Starting early can make a real difference if you are thinking about business, management, finance, consulting, or even launching your own venture someday. A business internship in high school gives you a chance to step into a workplace and see what business roles actually involve, before you commit to a major later.
In a business internship, you might help with research, organize information, support a marketing or operations team, assist with project tracking, or work on simple data tasks. The value comes from being in the environment, learning how teams communicate, and seeing how decisions are made.
Why should you choose Philadelphia for an internship?
Philadelphia is a strong place to explore business because it has a wide mix of industries in one city. You can find opportunities connected to healthcare systems, universities, nonprofits, finance, real estate, local startups, and large companies. That range matters because it lets you try business work in different settings, not just one type of organization.
If you live nearby, staying local can also reduce travel and housing costs. At the same time, the experience adds weight to college applications because it shows you explored business through real work, not just classes or clubs.
With that in mind, here are 15 business internships for high school students in Philadelphia! You can also explore our blog on online business programs here or our guide to business research programs here.
15 Business Internships for High School Students in Philadelphia
1. Wharton Global Youth: Leadership in the Business World (LBW)
Location: University of Pennsylvania campus (residential), Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $11,899 (need-based financial aid available)
Application Deadline: January 28 (priority); March 18 (final)
Dates: Session 1: June 7 – 27; Session 2: June 28 – July 18; Session 3: July 19 – August 8
Eligibility: Current high school juniors (rising seniors); minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA; demonstrated leadership experience
Leadership in the Business World is a three-week residential program at Wharton where you learn business fundamentals through team projects, simulations, and case analysis. Throughout the program, you work with a group to analyze companies using frameworks like SWOT analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and value chain analysis, which are the same tools that professionals use to evaluate business strategy. The experience includes lectures from Wharton faculty, guest speakers from industry, and structured recitation sessions where you apply concepts in small groups. You also participate in a capstone case competition where you present a comprehensive analytical report on a publicly listed company. The program ends with a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.
2. Independence Seaport Museum Teen Ambassadors Program
Location: Independence Seaport Museum, Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free (paid work experience)
Application deadline: April 11 (priority interviews)
Program dates: Ten weeks (summer; exact dates not specified for 2026)
Eligibility: Philadelphia teens entering 10th–12th grade
The Teen River Ambassadors program is a paid summer internship that places you on the front lines of non-profit operations and visitor relations. While the content covers river ecology and history, your core role is managing the “customer experience” for thousands of museum guests. From a business perspective, this is a public relations and communications role. You represent the organization’s brand to the public, manage daily floor operations, and learn how cultural institutions drive engagement. It is a solid opportunity to develop the “soft skills” critical for business leadership, while earning a competitive stipend.
3. CLA High School Internship Program
Location: Various locations nationwide, including select cities in PA
Cost: Free (paid internship)
Application Deadline: Varies; internships start in June
Dates: Summer internships typically run mid-June to mid-July
Eligibility: Students aged 16 to 18 currently in high school
CLA’s High School Internship Program provides paid summer internships where you can gain exposure to accounting, business, and professional services. Throughout the program, you complete guided assignments, observe day-to-day client work, and practice skills used in professional office settings. The internship helps you understand how different roles function and what typical workplace expectations look like. You receive ongoing support, feedback, and instruction from professionals during the experience. The program also introduces you to career pathways related to business and accounting through structured exploration and networking.
4. Tech & Innovation Internship
Location: Philadelphia-based with in-person and virtual components
Cost: Free; $500/week stipend
Application Deadline: March 30
Dates: June 22 – August 14
Eligibility: Current 10th–12th-grade high school students in the Philadelphia area
Coded by Kids’ Tech & Innovation Internship is an eight-week paid summer program for high school students in the Philadelphia area. During the program, you work with a team to plan and develop a startup concept while focusing on an area such as product management, UI/UX design, or software development. The experience includes guided instruction, mentorship from professionals in the field, and visits to local technology organizations. You take part in workshops that emphasize practical approaches to problem-solving and product development. Over the course of the internship, you contribute to building a functional Minimum Viable Product.
5. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania High School Internship Program
Location: Various Commonwealth agencies across Pennsylvania (Philadelphia offices available), Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free. Pays a stipend (XH28 pay scale; exact rate varies by agency)
Application Deadline: Varies by department and school calendar
Dates: Throughout the academic year (July 1 – June 30), not limited to summer only
Eligibility: Pennsylvania high school juniors or seniors, age 16+, with a school-issued letter of recommendation
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania High School Internship Program places you inside a real state agency office where you support day-to-day government work. You work under a supervisor and take on tasks that can include basic research, document prep, scheduling support, and administrative operations. If you are interested in business, this is a clean way to see how budgets, procurement, HR processes, and public policy decisions actually move through a workplace. You also learn how public sector teams communicate, track work, and manage deadlines.
6. Wharton Global Youth: Essentials of Entrepreneurship
Location: University of Pennsylvania campus (residential), Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $8,299 (need-based financial aid available)
Application Deadline: January 28 (priority); March 18 (final)
Dates: Session 1: June 7 – 19; Session 2: June 21 – July 3; Session 3: July 12 – 25; Session 4: July 26 – August 8
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 9–11
Essentials of Entrepreneurship is a two-week residential program at Wharton that introduces you to the process of launching a startup. You work in teams to develop a business idea from concept to pitch, using structured methods like the Ikigai framework to align your concept with market needs and personal strengths. Throughout the program, you conduct customer research, design and test a Minimum Viable Product, create prototypes, and build a brand identity. The experience includes lectures on topics like innovation, customer discovery, business model generation, A/B testing, and entrepreneurial financing. You also attend the Wharton Global Youth Speaker Series, where faculty present on cutting-edge topics across business disciplines. The program concludes with a final pitch competition where you present your startup to a panel of judges and receive real-time feedback.
7. Emma Bowen Foundation Summer Internship
Location: Various partner locations across U.S. states (Philadelphia-area partners possible via Comcast, Spectrum, etc.), PA
Cost: Free; paid by partner companies (stipend details vary by partner)
Application Deadline: Rolling; placements finalized by May 15
Dates: Minimum 8 continuous weeks starting May or June (exact dates set by partner company)
Eligibility: High school seniors graduating Spring 2026 or later (must plan to attend 4-year U.S. college/university), minimum 3.0 GPA, interested in media/entertainment/tech careers, U.S. work authorized, age 18+ by internship start
Emma Bowen Foundation Summer Internship is a placement program that matches you with a partner company in media, entertainment, or tech. Instead of applying directly to one employer, you apply through the Foundation and can be placed in roles tied to business operations, sales, communications, or corporate support, depending on the partner. The work is full-time and structured like a real corporate internship, so you are learning how teams function inside large companies. You also receive guidance from the Foundation while you work, which helps with professional expectations and long-term planning.
8. Building-U Internships – Business and Development Track
Location: Online (remote, open worldwide, including Philadelphia accessibility)
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Rolling (email to join info session)
Dates: 3 months+ year-round
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students (9th-12th grade)
Building-U Internships Business and Development Track is a remote internship where you join student-led teams that run a nonprofit platform. In the Business and Development team, you work on partnerships, outreach, and organizing information tied to funding and growth. The work is operational, so you learn how nonprofits track leads, manage collaboration, and keep systems organized over time. Other teams focus on marketing and analytics, including running Google Ads and using Google Analytics, which gives you practical exposure to digital growth work.
9. Drexel University WorkReady Internship Program
Location: Drexel University campuses, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free to participate; paid by Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) on a biweekly cycle
Application Deadline: June 13 (tentatively)
Dates: July 7 – August 15 (tentatively)
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores through graduating seniors (focus on West Philadelphia residents, but open to others)
The Drexel University WorkReady Internship Program is a paid placement where you work in Drexel departments doing administrative and project support work. You spend most of your week inside a department where tasks can include helping staff with organization, basic communications, event preparation, and office operations. For business management exposure, this is useful because you see how departments run, how work gets tracked, and how professional teams coordinate. You also attend structured professional development sessions through Philadelphia Youth Network, which adds training in workplace skills and career readiness.
