Finance Research Opportunities for High School Students (2026)
Updated: Oct 9
Updated 1 September, 2026
TL;DR
This page covers 7 finance research opportunities for high school students, ranging from a mentor-led research paper to intensive campus programs with access to Bloomberg and FactSet terminals. Costs run from around $1,395 to $6,500, and several programs, including Wharton, Michigan Ross, and Bentley's Wall Street 101, offer need-based scholarships. Whether you want a finished research paper, a broad finance foundation, or just want to test if finance is the right fit before committing to a major, there's an option below at every level of commitment. If you want a rigorous, mentor-led research project rather than a fixed curriculum, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Finance Track pairs you 1:1 with a PhD mentor.
Doing research in finance, not just an internship but an actual research question you investigate, is one of the clearer ways to show a college that your interest in the field goes past a resume line. It also answers something useful before you declare a major: whether you actually like the analytical, sometimes slow work of financial research, or just like the idea of Wall Street.
If you want a broader list that includes internships too, check out this roundup as well.
What to look for in a finance research program
Not all seven of these are solving the same problem, so it helps to know what you're actually optimizing for before you apply:
What you'll walk away with. A finished paper you can point to, or just a certificate of attendance? These aren't the same thing on an application.
How much real mentor time you get. A 1:1 research pairing is a very different experience from a 30-person lecture hall, even if both call themselves "mentored."
The full cost, not just the sticker price. Factor in application fees, optional housing, and whether financial aid actually exists for that specific program, since it doesn't for all of them.
Whether the format fits your summer. A one-week intensive and a 12-week research program ask very different things of your schedule.
Quick comparison
Program | Cost | Format | Best for |
Lumiere Research Scholar Program | Varies; aid available | Remote, 1:1 mentored paper | Students who want a finished research paper |
Wharton Financial Decision Making | ~$6,500 | Online, 2 weeks | A comprehensive personal/corporate finance foundation |
Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy | ~$5,500 | On-campus, 2 weeks | Broader business context around finance |
NYU Finance NYC | ~$2,579+ | On-campus, 1 week | A concentrated, no-frills finance intro |
Wall Street 101 (Bentley) | $1,490+ | Online or on-campus | Hands-on Bloomberg/FactSet access |
IFPY (UC Irvine) | $1,395 | Commuter, 1 week | Total beginners with no finance background |
Economics for Leaders | Varies | On-campus/virtual | Students unsure if it's finance or economics they want |
Location: Remote. You can participate from anywhere in the world.
Cost/Stipend: Varies by track; no stipend offered; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size limited per mentor availability
Dates: Rolling cohorts in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application deadline: Varies by cohort. The current Fall II cohort deadline, for example, is September 27.
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students with a genuine interest in finance and research
Choose this option if you want a finished research paper with your name on it, not just exposure to finance concepts. You're paired one-on-one with a PhD mentor, and together you define a real research question, whether that's behavioral finance, market efficiency, corporate valuation, or whatever else pulls you in, then spend the program building it into a full paper, with virtual site visits and chances to talk to people actually working in the field along the way. You'll close out by presenting your findings at the Lumiere Research Symposium. Because cohorts run four times a year rather than being locked to a single summer window, it's also one of the more flexible programs here in terms of when you can start. If cost is a concern, the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation offers full scholarships to students who've shown strong academic ability despite financial hardship.
Who it's best for: A student who wants an actual finished research paper and real mentor feedback, not a fixed curriculum, and who wants flexibility on when to start.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Around $6,500; need-based scholarships available through the National Education Opportunity Network
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Two summer sessions, typically mid-June and early-to-mid July (most recently June 15–26 and July 6–17, 2026)
Application deadline: Priority deadline typically falls in late January, with rolling admission after that. Check the program page for exact 2027 dates once they're posted.
Eligibility: Grades 9–12, minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA
Built around a curriculum from finance professor David Musto, this two-week intensive covers personal and corporate finance, including saving, investing, taxes, and inflation, through daily live lectures and small-group recitations led by Penn TAs. Students also get hands-on Excel practice throughout, which is one of the more transferable skills on this list, since it's the actual tool you'll use in any finance-adjacent class or internship later on. The program closes with a final project applying what you've learned to real financial scenarios.
Who it's best for: A student who wants the most comprehensive, structured finance foundation on this list, and doesn't mind a fully online format.
Location: University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor
Cost/Stipend: Program fee historically around $5,500, plus a $75 application fee; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: 2027 sessions run in June (exact dates to be posted)
Application deadline: January 10, 2027 (application opens November 2026)
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors, minimum 3.0 GPA
This one is business-wide rather than finance-specific, but it earns its spot because the case-study format is closer to how financial analysts actually work through problems than a lecture-based course is. Over two weeks on campus, you work through faculty-designed cases simulating real corporate decisions, alongside a cohort of similarly motivated students. It specifically welcomes applicants from resource-limited households and first-generation students, with need-based scholarships built into the application.
Who it's best for: A student who wants to see how finance fits into the bigger picture of running a company, not just isolated investment analysis.
Location: New York City
Cost/Stipend: $2,579 tuition per course, plus a $50 application fee and around $684 for optional housing; no financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Rolling, based on session availability
Dates: Six one-week sessions typically run late June through early August; 2026 sessions are closed, with 2027 dates expected later this year
Eligibility: Completed grades 9, 10, or 11
There's something to be said for learning finance in the city where most of the industry's decisions actually get made. This course covers financial analysis, investment management, and how the financial system fits together, including time value of money, risk and return, capital budgeting, and the Federal Reserve's role, and it's taught by an industry professional rather than a professor. It's a single, focused week, which makes it a strong fit if your summer is already packed. One thing worth flagging upfront: NYU doesn't offer financial aid, scholarships, or discounts for this program, so budget for the full cost before applying.
