10 Summer Economics Programs for Middle School Students

If you’re curious about how money moves through the world, why prices rise and fall, or how businesses make decisions, summer economics programs for middle school students can be a practical way to start exploring those questions. These programs give you structured exposure to economic thinking before high school, helping you build analytical skills early. Many offer a preview of college-style academics, whether through online seminars, project-based learning, or interactions with instructors who have research or industry experience. You also get the chance to strengthen skills like data interpretation, public speaking, and collaborative problem-solving.

Summer economics programs for middle school students can be more accessible than you might expect. Several are online, which helps reduce travel costs, and some offer financial aid or scholarships. If you’re especially interested in economics, virtual programs can be a flexible way to explore topics like market systems, behavioral economics, or public policy from home. To help you sort through your options, we’ve narrowed down a list of summer economics programs for middle school students that are rigorous, hosted by established institutions or organizations, and in many cases selective or cohort-based. These programs emphasize academic depth, structured mentorship, and meaningful peer interaction rather than casual enrichment alone.

10 Summer Economics Programs for Middle School Students

1. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program (JEP)

Location: Remote

Cost/Stipend: Varies; Full financial aid is available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective

Dates: 8-week program; multiple cohorts throughout the year

Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort

Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8

Lumiere’s Junior Explorers Program is a selective online research experience for middle school students, designed to build advanced academic writing and research skills. You begin by selecting a subject area, such as STEM, humanities, or social sciences, and are matched with a PhD-level mentor from a top university. Over the course of the program, you receive a structured introduction to your chosen field, then design and carry out an independent research project focused on a real-world question. To strengthen your writing and analytical abilities, you conclude the program by producing a formal research paper that presents your findings. 

2. NYU College and Career Lab

Location: New York University, New York, NY.

Cost/Stipend: Free

Acceptance Rate or Cohort Size: Selective; exact acceptance rate not publicly listed.

Dates: July 6–July 31

Application Deadline: March 31

Eligibility: Current 7th or 8th grade students attending a New York City public school during the application period; applications reviewed holistically.

NYU’s College and Career Lab (CCL) is a six-year, multi-stage enrichment program designed for middle school students in NYC public schools. During the Exploratory Stage, you spend four weeks in the summer attending college-style lectures and workshops led by NYU faculty across subjects such as business, law, neuroscience, and public service. You also participate in field trips, mentorship sessions, and structured advising that introduce you to different academic and career pathways. Throughout the academic year, you return for monthly Practice Labs focused on networking, resume-building, and college preparation. As part of the program, you gain exposure to schools within NYU, including the Stern School of Business and other academic divisions, while building skills that support long-term college and career planning.

3. Veritas AI - AI Trailblazers

Location: Remote

Cost: Varies; Full financial aid is available

Acceptance rate or Cohort size: Highly selective

Dates: Various cohorts throughout the year

Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort

Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8; no coding or technical background required

Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program introduces you to key concepts in artificial intelligence and machine learning through live instruction and collaborative learning. Over 25 hours, you learn Python programming, explore data analysis, and build models using regression and classification techniques. You receive personalized guidance through small-group mentoring, with a five-to-one student-to-mentor ratio. As the program progresses, you explore more advanced topics such as neural networks and AI ethics. A central part of the experience is the team-based capstone project, where you and a few peers apply your new skills to solve a real-world challenge and present your findings at the end. 

4. Murray State University Fun with Economics Youth Camp

Location: Murray State University, Murray, KY.

Cost/Stipend: $35; no stipend provided.

Acceptance Rate or Cohort Size: Open enrollment; cohort size not publicly specified.

Dates: TBA

Application Deadline: Registration details released with annual camp announcement.

Eligibility: Middle school (grades 5–8) and high school (grades 9–12) students.

Murray State University’s Fun with Economics Youth Camp is a one-day summer program designed to introduce you to foundational economic concepts in an interactive setting. Hosted in the Business Building, the camp runs from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and includes hands-on activities led by university faculty. You explore how individuals, businesses, and governments make decisions about scarce resources while working through real-life economic scenarios. The program emphasizes analytical thinking and problem-solving through group discussions and applied exercises. Lunch and structured networking opportunities are included, giving you the chance to engage directly with instructors and peers who share an interest in economics.

5. ECO Summer Experience Program

Location: High School of Economics & Finance, New York, NY.

Cost/Stipend: Free; breakfast and lunch provided.

Acceptance Rate or Cohort Size: Open to all incoming 9th graders at the school; cohort size not publicly specified.

Dates: July 14–July 31 (Mondays–Thursdays, 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.)

Application Deadline: Registration required prior to the start of the program; families confirm enrollment through a school form.

Eligibility: Incoming 9th grade students admitted to the High School of Economics & Finance.

The ECO Summer Experience Program is a multi-week orientation and enrichment program designed to help you transition into high school at the High School of Economics & Finance. Over the course of three weeks, you attend morning sessions that introduce you to your new academic environment and school community. The schedule includes structured activities and daily field trips throughout New York City’s Financial District, giving you exposure to the economic and financial landscape surrounding your campus. Breakfast and lunch are provided, and transportation is accessible via multiple subway lines. This program serves as a preparatory experience to help you build connections, become familiar with school expectations, and begin engaging with economics-focused themes before the academic year begins.

6. UC Berkeley Academic Talent Development Program Secondary Division – Microeconomics & Behavioral Economics

Location: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

Cost/Stipend: $790 ($710 tuition + $80 program fee); $225 with full financial aid; application fee required separately.

