9 Business Internships for High School Students in Ohio
TL;DR
Ohio high school students interested in business can find paid summer jobs, local business internships, hospital roles, school-based work programs, and a remote startup internship. Depending on the program, students may handle customer service, support hospital marketing or finance teams, sell produce at a farmers market, or work weekly at Cleveland-area employers. Several programs limit eligibility to students living in specific Ohio counties or cities. Ladder Internships offers 8-week remote startup internships in fields including finance and consulting, with financial aid available.
Business work covers how organizations manage money, serve customers, market their offerings, and keep daily operations running. Business and financial occupations are projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035, so the field offers many paths worth exploring early. Hands-on work lets high school students test those interests in real offices, stores, and organizations before settling on a major or career.
We selected these options based on business-related responsibilities, availability to Ohio high school students, and details each organization published.
If you'd like to see what's out there beyond business, these internships for high school students in Ohio span a much wider range of fields. And if you're happy to look past state lines, you'll find even more ideas in these business and finance internships for high school students and competitive business internships for high school students!
Why should you do a business internship?
A business internship shows you how organizations actually run, from tracking budgets to answering customer questions. Seeing that work up close helps you figure out whether areas like marketing, finance, or management fit your strengths. For remote startup experience in fields like finance and consulting, Ladder Internships places high school students on real projects for 8 weeks.
What skills can you pick up in business internships?
Business internships build skills such as professional communication, customer service, basic bookkeeping, and organizing information for reports. These skills matter because nearly every business role depends on explaining ideas clearly, handling money accurately, and tracking details. You also build time management and teamwork skills that carry over to school and future jobs.
How do you choose the right option?
Consider several factors before applying, including your grade level, location, academic background, schedule, and budget. Also check requirements related to citizenship, residency, coursework, or GPA, as these can vary significantly!
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Program type |
Top programs |
Cost / Stipend |
Best For |
|
Virtual Programs |
Cost |
Students who want remote, project-based startup experience in areas such as marketing or consulting, from anywhere |
|
|
Hospital Business Roles |
Nationwide Children's Hospital Youth & Young Adult Employment Program, Cleveland Clinic High School Summer Internship Program |
Cost |
Students curious about the business side of healthcare, including marketing, finance, administration, and HR |
|
School-Based Work Programs |
Saint Martin de Porres High School Corporate Work Study Program, Ohio Hi-Point Work-Based Learning (WBL) Program |
Cost |
Students who want steady work experience built into their school year alongside academic or career-technical coursework |
|
Community and Local Employer Programs |
Summit County Summer Youth Employment Program, APPS Job Readiness Program (AJRP), Rural Action & Building Bridges to Careers Paid Internships, Franklin Park Conservatory Teen Corps |
Cost |
Students looking for a first job, mentored local business experience, or a hands-on taste of entrepreneurship in their own community |
1. Youth Success Summit with Summit County partners – Summit County Summer Youth Employment Program
Location: Summit County (Akron area), Ohio
Stipend: $15 per hour for 20-hour weeks; up to $2,400 total
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-competitive; nearly 800 participants
Dates: Eight weeks from June 8
Application Deadline: First-come, first-served
Eligibility: Ages 16–18; Summit County residents; household income not exceeding 200% of federal poverty level
You work a paid summer job with a local Summit County employer in sectors that include business and entrepreneurship, marketing, IT, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. You earn $15 an hour for a 20-hour workweek over eight weeks, for up to $2,400. Past participants have done customer service, retail, and administrative work such as answering phones and bookkeeping, which can help you build workplace communication skills and learn how a business runs day-to-day.
Who is it best for: Students who want paid, hands-on experience in a local workplace, such as a business, marketing, or entrepreneurship setting, while exploring possible career paths.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote (you can work from anywhere in the world)
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 10%; ~70 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort – spring (January), summer (May), fall (September), and winter (November).
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 8 weeks, devoting 5 - 10 hours/week
Ladder Internships is a competitive, fully virtual program that places motivated high school students with high-growth start-ups across a wide range of industries, including tech, deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Over the 8-week virtual internship, students work on projects alongside a start-up manager and receive structured guidance from a dedicated ladder coach. The program concludes with a formal presentation where you present your work to the company. Apply now!
