12 Economics Programs for High School Students in Boston
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 15
- 10 min read
If economics caught your attention in school, the next step is not just reading more, but seeing how it works in practice. Economics programs give you that space! As a participant, you spend more time on fewer topics, ask more questions, and sometimes work through ideas that do not have a single clear answer. You might look at how policies affect real communities or how data is used to support decisions. That kind of experience helps you understand what studying economics actually involves.
In Boston, economics programs are offered through universities, research organizations, financial institutions, government agencies, and leadership initiatives. These opportunities include pre-college courses, internships, research experiences, academic enrichment programs, and policy-focused learning experiences that vary in format, duration, and area of emphasis.
Why should I do an economics program in high school?
Economics programs allow you to explore how economic ideas are used to understand and address complex questions affecting businesses, communities, and governments. You might analyze datasets, study market behavior, examine public policy issues, conduct research projects, participate in simulations, or explore financial decision-making with guidance from instructors, researchers, and professionals. These experiences can help you strengthen analytical skills, deepen your understanding of economic systems, and explore potential academic and career interests in economics and related fields.
With that, here are 12 economics programs for high school students in Boston!
If you’re looking for summer programs in Boston, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
Several programs are free or paid, including the Federal Reserve Bank TIP internship, MassHire Connecting Activities, and Get Girls Going Summer Incubator (which pays $15/hr), making economics accessible to students across income levels.
Remote options, including Lumiere, ASSIP, Summer@Brown, Wharton Global Youth, and Rice Pre-College, allow students outside Boston to participate in high-quality economics programs.
Programs span a wide range of economics sub-fields, including monetary policy and central banking (Federal Reserve TIP), financial decision-making (Wharton), public policy (Harvard Summer School), entrepreneurship (Get Girls Going), and data-driven economic analysis (Wharton Moneyball, ASSIP).
Students looking for college-level academic credentials can earn official credit or certificates through Harvard Summer School, Summer@Brown, and the Rice University Pre-College Program.
Competitive programs like Harvard Summer School and Wharton Global Youth have deadlines as early as January and March, so students should begin preparing applications well before the end of the school year.
1. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston – TIP (Today’s Interns, Tomorrow’s Professionals)
Stipend: Paid
Location: Boston, MA
Dates: Not specified. Check details here
Application Deadline: Not specified.
Eligibility: Students in Boston Public Schools who have completed their sophomore year
The TIP program at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston gives you a direct look at how economic systems actually function inside a central bank. As you work in departments like finance, communications, or technology, you begin to see how data, reporting, and internal processes support decisions tied to monetary policy and financial stability. Your day-to-day tasks sit within ongoing workflows that reflect how institutions respond to economic conditions. Alongside this, the program includes structured sessions on financial literacy and professional skills that are closely tied to the work you are doing.
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
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. 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.
Cost: Free to participate; paid and unpaid internships available
Location: Boston, MA, and across Massachusetts through local MassHire Workforce Boards
Dates: Varies, with most internships taking place during the summer
Application Deadline: Varies by region
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in Massachusetts public schools
The MassHire Internship Network places you in a role that reflects real workplace needs, and depending on your placement, you may work with data, budgets, or operational systems. Economics shows up in how organizations allocate resources and make decisions under constraints, which you start to notice as you take on tasks. The program includes reflection components, so you are encouraged to think about how your work connects to larger systems. It is not structured like a classroom, which means you learn by being part of the workflow rather than stepping back from it. Over time, you begin to understand how economic ideas apply across different industries.
Location: Boston
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions.
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school
The Academic Insights Program provides school students with an opportunity to take undergraduate-level classes at universities around the world. You will work with academics from universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard in classes of 4-10 students. They attend university-style lectures and 1:1 weekly sessions with their tutor. The program includes practical experiences such as dissections in medicine, building robotic arms in engineering, and moot courts in law. You can choose from over 20 subjects, including architecture, artificial intelligence, business management, computer science, economics, medicine, philosophy, and more. By the end of the program, they complete a personal project and receive written feedback and a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Cost: Free; you will be paid $15/hr
Location: Boston, MA (in-person)
Dates: Oct 27-May 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors; strongly prefers applicants who identify as Black teen girls.
Get Girls Going is centered on building a business idea, but the process is closely tied to basic economic thinking from the start. As you move through market research, pricing, and budgeting, you are constantly making decisions based on demand, costs, and trade-offs. The program is hands-on, so you are not just planning; you are also testing whether your idea makes sense in a real setting. There is a clear focus on how businesses respond to community needs, which brings in ideas around access, affordability, and value. Workshops guide you through each step, but you are expected to make your own calls and adjust when something does not work.
Cost: Paid internship
Location: Quincy, MA (Greater Boston area)
Dates: June 15 – July 16
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged 16–18
The CLA internship introduces you to economics through accounting and financial work, where numbers are used to guide decisions rather than just being recorded. As you assist with audits, documentation, and reporting, you begin to see how firms interpret financial data to understand performance and risk. The work is detailed, and over time, patterns start to emerge in how businesses manage costs and plan. There is also exposure to consulting work, which shows how economic reasoning is applied when advising clients. Workshops and shadowing sessions help connect what you are doing to broader financial systems.
