If you are interested in how economies, businesses, and policies function, exploring economics outside school can help you see the full picture!
Economics programs introduce you to areas such as market behavior, financial systems, and public policy. You might take part in simulations, case discussions, or small projects where you analyze real scenarios. Some programs also include elements of business and entrepreneurship, helping you see how economic thinking is applied.
Why should you choose Nevada as a high schooler?
Nevada offers a mix of limited in-state opportunities along with a wide range of online programs that you can access from anywhere. While there may not be many local options, combining online programs with nearby opportunities can still give you solid exposure to economics.
Choosing a local or online program can also be a practical decision financially, since you can avoid travel and housing costs while still building relevant experience. These programs can strengthen your college applications by showing initiative and continued interest in economics beyond your school coursework.
To help you explore your options, here are 15 economics programs for high school students in Nevada! If you’re still exploring your options, you might also want to check out our guides on economics programs and economics research topics for high school students to see other ways you can deepen your interest in the field.
15 Economics Programs for High School Students in Nevada
1. Lee Business School–CCSD Summer Dual Enrollment Program
Location: UNLV Campus, Las Vegas, Nevada
Cost: There is no information available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: Summer (exact dates not publicly posted)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-grade students in the Clark County School District (CCSD)
This program is a direct partnership between UNLV’s Lee Business School and the Clark County School District. You enroll in two business courses worth six college credits, earning both high school and university credit simultaneously. The program is structured to give you a taste of how business and economics are taught at the university level, with a campus-integrated schedule designed to help you build connections with UNLV students and faculty. Coursework spans business fundamentals with economics applications, and the program is designed specifically for high-achieving CCSD students considering business or economics as a college pathway.
2. Business Economics and Public Policy
Location: Online
Cost: $4,230 tuition + $81 online service fee + $76 materials fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: January 20–March 3; May 26 –July 1; July 2–August 7
Application Deadline: December 5; March 25; May 6
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
This online Wharton Pre-baccalaureate course introduces behavioral economics and its applications in public policy and market design. You will study how psychological biases affect economic decision-making and how governments and firms respond to these behaviors. Core topics include welfare economics, market power, externalities, asymmetric information, taxation, inequality, and behavioral public finance. Coursework involves live class discussions, readings, problem sets, and a final exam. You will practice applying economic models to policy problems and firm strategy, including pricing decisions and labor incentives in markets with behavioral agents.
3. Globalization: Challenges in International Economics & Politics – Columbia Pre-College Program
Location: Online
Cost: $4,017 per 2-week session (includes course, activities, health services, and technology fees; $80 application fee not included)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: July 6–July 17; July 20–July 31
Application Deadline: There is no information available
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9–12) and recent graduates, typically ages 16–18
In this course from Columbia’s Pre-College Program, you’ll explore how politics and economics interact in an increasingly interconnected world. Through lectures, research assignments, discussions, and group projects, you examine major global issues such as trade, sovereign debt, foreign aid, energy sustainability, and the role of international organizations. The course also introduces key theories in international political economy and uses real-world case studies to understand how global forces influence national policy decisions. You’ll look at questions such as how rising geopolitical competition affects economic growth or how domestic political priorities shape foreign policy. By the end of the session, you’ll have a stronger understanding of how economic policy, international relations, and globalization intersect in today’s global system.
4. Financial Decision Making – Wharton Global Youth Program
Location: Online
Cost: $4,099
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: June 15–June 26; July 6–July 17
Application Deadline: Priority: January 28; Final: Rolling admission
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9–12; international students are eligible
This program focuses on how individuals and markets make financial decisions using basic economic ideas. You study topics like inflation, debt, investment, and risk, and then apply them through data analysis and simple tools like spreadsheets. The course is practical in parts, especially when you work with real financial data, but it also connects those decisions back to broader economic systems. You begin to see how individual choices scale into market behavior. The sessions include lectures, projects, and discussions, so you are constantly moving between concepts and application.
5. Introduction to Economics – Debate Chamber Online Economics Summer School
Location: Online
Cost: £495
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: August 10–August 14
Application Deadline: no official deadline, first-come, first-served basis
Eligibility: Students aged 15–18; suitable for beginners with no prior background in economics
This is a short, discussion-heavy course that builds your foundation in both microeconomics and macroeconomics. You work through supply and demand, market behavior, and basic policy ideas, but the focus stays on applying them to real situations. Classes are interactive, so you are expected to question, debate, and test ideas rather than just listen. The structure is simple, but it gives you a working understanding of how economic concepts are used to explain everyday decisions and government actions.
6. The Business of Economics
Location: Online
Cost: $1,795
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: March 29–April 26; April 12–April 26; May 3–May 31\
Application Deadline: March 22; April 5; April 26
Eligibility: Students ages 13+
This course connects core economic ideas directly to how businesses operate. You study concepts like inflation, labor markets, and supply and demand, but always in the context of how firms respond to them. The case-based format means you are often looking at real scenarios and thinking through how a company would react. The capstone project on stagflation brings multiple ideas together, where you design responses to economic instability. The course stays grounded in application, so you are not just learning theory in isolation.