Who is it best for: Students who want remote, project-based experience at a high-growth start-up, such as marketing or consulting work, with guidance from a manager and a dedicated coach.
3. Nationwide Children's Hospital – Youth & Young Adult Employment Program
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Stipend: Paid hourly, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~108 participants
Dates: 8-week session: June 8 – July 30; 4-week sessions: June 8 – July 2 and July 6 – July 30
Application Deadline: March 27
Eligibility: Ages 16–21; at least 16 years old at the time of registration
You work paid, part-time hours in one of Nationwide Children's host departments, and your tasks depend on your placement. On the business side, past marketing interns researched other children's hospitals' social media, filled orders for promotional items, and observed graphic design projects, while an administrative intern completed prior authorizations for surgeries by calling insurance companies. In recent years, over 100 young adults worked across 65 host departments, and 10 received employment offers.
Who is it best for: Students who want paid, hands-on experience on the business and administrative side of a large hospital, such as marketing, communications, or insurance paperwork.
4. Cleveland Clinic High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Stipend: $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: June 8 – July 28
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Grades 9–12 at application; age 15 by June 1; cumulative GPA 2.5 or higher preferred; U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, or legal permanent residents; live and attend school in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, or Summit County; non-clinical track also requires residence in one of 11 specified Northeast Ohio cities: Bedford, Bedford Heights, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, Richmond Heights, South Euclid or Warrensville Heights.
This paid seven-week internship has three tracks, and its non-clinical (Louis Stokes) track can place you in business areas of Cleveland Clinic such as finance, healthcare administration, human resources, and marketing. You work directly with Cleveland Clinic staff, and the track ends with a poster presentation where you show program leadership what you contributed. The experience can help you build project management, digital literacy, professional communication, and teamwork skills while you see how a large health system runs.
Who is it best for: Students who want paid, hands-on experience on the business side of healthcare, such as finance, administration, HR, or marketing, inside a major hospital system.
5. Saint Martin de Porres High School (Cristo Rey Network) – Corporate Work Study Program
Location: Cleveland, Ohio; worksites across Greater Cleveland
Cost: $20,000 annual cost; families pay about $400 on average after $7,500 Cleveland/EdChoice voucher (eligible-district residents), $5,500 Corporate Work Study credit and $6,600 Saint Martin aid; work earnings offset tuition
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~382 students
Dates: School year: one workday weekly; first workdays September 9–10 (grades 11–12) and September 14–15 (grades 9–10); last workdays May 20 (grade 12) and June 1–3 (grades 9–11, by grade)
Application Deadline: Cleveland Scholarship: May 30; non-Cleveland applications: June 30
Eligibility: Enrollment at Saint Martin de Porres High School as a rising 9th grader or high school transfer; students from families of limited economic means; at least 14 years old; Corporate Work Study participation all four years
You work one full day each week in an entry-level role at one of more than 100 Cleveland-area businesses, firms, and nonprofits, where departments such as finance, accounting, sales, marketing, human resources, and IT assign your tasks. Corporate Work Study is part of the curriculum, so you work from freshman through senior year, and your earnings pay a portion of your tuition. You build workplace skills, working relationships with supervisors, and exposure to different industries and careers.
Who is it best for: Students who want weekly, hands-on experience in professional business settings, from finance to marketing, alongside a college-preparatory education.
6. APPS Job Readiness Program (AJRP)
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Stipend: $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not stated
Dates: Summer session ending August 1; fall–spring continuation for selected participants
Application Deadline: February 17
Eligibility: Ages 14–23 at time of registration; Columbus resident and/or pays Columbus taxes; pass a drug test; pass a background check (18+ students)
You gain paid, real-world work experience with City of Columbus departments and local businesses by completing practical tasks for your host organization while staff mentors you in business and life skills. Past placements have included supporting summer camps, helping maintain parks, and assisting with golf course operations, and Youth Development Leaders provide daily mentorship and guidance. The program also focuses on networking, confidence building, and career planning.
Who is it best for: Students who want a paid first job with local employers where they can build business and workplace skills with a mentor's guidance.