Who it's best for: A student who wants a concentrated, one-week finance intro in NYC and doesn't need financial aid to make it work.
Location: Online, or on Bentley University's campus (residential/commuter)
Cost/Stipend: $1,490 online (residential/commuter pricing varies by session length); $75 application fee; need-based scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Rolling, space-available basis
Dates: Rolling sessions through the summer; applications typically accepted through June 1 each year
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors; online-only option available for younger students
If you want to actually touch the tools professionals use, this is the one. Wall Street 101 gives students access to Bloomberg, FactSet, and other industry-standard platforms, covering stocks, bonds, currencies, crypto, macroeconomics, securities valuation, and trading strategy, plus a stock pitch project and investment simulations. Bentley also runs a genuine need-based scholarship program, and students can submit tax documentation directly in the application.
Who it's best for: A student who wants hands-on exposure to the actual software and terminals used on Wall Street, not just the theory.
Location: UC Irvine, Paul Merage School of Business (commuter only, no housing)
Cost/Stipend: $1,395 total (this figure includes the $600 non-refundable deposit, not an additional fee on top of it)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; open enrollment
Dates: One-week sessions typically run in July (exact 2026/2027 dates to be confirmed on the program page)
Eligibility: Open to incoming freshmen through recently graduated seniors; no prior finance or economics knowledge required
IFPY is the most beginner-friendly program on this list. No prior finance or economics background is required, which makes it a solid entry point if you're finance-curious but haven't taken an econ class yet. Over one week, you build and evaluate investment portfolios, work through case studies, and get a Bloomberg Terminal demo, then close with a capstone project where you build your own personalized wealth management plan. It's commuter-only, so it's a better fit if you're local to Irvine or have someone who can get you there daily.
Who it's best for: A total beginner who wants to test whether finance interests them before committing to anything longer or more expensive.
Location: Varies by site (residential and virtual options available)
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program site; scholarships available through FTE's Costs & Scholarships page
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Dates: Summer program; 2026 applications are closed, with 2027 applications opening in December 2026
Application materials: Letter of recommendation, transcript, personal statement (three personal insight questions), $35 application fee
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
It's worth including this one even though it's framed around economics rather than finance specifically, because the two fields overlap more than people expect, and it helps to know the difference before committing. While the other programs here have you analyzing specific investments or companies, Economics for Leaders focuses on the bigger forces that shape those markets in the first place: incentives, trade-offs, and policy decisions. Run by the Foundation for Teaching Economics at university campuses nationwide, it blends economic reasoning with leadership development through real-world scenarios and group work.
Who it's best for: A student who's drawn to why markets behave the way they do as much as how to trade in them. It's a good pick if you're not yet sure it's finance specifically you want.
Do finance research programs help with your college application?
Yes, and it tends to work best as one clear, specific element of a wider profile rather than the whole story. A few reasons it carries weight:
It sets you apart from similar applicants. Strong grades and test scores are common at selective schools; a real analysis of market behavior or a completed valuation project is far rarer.
It shows a clear academic direction. A finished project demonstrates sustained interest in finance, which adds real substance if you're applying to business, economics, or finance programs.
It earns you a credible recommender. A mentor who supervised your actual research can speak specifically about how you think and solve problems, which is more useful than a reference who only knows you from class.
Frequently asked questions: finance research opportunities for high school students
How do I get into finance research as a high school student?
Most students start either by applying to a structured mentorship program, like Lumiere's Finance Track, or by enrolling in a pre-college finance course at a university. Structured mentorship programs remove some of the legwork by matching you directly with a research mentor rather than requiring you to cold-email professors. If you're not sure finance is the right fit yet, a shorter, lower-cost option like IFPY is a reasonable way to test the waters first.
Are there free or low-cost finance research programs for high schoolers?
Full scholarships aren't as common in finance research as they are in STEM lab programs, but several options on this list bring the cost down significantly. Wharton, Michigan Ross, and Bentley's Wall Street 101 all offer need-based scholarships, and Lumiere's Research Inclusion Foundation covers the full cost for eligible students. The one clear exception is NYU's Finance NYC course, which doesn't offer financial aid at all.
Can high schoolers do finance research online?
Yes. Both the Lumiere Research Scholar Program and Wharton's Financial Decision Making run entirely online, so location isn't a barrier. Wall Street 101 also offers a fully online format alongside its on-campus option. Virtual programs are a good fit if you're not near a university with a finance program, or want a schedule that fits around the school year rather than requiring travel.
What's the difference between finance and economics research for high schoolers?
Finance research typically focuses on specific investments, companies, or markets, like valuation, portfolio construction, and trading strategy. Economics research looks at the bigger forces shaping those markets: incentives, policy, trade-offs. If you're not sure which describes your interest, a program like Economics for Leaders is a useful way to find out before you commit to a finance-specific track.
Is it too early to do finance research if I haven't taken an economics class yet?
No. Several programs on this list, including IFPY at UC Irvine, are explicitly built for students with no prior finance or economics background. Starting without a formal foundation just means picking a program designed for beginners rather than one that assumes prior coursework, like Wharton's, which expects some baseline familiarity.