Participating in an economics program while still in high school gives you the chance to go beyond theory and learn about how markets and systems work in the real world. Some programs focus on data and coding, using Python for economic analysis, while others explore finance and investing through simulations or lean into policy, entrepreneurship, and interdisciplinary research. As a participant in an economics program, you will learn how to apply economic thinking, whether through analyzing markets, understanding incentives, or evaluating real-world problems through data and logic. Depending on the program, you might work on a research paper, build a business idea, or simulate trades on Wall Street.
Why should you choose a program in New Jersey?
New Jersey is a strong location for economics-focused summer programs, mainly because of its proximity to major financial and academic hubs. Being close to New York City means many programs incorporate exposure to real financial institutions, industry visits, or professionals working in finance and consulting. At the same time, the state is home to universities such as Princeton University and Stevens Institute of Technology, which host academically rigorous pre-college programs. Many of these programs are fully funded, highly selective, and flexible. They’re also often skill-based options and internships.
With that, here are 15 economics programs for high school students in New Jersey.
You can also check out our guides on other economics-focused programs like Economics Summer Programs for High School Students and Economics Programs for High School Students in South Carolina.
Key Takeaways
- 15 economics programs in New Jersey span a wide range of formats, from college credit courses at Rutgers and Montclair State, to finance simulations like Montclair’s Wall Street and the Investment Experience, to entrepreneurship-focused academies at Stockton and Rowan.
- New Jersey’s location near New York City shapes many of these programs. Montclair State’s Wall Street and the Investment Experience and Stevens Institute’s Business Explorer both include NYC field trips to the financial district, giving students direct exposure to real financial institutions.
- College credit options are common. Rutgers Business School, Montclair State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Rutgers Pre-College Summer Scholars, and Harvard’s Secondary School Program all let students take real undergraduate courses and earn transferable credit while still in high school.
- Some programs focus on technical and data skills rather than theory alone. UCLA’s Python for Economics and Finance course teaches coding through an economics lens, giving students practical experience with data analysis and regression models applied to real financial datasets.
- Several programs specifically support students from low-income backgrounds. Princeton’s Preparatory Program is designed for high-achieving students from lower-income families, and Economics for Leaders Virtual and Rutgers Pre-College Summer Scholars both offer scholarships to reduce cost barriers.
- Economics programs are a strong way to explore markets, finance, and policy, but they are not the only path for a student interested in independent research. Those who want to pursue a research project in a different field might consider Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs, a mentored virtual research program with 600+ specializations across subjects like political reporting, media studies, and data journalism.
1. Stockton University: Summer Entrepreneurship and Business Academy
Location: Stockton University, Galloway, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Free; $500 offered to the winning team
Cohort Size: Limited cohort
Dates: July 12 – 18
Application Deadline: June (tentative)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
This one-week residential program introduces you to core economics and business concepts through a practical, application-based approach. You’ll cover areas like finance, marketing, and analytics, which tie directly into how economic decisions are made within organizations and markets. Most of the learning happens in teams, where you’ll develop a business idea and build it into a structured plan, applying concepts like cost analysis, demand, and strategy. Sessions are led by faculty and industry professionals, giving you exposure to both academic and real-world perspectives. The program concludes with a business plan competition, where your work is evaluated by faculty and local business leaders.
2. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Financial aid available.
Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer and Fall cohorts.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th- or 11th-graders! A few tracks require prerequisites; see here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students in subjects such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback you can use to improve future projects. Apply here!
3. Montclair State University Early College Scholars Program
Location: Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ
Cost/Stipend: $825 per 3-credit course; Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students (16+); Specifics vary by cohort
This program lets you take actual undergraduate courses at Montclair, including options in economics, while still in high school. Classes follow a standard college structure, which includes lectures, assignments, and exams, so the experience is closer to a university classroom than a summer program. Economics courses typically cover topics like microeconomics, macroeconomics, or data-driven analysis, depending on what you choose. You’ll study alongside college students, which adds to the pace and expectations. It’s a flexible option if you want formal exposure to economics and college-level academics rather than a short-term exploratory program.
4. Rutgers Business School Pre-College Enrichment Program
Location: Rutgers Business School, Newark, NJ, or New Brunswick, NJ
Cost/Stipend: $25 program application fee; Unpaid
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: January – May (spring semester with Saturday classes)
Application Deadline: December 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA
You take a college-level business course alongside Rutgers undergraduates while earning three academic credits, giving you early exposure to subjects like finance, marketing, and management. The program is a strong fit if you have an interest in economics and want to understand how business decisions connect to real-world markets. Sessions also introduce you to college readiness and professional skills, while guest speakers from industry share practical insights into business careers. You’ll attend classes on the Rutgers campus closest to your high school, which makes the transition into a college environment more accessible. By the end, you’ll gain both academic experience and a clearer sense of how economics and business intersect in real settings.
