20+ Business Internships for High School Students
Updated: 2 days ago
TL;DR
You'll find 21 business internships on this page, grouped by field, from marketing and media to finance, tech and startups, and public sector work. Many roles are paid, including the Microsoft Discovery Program and the Emma Bowen Foundation Summer Internship, while others, like Building-U, are free to join but unpaid. Whether you're a ninth grader sampling business or a senior heading into college, you'll find options across grades 9 through 12. If you'd rather build a mentor-led research project than work inside an organization, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you 1:1 with a PhD mentor.
Business covers far more than finance and consulting. The internships below span marketing, entrepreneurship, technology, and public sector operations, giving high schoolers a genuine look at how organizations run day-to-day. Whether you want hands-on startup work, a structured corporate program, or exposure to how a hospital, federal agency, or nonprofit does business, there's a fit here across a range of interests and locations.
How to get a business internship in high school
To increase your chances of getting a business internship, carefully check eligibility, look at local options, and figure out what you want from the internship.
Check age and grade rules first: Cutoffs vary widely. CLA's program accepts ages 16 to 18, the Emma Bowen Foundation requires you to be 18 before the internship starts, and the Port of Seattle asks for 16 or older. Filter your shortlist by these rules before you read anything else.
Start with programs that run a set cohort: A program like the Port of Seattle internship gives you a published timeline and a defined application process, which makes it easier to plan around than an informal opening.
Email smaller organizations that take direct applications: It might be easier to secure an internship at smaller, more local organizations. PHC Group and Building-U both accept applications by email on a rolling basis, so a short, specific note about why you want the role is often the whole process.
Know what pay to expect: The U.S. Department of Labor's Fact Sheet #71 explains that for-profit employers generally have to pay interns, while unpaid internships at public sector and nonprofit organizations are generally permissible. Figure out if payment is a big priority for you, and shortlist accordingly.
Which industries hire high school business interns
You will find most business internships for high schoolers in marketing and media, accounting and professional services, tech and startups, and public sector or nonprofit operations.
Marketing, communications and media: The Smithsonian Science Education Center's communications track and the Emma Bowen Foundation's media placements are the prime examples. You can work on social campaigns, get a business role, or work with entertainment companies.
Accounting and professional services: CLA's paid high school program, announced on the firm's own site, is open to students aged 16 to 18 and centers on accounting and finance. Jimerson Birr offers a different angle through a business law firm in Jacksonville.
Tech and startups: Microsoft Discovery places graduating seniors in product teams, while YEP KC rotates Kansas City juniors and seniors through two local startups.
Public sector and nonprofit operations: The Port of Seattle and Kaiser Permanente's KP Launch place students in operational roles, which gives you a view of how a large organization runs day to day.
When business internship applications open and close
You will usually apply from late autumn through early spring for a summer internship, and a smaller group of programs accepts applications on a rolling basis.
Start researching in early fall: Some internships have deadlines in late fall or early spring, so it’s important to know how early you need to apply. KP Launch opens in mid-November and closes in early January.
Block out time in Feb-March: Most internships have their deadlines in the spring. Microsoft Discovery opens in early February with interviews starting in March, and the PNNL summer track opens in early February and closes in March.
Apply early to rolling programs: The Emma Bowen Foundation reviews applicants from September to April and recommends applying as early as possible, so a rolling label does not mean you have until spring.
Do business internships help with college applications?
Yes, a business internship can strengthen your application by showing sustained interest and giving you something specific to write about.
It counts as work experience: The Common App describes its activities section as a list of your activities, work, and responsibilities, so a paid or unpaid internship has a clear place there.
It gives your essays a concrete subject: Internships give you concrete problems to solve, actual work experience, and, sometimes, a project at the end. You can use any of these to anchor your application essays.
It can lead to a stronger recommender: A supervisor who watched you work can describe specific contributions, your business acumen, and your ability to take on unfamiliar tasks. All these can add up to a useful, detailed recommendation for college applications.
Your final output matters: At some internships, you leave with a completed project, an experience letter, or a research paper. Any of these can be valuable additions to your college application. Our survey found that students who mentioned their research paper during college applications were 4x more likely to get into top institutes compared to the general student population.
