14 Summer Business Programs for High School Students in NYC
High school students interested in business should consider participating in a summer program in the field. These programs offer you the opportunity to acquire practical skills, gain exposure to industries, and access valuable professional networks. Business programs offer exposure to entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and leadership through projects, mentorships, and site visits.
New York City is an excellent place for you to participate in programs, offering access to top-tier universities like NYU and Columbia, established research labs, and diverse industries. To help you narrow your search, we have put together 14 summer business programs for high school students in NYC. They also include a few virtual summer business programs that allow students in New York to apply.
14 Summer Business Programs for High School Students in NYC
1. Innovation, Entrepreneurship & the Science of Smart Cities (SoSC)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: July 7 - August 8
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: High school students grades 9-12 | Aged 15+ | NYC residents
In this five-week, tuition-free STEM and entrepreneurship program for NYC students, you’ll work on technology projects such as programming microcontrollers and building smart city devices, while learning business skills like market analysis and pitching. The curriculum blends engineering and entrepreneurship: students prototype hardware/software solutions for urban challenges and study product development. Throughout, you learn to integrate technology with real-world business planning. Your final project will involve you presenting your innovative solution to a real-world problem. You gain tech and startup skills simultaneously, exploring coding, circuit design, and innovation in the context of urban problems.
2. Ladder Internships
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
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 health tech, marketing, journalism, 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.
3. Bank of America Student Leaders
Location: Local nonprofit; Washington, D.C. (leadership summit)
Cost/Stipend: None / Stipend paid; amount not specified
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective / About 300 juniors/seniors nationwide are selected each year
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer; typically early June – late/mid August, and a one-week all-expenses-paid Student Leaders Summit in Washington, DC
Application Deadline: Typically January
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors permanently residing in one of the eligible counties | Legally authorized to work in the U.S. | Cannot be a Bank of America employee or immediate family member | Have not been previously part of the program
The Bank of America Student Leaders Program is an 8-week paid summer internship program designed for high school juniors and seniors passionate about leadership and community service. You work at a local nonprofit learning project management and leadership, and then travel to Washington, D.C., for a five-day Student Leaders Summit. There, you will receive leadership training and network with peers and executives. The program is fully funded by Bank of America; you receive transportation, lodging for the summit, and a stipend for the internship. It’s a unique blend of real work experience (paid, at nonprofits like Boys & Girls Clubs) and leadership development.
4. Young Founders Lab Startup Bootcamp
Location: Virtual (NYC-based organization)
Cost/Stipend: Varies according to program type; need-and merit-based financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: Individual Program: Rolling start date | June 9 – 29 (Group Program Summer 1); August 4 – 24 (Group Program Summer 2); Fall, Winter, and Spring cohorts available
Application Deadline: Early Summer II: May 30; Final Summer II: June 23; apply here
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12) interested in entrepreneurship worldwide
In this three-week intensive, you are placed on a team of 4–7 students to design and launch a real startup idea online. You attend daily live workshops (total 30 hours, 6-8 hours/week) on business planning, marketing, and lean startup methodology. Mentors guide each team through customer research, product development, and pitching. The program culminates in teams pitching their fully-formed venture to a panel of entrepreneurs. This hands-on incubator experience teaches you every step of the startup process, from brainstorming to creating a prototype and pitch deck, and helps you build a network with fellow teen entrepreneurs.
5. Futures and Options Internship Program
Location: New York City Financial District and partner companies
Cost/Stipend: None / Stipend paid at $16.50+ per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective / 200–300 interns per year
Dates: 5 weeks in summer (typically June-July)
Application Deadline: Application opens January 5
Eligibility: High school students aged 16-19 attending an NYC high school
The Futures and Options Internship Program is a paid, mentored internship initiative primarily for high school juniors and seniors in New York City that offers students meaningful hands-on work experience in small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and multinational corporations. It includes weekend workshops and networking events, and you also build your resume by assisting with actual projects in accounting, technology, or operations at major companies. Mentor-led sessions teach professional skills, and the office setting gives a taste of corporate culture. This program is a rigorous internship to jumpstart business and finance skills, combining on-the-job experience with professional development.
