14 Online Business Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
If you’re a high schooler looking to explore business in an accessible format, consider an online business program! These opportunities offer insights into the industry, nurture important connections, and provide mentorship from professionals, all in a convenient format.
They’re also more affordable than in-person alternatives, and some offer full financial aid or are entirely free. If you don’t live near a major business hub or university, online programs give you access to high-quality instruction and networks that might otherwise be out of reach.
To help choose the right programs, we've curated a list of 14 online business programs for high school students. Our selection criteria focus on the program's rigor, networking potential, availability of full funding, selectivity, and connection to esteemed organizations.
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 that you can explore as a high schooler. 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 business, economics, finance, and AI. You can find more details about the application here.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June).
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school
Cost: Starting at $2,990
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.
Apart from building the start-up itself, you will also participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops, skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more. The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary based on cohort
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
Cost: The total cost to attend the 4-week program is $2,900. There is need-based financial aid.
Columbia Business School offers an online enrichment program at one of the top-ranked business schools globally. You will experience the pedagogy and mentorship of an Ivy League institution through pre-recorded lectures and receive support from program mentors.
The program is flexible, allowing you to complete assignments at your own pace. A final project is required, and upon completion, you receive a certificate of participation that adds real value to your resume. Columbia offers programs in the following fields: luxury businesses, sports, TV and film, and the hospitality industry.
Dates: Multi-length programs available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines on a per-program basis
Eligibility: Open enrollment
Cost: $1,995 per program, though need-based financial aid is available.
The Brown Leadership Institute offers a four-week online program focusing on developing leadership skills and understanding complex social issues. You choose a course that interests you, and past topics have included business-related courses like “Leadership in Changing Business: Social Entrepreneurship”. This program stands out due to its emphasis on key leadership skills like public speaking, teamwork, and problem-solving, which are transferable to any future entrepreneurial endeavors.
Dates: June 23 – July 18
Application Deadline: May 9, but rolling admissions.
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18
Cost: $5,528 (scholarships available)
The Wharton Global Youth Program offers interactive, pre-collegiate online experiences for high school students in grades 9–12. These programs, led by Wharton faculty and instructional staff, explore topics driven by Wharton research and teaching, such as entrepreneurship, finance, and leadership. Most courses have more than one batch available, making this program reasonably accessible. All classes are taught by Wharton faculty, with topics derived from Wharton research, making it a great way to obtain an Ivy League learning experience.
Dates: Multiple batches per program offered over the summer.
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–12.
Cost: Varies by course, ranging from $2,099 to $4,799. There is limited financial aid available.
Babson College's Summer Study is a unique program lasting over 3 weeks that allows you to work on entrepreneurial projects related to the United Nations Global Goals. You will engage in a 4-credit course "EPS 1110: Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience," exploring social, economic, and environmental issues framed by the UN Global Goals.
The program emphasizes problem-solving, teamwork, and exposure to key entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, and finance concepts. The pedagogy is powered by Babson’s unique Entrepreneurial Thought & Action methodology, a 6-part process that blends an entrepreneurial mindset and a goal-oriented approach. While the program offers limited need-based financial assistance for the online format, it is not fully funded for all participants.
Dates: July 7 – 28
Application Deadline: March 14
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors at least 16 years old by the program start date.
Cost: $6,295 plus a $95 application fee. Limited need-based financial assistance is available for the online format.
The LEADing for Life Global Summer Learning Institute is a 3-week virtual learning experience hosted at one of their prestigious university partners, like the Kellogg School of Management, Harvard, NYU Schack, and MIT’s Center for Real Estate. This program teaches current high school juniors the fundamentals of leadership, entrepreneurship, and engineering through three subjects – Business & Entrepreneurship, Engineering, and Commercial Real Estate & Urban Development. The program involves live lectures, case studies, joint masterclasses, and competitive pitch presentations.