5. Rowan University: Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy
Location: Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 6 – 9
Application Deadline: March 18 – May 17
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school juniors and seniors
Even though this program leans towards entrepreneurship, it ties closely into core economic thinking, examining how ideas become viable in a market, how pricing and demand shape decisions, and what makes a business sustainable. Over four days, you’ll work in teams to build and pitch an idea, while learning how to evaluate whether it actually makes sense economically. The program focuses a lot on decision-making, trade-offs, and value creation, which are central to both entrepreneurship and economics. It’s a good fit if you’re curious about the applied side of economics, especially how concepts show up in real businesses.
6. Fairleigh Dickinson University: Early College Summer Program
Location: Fairleigh Dickinson University, Metropolitan, NJ, or Florham, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Varies by course; Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 30 – August 11
Application Deadline: Rolling (varies by course)
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors
This is a flexible, credit-focused program where you’ll get to explore economics-related areas through courses like personal financial literacy while also trying out other subjects. As a participant, you’ll take part in actual college classes and earn 3-4 credits per course. For students interested in economics, courses tied to finance and decision-making give you a practical look at how individuals manage money and think about financial systems.
7. Rutgers Pre-College Summer Scholars Program: Economics
Location: Rutgers University – New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ + Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $482 – $551 per credit (in-state), $1,148–$1,338 per credit (out-of-state) + $162 summer student fee (scholarships available); Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Session I: May 26 – July 2; Session II: July 6 – August 12
Application Deadline: May 17 (Session I); June 28 (Session II)
Eligibility: High school students (ages 16-18) with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0 who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents; Students graduating high school in the program year are not eligible
Rutgers’ Pre-College Summer Scholars Program lets you enroll in undergraduate economics courses and study alongside Rutgers college students while earning transferable university credit. If you’re interested in economics, you can choose between the Principles of Microeconomics course, which explores topics such as market structures, monopoly, externalities, and government intervention, or the Principles of Macroeconomics course, which covers national income, unemployment, inflation, monetary policy, banking, and international trade. The courses follow the same academic expectations, assignments, and schedule as Rutgers undergraduate classes, giving you an authentic college classroom experience. Throughout the program, you’ll learn directly from Rutgers faculty while completing coursework that counts for three transferable college credits. It’s a practical way to explore economics before deciding whether to pursue it as a college major.
8. CLA High School Internship Program
Location: CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) offices across the U.S. (including New Jersey locations)
Cost/Stipend: Free; Paid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive; 60–70 students
Dates: 4 weeks between June – August
Application Deadline: Late April – May
Eligibility: High school students (ages 16-18) who are authorized to work in the U.S.
This is more of a business-facing program, but it connects closely to applied economics through how firms actually operate. As a participant, you won’t just be doing independent accounting work; instead, the program is structured like a classroom inside a professional office, where you’ll learn concepts through simulations, projects, and shadowing. A lot of the focus is on understanding financial data, basic tax and audit ideas, and how businesses make decisions, which ties directly into microeconomic thinking. You’ll also pick up practical skills like using Excel and communicating in a professional setting.
9. Stevens Pre-College Program: Business Explorer
Location: Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ
Cost/Stipend: $3,350 (limited scholarships offered); Unpaid
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: July 5 – 11; July 12 – 18
Application Deadline: March 16 (priority); June 15 (final)
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors
Business Explorer is a short, immersive intro to business where you’ll rotate through different areas like finance, marketing, and economics to see how they connect. The economics angle comes through understanding how companies make decisions, respond to markets, and balance trade-offs in real case studies. While you won’t go deep into economics theory, you’ll still gain a practical sense of how economic thinking shows up in business strategy. A highlight of this program is that you’ll get to work in financial labs and engage with real-world business scenarios rather than just lectures. The NYC company visit adds another layer where you’ll see how these ideas play out inside actual firms.
10. Montclair State University: Wall Street and the Investment Experience
Location: Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ
Cost/Stipend: $1,900; Unpaid
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: July 12 – 18; July 26 – August 1
Application Deadline: November 25 – June 23
Eligibility: Rising 10th-12th graders
This program leans strongly into the financial side of economics, meaning you’ll learn about how markets function in real time. You’ll spend the week analyzing financial data, following business news, and even simulating trades across stocks, commodities, and crypto, which helps you understand market behavior and risk. There’s also some exposure to how AI is being used in finance, along with discussions around major investors like Warren Buffett and broader market trends. The NYC field trip is a big part of it as you get to see the financial district up close and connect what you’ve learned to real institutions.