6. Wharton Global Youth Program: Essentials of Leadership
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $4,099 + $100 application fee (non-refundable; waivable); extra fees for materials; Needs-based scholarships available / None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: June 16 – 27 (Session 1); July 7 – 18 (Session 2)
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12; international students included
The Wharton Global Youth Program: Essentials of Leadership is an intensive, two-week online summer program designed for a select group of talented high school students interested in leadership and business education. It immerses you in leadership and entrepreneurship fundamentals where you will engage in team-based projects to create and pitch a business plan, with live Wharton faculty and peer collaboration. You’ll gain insight into business strategy, marketing, and finance through interactive lectures and case studies, and you’ll develop presentation and project-management skills. The program emphasizes building a venture model from the ground up, ending with group presentations to business leaders.
7. Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom
Location: Fordham University (Bronx/Manhattan), Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses; Hybrid or fully remote formats available
Cost/Stipend: $1,100 + $100 application fee; financial aid is available; need-based discounts are available for students with family incomes below $50,000 per year
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 16 – 20 (Week 1); June 23 – 27 (Week 2); July 21 – 25 (Week 3); July 28 – August 1 (Week 4)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-12
This week-long intensive is run by the Gabelli School of Business, where you attend classroom sessions and case studies on finance and economics, supplemented by wall-to-wall real-world exposure. Fordham’s program includes speakers and field trips to Wall Street firms, enabling you to see finance careers firsthand. Lectures cover topics like investments and banking, and you might visit a live trading floor. By the end, you collaborate on a finance project to apply learned concepts. It’s a focused business bootcamp, giving a taste of finance majors and careers through academic study and site visits.
8. Bossgirls Summer Program
Location: CCNY campus (City College of New York), Manhattan
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: June 30 – July 31
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school girls and non-binary students in grades 9-12 (including graduating students) | Residents of the tri-state region
The Bossgirls Summer Program is a free, five-week entrepreneurship education program hosted by the Zahn Innovation Center at The City College of New York (CCNY), designed to inspire high school girls and nonbinary students in finance. In this program, you attend daily workshops on entrepreneurship, economics, and leadership. The curriculum includes speakers from corporate finance (often women executives) and in-class business challenges. You visit the Manhattan financial districts and work in teams on business simulations. The program concludes with presentations of a group project. Bossgirls emphasizes mentorship and financial literacy for girls, aiming to boost confidence and expose students to finance careers, all at no cost.
9. Business Leadership Academy (Summer Leadership Academy)
Location: Mercy University, Bronx and Dobbs Ferry campuses
Cost/Stipend: None, except $695 for food + activities
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: July 5 – 11 or July 19 – 25 or August 2 – 8
Application Deadline: Rolling basis, limited spots, first-come, first-served
Eligibility: High school juniors with a cumulative weighted GPA above 90
The Business Leadership Academy, also known as the Summer Leadership Academy at Mercy University, is a week-long summer program designed for rising high school seniors interested in leadership and business careers. In this program, you attend classes on leadership, finance, and marketing taught by Mercy faculty, and go on field trips to NYC companies (e.g., LinkedIn, Bloomberg). Group projects and case studies reinforce the lessons. You also participate in mentorship sessions with alumni and local business leaders. This fast-paced academy combines classroom learning with real-world exposure, preparing you for college business courses and a career mindset through hands-on projects and corporate site visits.
10. Fordham University - Invest in Her: Financial Literacy & Leadership for Women
Location: Rose Hill Campus, Bronx, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: $1,100 + $100 application fee; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 14 – 18
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; applications received before May 1 will receive priority
Eligibility: Female high school students interested in business, finance, and leadership
This program is designed to empower high school young women with essential financial knowledge and leadership skills. It covers fundamental topics such as budgeting, investing, credit management, and professional behavior. You participate in activities like creating personal budgets, analyzing investment options, attending networking sessions with successful alumni, and practicing leadership through group projects. A unique feature of this program is its focus on building confidence and financial independence, specifically tailored for young women in a supportive environment. You gain practical skills in money management, communication, and critical thinking, which are invaluable both personally and academically.
