Entrepreneurship Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Entrepreneurship programs — pitch competitions, incubators like LaunchX, and university business intensives — reward students who build something real and defend it in front of judges.

A venture with actual users or revenue, however small, out-signals almost any club membership.

66 verified programs match this page; 21 of the featured listings are completely free; 10 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Yale Entrepreneurial Society High School Fellowship — Yale Entrepreneurial Society: Master entrepreneurship skills in this free 8-week virtual fellowship for high school students. Build startups, strengthen college applications, and l
• MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition — MIT: Compete in a premier entrepreneurship competition for high schoolers. Develop business skills, launch innovative ventures, and boost college applicati
• The Knowledge Society — TKS: Join a 10-month online STEM accelerator for high schoolers in grades 9-11. Build AI, biotech, and quantum computing projects to boost college apps and
• Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition — Blue Ocean Global Network: Join the world’s largest virtual pitch competition for high school students. Build entrepreneurship skills, boost your college applications, and showc
• Conrad Challenge: Innovation Competition — Conrad Foundation: Create innovative solutions to real-world problems in categories like aerospace, cybersecurity, health, and energy. Win scholarships and recognition.
• Nonprofit Founder (501(c)(3)) — IRS / State Government: Launch your own 501(c)(3) nonprofit and gain leadership, entrepreneurship, and hands-on experience. Boost college applications while making a real-wor
• Beta Bowl Entrepreneurship Competition — Beta Bowl: Virtual entrepreneurship competition for students.
• Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) — Entrepreneurs' Organization: World's premier competition for student entrepreneurs. Regional, national, and global rounds. Cash prizes and mentorship. Validates real business achi
• Synbiobeta Design Challenge — SynBioBeta: Compete in the SynBioBeta Design Challenge to explore synthetic biology, develop biotech skills, and boost college applications. Open to high school s
• Startup UCLA Summer High School Accelerator — UCLA: Startup accelerator at UCLA. Develop business ideas with UCLA Anderson faculty and LA tech community.
• Thiel Fellowship (Under 20) — Thiel Foundation: Prestigious $100,000 fellowship for young entrepreneurs under 22 to skip or leave college and pursue startup ideas with two years of funding, mentorsh
• Haas School of Business Summer Entrepreneurship Program — UC Berkeley Haas: Entrepreneurship program at Berkeley Haas. Develop startup ideas with Silicon Valley-style mentorship.
• Tim Draper Utah Entrepreneur Challenge — Lassonde Institute: Compete in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, a free high school competition that builds business skills, boosts college applications, and offers hands-
• Future Founders Launchpad — Future Founders: Premier youth entrepreneurship program with accelerator, pitch competitions, and $10K startup grants.
• Harvard Summit for Young Leaders in Business — Harvard Student Agencies: Transform your leadership and entrepreneurship skills at this in-person summer program for high schoolers. Gain hands-on business experience to boost
• NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge — Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship: Compete in the NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge to pitch your startup idea, win up to $25,000, and gain hands-on business skills for college and
• Diamond Challenge for High School Entrepreneurs — University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship: Global competition empowering high school entrepreneurs to pitch innovative ideas, build startups, and gain hands-on business experience. Perfect for
• Diamond Challenge National Finalist — University of Delaware: Global HS entrepreneurship competition. Business concept and social venture tracks. $100k+ in prizes.
• 1517 Fund Fellowship — 1517 Fund: Venture capital for young founders. Skip college and build startups.
• Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) National Competition — YEA!: National pitch competition for YEA! entrepreneurs. Students compete with businesses launched through YEA! program.
• LeanGap Teen Entrepreneurship — LeanGap: Launch your own startup in just 3 weeks with this hybrid summer program for high school students. Gain hands-on experience, $2,000 funding, and boost
• Published App Developer — Apple / Google: Develop and publish your own app on the App Store or Google Play! Gain hands-on app development experience, boost college applications, and showcase y
• Lemonade Day National Competition — Lemonade Day: Empower your entrepreneurial spirit in this hybrid national competition for high school students. Gain hands-on business experience and boost your col
• Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) World Cup — SAGE Global: Global social entrepreneurship competition. Teams run social enterprises.
• Thiel Fellowship Under 20 — Thiel Foundation: $100,000 grant over 2 years to skip college and build a startup. Past fellows have founded companies worth billions. Extremely prestigious for entrepr
• Junior Achievement Company of the Year — Junior Achievement: Create and run your own business in this hybrid entrepreneurship competition for grades 9-12. Gain hands-on experience, boost college applications, an
• National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo — USPTO: Showcase your invention at a national competition for grades 4-12! Gain hands-on STEM experience, boost creativity, and stand out on college applicati
• Harvard Social Innovation Collaborative Challenge — Harvard University: Transform your ideas into impact in this free virtual competition for high school students. Build entrepreneurial skills and boost your college applic
• Berkeley Changemaker Design Lab — UC Berkeley Jacobs Institute: Master design thinking and human-centered innovation at this in-person summer program for high school students. Build skills for college and future ca
• New Venture Championship (High School Track) — University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business: High school business pitch contest linked to the University of Oregon’s New Venture Championship, focused on entrepreneurship and startups.

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