25 Business Internships for High Schoolers in 2025
What’s Covered:
- 25 Business Internships for High School Students
- How Much Do Internships Impact Your College Chances?
Internships can provide critical experiences to help future professionals get a taste of their prospective fields, all while impressing colleges and possibly earning money. If you’re a high school student interested in business, there are plenty of opportunities to gain experience in a wide variety of niches, including marketing, finance, leadership, and more, all across the country—even, in some cases, virtually.
Below you’ll find a list of business-related internship opportunities for high school students. Keep in mind that internships directly related to business are hard to come by in high school, so some of them are in relevant fields. Regardless, you’ll build valuable and relevant skills for a future career in business.
25 Business Internships for High School Students
1. The Bella Abzug Leadership Institute (BALI)
Application Deadline: Varies
Duration: Six weeks
BALI, named after New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug, was founded in 2005 to help young women develop leadership skills and confidence. Today, the institute continues to give female-identified and gender-expansive youth, ages 13-21, who reside in or are from the NYC metropolitan area, opportunities through a number of programs throughout the school year and summer. The program includes workshops, seminars, speakers, networking, and debate labs.
2. DOROT Summer Teen Internship
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Four weeks
- Session 1: June 23 – July 16
- Session 2: July 23 – August 14
- Session 3: July 21 – August 14
DOROT, a nonprofit that serves older adults, seeks high school and college interns interested in learning about the world of nonprofit management. Students participate in and play a role in preparing meaningful programs and activities for older adults, all while developing leadership skills and earning community service hours. The program is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in New York City.
3. Building-U High School Internship
Application Deadline: Rolling
Duration: Three months or longer
This three-month, or longer, program is currently operating online, so students in grades 9-12 can apply for and complete the internship from anywhere in the world. The mission of the nonprofit is to help students prepare for life after high school. As an intern, you’ll perform a range of duties, including administrative work, research, and developing programming and marketing materials, as well as assisting with social media.
4. Youthbridge
Application Deadline: April 30
Duration: Two years
Youthbridge is a two-year Fellowship program in New York that welcomes high school juniors and seniors from diverse backgrounds to engage in intensive training on leadership and diversity. In addition to their work, fellows participate in team-building games, activities, and workshops while receiving mentoring from successful professionals and taking part in experiential learning opportunities. This opportunity is ideal for students near New York City since participants are required to travel there for every meeting.
Applications are open exclusively to 10th graders for participation in their junior and senior years.
5. Jimerson Birr High School Internship Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Four to six weeks
A Florida-based business law firm, Jimerson Birr offers a High School Summer Internship Program for seniors to gain real-world experience and develop professional skills. Interns have the chance to work in areas like accounting, communications, marketing, legal services, and information technology over the course of four to six weeks while learning applicable skills for future careers from industry leaders.
6. Ladders for Leaders
Application Deadline: February 3
Duration: Six weeks
Ladders for Leaders, a nationally recognized program, places high school and college students in paid summer internships with corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies in New York City. The program is an initiative of the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). To be eligible for this opportunity, you must be between the ages of 16 and 24, enrolled in high school or college, and legally able to work in the US.
Interns work between 25 and 40 hours a week and are paid $16.50 an hour at a minimum.
7. Bank of America Student Leaders
Application Deadline: January 15
Duration: Eight weeks
Established in 2004, the Bank of America Student Leaders program provides opportunities for high school juniors and seniors to develop leadership and job-related skills. Three hundred students from diverse communities are selected each year to work in paid internships with nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The internships take place for eight weeks over the summer. As part of the experience, students participate in a week‐long Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
8. Interns4Good Internships
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
Interns4Good offers a wide range of positions for high school students in grades 9 through 12 looking to intern at nonprofit organizations, including marketing and outreach positions. Some are in-house, while others are with partner organizations. Interns4Good adds new positions every week.
9. Forage Virtual Work Experience Programs
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
Forage provides high school students with bite-sized virtual work experiences at some of the world’s top companies. Experiences are self-paced, free, and allow participants to learn about the skills needed to be successful workforce members.
10. Department of Education Internship Opportunities
Application Deadline:
- Fall Session: July 31
- Winter/Spring Session: November 31
- Summer Session: March 31
Duration: Up to a year
The Department of Education offers a variety of internships across a broad spectrum of fields, including business-friendly areas like Human Resources Management, Project Management, and Training and Development. Positions are intended to provide participants with real-world experience, develop personal and professional skills, and provide insight into potential career paths. Internships are available in three sessions—fall, winter/spring, and summer—throughout the year to students 16 and older attending accredited institutions, such as high schools.
11. PNNL High School Business Intern
Application Deadline: Varies
Duration: Academic year
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provides internships to students interested in pursuing careers in business. Internships occur during the academic year, with participants spending a half-day in high school and up to a four-hour shift at PNNL working with a mentor in a specific field of business. The opportunity also includes activities like laboratory demonstrations, field trips, skill-building sessions, and career awareness workshops.
12. Meta Summer Academy
Application Deadline: February 14
Duration: Six weeks (June 16 – July 25)
Meta Summer Academy provides high school sophomores from East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City, California, the chance to gain firsthand experience with the day-to-day operations of one of the world’s most recognized social media companies. Participants work closely with mentors to build job skills and explore careers in the tech industry.
More than 200 students have participated in the program since it began in 2012.
13. Port of Seattle High School Internships
Application Deadline: May 18
Duration: N/A
The Port of Seattle has a variety of internships working on real projects—no coffee runs—at incredibly interesting locations like the SEA Airport and along the Seattle waterfront. All internships are paid, and participants will gain real-world experience in project management, networking, public speaking, and leadership while completing a work-based project. You need to be 16 years of age or older, currently enrolled in (or recently graduated from) high school, and preferably have a record of participating in extracurricular activities.