11. Princeton University: Preparatory Program
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; 60-70 students
Dates: 3 summer institutes (6.5 weeks) + year-round programming
Application Deadline: Spring of freshman year (through partner schools)
Eligibility: Freshmen from select New Jersey high schools; Designed for students from low-income families
This is a long-term academic program rather than a short summer experience and is specifically designed to support high-achieving students from lower-income backgrounds. While it’s not focused on economics directly, it builds the core skills like writing, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking that you’ll need for subjects like economics later on. You’ll spend multiple summers on campus taking rigorous classes, and continue during the school year with weekly sessions and academic support. There’s also strong emphasis on discussion, analysis, and forming arguments, which closely mirrors how economics is studied at higher levels. Over time, the program also guides you through college prep and applications, making it a solid pathway if you’re aiming for competitive universities and fields like economics.
12. New Jersey Scholars Program (NJSP)
Location: The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Free
Cohort Size: 39 students
Dates: June 29 – August 1 (hybrid format)
Application Deadline: Nominations in January; Final application due early February
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors attending a New Jersey high school
During NJSP, you’ll spend five weeks exploring a central theme through humanities and social sciences, which often connects to real-world economic issues like inequality, policy, or global systems. A big part of the program is researching and writing a 10-15 page interdisciplinary research paper, where you’ll learn how to form arguments, work with evidence, and think across disciplines. The seminars are discussion-heavy, so you’re constantly analyzing ideas. It’s less about technical economics and more about developing the critical thinking and writing skills that strong economics students rely on. By the end of it, you’ll be much more comfortable tackling complex, open-ended questions.
13. Harvard’s Secondary School Program (SSP)
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipen: Online: $4,180 – $15,735 + $75 application fee (financial aid offered); Unpaid
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Program Dates: 7-week: June 20 – August 8
Application Deadline: Early: January 7; Regular: February 11
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores and juniors and graduating seniors (ages 16-19)
During SSP, you’ll get to participate in real Harvard classes while also earning credit. You’ll pick from a vast course list, including several focused on economics. The classes move fast and expect you to keep up with college-level reading and assignments, so it’s a good way to test how you handle that kind of rigor. Outside class, you’ll figure out your own schedule and meet students from all over the world.
14. UCLA Pre-College: Python for Economics and Finance
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $2,770; Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: June 22 – July 10
Application Deadline: June 12
Eligibility: High school students (15+)
This is a short, skills-focused program where you’ll learn Python through an economics lens rather than in isolation. You’ll start with basics like data types and gradually move into applying them for data analysis, visualization, and simple regression models using real finance and economics datasets. The structure is pretty hands-on, so most of your learning comes from actually working with data, building graphs, and testing ideas. Along the way, you’ll also touch on probability, statistics, and time series. By the end of it, you’ll be comfortable manipulating datasets and using Python as a tool to explore and explain economic problems.
15. UCLA Pre-College: Introduction to Investments
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $3,156; Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 13 – July 31
Application Deadline: June 12
Eligibility: High school students (15+)
If you’re new to finance, this is a pretty straightforward way to get comfortable with how investing actually works. The course builds from basics like money, banking, and financial markets, and then connects those ideas to personal investing decisions and broader economic systems. You don’t need prior economics or math experience, which makes it accessible, but you’ll still engage with real concepts behind stocks, markets, and financial planning. Over three weeks, you’ll start seeing how investment decisions are made and what different career paths in finance might look like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these programs are free to attend?
Stockton University’s Summer Entrepreneurship and Business Academy, Rowan University’s Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy, Princeton’s Preparatory Program, and the New Jersey Scholars Program are all free. The CLA High School Internship Program is also free to attend and pays students.
Do I need prior experience in economics or math to apply?
It depends on the program. UCLA’s Introduction to Investments course states no prior economics or math background is required, making it accessible for beginners. Others, like Rutgers Pre-College Summer Scholars and Harvard’s Secondary School Program, expect students to keep pace with college-level reading and coursework, so some academic preparation helps.
Which programs give me exposure to real financial institutions in New York City?
Montclair State’s Wall Street and the Investment Experience and Stevens Institute’s Business Explorer both include field trips into New York City’s financial district, giving students a firsthand look at how the concepts they are learning apply inside actual firms.
Are any of these programs specifically for low-income students?
Yes. Princeton’s Preparatory Program is specifically designed for high-achieving freshmen from lower-income families at select New Jersey high schools. Other programs, including Rutgers Pre-College Summer Scholars and Economics for Leaders Virtual, also offer scholarships to help offset costs for eligible students.
What if I am interested in research outside of economics or finance?
These programs are focused specifically on economics, finance, and business, but students looking for a research-based credential in a different field might consider Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs, a selective virtual research program that has worked with over 1,000 high school students and offers 600+ specializations, including subjects like investigative journalism, political reporting, and the ethics of news and information.
Image source: Rutgers University