15 Consulting Internships for High School Students in Minnesota
If you're a high school student in Minnesota curious about business or just want to understand how companies actually make decisions, a consulting internship is one of the better ways to spend a summer. And if you want to explore more before diving in, here are two related reads worth checking out: 15 Consulting Internships for High School Students in Louisiana and 15 Venture Capital Internships for Undergraduates!
Why is a consulting internship worth it in high school?
The skills you build in consulting are pretty transferable — breaking down a messy problem, figuring out what the data is actually saying, putting together a clear recommendation, and presenting it to people who will push back on it. You don't learn that stuff in a classroom. You learn it by doing it with real stakes attached.
It's also one of the more honest ways to figure out if this kind of work suits you. Some people love the structure and variety of consulting. Others find it draining. Either way, better to find out in high school than midway through a business degree.
A consulting-focused internship in Minnesota offers high school students a backstage pass into one of the nation’s most concentrated headquarters economies, allowing them to tackle complex business problems. Because the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) area is home to a uniquely diverse array of Fortune 500 companies such as UnitedHealth Group, Target, Best Buy, 3M, and General Mills, you can work on strategic projects that span global supply chains, healthcare innovation, and consumer market research. Beyond these major corporations, the state’s "Medical Alley" ecosystem and various boutique firms offer opportunities to conduct competitor analysis or operational research for agile startups in the med-tech and food-ag sectors.
15 Consulting Internships for High School Students in Minnesota
1. CLA High School Internship Program
Location: Select CLA offices in the U.S. (including Midwest locations like Chicago; open to high school students nationwide)
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive, 60–70 students
Dates: 6–8 weeks in the Summer (typically June–August)
Application Deadline: Early January
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors who are between the ages of 16–18 and authorized to work in the U.S. without the need of an employment visa
In this internship, you’ll assist with real business tasks, learn about client service workflows, and gain exposure to how companies use data, analysis, and strategic thinking to solve client problems. You contribute to team projects that may include basic financial analysis, consulting-style problem breakdown, report preparation, and client presentation support, all of which help build skills that translate directly to consulting and business strategy. Even though this program isn’t run by a traditional management consulting firm, the business service experience, professional communication practice, and client-focused work you gain make it an invaluable stepping stone toward future consulting internships or careers.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25% acceptance; 70–100 students per session
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Varies 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 10–20 hours/week, for 8–12 weeks
Ladder Internships is a selective, eight-week-long internship program for ambitious high school students. where you work with a high-growth startup. These early-stage companies usually have raised over a million dollars, are backed by Y Combinator and have founders who have previously worked for the likes of McKinsey, Meta, Google, etc. These startups offer internships across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. You can apply here.
3. HSMN Junior Executive Program – Hindu Society of Minnesota
Location: Minnesota (remote or hybrid, multiple Twin Cities area roles)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size varies by semester based on the needs of HSMN organizational units
Dates: 10–15 hours per week for a minimum of two semesters
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors; minimum CGPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; basic computer skills
The HSMN Junior Executive Program allows high school students to work with the Hindu Society of Minnesota on real nonprofit projects across areas like finance, marketing and communications, event planning, strategic initiatives, volunteer coordination, and project management. As a Junior Executive, you’ll collaborate with experienced professionals on meaningful tasks such as supporting outreach and fundraising, contributing ideas to membership and sustainability projects, and helping coordinate events or digital content experiences. This program is flexible, often allowing for remote or hybrid participation, and can strengthen your résumé by demonstrating your contribution to real organizational goals while developing practical workplace skills.
4. Youthprise – Youth Research Team
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~10–15 students
Dates: Summer or year-round tracks; varies by project
Application Deadline: Rolling/Seasonal
Eligibility: Minnesota residents aged 16–24
In this program, you operate less like a student and more like a junior associate at a social impact consulting firm. You are hired to conduct "Youth Participatory Action Research" (YPAR), a form of market research where you design surveys, analyze community data, and evaluate the effectiveness of multi-million dollar grant programs. You will work directly with program officers to assess "competitor" initiatives, identify gaps in youth services, and present strategic funding recommendations to the Youthprise board and external stakeholders. This experience equips you with skills in data analysis, report writing, and stakeholder management.