7. Ohio Hi-Point Work-Based Learning (WBL) Program
Location: Bellefontaine, Ohio, and partner employer sites
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~132 students
Dates: School year (starts August 19)
Application Deadline: November 20
Eligibility: Enrolled Ohio Hi-Point career-technical students; campus programs serve juniors and seniors, with sophomores and juniors eligible to apply for admission
Through Ohio Hi-Point's Work-Based Learning program, you get on-the-job experience with local employers while still in high school, in placements ranging from internships to arrangements where you alternate full-time weeks at school and at work. Ohio Hi-Point's satellite offerings also include a Supply Chain Management program and DECA and BPA chapters, and combining that coursework with workplace experience can help you build professional communication, reliability, and time-management skills.
Who is it best for: Students who want to combine career-technical training with local employers and build practical workplace and business skills before graduating.
8. Rural Action & Building Bridges to Careers Paid Internships for High School Students
Location: Appalachian Ohio (32 counties) and Wood County, West Virginia
Stipend: Paid, unpaid, or for school credit options available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~216 students
Dates: Fall (September–December), Spring (January–May), and Summer (May–August) cycles
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students in Ohio's 32 Appalachian counties or Wood County, West Virginia; juniors and seniors prioritized
You are matched with a local business or organization based on your career interests and availability, and you work alongside a professional mentor in fields such as marketing. Past hosts include Peoples Bank, Marietta Main Street, the Meigs County Chamber of Commerce, and Ace Hardware. Through the state-funded High School Tech Internship, you are hired as a W2 employee earning at least $12 an hour for 120 or more hours in roles such as data, software development, or IT infrastructure.
Who is it best for: Students who want mentored, hands-on work experience at a local business in Appalachian Ohio while exploring careers such as marketing, banking, retail, or technology.
If you live outside Ohio or don’t want to commute every day, consider Ladder Internships that pair you with startups to work on real projects in a fully virtual format.
9. Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens – Franklin Park Conservatory Teen Corps
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 38% estimated acceptance; ~23 students
Dates: Summer: eight weeks, about 20 hours weekly
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Ages 15–18; live and attend school in Franklin County, Ohio
Each week you harvest the vegetables you grow in the Conservatory's community garden and sell them at its Farmers Market, where Teen Corps runs its own produce stand. As a paid intern, you also get training in entrepreneurship, marketing, money handling, and customer service, along with resume writing, SMART-goal setting, and field trips to local businesses. Selling your own harvest to real customers can help you build communication, cash-handling, and customer-facing skills while you learn how a local food system works.
Who is it best for: Students who want paid, hands-on experience growing and selling produce while learning entrepreneurship, customer service, and the basics of running a small market business.
Can a business internship help with your college applications?
A business internship can give you concrete experiences to write about, such as supporting a hospital marketing team, handling customer transactions, or completing administrative work for a local employer. Reflecting on those tasks can help you explain what you learned about how organizations manage money, people, and customers. If you plan to study business, economics, or marketing, that experience can also show where your interest in the subject comes from beyond the classroom.
How do you apply for a business internship?
Start with each program's official instructions, since eligibility, deadlines, and requested materials vary. Prepare a few examples of your interest in business, such as a club, part-time job, or class project involving budgets or marketing. Leave time to gather any documents a program requests, since some processes include extra steps like a parent-submitted application or background check.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Will I work in an actual business department, or is it more of a general first job?
You'll find both. Several hospital- and school-based options place students in departments such as finance, marketing, accounting, or human resources. At the same time, a couple of community programs focus on general roles like customer service, retail, or supporting parks and summer camps.
2. Can I try entrepreneurship or selling something myself?
Yes, a few options lean toward entrepreneurship. One teen program has you grow produce and sell it at a farmers market stand the teens run themselves, with training in entrepreneurship, marketing, and money handling; another summer employment program lists business and entrepreneurship among its placement sectors. The remote option also places students with high-growth startups.
3. How much time will I need to commit?
Most of the summer programs run four to eight weeks, and a couple list about 20 hours a week. Two school-based options continue through the academic year, and one regional program offers fall, spring, and summer cycles. For a lighter remote schedule, Ladder Internships runs for 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week.
4. Will I get paid for my work?
Most of these programs pay you, and three list $15 an hour, with one summer program noting total earnings of up to $2,400. Several others don't share pay rates publicly, while one regional program offers paid, unpaid, or school-credit options. At one school-based program, your work earnings go toward part of your tuition.