If entrepreneurship interests you, you are probably curious about more than running a company. Entrepreneurship internships in California for high school students can help you explore how people make decisions, what they value, and how businesses respond to real needs in one of the world’s most active startup environments.

Imagine spending a few weeks examining how startups validate ideas, studying customer behavior, helping teams evaluate market opportunities, or watching founders make difficult trade-offs with limited time and resources. You’ll quickly discover that entrepreneurship is less about having a brilliant idea and more about testing assumptions, learning from feedback, and adapting to new information.

Why pursue entrepreneurship internships in California as a high school student?

California occupies a unique place in the entrepreneurial world because of the sheer density of talent, capital, research, and experimentation found within a relatively small geographic area. Some of the world’s most influential startups emerged from ecosystems built around universities, research labs, and communities of people willing to take risks on new ideas.

For students, this creates an unusually rich learning environment. Universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley have played major roles in shaping startup culture, while thousands of startups continue to emerge from the networks surrounding them. Add venture capital firms, incubators, accelerators, and research institutions, and you have an ecosystem where innovation is constantly being tested and refined.

An internship in California offers more than workplace experience. It offers a window into how new ideas move from concept to reality. To help you explore that world, we’ve put together a list of 15 entrepreneurship internships in California for high school students!

For adjacent opportunities, consider the online business program and summer internships in California.

15 Entrepreneurship Internships in California for High School Students

1. Immerse Education’s San Francisco Entrepreneurship Summer School

Location: University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco, California
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: 15-18-year-old students; open to international students

Joining the Immerse Education Entrepreneurship Summer School will expose you to business development and startup strategies. You’ll gain knowledge about a range of topics, including innovation, business planning, and financial management. You’ll participate in interactive workshops, work on startup projects, and gain insights into real-world case studies. The programme will allow you to gain a range of entrepreneurial skills, including strategic thinking and creativity required to launch successful businesses.

You’ll receive guidance from established entrepreneurs and explore different industries and business models. The program will prepare you for a future career in entrepreneurship through hands-on challenges and real-world experience. You’ll also earn a recognised certificate on the completion of the program.

Why it stands out: It will give you hands-on exposure to startup strategy through real projects, expert mentorship, and practical challenges, while also earning you a recognised certificate.

2. Ladder Internship Program

Location: Remote, with opportunities to work with Silicon Valley–based startups
Cost: Varies
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year (8-12 weeks)
Application Deadline: Rolling, varies by cohort
Eligibility: Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap-year students able to commit 10-20 hours/week; open to international students

For students comparing entrepreneurship internships in California for high school students, the Ladder Internship Program offers a remote route into startup work with Silicon Valley–based companies. You’ll work with founders and managers on real-world business challenges in fields such as finance, marketing, consulting, and technology.

Throughout the internship, you’ll receive one-on-one mentorship from a Ladder Coach, attend cohort-wide workshops, and develop transferable skills in communication, leadership, and strategic thinking. Ladder alumni and entrepreneurs lead many participating startups from major firms like Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

Why it stands out: It’s an entirely remote opportunity where you can work with startup founders who’ve worked in major firms.

3. Wharton Global Youth Program: Innovation and Startup Culture, San Francisco

Location: Wharton San Francisco Campus, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $8,959; financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: Session 1: July 5-17; Session 2: July 19-31
Application Deadline: Priority: January 28th; Final: March 18th
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors (grades 10-12); open to international students

Wharton’s Innovation and Startup Culture programme gives entrepreneurship internships in California for high school students a strong San Francisco startup perspective. You’ll examine why some ideas attract customers while others struggle to gain attention, with faculty-led sessions exploring innovation, venture creation, and business growth through examples drawn from real companies.

Outside the classroom, you’ll visit organisations around the Bay Area and hear from founders, investors, and entrepreneurs about the decisions they’ve had to make. The programme is open to students without a business background, so discussions start with fundamentals before moving into more complex questions. By the second week, you’ll have a much clearer picture of how startups move from an idea to a company. 

Why it stands out: Being based at Wharton’s San Francisco campus means startup founders and venture capital firms are part of the programme’s immediate surroundings.

4. Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY)

Location: UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Varies by program
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 10%; 50 students per session
Dates: Varies by program
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12; open to international students

Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) takes place inside UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and introduces you to the kinds of questions business students discuss every day. You’ll explore topics such as marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, and strategy through company case studies and classroom discussions. The programme asks you to think about how businesses make decisions and respond to challenges.

You’ll work with a team on a business problem and spend time developing a solution that can be presented and defended. Guest speakers and instructors regularly challenge students to explain their reasoning rather than jump straight to conclusions. Discussions are often just as important as the final answer. The programme ends with team presentations judged by business professionals and Haas affiliates.