How we selected these internships
We checked each internship against four criteria so you can compare them on the same terms.
Eligibility for high schoolers: Each entry states the age, grade, and location rules, since cutoffs run from 16 to 18 and many programs are restricted to a region.
Exposure to how an organization runs: Each role touches marketing, finance, operations, or entrepreneurship, and entries that lean toward coursework or leadership training say so.
Cost and pay transparency: Each entry states whether the role is paid, unpaid, or fee-based, with the stipend or cost where it is published.
Verifiable details: Dates, eligibility, and format come from the program's own page where one exists, and anything not published is marked as such.
Section | Top programs | Cost | Best for |
Marketing, communications & media | Smithsonian Science Education Center (Communications & Marketing), Emma Bowen Foundation, Warner Bros. Discovery Reach Honorship | Unpaid – paid (varies by program) | Students drawn to marketing, social media, or the business side of media and entertainment |
Finance & professional services | CLA High School Internship Program, Jimerson Birr (HSSIP), U.S. Department of State Pathways Internship | Unpaid – paid (varies by GS scale/program) | Students weighing accounting, business law, or government finance and policy roles |
Entrepreneurship, startups, & general | YEP KC, Lumiere Research Scholar Program, Ladder Internships, Microsoft Discovery Program, Meta Summer Academy, Building-U | Free – $6,295 (Babson Summer Study) | Students who want hands-on startup work, tech-company exposure, or an academic entrepreneurship credential |
Nonprofit & public sector | Port of Seattle High School Internships, Kaiser Permanente KP Launch, PNNL Business Internship, Ladders for Leaders | Unpaid – paid (16.50–26/hr where published) | Students curious about how large public agencies, healthcare systems, or city government run their operations |
Marketing, Communications & Media
These programs put students to work on real marketing, communications, and media business tasks, from social campaigns to entertainment industry operations, at organizations ranging from small nonprofits to major studios.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid for high school level applicants; a modest stipend may be available for older interns
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; selective given SSEC's broader internship competitiveness
Dates: Typically spring through summer, in an 8 to 10 week track, based on past cycles
Application Deadline: Typically late winter or early spring, based on past cycles; SSEC posts multiple windows a year
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old, alongside undergraduate and graduate applicants
The Smithsonian Science Education Center's Communications & Marketing track puts high schoolers to work on real content for the SSEC brand: social media campaigns, digital asset management, and audience research for one of the Smithsonian's science education arms. It's a virtual role with flexible hours, mentored directly by SSEC's Marketing & Communications team.
Who it's best for: A student who wants marketing and social media experience specifically inside a mission driven science education nonprofit, without needing to live near Washington, D.C.
Location: Remote, social media and community engagement work
Cost/Stipend: Paid; exact rate not published
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Typically summer, based on past cycles
Application Deadline: Rolling, by email
Eligibility: Active, registered high school junior or senior; unrestricted U.S. work authorization
Named for community leader Mary Miller, this small firm internship puts students to work under PHC Group's Public Health Director on social media strategy, community engagement, and digital content for a public health consulting firm. Interns pitch in on planning meetings and social listening and reporting.
Who it's best for: A student interested in public health adjacent marketing who doesn't mind a smaller, less formal application process: a direct email rather than a portal.
Location: Various U.S. cities, at partner companies including Bloomberg, CBS, Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. Discovery
Cost/Stipend: Paid, full-time, 35 to 40 hours per week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 150 Fellows, new and returning, selected annually
Dates: Minimum 8 continuous weeks, generally starting May or June; internship start and end dates are set by the partner company
Application Deadline: Recruitment typically opens in late January and closes in late February; the 2026 cycle ran January 26 to February 26, 2026
Eligibility: High school senior graduating Spring 2026 or later, or current undergraduate; minimum 3.0 GPA; must turn 18 before the internship starts; authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship
The Emma Bowen Foundation places students of color in paid, multi-year internships at major media, entertainment, and technology companies, with a Business track covering finance, sales, HR, marketing, and PR. Unlike a one summer program, EBF Fellows return to their partner company every summer through college graduation.
