Finance Research Programs for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 18 finance research programs for high school students. Of these, 11 are free to participate in and 16 offer virtual participation. Examples include Bank of America Financial Skills Challenge, Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital (William & Mary Pre-College Online), and EVERFI Financial Literacy for High School.
- 18
- listed
- 11
- free
- 16
- virtual
- 18
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are finance research programs for high school students?
- Finance Research Programs for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in finance. Each listing includes eligibility, cost, and deadline details where known, so you can compare options and find the right fit for your college application profile.
- Are any of these research programs free?
- Yes — 11 of the 18 research programs listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 16 of the 18 research programs listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are finance research programs good for a college application?
- Yes — finance research programs are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in finance on college applications.
Related Categories
18 activities found·Browse by category
Bank of America Financial Skills Challenge
A free online financial simulation game, developed with Stock-Trak, in which middle and high school students progress through college and early-career life stages while learning to budget, build savings, manage credit, and file taxes.
Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital (William & Mary Pre-College Online)
A fully online William & Mary pre-college course, taught by a clinical professor and executive director at the Mason School of Business, in which students ages 13 and up study how startups raise capital and the venture-capital ecosystem, culminating in a recorded pitch deck for seed-stage funding and a Certificate of Completion.
EVERFI Financial Literacy for High School
A free, standards-aligned digital course series covering saving, credit, investing, and digital banking through scenario-based learning modules. Funded by community business partners and used by schools nationwide, including in California, as a self-paced classroom or homework resource.
FEE Seminar Series
Seminars held throughout the year by the Foundation for Economic Education that introduce high school and college students to free-market economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship principles, with programming and travel typically covered for accepted students.
Finance NYC: An Insider's View (NYU High School Academy)
An NYU School of Professional Studies High School Academy course that gives students an insider's look at New York City's finance industry, covering markets, careers, and financial decision-making.
Financial Football (Visa / Practical Money Skills)
Free, NFL-themed interactive game teaching budgeting, credit, saving, and investing through fast-paced football-trivia gameplay.
Invest in Girls - Financial Foundations
A free financial education program that partners with high schools nationwide to teach girls and gender-expansive students personal finance and investing through live online courses, culminating in an optional mentorship program with women in finance.
Invest It Forward (SIFMA Foundation)
Program pairing finance-industry volunteers with classrooms running The Stock Market Game, giving students direct mentorship and career exposure.
JA Finance Park (Junior Achievement of Northern California)
Hands-on personal finance simulation in which high schoolers choose a career and lifestyle, then build and defend a real-world household budget covering income, credit, saving, and risk.
JA Finance Park Advanced
Junior Achievement's capstone personal-finance simulation for high schoolers, in which students take on an adult persona with a randomized career and life scenario and build a monthly budget at an on-site or virtual Finance Park, following teacher-led classroom lessons.
Jump$tart Reality Check
Free interactive online tool helping students calculate the income and career path needed to support the adult lifestyle they envision.
Jump$tart Student Honor Society
National recognition program honoring high schoolers who demonstrate strong personal finance knowledge and have taught financial literacy to peers.
Morgan Stanley Finance Academy
A highly selective, free five-month virtual career-development program for U.S. high school seniors featuring biweekly sessions, mentorship from Morgan Stanley professionals, and a capstone project simulating a real client finance scenario.
Notre Dame Pre-College Online - Business & Finance
A self-paced online pre-college course from the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business covering finance and business fundamentals for students as young as age 13, requiring no transcripts or recommendation letters to enroll.
Wharton Online: Financial Decision Making
A Wharton Global Youth Program online course that teaches high schoolers how to apply financial reasoning to real-world personal and business decisions through short, self-paced lessons.
Wharton Online: Understanding Investing
A Wharton Global Youth Program online course covering the fundamentals of investing and portfolio management for high schoolers, taught through self-paced video lessons and applied exercises.
Wharton Online: Understanding Your Money
A Wharton Global Youth Program online course introducing high schoolers to personal finance basics such as budgeting, saving, and credit, delivered through self-paced video lessons.
Young Investors Society Dollar-A-Day Challenge
Hands-on savings and investing challenge where students open a custodial brokerage account, invest $1/day, and can earn matching scholarship grants.
ECFinder provides links to outside extracurricular opportunities for informational purposes only. Students and families should research each program before applying. ECFinder does not operate or control the listed organizations and is not responsible for their actions or policies.