Dates: Typically held in June; exact dates vary annually
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March
Eligibility: Current high school juniors
Cost: $3,500
8. MIT LaunchX
MIT LaunchX is a highly engaging entrepreneurship experience that empowers high school students to start real companies. Multiple programs are available under LaunchX, but most share a common theme — you will work in teams to identify business opportunities, develop products or services, and launch your own startups.
The program provides mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and access to resources from the MIT entrepreneurial ecosystem. Regardless of the program chosen, you will gain hands-on experience in market research, prototyping, and business pitching. There are three online options available in LaunchX – the Entrepreneurship program, the Innovation program, and the Bootcamp.
Dates: 2-, 3-, and 5-week programs stretching from May 26 to August 1, depending on the option chosen.
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18 passionate about entrepreneurship.
Cost: $1,995 to $6,995, depending on the program chosen.
Georgetown University offers pre-college online courses for high school students aged 13 and older, focusing on various topics covering the fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship. Each course features asynchronous video lessons by Georgetown faculty, providing insights into multiple aspects of business. The flexible online format allows you to engage with the material at your own pace, and the courses run year-round, offering even more flexibility.
Dates: Multi-length courses throughout the year.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18.
Cost: $1,795 for Enrichment courses, $3,995 for college credit courses.
Cornell University offers online intensive pre-college courses during the summer and winter sessions, allowing high school students to earn college credits. They have a broad offering of courses covering various subjects, including dedicated subjects in economics, business, and management. Cornell instructors teach all in a rigorous, well-designed class structure that lets you earn between 3 and 12 credits, allowing you to experience college-level coursework and understand what a STEM focus in college entails. The program also features college application workshops with one-on-one counseling.
Dates: Multiple 3- and 6-week sessions offered over the summer.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by course
Eligibility: Rising/Current high school juniors & seniors, ages 15 to 19
Cost: $1,840 per credit
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes offer an online course titled "Innovation and Entrepreneurship," serving as a strong introduction to key business concepts for high schoolers. The course covers topics such as customer insight, marketing, product development, and business models, emphasizing the use of design thinking to address real-world problems. This course also lets you engage in interactive sessions led by Stanford faculty that connect theoretical concepts to real-world examples, many of them from Silicon Valley companies.
Dates: Session One: June 16 – 27, Session Two: July 7 – 18
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students currently in grades 9–11
Cost: $3,580 per course; financial aid is available.
Harvard's Secondary School Program allows high school students to experience college-level, credit-awarding courses online. With over 200 courses available, you can choose subjects that align with your interests, including business-related topics. The program offers access to the rigorous academics of Harvard and provides a platform to engage with Harvard’s award-winning faculty and peers from around the world.
Dates: Online courses are 7 weeks long, with different dates for different subjects.
Application Deadline: February 12
Eligibility: Rising and current high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Cost: $4,050 for the 4-credit courses, $7,900 for the 8-credit courses.
Rice University offers an online pre-college program for high school students aged 13 and older. The program includes courses in various disciplines, including business-related topics. Each course features pre-recorded video lessons from Rice faculty as well as live interactions with mentors from various industries. Courses are available year-round, with multiple batches for each and various course lengths within each niche. Successfully completing these courses also provides you with a certificate of completion from Rice University.
Dates: Multi-length sessions offered throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines by program
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 and older
Cost: $1,495 per course
The University of Southern California offers an online course titled "Building Blocks of Business: Tools for Creating a Dynamic and Sustainable Business." This program introduces you to the fundamentals of running a business — accounting, marketing, leadership, and finance. The self-paced course includes recorded lectures from USC faculty, case studies from real businesses and the challenges they face, sessions with industry experts, and provides a completion certificate for successfully finishing it.
Dates: 10 different batches available from April 14 to August 18; students are expected to finish the course in 2 to 4 weeks.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines by batch, usually 5 days before course start
Eligibility: At least 14 years or older and enrolled in a high school program.
Cost: $1,990
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. 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.
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