5. Science Museum of Minnesota – KAYSC STEM Justice Interns
Location: St. Paul, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; typically small teams of 10–15
Dates: Year-round (School year + Summer components)
Application Deadline: Varies (Typically recruits in Spring/Fall)
Eligibility: High school students (Ages 15–18); priority to underrepresented groups in STEM
In this program, you and your team identify a local issue, such as food insecurity, environmental racism, or public health disparities, and conduct rigorous "Youth Participatory Action Research" to design a solution. You will actively manage projects such as designing aquaponics systems for urban farming, creating media campaigns to address digital equity, or developing curriculum to teach younger students, effectively acting as a trainer and subject matter expert. This role moves beyond standard volunteering by treating you as a paid employee who must manage budgets, collaborate with community partners, and present strategic recommendations to museum leadership.
6. Blaze Credit Union – School Branch Program
Location: St. Paul, MN (Branches in Como Park, Harding, Highland Park, and Johnson High Schools)
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; approximately 4–8 students per branch
Dates: Academic Year (September – June) + Summer Training options
Application Deadline: Varies by school; typically Spring for the following school year
Eligibility: Students 16+ enrolled at participating St. Paul high schools
In this program, you function as an operational consultant and branch manager for a fully functioning financial institution located right inside your school. You are responsible for the daily execution of business strategy, managing real cash transactions, opening new accounts, and analyzing member needs to recommend specific financial products to your peers and teachers. You will also take on a strategic advisory role by designing and delivering financial literacy presentations to the student body, effectively consulting your community on credit health and budgeting. This experience teaches you regulatory compliance and cash handling, alongside client relationship management, problem-solving under pressure, and translating complex financial concepts for a lay audience.
7. Walker Art Center – Teen Arts Council (WACTAC)
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive; ~12 students
Dates: September – June
Application Deadline: Typically late Summer (August/September)
Eligibility: High school students (Grades 9–12)
In this program, you function as a strategic consultant for one of the country's leading contemporary art museums. Your primary business problem is solving how to make a large cultural institution relevant and accessible to a youth demographic. You attend weekly board-style meetings where you manage a real budget, conduct competitor analysis of other youth events, and execute major operational projects like the "Teen Takeover," which draws hundreds of attendees. You will work directly with marketing, curatorial, and design departments to approve messaging and programming, learning hard skills in project management, event logistics, and institutional strategy.
8. Minneapolis Youth Congress
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; 50–60 students
Dates: One-year term (renewable); typically Academic Year
Application Deadline: Typically January/February
Eligibility: 8th–12th grade students who live or attend school in Minneapolis
In this program, you act as a strategic policy consultant for the City of Minneapolis to work on real municipal problems. You are assigned to specialized committees such as Housing, Transportation, or Public Safety, where you conduct qualitative research on youth needs and formulate operational recommendations that are presented directly to decision-makers like the Mayor, City Council, and the Police Department. You collaborate with city department heads to co-design initiatives, such as auditing public transit for youth accessibility or developing "Green" environmental policies. This high-level access allows you to develop consulting skills such as stakeholder analysis, public speaking, and consensus-building.
9. Cookie Cart – Youth Employee Program
Location: Minneapolis (West Broadway) & St. Paul (Payne Ave), MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective; ~300 students annually
Dates: Year-round (Fall, Spring, Summer sessions)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students ages 15–18 (Must be 15 by start date)
This program acts as a live case study in operations management and organizational leadership. Once you advance to the "Cart Captain" role, you function as a floor manager or operations consultant. In this advanced capacity, you are responsible for overseeing production workflows, analyzing daily sales targets, and managing the performance of your peers, skills directly transferable to management consulting. You will participate in financial literacy workshops that break down profit margins and operating costs, giving you a clear view of how a business sustains itself. By leading teams and handling high-stakes corporate sales events, you develop the ability to spot inefficiencies, resolve personnel conflicts, and drive revenue.