7. Principles of Economics
Location: Online
Cost: $3,364–$6,520, depending on course length
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: June 15–July 31
Application Deadline: May 8
Eligibility: High school students eligible for Brown Pre-College programs
This course introduces the basic frameworks used to study markets and policy. You work through supply and demand, equilibrium, and how resources are allocated, with a focus on understanding how these ideas are used to analyze real problems. The sessions include discussions and problem-solving, so you are expected to think through how models apply rather than just memorize them. It is structured like an introductory college course, which gives you a sense of how economics is taught at the university level.
8. Introduction to PPE: Ethics and Economics of Wealth Creation
Location: Online
Cost: $8,462–$13,858, depending on course units
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 26–July 1
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until full
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.5 GPA
This course combines economics with political and philosophical questions about markets and inequality. You study how wealth is created, how markets function, and where they fail, but you also look at how institutions shape these outcomes. The discussions move between economic models and questions about fairness, incentives, and policy design. You spend time thinking about when markets work well and when they don’t, especially in areas like inequality and public policy.
9. The Global Political Economy: Power and Inequality
Location: Online
Cost: $4,980
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: July 7–July 23
Application Deadline: March 12
Eligibility: Grades 9–11
This course looks at economic inequality through a broader lens that includes history and politics. You examine how systems like capitalism and colonialism have shaped the way wealth is distributed. The reading-heavy format means you spend time working through arguments and interpreting them rather than focusing on calculations. You also look at how inequality connects to issues like labor, gender, and climate policy. The course is more analytical than technical, but it builds a deeper understanding of how economic systems operate over time.
10. Understanding Your Money
Location: Online
Cost: $329
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: Self-paced (approximately 13–15 hours to complete)
Application Deadline: Open enrollment
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
This is a self-paced course that introduces economic ideas through personal finance. You study concepts like opportunity cost, interest, and markets, but always in the context of decisions like saving, investing, or budgeting. The structure is simple, with video modules and short exercises, but it helps you see how economic principles apply to everyday financial choices. It works best as an introduction rather than a deep academic course.
11. Investing: The Future of Finance
Location: Online
Cost: $1,595
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: March 29–April 26; April 12–April 26; May 3–May 31
Application Deadline: March 22; April 5; April 26
Eligibility: Students ages 13+
This course examines modern financial markets and investment mechanisms, including equity markets, capital raising, and financial technology. You will study how companies raise capital through instruments such as IPOs, bonds, venture capital, and private equity. The curriculum also introduces decentralized finance concepts, including blockchain systems, cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts, as well as ESG investing frameworks. Coursework includes video lectures, simulations, and applied assignments totaling about 30 hours. In the final project, you produce an equity-style analyst report evaluating how emerging financial technologies and market trends affect a publicly traded company’s financial strategy and investor outlook. Participants receive a certificate of completion.
12. Introduction to Microeconomics
Location: Online
Cost: There is no information available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 22 students (maximum enrollment)
Dates: July 20–July 31
Application Deadline: February 2 (early); April 2 (general)
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th grade students
This course introduces microeconomic analysis used to study individual decision-making and market behavior. You will examine concepts such as supply and demand, market equilibrium, pricing mechanisms, and resource allocation. The curriculum focuses on modeling how consumers and firms respond to incentives within competitive markets. Instruction is delivered through live online lectures and discussion sessions held daily. Coursework emphasizes analytical reasoning and conceptual problem-solving in introductory microeconomics.
13. Capital Markets and Investments
Location: Online
Cost: $3,200
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: June 15–June 26; July 6–July 17
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Grades 9–11 (completion of an algebra course required)
This course introduces analytical tools used in investment analysis and corporate finance. You will study financial instruments such as stocks and bonds, and examine how firms raise capital through mechanisms like Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), venture capital, and debt financing. The curriculum also covers quantitative valuation methods, including Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio, Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), and Discounted Cash Flow (DCF).
Coursework includes lectures, quantitative exercises, and team-based activities. Students apply financial modeling techniques to build and present a basic company valuation model, simulating the analytical workflow used in investment banking and equity research.
14. Introduction to Investments
Location: UCLA campus (commuter) or online
Cost: $3,156 total estimated fees (commuter); ~$2,330 virtual program fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: July 13–July 31
Application Deadline: June 12
Eligibility: Grades 9–12 (must be at least 15 years old)
This course introduces the structure and functioning of financial markets with an emphasis on investment analysis and portfolio concepts. You will study financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, commodities, venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds. The curriculum also examines macroeconomic drivers of markets, including monetary policy, economic cycles, and financial crises. You will analyze investment case studies and apply valuation frameworks used in finance, including quantitative analysis methods and efficient market concepts. The course also covers global markets, banking systems, and personal investment planning while providing exposure to potential academic and career pathways in finance.
15. Becoming an Investor: An Inside Look at Finance
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895
Acceptance rate/cohort size: There is no information available
Dates: March 29–April 26; April 12–April 26; May 3–May 31
Application Deadline: March 22; April 5; April 26
Eligibility: Students ages 13+
This course introduces the mechanics of financial markets and investment analysis. You will study how equity markets function, how stocks are traded, and how investors construct portfolios to manage risk and return. The curriculum covers valuation approaches used in finance, including pricing models and return-on-investment analysis, alongside concepts such as diversification and portfolio constraints. Coursework includes case studies and applied assignments analyzing publicly traded companies and investment strategies. The program concludes with a capstone project evaluating a company’s valuation, risk profile, and investment potential.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, 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!
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