11 Research Opportunities in Economics for High School Students
If you are interested in economics, there are a variety of opportunities for you to explore independent research or enhance your understanding. Conducting research in economics can be a great way to showcase your interest and initiative to college admissions officers.
In this post, we will look at 11 well-regarded economics research programs for high school students and what they offer. We have also put some great pre-college courses on the list so that there is something for everyone.
You can also check out our list of economics competitions here!
1. Economics Transformation Project (ETP) - J-PAL
Hosted by J-PAL, North America’s Economics Transformation Project (ETP) brings together talented students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to work with top researchers. The program offers insights into the applications and impacts of applied economic research, has workshops and partnerships with institutions such as MIT, and offers you mentorship from its extensive network of researchers. The program website does not have a lot of particulars on the application, etc., but provides this email ID (jamador@povertyactionlab.org) as a contact for anyone who is interested in the program.
2. Lumiere Research Scholar Program - Economics Track
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 psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring.
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.
Location: Virtual
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts.
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
4. Economics for Leaders (EFL) – Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE)
Established in 1975, the Foundation for Teaching Economics is a non-profit educational organization that introduces students to an economic way of thinking about national and international issues. EFL is a selective summer program that teaches you how to use economic analysis when evaluating challenging public policy choices. This course introduces you to leadership theory and focuses on teaching and applying economic ideas and reasoning abilities. The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) has partnered with EFL to provide students taking the program two semester hours of optional undergraduate credit (for an additional fee).
Location: Several Residential and Virtual Sessions here
Cost or stipend: $2,100 for FTE residential student programs (incl. room and board), $35 application fee, $244 for college credit (optional)
Application deadline: April 12
Program dates: Several Residential and Virtual Sessions here
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
5. Global High School Investment Competition - Wharton School, UPenn
Although this is a competition, it has a 10-week crash course that challenges you to research and apply your knowledge. Hosted by the Wharton School of Business, this competition requires building a portfolio with $100,000 in virtual cash on a simulator. Winners are chosen not simply based on profits but also on the strength of the strategies they chose to make decisions. The competition involves a 10-week crash course on investing, business analysis, pitch creation, and portfolio building. Here are some free learning resources and case studies from previous years!
Location: Virtual pitching rounds with a final presentation at UPenn
Prizes: Certificates, a complimentary spot in the Wharton Online Summer Program for winning teams
Application Deadline: September 16
Dates: September 26 - April 22
Eligibility: High school students residing in the US
6. Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) – Haas School of Business, University of California (Berkeley)
This two-week course introduces you to teamwork, communication, presentation, creating a business plan, and research methods in a cohort of 50 students. Along with being immersed in campus life, you will engage in social activities, attend guest lectures, and work in teams to create a business plan that you will present at the course's conclusion. You will also get to interact with UC Berkeley undergraduate students.
Location: Residential, University of California (Berkeley) campus
Cost or stipend: California resident tuition: $6,050; Out-of-state resident tuition: $7,050
Application deadline: March 17
Program dates: Session I: July 9 – July 22; Session II: July 22 – August 9
Eligibility: US and international high school students
7. Anson L. Clark Scholar Program, Economics/Business/Finance/Marketing research area – Texas Tech University
The Anson L. Clark Scholar Program is a seven-week summer research program for twelve highly qualified high school juniors and seniors. It gives students the chance to collaborate with faculty on a research project. Along with weekly seminars, the program offers field trips, lectures, and discussions with faculty and other like-minded students. Past Clark Scholars in economics researched how the media is affected by IPOs and the targeting effectiveness of different digital advertising platforms for the travel industry.
Location: Residential, Texas Tech University campus
Cost or stipend: Free (on-campus meals and board) with a $750 tax-free stipend upon completion of a successful research project
Application deadline: February 13
Program dates: June 18 – August 3
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors – you must be at least 17 years of age by the program start date
8. Research Mentorship Program (RMP) – University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB)
The Research Mentorship Program is a competitive summer program for high school students who want to participate in multidisciplinary university-level research. You will choose a research project from a list of disciplines, including economics, and will be matched with a mentor (graduate student, postdoc, or faculty). This program teaches you how to write technical papers in a professional style and present your research findings at academic symposiums. You can also earn university credits. If you’re interested in this program, we’ve written an in-depth piece detailing everything you need to know about RMP!
Location: UCSB Campus
Cost or stipend: Commuter option: Around $5,000; Residential Option: Around $12,000
Application deadline: March 15
Program dates: June 20 – August 4
Eligibility: Students all over the world who are in 10th and 11th Grade with a minimum GPA of 3.8
9. Yale Young Scholars’ Politics, Law & Economics (PLE) Session – Yale University
The Yale Young Scholars’ PLE session is aimed at students who want to pursue economics. You will understand diverse economic theories, market regulation, international policy, public policy, and more. This program is designed to enable you to critically examine social systems, issues, and current affairs through economic, legal, and political theory lenses. The sample lectures and seminars are on international trade and US manufacturing, the commodification and economics of art and music, liberty sanctions in the modern world, and more.
Location: Residential, Yale University
Cost or stipend: $6,500 program fee; $75 application fee
Application deadline: Applications are open from November to early January.
Program dates: Session I: June 18 – June 30; Session II: July 2 – July 14; Session III: July 16 – July 28
Eligibility: Students have to be at least 16 years old by the first day of Session III, current sophomores or juniors (or any international equivalent), and first-time participants
One way to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and its real-world applications is through a solid internship. Pentacle’s High School Internship Program runs for eight weeks and offers work experience at a participating small business. The workstreams require research, and your understanding of how concepts in economics are applied in decision-making will be put to the test as you work with a real business. The program also has weekly professional development seminars led by Pentacle, where you have the opportunity to meet industry leaders among the Pentacle staff and other visiting professionals.
Cost or stipend: $600 stipend
Application deadline: Intern applications are accepted on a rolling basis!
Program dates: Dates for upcoming sessions are announced through Pentacle's newsletter, blog, and social media. The last high school internship program ran from July 6 to August 31.
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Note: Pentacle (DanceWorks, Inc.) is a not-for-profit management support organization for the performing arts
11. Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology Summer Institute (M&Tsi) – Penn Engineering and Wharton, University of Pennsylvania
For students who want to learn how to integrate management principles with technical concepts, M&Tsi is a rewarding summer program. This program offers Penn college-course credit for students who complete it successfully! You will attend courses and guest lectures by Penn faculty and other field experts. Then, you will create a prototype and go-to-market strategy for your high-tech firm, present it, and get feedback from Penn faculty, entrepreneurs, and industry innovators.
Location: Residential, University of Pennsylvania campus
Cost or stipend: $9,000 On-Campus Program Fee, $100 application fee
Application deadline: April 1
Program dates: July 9 – July 29
Eligibility: High school seniors and rising high school juniors
A few other options you can consider are the Voltage Scholars Program, Boston Leadership Institute: Finance, Babson’s Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience, Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!), and BETA Camp.
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.