10. Elpis Enterprises – Youth Internships
Location: St. Paul, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~35–40 interns annually
Dates: Year-round (12–16 week initial tracks)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students aged 16–23 who are experiencing housing instability
In this program, you step into a junior operations consultant role for a functioning social enterprise. You actively manage the "client" side of the business, analyzing production costs for screen-printing orders, determining pricing strategies for woodworking products, and managing real e-commerce inventory. You facilitate workshops where you teach other community groups how to build them, effectively acting as a technical trainer and brand ambassador. This role forces you to solve real-time logistical problems, such as supply chain management with recycled materials and quality control for corporate bulk orders. You develop operational skills and a business acumen to understand how a small company scales its revenue and impact.
11. Urban Boatbuilders – Apprenticeship Program
Location: St. Paul, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~10–15 apprentices per track
Dates: Multiple cohorts; Spring, Summer, Fall terms
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students aged 16–21; must live in the Twin Cities metro area
In this apprenticeship, you function as an operations consultant within a real manufacturing environment, managing the complex lifecycle of a product from raw material to a field-tested vessel. You actively manage project workflows, lead daily stand-up style meetings to coordinate team tasks, and conduct quality assurance testing on the water to evaluate product performance. You will progress through a tiered promotion system, from Apprentice to Journeyworker, where you eventually train recruits, simulating the management hierarchy of a professional firm. This structure forces you to develop critical project management and leadership skills, teaching you how to optimize team efficiency and solve technical fabrication problems under strict deadlines.
12. Spark-Y – Pathways Summer Internships
Location: Minneapolis, MN (Projects vary across Twin Cities; HQ in NE Mpls)
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~20–30 interns
Dates: Summer (Mid-June – August)
Application Deadline: Late April / Early May
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–18 in the Twin Cities area
In this program, you act as an operations and sustainability consultant for real-world clients. Your firm is the internship cohort, and your clients are local schools, businesses, or community organizations that have contracted Spark-Y to solve their food sustainability problems. You will conduct site analyses to determine the feasibility of aquaponics or vermicomposting systems, design custom blueprints that fit the client's specific spatial and budgetary constraints, and then physically build and install these systems. Beyond construction, you run a micro-enterprise by managing the supply chain of urban agriculture products (like microgreens) and analyzing sales data to optimize revenue for the organization's youth-run business.
13. Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) – Art Team
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~12–15 students
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Varies (Positions posted as they open, often late Summer)
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–18
In this program, you act like a diversity and inclusion consultant for a major cultural institution. Your client is the museum itself, and your mandate is to analyze how the institution interacts with youth and diverse communities to recommend and implement operational changes. You will conduct market research by creating teen-focused content (like podcasts or audio guides) to test engagement strategies, manage the logistics of large-scale public events like Family Days, and advise museum leadership on how to dismantle barriers to entry for younger audiences. This role requires you to constantly evaluate the user experience of the museum, teaching you critical skills in project management, public speaking, and strategic problem-solving.
14. The BrandLab – High School Internship
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: Summer (June–August)
Application Deadline: Typically February/March
Eligibility: High school students (approximate ages 16–18)
In this program, you work directly inside professional marketing and advertising agencies, effectively the creative "consulting" firms of the business world. You are placed on a team where you tackle real client briefs, conducting market research on consumer behavior and helping to craft strategic campaigns for major brands. You will learn the consulting workflow of "Insight - Strategy - Execution," analyzing competitor data to solve business problems, such as launching a new product or reaching a new demographic, under the guidance of professional mentors. This is a pure strategy role that builds your skills in critical thinking, professional presentation, and brand management.
15. Minnesota Youth Council (MN Alliance With Youth)
Location: St. Paul, MN
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 36 representatives
Dates: Academic Year (August – June)
Application Deadline: Typically Spring (March/April)
Eligibility: Students in grades 8–12 who are Minnesota residents
This program is the official state-level body mandated by Minnesota statute to consult with the State Legislature and Governor. You function as a "Legislative Consultant," where your client is the State of Minnesota. Your role involves researching systemic policy problems (education, health, justice), drafting operational recommendations in the form of actual bills or policy briefs, and presenting these strategic solutions to lawmakers in committee hearings. You will conduct statewide market research (youth surveys) to back up your proposals with data, learning high-level negotiation, public speaking, and stakeholder analysis skills that are identical to those used in government affairs consulting.
Image source - CLA GLobal logo