10. NAIOP-Drexel Summer Real Estate Program
Location: Drexel University campus, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free (full scholarships provided to all accepted students, including residential stay)
Application Deadline: February 20 (priority; rolling after)
Dates: July 12 – 21
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors who are first-generation, low-income, and/or demonstrate interest in Commercial Real Estate (CRE); academically strong with high GPA, test scores, extracurriculars; competitive admission
The NAIOP-Drexel Summer Real Estate Program is a residential career program that introduces you to commercial real estate through real industry exposure. You work through case studies and projects tied to development, finance, construction, and brokerage, and you spend time learning how deals and projects are structured. The program includes site visits, which help you understand how real estate work connects to city planning, business investment, and long-term infrastructure. You also meet industry professionals and mentors, which is one of the more practical parts of the experience. If you want business management exposure in real estate, this program gives you a clear view of the field without needing prior connections.
11. Accounting Finance Business Initiative (AFBI) Summer Residency Program
Location: Drexel University campus (residential), Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Free (full scholarships provided to all accepted students)
Application Deadline: February 28 (tentatively)
Dates: June 22 – 27
Eligibility: First-generation and/or low-income high school students (rising juniors/seniors implied), minimum 2.5 GPA
Accounting Finance Business Initiative Summer Residency Program is a scholarship-funded Drexel program focused on accounting, finance, business, and related tech careers. You work through workshops and case study projects where you practice team decision-making and basic business problem-solving. The program also includes visits to firms and companies, which help you understand what accounting and finance work looks like in real workplaces. You get exposure to personal finance and data analytics as part of the business focus.
12. Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI)
Location: Philadelphia arts and culture organizations (museums, performing arts, music venues, historical sites), Philadelphia, PA
Cost: Paid ($20+ per hour); includes transportation and meals benefits
Application Deadline: February 28
Dates: June 19 – August 14 (8 weeks summer, up to 35 hours/week); optional school-year extension mid-September through May (10 hours/week)
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors in Philadelphia
Bloomberg Arts Internship places you in a Philadelphia nonprofit arts organization where you work on real operational tasks. Depending on the site, you can support administration, event planning, marketing, visitor services, or project coordination, which are the same functions that keep most nonprofits running. You also attend professional development workshops, which focus on workplace skills and readiness rather than arts training. The internship is useful if you want business management experience in a sector that relies on fundraising, public programming, and day-to-day operations.
13. Stevens Institute of Technology – Organizational Leadership Virtual Summer Research Experience
Location: Virtual (weekly asynchronous modules + live office hours)
Cost: $1,500
Program Dates: July 7 – August 11 (five weeks)
Application Deadline: March 1 (applications open December 20; notifications by April 15)
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors entering high school in the fall
This five-week online program, offered by the Stevens School of Business, focuses on management and organizational leadership. You will examine frameworks in corporate culture, ethics and social responsibility, and strategic communication, using weekly modules supported by faculty mentorship. The program focuses on research-based exploration of how leadership theory applies to real organizational settings.
14. UC San Diego’s Business Research for Innovation, Design, Growth, and Entrepreneurship (BRIDGE)
Location: Online
Cost: $2,500
Program dates: Typically, Mid-July
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12
The BRIDGE course is part of UC San Diego’s Research Scholars program, which allows high school students to engage in university-level research. The course will teach you the fundamentals of business while also covering innovation, entrepreneurship, and management. You will learn through a combination of lectures, case studies, and venture simulations, and dive into topics like venture financing, growth strategy, customer needs, business models, and how to develop a business proposal. You can earn 3 pre-college units as part of this course.
15. EnergyMag Virtual Internships
Location: Fully remote/virtual (Philadelphia accessible)
Cost: None
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: Half-time (20 hrs/week, 2–8 weeks summer); quarter-time (8 hrs/week, 1–9 months year-round)
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, seniors; GPA 3.25+; honors science/English (exceptions possible)
EnergyMag Virtual Internships is a remote research internship where you write publishable reports on renewable energy companies, technologies, or markets. The work is heavy on reading, contacting experts, and synthesizing information into a structured analysis. From a business angle, you can focus on market trends, competitive positioning, and how energy companies make money or scale new technologies. You also learn how to write clearly for publication and how to manage a long research task without being in an office. The end product is a bylined report, which is a concrete output you can show.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like finance, entrepreneurship, marketing strategy, behavioral economics, management, and data analytics, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – UC San Diego