15 Entrepreneurship Summer Internships for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 22 hours ago
- 14 min read
If you're a high school student looking to gain experience in business before committing to it in college, an internship can be a good option to explore. These opportunities often place you within a startup, company, or organization, giving you exposure to how projects, operations, and decisions actually get carried out. Whether your interests lie in finance, venture capital, marketing, or product development, internships can help you build a clearer picture of what entrepreneurship looks like day to day.
Why should you do an entrepreneurship summer internship in high school?
Entrepreneurship internships can help you build practical skills in areas like market research, financial analysis, and business development while working alongside founders, investors, or industry professionals. Depending on the internship you choose, you could support a startup's daily operations, analyze investment opportunities, or work through your own project pitch. These experiences can also strengthen your college applications by giving you concrete examples of initiative and business exposure to discuss.
With that, here are 15 strong entrepreneurship summer internships for high school students!
If you’re looking for online summer research programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These internships span venture capital, financial services, media, technology, government finance, and startup operations, so students with a wide range of interests within entrepreneurship and business can find a relevant opportunity.
Several internships are highly competitive, including 1435 Capital Management (1 to 2% acceptance rate), Emma Bowen Foundation (under 5%), and InnoVenture Labs (5 to 10 students), so students should apply early and to multiple programs.
Most internships are paid, with hourly rates ranging from $17 to $23 at PNNL and $18 to $21 at Fidelity Boundless, while others, such as Future Founders and futureBOS, provide stipends without disclosing specific amounts.
Application deadlines range from September (Emma Bowen Foundation begins rolling evaluation) to May (Ladder Internship Program summer cohort), with several programs, such as futureBOS and Ladder, accepting rolling applications throughout the year.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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 span a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech to AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are, on average, high-growth companies that raise 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. Apply now!
Location: Hybrid - Princeton, NJ
Cost: None. A stipend is paid.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective; 1-2% acceptance rate, 3-4 students
Dates: 10 weeks over the summer
Application Deadline: April 5; applicants are strongly recommended to apply early
Eligibility: Rising 11th-12th graders and rising undergraduate freshmen aged 16+. Must complete all work in the U.S. and be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship. Demonstrated interest and skills in entrepreneurship, finance, and/or venture capital are expected.
1435 Capital Management’s Venture Analyst program is a highly competitive entrepreneurship summer internship for high schoolers, offering 10 weeks of professional experience in the startup and venture capital industries. You’ll analyze emerging startups to identify strategic investment opportunities, conducting research on market trends, financial projections, and potential competitors in the technology industry. You’ll also help manage the company’s current startup portfolio, conduct data analysis of startups’ performance, and write update reports. You’ll access professional development and networking opportunities, including presenting your reports to the Investment Committee and external stakeholders, meeting entrepreneurs and startup founders, sourcing deals, and attending industry summits. You’ll gain first-hand exposure to life as a venture capitalist and receive career guidance from 1435 Capital Management employees. You’ll be eligible to participate in the Homeroom Fund during the following school year, a venture capital fund led by high school students.
Location: London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo
Cost: Varies according to program. Financial aid available
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18
The Career Insights Program lets high school students explore careers in major global industry hubs. The Entrepreneurship Summer School track is designed to provide students with insight into the business and startup creation process and real-world skills in financial management, innovation, and business planning. You will engage in project-based learning with established companies, attend interactive workshops, and visit offices, factories, and headquarters. The program also includes in-person weekly 1:1 career coaching sessions and sessions where you will receive personalized feedback on your resume and overall profile. You’ll also present your findings to industry experts at the end of the program. You can find more details about the application here!
Location: Internships are hosted in Boston, MA, and Merrimack, NH
Stipend: $18-$21/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 5 weeks in July - August
Application Deadline: Rolling; applications open in February
Eligibility: Current high school students with demonstrated leadership or initiative in academics and extracurriculars. The program is geared towards young women. Applicants should be interested in financial markets.