Who it's best for: A student aiming at the business side of media, entertainment, or tech who wants a long-term relationship with one employer through college, not just a single summer.
Location: Burbank, CA or Los Angeles County, CA; the Hanna-Barbera Animation track is open nationwide
Cost/Stipend: Paid summer internships during college, up to 4 consecutive summers, plus a $5,000 scholarship paid in installments
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; roughly 5 to 6 students selected annually
Dates: Spans up to four consecutive college summers; specific internship dates vary by year and placement
Application Deadline: Typically late winter, based on past cycles
Eligibility: Graduating high school senior in Burbank or L.A. County, or nationwide for the Animation track; minimum 3.0 GPA; plans to attend a four-year college
The Reach Honorship Program is a scholarship internship package. Recipients get a $5,000 college scholarship and a standing invitation to intern at Warner Bros. Discovery every college summer, working across finance, HR, marketing, communications, or more technical and creative tracks like content development and post-production.
Who it's best for: A graduating senior in the LA area committed to a media or entertainment career, who wants a scholarship bundled with guaranteed paid internships throughout college rather than a single summer.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here! The Warner Bros. Reach Honorship Program: Should You Apply?
Finance & Professional Services
For students drawn to the structure and rigor behind business, these internships offer direct exposure to accounting, law, and federal financial and administrative work.
Location: Select CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) offices nationwide
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 80+ students in 2026, its fourth year running
Dates: Summer, starting in June
Application Deadline: Typically spring, based on past cycles
Eligibility: Ages 16 to 18
CLA's high school program, built jointly with Future Business Leaders of America, gives students hands-on exposure to accounting, tax, wealth management, digital, and consulting work at the eighth largest accounting firm in the U.S., including client service simulations and social media projects alongside actual CLA teams.
Who it's best for: A student weighing a career in accounting or finance who wants firm-specific exposure at scale, with FBLA's backing.
Location: Jacksonville, FL, onsite
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: 4 to 6 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Typically spring, based on past cycles
Eligibility: High school student able to work onsite in Jacksonville, FL; motivated, strong communicator, genuine interest in business or law; no GPA threshold published
Jimerson Birr, a Best Law Firms in America business law firm, rotates interns through accounting, legal services, communications and marketing, and IT departments, working directly with attorneys and department leads across a business law practice.
Who it's best for: A student specifically drawn to business law who's comfortable working onsite at a mid-size firm and wants breadth across legal, financial, and communications functions.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here! Jimerson Birr's Business Law Internship for High Schoolers: 10 Reasons Why You Should Apply
Location: Various U.S. federal offices
Cost/Stipend: Paid; rate varies by department and GS pay scale
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Varies by posting; postings run year-round on USAJobs
Application Deadline: Rolling, varies by individual posting
Eligibility: U.S. citizen, at least 16, GPA 2.0 or higher, currently enrolled; high school enrollment qualifies for some positions, though not all
The Pathways Internship Program, covering both the Internship Experience Program and the Internship Temporary Program, places students with federal agencies like the FDIC, OMB, Department of Commerce, and Department of Transportation, exposing interns to finance, administration, public policy, and HR functions inside the federal government.
Who it's best for: A student interested in government or public policy business functions who's comfortable applying to individual rolling postings rather than one structured cohort program.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here! 7 Reasons Why You Should Apply to the U.S. Pathways Internship as a High Schooler
Entrepreneurship, Startups, & General
This group covers hands-on startup work, academic entrepreneurship programs, and internships at major tech companies, for students who want to build or explore something new.
Location: Remote, and you can participate from anywhere in the world
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid is available, and the official page lists current pricing
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; recent cohorts have drawn over 4,000 applicants for about 500 spots
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring; options range from 12 weeks to 1 year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort; cohorts usually open for applications around January, May, September, and November
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in high school with a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students, offering extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities across a broad range of subject areas. It pairs students with PhD mentors to work one on one on an independent research project, and at the end of the 12-week program you will 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.
Who it's best for: A student who wants a genuinely individual, mentored research paper rather than a group program, including an economics-minded student who would rather write original research than sit in a class.