Location: On campus at Harvard University or online/commuting through the Secondary School Program
Cost: $4,050 for 4 credits or $7,900 for 8 credits; $75 application fee; financial aid available
Dates: June 20 – August 8
Application Deadline: March 14 early; March 28 regular
Eligibility: Current high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or graduating seniors ages 16–19
In Harvard Summer School: Economics, Finance, and Public Policy, you step into real college classrooms and take courses alongside other motivated students, earning official Harvard credit if you choose. You select either one 4-credit course or two courses across the 7-week term, allowing you to complete up to 8 credits. Your coursework may cover microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, financial markets, or public policy analysis, depending on your selection. Through lectures, seminars, and graded assignments, you engage with material at the same depth expected of undergraduates. You sharpen analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and policy evaluation skills while managing a true college workload. By the end of the program, you receive graded results and can request an official transcript, giving you a concrete academic outcome from your summer experience.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by course; financial aid available
Program Dates: June 15 – July 25
Application Deadline: Typically in May
Eligibility: High school students finishing grades 9–12, ages 14–18
Summer@Brown’s Economics Track is closer to a college course than a short program, so you spend a lot of time working through readings, assignments, and structured discussions. The topics can range from economic modeling to policy analysis, depending on the course you choose, but the focus stays on how ideas are applied. You are expected to manage your own schedule, which means keeping up with work without constant reminders. The assignments push you to organize your thoughts clearly and support them with evidence.
Cost: $1299 and a $25 application fee, with fee waivers available
Location: Remote
Application Deadline: Typically February
Program Dates: June 18 - August 12
Eligibility: Students aged 15 or older
ASSIP is a research program where your work often leans heavily on data, and if you choose an economics-related project, you spend most of your time working through datasets and structured questions. You are paired with a faculty mentor, and the process begins with understanding how economic problems are framed before moving into analysis. A lot of your time goes into cleaning data, testing ideas, and figuring out what the numbers are actually telling you. It is not fast-paced in the usual sense, as the work requires patience and revision, especially when results do not align immediately. Over time, you begin to see how economic research builds from small steps rather than big conclusions.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,099
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Application Deadline: Priority deadline: January 28. Rolling after that
Dates: Session 1: June 22 – June 26 | Session 2: July 13 – July 17
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
Moneyball FLEX is a four-week online program where you work with data and statistics in a way that connects closely to how economics is actually applied. You move through concepts like probability, regression, and data interpretation, which are the same tools used in economic analysis, just introduced through sports datasets. The structure is partly self-paced: you go through modules during the week, then join live sessions to discuss and work through problems with instructors. You also learn the basics of R, which is commonly used for statistical and economic work, especially when dealing with large datasets.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,795; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple 1- to 4-week sessions offered year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling; varies by session
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up
In The Business of Economics, you examine how economic theory shapes real business strategy and public policy decisions. You move through modules on supply and demand, inflation, labor markets, energy economics, and the role of the Federal Reserve, connecting each concept to current market conditions. Through on-demand lectures created by Rice faculty, you control your pace while completing applied assignments and scenario-based simulations. You analyze how firms respond to policy shifts and how macroeconomic trends influence corporate planning. A mentor supports your progress and provides feedback as you develop a capstone project focused on the relationship between economic policy and business outcomes. When you finish, you receive a Certificate of Completion from Rice University to add to your academic portfolio.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $4,099; need-based scholarships available
Cohort Size: 20–30 students
Dates: Session 1: June 15 – 26 | Session 2: July 6 – 17
Application Deadline: April 2, priority; May 1, final
Eligibility: Current high school freshmen through seniors; international students are eligible
In Financial Decision Making, you spend two weeks building a foundation in core economic and financial principles that shape personal and public choices. You explore saving, investing, inflation, taxation, borrowing, and civic engagement, examining how each factor influences long-term financial stability. Through case studies and applied exercises, you practice evaluating trade-offs and making evidence-based financial decisions. You engage with Wharton faculty and collaborate with peers through structured discussions and the Global Youth Meetup community. At the end of the program, you earn a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion that signals your understanding of financial systems and economic decision-making.
Frequently asked questions
What types of economics programs are available for high school students in Boston?
Options include paid internships (Federal Reserve TIP, CLA, MassHire), university pre-college courses (Harvard Summer School, Summer@Brown, Rice Pre-College), research programs (Lumiere, ASSIP), entrepreneurship experiences (Get Girls Going), and online applied programs (Wharton Global Youth, Immerse Education).
Are there free economics programs for high school students in Boston?
Yes, several programs are free or paid. The Federal Reserve TIP program, MassHire Connecting Activities, and Get Girls Going are all free to participate in, with Get Girls Going offering an hourly wage. Programs like Lumiere, Harvard Summer School, and Wharton offer financial aid for students who need it.
Which Boston economics programs offer college credit or formal credentials?
Harvard Summer School awards official Harvard credit and provides a transcript upon completion. Summer@Brown and Rice Pre-College both issue certificates of completion, and Wharton Global Youth programs provide a Wharton certificate. These credentials can strengthen college applications and demonstrate academic readiness.
Are there economics programs in Boston specifically for underrepresented students?
Get Girls Going strongly prefers applicants who identify as Black teen girls and is focused on entrepreneurship and business economics. The Federal Reserve TIP program is specifically designed for Boston Public Schools students who have completed their sophomore year.
Which programs are best for students interested in economics research?
Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs students 1-on-1 with a Ph.D. mentor to produce an independent research paper on an economics topic of their choice. ASSIP at George Mason University offers a similar research experience, pairing students with faculty mentors to work through data-driven economic projects over the summer.
When should I apply to economics programs in Boston?
Deadlines vary widely. Harvard Summer School has an early deadline of March 14, Wharton Global Youth has a priority deadline of January 28, and ASSIP typically closes in February. Students should identify programs of interest in the fall and aim to submit applications by January or February for the most competitive options.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.