Fidelity’s Boundless High School Internships provide young women in high school with five weeks of professional experience and mentorship in a major financial services company. You’ll have the opportunity to focus specifically on finance or specialize in other fields relevant to entrepreneurship and business, including marketing, operations, technology, and communications. You’ll assist Fidelity employees on professional projects, learn skills in collaborative problem-solving, and receive mentorship from experienced professionals. You’ll also attend career exploration events to learn about academic and professional opportunities in the financial and business world at Fidelity and beyond. Fidelity also offers shorter-term opportunities through the Summit career discovery event and a Job Shadow program, both of which provide an introduction to life at Fidelity and careers in financial services.
Location: Select CLA office locations in 15 states
Stipend: $20/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: One month from mid-June to mid-July
Application Deadline: Rolling; recruitment begins in the spring
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ with reliable transportation to the internship site. Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without a visa and (for applicants under 18) submit required working papers.
CLA’s High School Internship Program is a paid, month-long summer opportunity for students interested in entrepreneurship, finance, and accounting. You’ll learn diverse skills in professional financial and accounting services, shadowing current CLA employees while completing collaborative projects of your own. You’ll simulate a professional client-facing experience through conducting an interactive business case study tailored to varied industries. You will learn about consulting, wealth advising, auditing, and more, exploring how CLA’s business services are used to support both major enterprises, government entities, and entrepreneurs from startups and private businesses. You will also network with CLA employees, observe client meetings with industry leaders and startup founders, and explore career opportunities in business and professional services.
Location: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
Stipend: $17.13 - $23.08/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; typically one intern selected for each posting
Dates: Academic Year Internships: August-May | Summer Internships: June - August; typically 10 weeks total
Application Deadline: Academic Year: June | Summer: March
Eligibility: Current 10th-12th grade students aged 16+. GPA of 3.0+ (from 9th grade through time of application) required. Some experience-based criteria may vary between internships. Students must be aged 18+ for some placements in the research track.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) offers selective high school internships, providing an entrepreneurship internship focus through its Business track. You’ll support the business operations of a major research institution with an annual economic output of over two billion dollars and funding sources ranging from the U.S. Department of Energy to corporate donors to philanthropic organizations. You’ll apply to a specific internship posting rather than a general business internship program, so your exact tasks and assignments may vary. However, your work will include collaborating on real-world professional tasks and special projects in fields such as accounting, contract management, or finance. You’ll network with PNNL business executives, learn leadership and communication skills, receive career mentorship, and gain exposure to energy research of federal importance.
Location: Meta, Menlo Park, CA
Stipend: Stipend is provided; amount varies yearly
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 6 weeks over the summer
Application Deadline: February 14
Eligibility: Rising 11th-grade students who are full-year residents of East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, or Redwood City. Minimum 2.0 GPA.
Meta Summer Academy offers rising high school juniors first-hand experience in business and technology through a 6-week paid internship experience. With a focus on professional development, hands-on projects, and mentorship, this opportunity is a strong choice for students looking to prepare for an entrepreneurial career in the technology sector. You’ll be paired with a Meta mentor to help you develop career goals and learn skills from networking to technical skills. You’ll explore a variety of Meta departments across software engineering, data science, machine learning, and other fields at the forefront of tech entrepreneurship. You’ll also attend seminars and workshops on topics such as leadership, resume building, and communication. You’ll be assigned to work on a project of your own during the internship, which you’ll present to managers and other Meta employees. Through direct experience in creating and presenting new innovative products, you’ll prepare for the product development and pitching required for successful ventures in entrepreneurship.
Location: Placements are offered across the U.S. in 35 states.
Stipend: Paid; amount varies by internship host
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; <5% acceptance rate. 150 students in total are selected, including returning interns.
Dates: Varies. Exact dates are determined between interns and their employers; however, internships are a minimum of 8 continuous weeks and typically begin in May or June.
Application Deadline: Rolling evaluation beginning in September. Students are strongly encouraged to apply early; submitting by early January at the latest is advised.
Eligibility: 12th-grade students aged 18+. Must plan to attend college at a four-year university and have an interest in media, entertainment, or technology careers. Minimum 3.0 GPA. Must be authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer without sponsorship. Undergraduate students who will not graduate before beginning the internship are also eligible.