Location: Remote, and you can work from anywhere in the world
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid is available, and the official page lists current pricing
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; the exact rate is not published
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter; the virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long
Application deadline: Deadlines vary by cohort; cohorts usually open for applications around January (spring), May (summer), September (fall), and November (winter)
Eligibility: Students who can work 10 to 20 hours a week for 8 to 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, placing them with high-growth start-ups on real-world projects. The start-ups range across a variety of industries, from tech and deep tech and AI and machine learning to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more, and are high growth companies that have on average raised over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the start-up and present their work to the company at the end of the internship.
Who it's best for: A student who wants genuine startup work experience rather than a classroom program, and is comfortable being embedded on a real team.
Location: Kansas City, MO metro area
Cost/Stipend: Paid, $12 to $14 per hour, plus a $2,500 scholarship upon completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; competitive relative to applicant pool, exact current figure not published
Dates: Two 4-week summer sessions, early June and July
Application Deadline: Typically winter, based on past cycles
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in the Kansas City metro area
YEP KC rotates high schoolers through two different Kansas City area high-growth startups over the summer, pairing each with a local entrepreneur and giving them real project work in business operations, marketing, or product development.
Who it's best for: A KC-area student who wants direct, in-person startup immersion, rotating through two companies, rather than classroom-based instruction.
Location: Babson Park, MA, in-person, or fully online; both formats offered
Cost/Stipend: $6,295; college prep scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: July 8 to 28, 2026, in-person and online sessions available
Application Deadline: Registration typically closes in March; the 2026 cycle closed March 13, 2026
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, ages 16 to 18
Babson Summer Study is a 3-week, 4-college-credit program (EPS1110: Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience) at the top-ranked college for entrepreneurship, where students apply an Entrepreneurial Thought & Action framework to real social, economic, and environmental problems framed by the UN Global Goals.
Who it's best for: A student who wants actual college credit and an academically rigorous entrepreneurship curriculum, not a workplace-based internship.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here! The Ultimate Guide to Babson's Summer Study for High School Students
Location: Fully remote, worldwide
Cost/Stipend: Free, unpaid, nonprofit structure
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; informal, rolling admission
Dates: Year-round, rolling; minimum 3-month commitment
Application Deadline: Rolling, by email
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in high school, grades 9 to 12, from anywhere in the world
Building-U is a student-run nonprofit organized into functional teams, including Resource R&D, Marketing, Coding, Social Media, and Business & Development, where high schoolers help build and run the organization itself rather than shadowing adults, gaining exposure across multiple business functions at once.
Who it's best for: A student without a fixed business focus yet who wants to sample several functional areas (marketing, coding, business development) in a free, low-stakes, fully remote setting.
Location: Multiple cities, including Oxford, Cambridge, London, New York, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo, and Singapore, varies by session
Cost/Stipend: Varies by location; bursary and financial aid program available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small classes of 7 to 10 students
Dates: 2-week sessions, primarily in July 2026, varies by city
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions across multiple cohorts
Eligibility: Ages 15 to 18, 13 to 18 at some locations such as Sydney
Immerse's Business Management track puts students in small classes in major global business hubs, combining university-style academic sessions, one-on-one tutoring, and a personal research project, with each city's curriculum tailored to its local business character.
Who it's best for: A student who wants an academically rigorous, residential business program in a major city abroad or in the U.S., rather than a workplace internship.
Location: Redmond, WA or Atlanta, GA, on Microsoft campus
Cost/Stipend: Paid, roughly $26 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; described as highly competitive
Dates: 4-week program; the 2026 cycle ran July 6 to 31 in Atlanta and July 13 to August 7 in Redmond
Application Deadline: Opens in early February; reviewed on a rolling basis with interviews starting in March
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who live and attend high school within 50 miles of Redmond, WA, and are members of specific Microsoft-sponsored organizations, or attend high school within Atlanta Public Schools, DeKalb, Fulton, Cobb, or Gwinnett County districts; must have completed pre-calculus or equivalent
Discoverers spend four weeks in small project pods on real product development work spanning software engineering, product management, and UX design, mentored directly by Microsoft employees.