Acceptance Rate or Cohort Size: Selective; classes capped at approximately 20–24 students.

Dates: June 22–July 31 (course-specific schedules; Microeconomics & Behavioral Economics meets Mondays & Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.)

Application Deadline: Early: February 25; Standard: March 23; Extended (rolling, no financial aid): May 29.

Eligibility: Students currently in grades 7–11; Microeconomics & Behavioral Economics requires completion of Algebra 1 (or Integrated Math 1) and is open to students completing grade 8 and above.

The ATDP Secondary Division offers academically rigorous summer courses designed to accelerate and deepen your subject knowledge. In Microeconomics & Behavioral Economics, you study core topics such as supply and demand, consumer and firm behavior, incentives, and market structures, while also examining how real human decision-making differs from traditional economic models. The course integrates simulations, cognitive bias demonstrations, and case studies in areas like public policy and consumer choice. With an estimated 18 hours of weekly commitment, including 3–6 hours of preparation per class meeting, you engage in sustained, in-depth study. Classes are capped at a small size, and the course is UC Honors designated and A–G approved, giving you the opportunity to complete advanced coursework in a focused academic setting.

7. The Business of Doing Good Program

Location: CIC Boston, 50 Milk Street, Boston, MA.

Cost/Stipend: Tuition-based; financial assistance available upon request.

Acceptance Rate or Cohort Size: Open enrollment; cohort size not publicly specified.

Dates: August 5–August 9 (Boston session); August 12–August 16 (Cambridge session).

Application Deadline: Registration required prior to program start; sessions close once full.

Eligibility: Level 1 for students in grades 5–7; Level 2 available for grades 8–10.

The Business of Doing Good is a five-day, in-person social entrepreneurship program where you design and develop your own mission-driven business idea. You choose a cause that matters to you, such as environmental protection, human rights, education, or access to medical care, and build a project around it. Throughout the week, you learn core entrepreneurial concepts and apply them to create, refine, and present your venture. The program includes guest entrepreneurs from a range of industries who share insights about launching and managing purpose-driven initiatives. The experience concludes with an Expo, where you present your idea and explain how it addresses a real-world problem.

8. Dallas College Youth Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

Location: Dallas College Pleasant Grove Center, Dallas, TX.

Cost/Stipend: Free

Acceptance Rate or Cohort Size: Open enrollment; cohort size not publicly specified.

Dates: June 9–July 18 (Week 1 and Week 6 in-person; Weeks 2–5 hybrid).

Application Deadline: May 23

Eligibility: Students entering grades 7–10 (program materials also reference grades 8–12 in extended descriptions).

The Youth Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is a six-week hybrid program designed to introduce you to core business concepts through structured workshops and field experiences. In the first week, you focus on entrepreneurial mindset and foundational skills during in-person sessions. Over the following weeks, you explore banking, financial literacy, small business operations, marketing strategies, and product development, with weekly field trips and mentor engagement. You practice pitching your ideas and role-play investor meetings before preparing for a final Business Fair. The program concludes with an in-person showcase where you present your venture and customer engagement strategy to an audience.

9. Georgetown University Economics Policy Academy

Location: Georgetown University, Washington, DC.

Cost/Stipend: $9,085 (Residential, includes tuition and meals); $7,085 (Commuter).

Acceptance Rate or Cohort Size: Selective; exact acceptance rate not publicly listed.

Dates: June 28–July 17

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; programs fill on a first-come, first-served basis after acceptance.

Eligibility: High school students eligible for Georgetown’s Summer High School Sessions; application requires a personal statement and school official reviewer form.

Georgetown’s Economics Policy Academy is a three-week pre-college program that examines how governments influence markets through economic and political frameworks. You study core concepts in microeconomics, globalization, poverty and inequality, fiscal and monetary policy, and international trade. Daily programming includes lectures, guest speakers, discussion sections, hands-on workshops, and off-site visits to organizations connected to economic policy. Over the course of the program, you develop a research-based poster tied to a central theme and present your findings. The academy blends academic instruction with structured residential life and extracurricular activities, giving you experience with both college-level coursework and campus living.

10. Rice University The Business of Economics

Location: Rice University (Online Program), Houston, TX.

Cost/Stipend: $1,795; need-based scholarships available upon application.

Acceptance Rate or Cohort Size: Selective; cohort size not publicly specified.

Dates: Multiple sessions offered throughout the year (e.g., March 15–April 12; March 29–April 26; April 12–April 26).

Application Deadline: Varies by session (e.g., March 8; March 22; April 5 for listed spring sessions).

Eligibility: Students ages 13 and older.

The Business of Economics is a fully online precollege course designed to help you understand how economic principles shape business decisions. Over 2–4 weeks, you complete 20–30 hours of instruction through video lectures, case studies, simulations, and guided assignments. You examine topics such as supply and demand, inflation, the Federal Reserve, labor markets, loanable funds, and energy economics, and consider how these forces influence firms and industries. The course includes mentorship support and concludes with a capstone project in which you design policy responses to stagflation and evaluate their economic impact. Upon successful completion, you receive a Certificate of Completion from Rice University.

Lydia is an alumna from Harvard University and studied Molecular and Cellular Biology & Economics. In high school, she was the captain of her high school’s Academic Decathlon team and attended the Governor's School of Engineering and Technology. She is working as a life sciences consultant after graduation. 

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