The EBF Summer Internship program is a competitive and paid opportunity that matches high school seniors and college students with professional internships in the media and technology industries. If you’re looking for entrepreneurship exposure, the Emma Bowen Foundation seeks out students with an interest in business careers and places successful applicants in roles aligned with their professional goals. Your experience can vary substantially based on your placement, but you may find yourself networking with financial researchers and journalists while interning at Bloomberg Media or supporting business operations for major news networks like C-SPAN and Fox. Beyond your internship experience, EBF provides professional development opportunities, including career planning workshops, annual conferences for current participants and alumni, personalized mentorship, and networking opportunities with industry leaders. Depending on your performance, you may be eligible to intern with your host company in subsequent years.
Location: Remote; some events are held in-person in Chicago.
Stipend: Stipend provided; amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple three-week cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students attending a public or charter school. Chicago-area students and students from low-income backgrounds and urban/rural settings are prioritized.
The Future Founders’ Be Your Own Boss Internship is a paid entrepreneurship program for high school students providing a combination of education, professional development, and planning a business of your own. You’ll learn entrepreneurial skills from company founders and technology industry leaders, attend educational sessions on STEM, and complete group projects putting your knowledge into practice. Through these interactive sessions, you’ll also build a professional network, explore a variety of industries to pursue as an entrepreneur, and learn the process of building a startup company. For your primary project, you’ll work in a small group to design a new tech startup. You’ll develop a functional app prototype that you’ll pitch to a community showcase, including real entrepreneurs.
Location: Massachusetts State Treasury, Boston, MA
Stipend: Varies; Typically $20 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 10 weeks over the summer; fall and spring opportunities are occasionally offered
Application Deadline: Typically early April for the summer cohort
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are residents of and/or attend school in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts State Treasury offers summer internships to a select group of high school students interested in finance. The Cash Management and Debt Management Divisions are a particularly strong fit if you’re looking for an entrepreneurship internship. While you’ll be working on the “opposite side” of the business world, you’ll learn core entrepreneurial skills for business development and management, such as state agency business regulations, cash flow analysis, investment strategies, revenue anticipation, and determining borrowing needs. Your experience will be designed to match your specific interest areas, and you’ll be tasked with hands-on work assignments to support the Treasury’s operations.
Location: Multiple companies in the Metro North area
Cost: No cost; internships may be paid or on a volunteer basis, dependent on funding
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 5-10 students accepted
Dates: 6 weeks over the summer
Application Deadline: Early Spring
Eligibility: High school students from the Metro North region interested in college majors and careers in STEM. Students from target schools (including Beverly High, Marblehead High, Salem High, Essex Technical, Peabody High, and Swampscott High) are prioritized.
The Startup Incubator Innoventure Labs’ High School Internship Program provides real-world technology and entrepreneurship experience at startup companies in the biotechnology and clean technology sectors. You’ll be matched with a company in InnoVenture’s portfolio, where you’ll contribute to the startup’s operations while receiving mentorship and training in technology and entrepreneurship. You’ll work with novel technologies, with placements available in a wide variety of subfields such as organ transplants, drug research and development, and genomic diagnostic tools. You’ll receive regular check-ins from InnoVenture staff throughout your internship, during which you’ll provide updates on your progress and can receive support on any challenges in your experience. You’ll finish your internship by creating a poster on your work experience, the skills you learned, and how the program has shaped your thoughts and goals in entrepreneurship and STEM.
Location: Multiple locations across Boston, MA
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; details vary by site
Dates: Varies by site. Must attend a Jobs and Resource Fair in April.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Opportunities are available for students and youth aged 14-24. Check each posting to confirm eligibility. Youth work permit required.
FutureBOS offers paid summer internships and work opportunities for high school students in the Boston area across diverse industries and job areas. You’ll apply to one or more specific postings from over 200 yearly opportunities; you can access entrepreneurship internships through positions at financial and economic institutions or roles at small or developing businesses and organizations. Your work can range from providing financial advising to low-income individuals as an intern at the City of Boston’s Center for Working Families to supporting operations at local nonprofit organizations. You’ll gain hands-on work experience, build a professional network, and develop skills to apply to entrepreneurial initiatives or future work in the business world.
Location: Multiple internship sites in Chicago, IL
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 6 weeks over the summer
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Current 10th-11th grade students residing in the City of Chicago. Must have a minimum grade average of “B” or 3.0. Family household income must be below $80,000/year.