Who it's best for: A graduating senior heading into a STEM or CS track college major who happens to live in one of the two eligible metro areas.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here! The Ultimate Guide to Microsoft's High School Internship (Discovery Program)
Location: Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, and Belle Haven, CA
Cost/Stipend: Paid, stipend-based
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: 6-week program, typically summer, based on past cycles
Application Deadline: Typically opens in early winter and closes in mid-winter, based on past cycles
Eligibility: Full-year residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, or Redwood City, CA; no prior coding experience required
Meta Summer Academy, formerly Facebook Academy, gives local Bay Area teens six weeks of tech exposure, including coding fundamentals, career pathways, and mentorship from Meta employees, aimed specifically at expanding access for students in Meta's own headquarters neighborhoods.
Who it's best for: A student living in one of the specific eligible Bay Area cities who wants direct tech-company exposure with zero prior coding experience required.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here! Meta Internship for High Schoolers (Meta Summer Academy Program): 6 Reasons Why You Should Do It
Location: Virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Application-based; open to all high school students
Dates: Multiple cohorts a year, including summer, fall, winter and spring
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: All high school students
Founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs, Young Founders Lab is a startup boot camp where you work toward building a revenue-generating startup that tackles a real problem. You’re mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft and X. Alongside the build, you take interactive classes on business fundamentals and ideation, plus workshops, case studies and panel discussions.
Who it’s best for: A student who wants to launch an actual revenue-generating startup rather than study business in a classroom.
Nonprofit & Public Sector Internships
These internships place students inside government agencies, healthcare systems, and nonprofit institutions, offering a look at how large, mission-driven organizations run their day-to-day business operations.
Location: Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 40 spots in the summer cohort
Dates: Summer program; 2026 info sessions ran through April 2026
Application Deadline: The summer cohort's applications open in May each year; a winter cohort's applications open in November
Eligibility: At least 16 years old, current high school student, authorized to work in the Seattle area
The Port of Seattle's program places students across departments touching aviation, maritime, community engagement, and environmental operations, with project management training and a final presented project.
Who it's best for: A Seattle-area student curious about how a large public agency runs its business operations, not just its front-line services.
Location: Kaiser Permanente facilities across Northern California
Cost/Stipend: Paid, $25 per hour for the High School track
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Seven-week summer program; the most recently confirmed cycle (Summer 2027) runs June 14 to July 30
Application Deadline: Recurring pattern, opens mid-November and closes early January; the Summer 2027 cycle opened November 16, 2026 and closes January 8, 2027
Eligibility: Ages 16 to 19 by June 1; current high school student or graduating senior; permanent resident of a Northern California KP service area
KP Launch places interns in administrative and operational roles, not clinical care, across a Kaiser Permanente medical center or office, from facilities and materials management to quality assurance and marketing support.
Who it's best for: A Northern California student curious about the business or administrative side of healthcare, rather than direct patient care.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here! A Comprehensive Guide to the KP Launch High School Internship
Location: Richland, WA
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Academic year, August to May, up to 4 hours per day, or summer, June to August, up to full-time
Application Deadline: Summer track opens early February, closes March; academic-year track opens early February, closes June
Eligibility: High school students interested in business fields; PNNL's 18+ age requirement applies to laboratory and field-work spaces specifically, so students under 18 should confirm directly with PNNL whether it applies to the office-based Business track
PNNL's business track puts high schoolers into finance, business services, or customer-solutions roles supporting a Department of Energy national lab, working part-time during the school year and full-time in summer, with the chance to earn elective school credit.
Who it's best for: A student near the Tri-Cities, WA area who wants business-side exposure at a national research lab rather than lab-bench work.
Location: Brooklyn Public Library branches, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Runs November through June each year; the 2025 to 2026 cohort's window has already closed
Application Deadline: The 2025 to 2026 cycle's deadline was October 4, 2025
Eligibility: Enrolled in a NYC high school, grades 10 to 12
LoT interns complete 100 combined hours of training and hands-on work, assisting with library programs and events, learning collection development, and building a capstone project under a Library mentor, with a focus on library and information science career exposure.
