Virtual & Online Business Programs for High School Students

These business programs are fully online, so students in any town — not just near a major university — can participate.

Virtual programs remove geography from the equation; selectivity and follow-through are all that separate you from applicants in Boston or the Bay Area.

25 verified programs match this page; 23 of the featured listings are completely free.

Featured programs

Browse 25+ curated programs for high school students:

  • Knowledge Matters Virtual Business Challenge — Knowledge Matters: Join this free virtual business competition for high schoolers to manage retail, sports, or restaurant simulations. Build entrepreneurial skills and b
  • 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
  • Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognition — Forbes Magazine: Gain national recognition as a high school entrepreneur with Forbes 30 Under 30. Boost college applications and showcase your achievements in business
  • 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
  • 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
  • 1517 Fund Fellowship — 1517 Fund: Venture capital for young founders. Skip college and build startups.
  • JPMorgan Chase Scholars Program — JPMorgan Chase: Earn a $10k scholarship while gaining finance and business skills through this virtual mentorship program for high school seniors. Boost your college
  • Beta Bowl Entrepreneurship Competition — Beta Bowl: Virtual entrepreneurship competition for students.
  • Y Combinator Startup School — Y Combinator: Master startup skills in a free 8-week online course for high schoolers. Build entrepreneurial expertise, boost college applications, and learn from i
  • DECA Scholarship Program — DECA Inc.: DECA awards over $5 million in scholarships annually to its members, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $50,000. Scholarships reward excellence in bus
  • InvestWrite Essay Competition — SIFMA Foundation: Compete in a national essay competition for high school students to sharpen financial literacy and writing skills. Stand out on college applications w
  • NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards — National Federation of Independent Business: Earn recognition and awards for your small business in this virtual competition for high school entrepreneurs. Boost college applications and showcase
  • 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
  • Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association Essay Competition — Harvard College: International essay competition on economics topics. Winners published in Harvard Economic Review and receive prizes.
  • SIFMA Foundation Stock Market Game National Winner — SIFMA Foundation: National champion of Stock Market Game simulation. Virtual trading competition with real market data.
  • NFTE World Series of Innovation — Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship: Solve global challenges in this free online competition for high school students. Build entrepreneurship skills, win prizes, and boost your college ap
  • MIT Sloan High School Case Competition — MIT Sloan School of Management: Compete in a virtual business case competition for high schoolers (Grades 9-12). Build analytical skills, boost your college application, and gain han
  • FBLA Scholarship Program — Future Business Leaders of America: FBLA-PBL offers multiple scholarships for active FBLA members pursuing business-related degrees. Awards recognize academic excellence, community servi
  • American Enterprise Institute High School Economics Writing Competition — American Enterprise Institute: Economics essay competition from AEI. Analyze economic policy issues for prizes.
  • Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC) — EntrePlanet: Compete globally in this free online entrepreneurship competition for high schoolers. Build teamwork, innovate business ideas, and boost college appli
  • Cooper Hewitt Design Challenge — Smithsonian Design Museum: Join a virtual high school competition to design data-driven solutions for community challenges. Build hands-on design skills and boost your college a
  • Ladder Internships — Ladder Internships: Virtual internship program connecting high school students with startup and organizational work experiences.
  • Fleischer Scholars Program — W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University: Free virtual summer program from ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business for Arizona high school juniors - business and entrepreneurship career explorati
  • Quantitative Finance: 4-Week Virtual Summer Research Experience — Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business: Four-week live virtual quant-finance program from Stevens School of Business (July 6-31, 2026, $2,500): rising juniors and seniors earn Bloomberg Mark
  • Global Technopreneurship Challenge — Ravine Colleges Educational Foundation (RCEF): An international competition where high school teams develop tech-driven business solutions to real-world problems.

Frequently asked questions

How many virtual business programs are listed for high school students?

ExtracurricularHub currently lists 25 verified virtual business opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link.

Are any of these virtual business programs free?

Yes — 23 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early.

Which deadlines are coming up soonest?

The next deadlines: Ladder Internships (August 23, 2026); SIFMA Foundation Stock Market Game National Winner (September 1, 2026); Knowledge Matters Virtual Business Challenge (October 22, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site.

Do colleges value virtual programs as much as in-person ones?

Colleges care about what you did and what came of it, not the mailing address. A virtual research project or online internship with real output carries the same weight — and shows initiative if in-person options weren't available where you live.