The Chicago Summer Business Institute provides local high school students interested in business and entrepreneurship with a combination of professional development programming and a paid internship. You’ll be assigned to work as an intern at one of CSBI’s partner companies or organizations, with opportunities ranging from investment banks to the City of Chicago’s Department of Finance. You’ll take on real-world business assignments,s which may include data analysis, writing an accounting journal entry, contributing to Chicago business permit processes, and more. You’ll attend speaker panels and Q&A sessions from business and finance professionals and tour Chicago corporate firms, where you’ll build networking experience, learn skills in leadership and management, and gain broader industry exposure beyond your internship host company.
Location: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Boston, MA. Students may work in a hybrid capacity.
Stipend: Paid; amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective. Not all students selected for the summer workshop will be invited to the complete internship program.
Dates: Year-round, beginning with a summer workshop. Students may participate for up to three years.
Application Deadline: Varies. Students may contact the Boston Fed to apply directly or apply through the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) program.
Eligibility: Rising 11th-grade students residing in Boston. Must meet financial eligibility criteria; the program is targeted towards students from marginalized and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston offers paid internships for rising juniors in Boston that provide training and advanced work experience in finance. You’ll start the program with a summer workshop, where you’ll receive job coaching from Boston Fed employees and professional training in technical skills, communication, and conflict resolution. Based on your performance and available openings, you’ll then begin working as an official Boston Fed intern. Throughout the course of your internship, you’ll conduct research on economics, community development, finance, technology, and more. You’ll receive ongoing mentorship on career planning, college preparation, and personal financial stability, and you'll be able to continue your internship throughout the remainder of high school and your first year of college.
Location: George Mason University campuses in Fairfax, Manassas, and Arlington, VA, or Remote. Some positions offer hybrid work formats. Placements may be available at other nearby research institutions.
Cost: $1,299 plus $25 application fee; financial aid offered.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: June 18 - August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Current high school students and undergraduates aged 15+ (remote or computer lab internships) or 16+ (in-person/hybrid “wet-lab” internships) by program start date. Some projects have additional academic requirements.
ASSIP at George Mason places you in a mentored research environment where you work on a project aligned with areas such as STEM entrepreneurship, finance, or technology-driven business. You list a few research interests, and then get paired with a faculty mentor whose work matches one of those areas. Your project might involve topics such as FinTech, blockchain systems, public-sector AI, or the economics of emerging technologies, depending on the lab. Most of your time goes into developing the project, working through data or models, and writing up your findings in a structured format. The program also includes sessions on scientific writing, presentations, and research tools. You attend discussions and career forums while continuing your project work. It ends with a poster presentation in which you explain both your methods and results.
Frequently asked questions
What entrepreneurship summer internships are available for high school students?
Options include venture capital and finance internships, such as 1435 Capital Management, Fidelity Boundless, and CLA, government finance internships, such as Massachusetts State Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and Chicago Summer Business Institute, startup and technology internships, such as Ladder Internship Program, InnoVenture Labs, and Meta Summer Academy, and media and entrepreneurship internships, such as Emma Bowen Foundation and Future Founders.
Are there entrepreneurship internships specifically designed for students from low-income backgrounds?
Yes, several programs prioritize students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, including Federal Reserve Bank of Boston TIP (targeted at marginalized and economically disadvantaged Boston residents), Chicago Summer Business Institute (household income below $80,000), Future Founders (students from low-income and urban or rural settings), and futureBOS (open to youth from across Boston with paid placements).
Which entrepreneurship internships are available remotely for high school students?
Ladder Internship Program and Future Founders Be Your Own Boss Internship are fully remote. ASSIP at George Mason University offers remote and hybrid placements, and some Emma Bowen Foundation placements may include remote work depending on the host company.
When should I apply to entrepreneurship summer internships for high school students?
Emma Bowen Foundation begins rolling evaluation in September and advises applying by early January. Other early deadlines include Meta Summer Academy (February 14) and ASSIP at GMU (February 15). Later deadlines include Chicago Summer Business Institute (March 31), 1435 Capital Management (April 5), and Massachusetts State Treasury (early April). Students should begin preparing materials in the fall to stay competitive for the most selective programs.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here, check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. 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.