14. KP LAUNCH
Application Deadline: January 6
Duration: Seven weeks (June 16 – August 1)
Kaiser Permanente’s KP launch program provides internships at their headquarters and hospitals throughout northern California. Through the program, interns explore non-medical careers in fields such as accounting and finance, project management, and sales and marketing. Interns are paid a minimum wage of $24 an hour and typically work a full-time, eight-hour schedule with a maximum of 40 hours a week.
Applicants must be at least 16 years of age, a current high school student, and have a permanent residence in a Northern California Kaiser Permanente designated service area. Priority is given to high school juniors and seniors.
15. SPARK High School Internship
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
SPARK connects motivated high school students in the greater Seattle area with mentors from a wide range of fields—including startups, established companies, and academia. Participants gain hands-on experience, develop essential skills, build valuable relationships, and explore potential careers.
16. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Application Deadline: September 13
Duration: Ten weeks (September 30 – December 6)
The Wharton Global High School Investment Competition isn’t an internship per se, however, it’s a great chance for students to gain firsthand experience with the stock market. Participants in grades 9 through 12 work in groups of four to seven under the guidance of an advisor to build an investment portfolio using a stock market simulator. Winners are selected based on how they develop and communicate their team strategies, not on the growth of their portfolios.
Over the course of the program, students not only explore the fundamentals of investing but also bolster skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership.
17. CLA High School Internship Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
This internship program allows students to gain real-world business experience—working on real projects and assisting clients. Interns are introduced to professional services like accounting and financial advising while building skills and exploring career options.
The program is open to students between the ages of 16 and 18 and is available in select locations nationwide.
18. Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP) High School Internship
Application Deadline: February 17
Duration: Four weeks
- Session 1: June 2 – 27
- Session 2: July 7 – August 1
YEP is a Kansas City-based internship focused on entrepreneurship that pairs high school juniors and seniors with local businesses. During the program, students are exposed to real-world business situations, develop their entrepreneurial thinking, and gain work experience. This is a paid internship—students earn between $12 and $14 an hour, plus a $1,250 scholarship per session completed.
19. The Emma Bowen Foundation (EBF) Summer Internship Application
Application Deadline: January
Duration: Minimum eight weeks (May – June)
Students interested in media, entertainment, and tech—whether it’s as a producer, business executive, or web developer—will want to check out this exciting summer internship. Students are connected with professionals at top companies, attend workshops and discussions, receive mentoring, and develop career readiness.
This is a competitive program, with just 150 students selected to participate from the thousands of applications received. The program is open to high school seniors and undergraduates.
20. 1435 Capital Management Venture Analyst Internship
Application Deadline: Rolling
Duration: N/A
This internship opportunity for high schoolers ages 16 to 18 is a great chance to kickstart a career in finance or venture capital. Students learn from experienced professionals—learning investment strategies, engaging with startups, and developing essential skills. The internship is a hybrid program, taking place online and at 1435 Capital Management’s Princeton, New Jersey, location.
21. Chicago Summer Business Institute
Application Deadline: March 31
Duration: Seven weeks (June 16 – August 1)
Chicago high school students from an economically disadvantaged background can gain firsthand experience with the financial services field through this paid summer internship. The program is open to high school sophomores and juniors who are residents of Chicago, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and come from families with family household incomes below $80,000.
22. Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Science of Smart Cities (ieSoSC)
Application Deadline: April 14
Duration: Five weeks (July 1 – August 2)
Students are challenged to use their computer science, engineering, and technology skills, working in teams to create prototypes for smart city solutions—incorporating both entrepreneurship and design thinking. The program concludes with a team presentation sharing their idea and how it solves a real-world problem to professional engineers, STEM experts, urban planners, and friends and family.
This is a free program. It’s open to New York City residents in grades 8, 9, and 10 with an interest in STEM.
23. Kansas University | Summer Venture in Business
Application Deadline: March 31
Duration: One week
- Session 1: June 15 – 20
- Session 2: July 13 – 18
Although not a traditional high school internship, students interested in studying business in college will want to look into this free program provided by Kansas University. Participants are exposed to foundational business topics, tackle college-level coursework, and build college readiness—all while living and learning on the campus of a major university.
In a way, it’s kind of like an internship for becoming a college business major.
24. Leeds School of Business | Business Leadership Program
Application Deadline: March 30
Duration: One week (June 22 – 28)
This free week-long program challenges high schoolers to solve real-world business problems and create a marketing campaign. Students engage in case studies and work in teams to create and implement a marketing campaign—the team with the best solution wins a $1,000 scholarship to the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business.
The program is open to high school juniors and is particularly aimed at students from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds, as well as students who would be the first in their family to attend college.
25. Kelley Women’s Leadership Institute
Application Deadline:
- Session 1: May 13
- Session 2: May 27
- Session 3: June 11
- Session 4: June 25
Duration: One day
- Session 1: May 13
- Session 2: May 27
- Session 3: June 11
- Session 4: June 25
High school juniors and seniors get a chance to learn about college and potential career opportunities in business during this one-day program from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Participants work on a real-world case project, network with like-minded peers, and build transferable skills like leadership and communication.
How Much Do Internships Impact Your College Chances?
Internships count as extracurricular activities and are an important factor in college admissions. Extracurriculars are divided into four tiers, with tier 1 representing the most exceptional extracurriculars and tier 4 representing the most common activities. A competitive internship could count as tier 1!
How does your internship stack up? Will it help you land a spot at your dream college? Find out with CollegeVine’s chancing engine. This free tool will estimate your chances of acceptance to hundreds of colleges and universities all over the country, based on your real information, including extracurricular activities.