Who it's best for: A NYC student interested in nonprofit or public-institution administration, especially library and information science.
Location: White Plains, NY
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid; travel stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Typically summer, based on past cycles
Application Deadline: Rolling; typically spring, based on past cycles
Eligibility: High school junior or senior for the summer track, minimum approximately 10 hours per week
ArtsWestchester interns work across departments like gallery operations, arts-in-education, and development, contributing to ongoing cultural programming while attending professional development workshops and local arts events.
Who it's best for: A Westchester-area student interested in nonprofit arts administration who's comfortable with an unpaid, travel-stipended role.
Location: New York City, placements with corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies citywide
Cost/Stipend: Paid, minimum $16.50 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: 6 weeks, 25 to 40 hours per week, summer
Application Deadline: Recurring pattern, opens in January and closes by March; the 2026 cycle's deadline was extended to March 13, 2026
Eligibility: NYC resident, rising senior or college student, ages 16 to 24, prior paid or volunteer work experience, legally authorized to work in the U.S.
Run by NYC's Department of Youth and Community Development through community partners Commonpoint, Children's Arts & Science Workshops, and PENCIL, Ladders for Leaders places students in paid internships at established employers citywide after pre-employment training in workplace readiness and professional etiquette.
Who it's best for: An NYC student who wants a structured, city-run placement at a recognized employer without individually cold-applying.
Location: Hunter College Main Campus, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Stipend provided to all participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 60 participants per cohort
Dates: Typically three sessions across summer, based on past cycles
Application Deadline: Typically spring, based on past cycles
Eligibility: Ages 13 to 21, residing in or from the NYC metropolitan area; no academic or skills criteria, priority given to underserved neighborhoods and schools. BALI's broader mission centers female-identifying and gender-expansive youth specifically
BALI's leadership program builds communication, critical-thinking, and public-leadership skills through workshops, debate labs, and civic-engagement training at Hunter College, a leadership development program more than a classic business internship.
Who it's best for: An NYC-area student, particularly young women or gender-expansive youth per BALI's stated mission, drawn to leadership and civic engagement more than a conventional business placement.
Frequently asked questions: business internships for high school students
Can a high schooler intern at JP Morgan?
Yes, but mostly through short school programs and apprenticeships rather than a traditional internship. JPMorganChase's own student opportunities page lists school programs for current high schoolers that run from one day to two weeks, plus apprenticeships for graduating high school students. Its internships are aimed at undergraduate and graduate students, though some are open to current high schoolers in select locations.
Can I be 17 and join an internship?
Yes, many programs accept 17-year-olds, though the age rules vary. CLA's high school program takes students aged 16 to 18, and the Smithsonian Science Education Center's communications track asks for 16 or older. Check each program's age rule before you apply, since the cutoff can differ even between similar roles.
Are there paid business internships for high school students?
Yes, several are paid. CLA's high school accounting program is paid, the Microsoft Discovery Program pays roughly $26 per hour, and YEP KC pays $12 to $14 per hour plus a $2,500 scholarship on completion. Each entry on this page states whether the role is paid, unpaid, or fee-based.
What is the best internship for high school students?
The best internship depends on the field you are interested in. If you want media or entertainment, the Emma Bowen Foundation places students at major media and tech companies and brings them back each summer through college. If accounting interests you, CLA's program is built around it, and if you want a startup setting, YEP KC rotates you through two local companies.
Are there business internships for high school students interested in entrepreneurship?
Yes, though the options split between workplace placements and coursework. YEP KC rotates Kansas City juniors and seniors through two high-growth local startups over the summer, and Building-U is a fully remote, student-run nonprofit with a business and development team. If you want an academic route, Babson Summer Study is a three-week, four-credit entrepreneurship course rather than an internship.
What can I do if I can't get a business internship?
Build something of your own, since an independent project can show the same initiative an internship does. You can volunteer for a nonprofit, start a small business or campaign, or complete an independent research project. If you want a structured version of that last option, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you 1:1 with a PhD mentor to develop a research paper, and it runs online.
Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.