; discounts and scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 19–24
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors, as well as graduating high school students; 15 years or older; minimum GPA is 3.0/4.0
Data Visualization and Analysis is a pre-college program designed for high school students interested in learning how data is transformed into actionable insights. Through hands-on instruction, you’ll work with Microsoft Excel and Tableau to practice the full data analysis process, from data capture and quality assessment to data cleaning, visualization, and interpretation. The course will also teach data storytelling techniques, emphasizing how to communicate analytical findings clearly and effectively to different audiences. Participants who finish the course will earn a Certificate of Completion from Syracuse University and may request a non credit transcript.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Several of these programs award certificates or credentials. How much weight do those actually carry?
More than you might expect, especially the ones tied to industry-standard tools. The Stevens School of Business program stands out here, since it offers both Bloomberg Market Concepts and Capital IQ certifications, two credentials genuinely recognised in the finance industry and frequently listed on resumes well into undergraduate internship applications. USF's Bulls Finance Camp gives you hands-on time with Bloomberg Terminals directly in a trading room setting, which is a rare, tangible skill to point to. Programs offering a Certificate of Completion, like USC's Analytics course or Syracuse's Data Visualization program, carry somewhat less individual weight on their own but are still useful evidence of sustained engagement, particularly when paired with a strong essay explaining what you actually built or learned.
2. I want hands-on research experience that results in something I can submit or publish, not just a certificate. Which programs offer that?
A few stand out clearly for this. George Mason's NextGen FinTech Scholars program has you develop a full scholarly research paper with faculty mentors across multiple drafting phases, with the option to present at a conference. The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is built entirely around producing an independent research paper over 12 weeks with a PhD mentor, and Ladder Internships, while not research in the academic sense, has you build and present a real deliverable to an actual startup. If publishable, paper-based research is your priority, GMU and Lumiere are your strongest two options on this list.
3. The price range here is enormous, from completely free to over $7,000 for USC's residential program. How should I think about that trade-off?
The cost generally tracks the format more than the quality of instruction. Fully remote, certificate-based programs like Wharton's Financial Decision Making, USC's Analytics course, and Dartmouth's Finance program sit in the $1,895 to $4,099 range and deliver strong brand-name instruction without travel or housing costs. Free options like Rowan University's TLAE are shorter, in-person, and regionally accessible, making them excellent low-cost entry points, especially since TLAE also awards three transferable college credits at no cost. The most expensive options, like USC's residential Know Your Customer program, justify their price with extended duration, hands-on tools like ESRI mapping software, real field trips, and full immersion in a university environment, which is worth it if that immersive experience and networking matters to you specifically.
Key Takeaways
This list covers 15 business analytics summer programs for high school students, ranging from free, four-day pre-college experiences like Rowan University's TLAE to immersive, four-week residential programs like USC's Know Your Customer course, with a strong concentration of programs offering tool-specific industry credentials, including Bloomberg Market Concepts and Capital IQ certifications at Stevens, hands-on Bloomberg Terminal access at USF, and university Certificates of Completion at USC, Wharton, TCU, and Syracuse. For students who want a genuine research output rather than a certificate, George Mason's NextGen FinTech Scholars program and the Lumiere Research Scholar Program are the two strongest options, both producing a formal paper with faculty or PhD mentorship. Cost varies enormously by format, generally tracking duration and residential immersion rather than instructional quality, so students on a budget can still access strong, certificate-bearing remote programs in the $1,895 to $4,099 range, or free, credit-bearing options like Rowan's TLAE.