11. Athena Summer Innovation Institute
Location: Barnard College, Broadway, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $10,171 (residential); $8,160 (commuter) + $75 application fee after priority deadline; limited need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: July 21 – August 8
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school girls and non-binary students (grades 9–12) who are interested in entrepreneurship
The Athena Summer Innovation Institute is a prestigious, intensive 3-week boot camp hosted by Barnard College in New York City, specifically designed for young women with an entrepreneurial spirit. Over three weeks, this intensive boot camp teaches venture creation, where you attend workshops on startup fundamentals (business modeling, prototyping, marketing) and build a product or service. Teams of students develop business ideas and pitch them to peers and mentors in a final ‘Pitchfest.’ Notable speakers and Barnard alumni guide the curriculum. The program stresses creativity and leadership for young women: throughout, girls practice public speaking and design thinking, culminating in a group pitch event.
12. NYU SPS High School Academy: Entrepreneurship & Business Startups
Location: NYU Washington Square campus
Cost/Stipend: $2,579 per course + $50 application fee (non-refundable); $640 housing and dining (optional)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Non-competitive
Dates: Six one-week sessions from June 23 to August 8
Application Deadline: Typically June
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
This multidisciplinary course is designed for high school students who want to learn how to identify and solve real business problems faced by startups. The course covers key topics like the lean startup model, which focuses on experimental business canvases rather than traditional business plans. You engage in a mix of exercises, case studies, lectures, and group discussions to deepen their understanding of what it takes to start and grow a business. Activities include solving real-world startup challenges, working on interactive case studies, collaborating in teams, and participating in business innovation discussions. You gain critical entrepreneurial skills, preparing you for future business careers and making your college applications stand out.
13. Cornell University Pre-College: Introduction to Business Management
Location: Online (asynchronous)
Cost/Stipend: $1,940 per credit ($5,820 total) + unspecified extra cost for textbooks; financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 2 – 20 (Session 1); June 23 – July 11 (Session 2); July 14 – August 1 (Session 3)
Application Deadline: May 5 (Session 1); May 19 (Session 2); June 16 (Session 3)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors from anywhere in the world
The Cornell University Pre-College online summer program "Introduction to Business Management" (AEM 1200) offers high school and pre-college students a comprehensive overview of key business and management concepts. Through video lectures and assignments, you cover topics like financial accounting, organizational behavior, and marketing. Coursework includes case studies and projects you complete on your own schedule. You can interact with peers and instructors via discussion boards. It’s a self-paced program providing an introduction to business, building college-level skills in economics and analytics. By the end, you receive a certificate. The program is less interactive but provides an Ivy League credential to your resume.
14. Columbia University Pre-College: Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Location: In person at Columbia University (Manhattan) or Online
Cost/Stipend: $12,764 (3-week in-person residential); $6,310 (3-week in-person commuter); $3,965 (2-week online) + $80 application fee + $50 materials fee; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very selective
Dates: June 30 – July 18 (Summer A In-person); July 22 – August 8 (Summer B In-person); July 7 – 18 (Summer A Online); July 21 – August 1 (Summer B Online)
Application Deadline: Typically early February
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
This hands-on program is focused on the creation, evaluation, development, and launch-readiness of new business or social ventures. You work with peers and Columbia instructors to refine an entrepreneurial idea. The curriculum covers business model development, market research, financing, and branding. You systematically learn every step of launching a startup (from idea to investor pitch). Interactive modules and team projects mimic formal venture planning. For example, you’ll perform industry analysis, build a pitch deck, and practice negotiation. The program features guest lectures from entrepreneurs and a final presentation day. By the end, you’ll have a complete venture plan and hands-on experience applying classroom concepts to a startup scenario.
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