Why it stands out: The case-study format gives you a chance to think through business decisions the same way many business school students do.

5. Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S.

Location: Online (Virtual), Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), Stanford, CA
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 20 students per cohort; highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts run throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies yearly
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled at US schools; gap-year students also considered; open to international students

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S. is one of the more design-focused entrepreneurship internships in California for high school students, built around a simple idea: start with a problem, not a business. Early in the programme, you’ll observe everyday challenges, discuss possible solutions, and identify which problems are actually worth solving.

Between live sessions, you’ll work on research, discussions, and group projects with other students in the cohort. Guest speakers often share stories about products, companies, and projects that did not work the first time around. By the end of the programme, you’ll have taken an idea through multiple rounds of testing and refinement. 

Why it stands out: Only 20 students are admitted to each cohort, which makes discussions and feedback much more personal than in most online programmes.

6. UC Davis Pre-College Program: Emerging Leaders in Business

Location: UC Davis, Davis, CA
Cost: $5,995
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: Session 1: July 8-17; Session 2: July 22-31
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until spots are filled
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9-12, or students who have just completed grade 12; open to international students

This UC Davis Pre-College Program is a two-week residential experience with a curriculum focused on building and launching a venture across industries, including food, healthcare, energy, and engineering. You’ll work on developing a functioning business idea through market research, product development, and pitch preparation, with guidance from UC Davis faculty and mentors who specialize in entrepreneurship in the university’s core research areas.

The program includes visits to local startups and innovation hubs in the Davis and Sacramento region, connecting you with a startup ecosystem that operates distinctly from Silicon Valley. You’ll leave with a developed business concept and a pitch you have presented to professionals.

Why it stands out: UC Davis is ranked among the top public universities in the United States, and its entrepreneurship curriculum draws directly on the university’s research strengths in agriculture, life sciences, and environmental technology.

7. Emma Bowen Foundation Summer Internship Program

Location: Various partner company sites across the U.S., including Silicon Valley
Cost: Paid internship
Dates: May – August
Application Deadline: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis from September – April
Eligibility: High school seniors and undergraduate students (minimum 3.0 GPA, U.S. work authorization required)

The Emma Bowen Foundation Summer Internship is a paid, full-time program for students interested in careers that link media, technology, and entrepreneurship. As an EBF Fellow, you work with leading media and tech companies in roles related to business, engineering, journalism, public relations, and innovation.

You work 35 to 40 hours each week on real projects such as creating digital campaigns, analyzing market data, or helping with product development. The program also offers mentorship, professional training, and access to a national alumni network of nearly 2,000 professionals who provide ongoing career support.

Why it stands out: It connects students with paid internships and long-term mentorship in media, technology, and communications helping you build professional experience and industry networks before college.

8. CLA High School Internship Program

Location: Select CLA offices nationwide, including opportunities in the Bay Area
Cost: Paid internship
Dates: Varies
Application Deadline: Varies by location
Eligibility: High school students ages 16-18; international student eligibility not specified

The CLA High School Internship Program allows students to learn about business, finance, and professional services through real client projects. During the summer, you work with professionals in accounting, consulting, and wealth management to understand how businesses function.

You take part in workshops, mentorship sessions, and team projects that strengthen communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills. With offices across the country, including in Silicon Valley, CLA provides an environment focused on professional growth.

Why it stands out: It introduces you to real accounting and consulting workflows, helping you see how financial services operate inside professional firms.

9. UCLA Anderson Summer Discovery

Location: UCLA Anderson School of Management, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $4,799 – $15,999
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Open enrollment; limited seats per session
Dates: Varies by session
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until sessions fill
Eligibility: High school students; open to international students

UCLA Anderson Summer Discovery is a pre-college program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management offering tracks in sports business, digital marketing, and media and entertainment, all industries that are more concentrated in Southern California than anywhere else in the country. Each track teaches entrepreneurial frameworks for businesses operating at the intersection of content, technology, and consumer culture, including how companies develop intellectual property, build audiences, and create sustainable revenue models.

You’ll work through case studies, attend workshops with guest speakers from the entertainment and sports industries, and develop a project that applies entrepreneurial thinking to a real business challenge within your track’s focus area. The curriculum is developed with input from UCLA Anderson faculty and industry professionals, and the Los Angeles setting gives you proximity to the studios, sports organizations, and agencies whose models you’ll be analyzing.

Why it stands out: UCLA Anderson is ranked among the top 10 business schools in the United States, and the program’s entertainment and media focus gives you a distinctly California perspective on entrepreneurship.

10. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes: Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Location: Online
Cost: $3,200; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 16 students on average
Dates: Session 1: June 15-26; Session 2: July 6-17
Application Deadline: March 13th
Eligibility: Students in grades 8-11; ages 13-19; international students welcome

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes offers a two-week virtual course in Innovation and Entrepreneurship for high school students, developed and taught by Stanford instructors. The curriculum covers design thinking, market analysis, prototyping, and venture strategy, using an active learning format built around workshops, case studies, and team projects. You’ll develop and present an original innovation concept by the end of the program, working through Stanford’s design thinking methodology in a structured sequence that mirrors the process used at Stanford’s d.school.

The virtual format means you can participate from anywhere, making it one of the few Stanford Pre-Collegiate programs accessible to students who cannot travel to campus. The design thinking process you’ll work through applies well beyond entrepreneurship and is used across Stanford’s engineering, policy, and social impact programs.

Why it stands out: The virtual format removes geographic and travel cost barriers entirely, meaning students based anywhere in California or internationally can access Stanford Pre-Collegiate instruction without the expense of on-campus attendance.

11. University of the Pacific Summer High School Institute: Building Your Own Business

Location: University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
Cost: $3,800 (residential; includes housing, meals, and activities)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Small cohort
Dates: June 1-11
Application Deadline: May 24th
Eligibility: High school students; open to international students

This two-week residential program at the University of the Pacific teaches you the building blocks of launching a business using the Business Model Canvas. The same framework that professional founders use to describe, visualize, and assess a venture. You’ll work in teams to develop an original business concept, conduct market research, and refine your model through an iterative design process guided by Pacific faculty in small, personalized learning environments.

The program culminates in a team pitch to a panel of judges playing the role of potential investors, giving you direct experience with the pressure and preparation that investor presentations require. Participants receive a certificate from the University of the Pacific upon completion.

Why it stands out: The program’s use of the Business Model Canvas as a core framework mirrors real-world startup practice, providing a structured, industry-recognized tool you can apply to future ventures well beyond the program.

12. NFTE Business & Entrepreneurship Academy at UC Berkeley

Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Included in Summer Discovery residential package ($4,399-$10,499)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: July 12-24
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; Round 1 deadline January 27th
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12; open to international students

This two-week academy runs within Summer Discovery’s residential program at UC Berkeley and uses NFTE’s award-winning curriculum to take you from entrepreneurial idea to investor pitch. You’ll identify a real-world business opportunity, conduct primary and secondary market research, define your target customer, and build a full business model using the Lean Canvas framework. The program incorporates financial planning, marketing strategy, and multiple rounds of pitch practice, including a guest speaker from the startup world and collaborative peer feedback sessions.

The program culminates in a classroom showcase where you deliver a professional business pitch to a panel of judges. Instruction is led by an NFTE Certified Entrepreneurship Instructor and Harvard doctoral candidate with a background as a school principal in Chicago and Houston. You’ll leave with a course completion certificate and a letter of recognition from Summer Discovery.

Why it stands out: The Lean Canvas framework and iterative pitch practice mirror the process used in real startup accelerators, giving you tools and presentation experience that apply directly to college entrepreneurship courses and early-stage venture competitions.

13. USC Pre-College: Exploring Entrepreneurship

Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Commuter: $8,130; Residential: $11,570 (includes tuition, course materials, program fee, and room & board)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 22nd – July 17th (4 weeks)
Application Deadline: Domestic: May 8th; International: March 13th
Eligibility: High school students who have completed at least 9th grade; self-motivated, independent learners; open to international students

USC’s Exploring Entrepreneurship programme is a strong fit if you want entrepreneurship internships in California for high school students with direct exposure to Los Angeles business and startup communities. The programme breaks the startup process into manageable pieces, moving from problem identification to customer research, market validation, business planning, marketing strategy, and conversations with founders and investors.

Los Angeles itself becomes part of the experience, with visits that help connect coursework to active companies and startup communities. By the end of the four weeks, you’ll have built a business plan, developed a pitch deck, and presented your idea in a competition. 

Why it stands out: The combination of USC college credit, field trips to LA’s entertainment and tech startup ecosystem, and direct access to founders and VCs gives this program depth and real-world texture.

14. UC Irvine Future Leaders Initiative

Location: Paul Merage School of Business, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA
Cost: Free; fully funded through donor support
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective; limited to underserved Southern California students
Dates: Six full-day in-person sessions from July 27th to August 1st
Application Deadline: Early April
Eligibility: Incoming high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from underserved communities in Southern California; first- and second-year community college students also eligible

UC Irvine’s Future Leaders Initiative was created for students who may not normally have access to business and entrepreneurship programmes. Over six days on the Merage School of Business campus, you’ll explore topics such as leadership, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business fundamentals. Sessions are taught by faculty members and professionals who connect classroom ideas to examples from their own work.

Students spend time discussing business problems, analysing decisions, and thinking about how organisations grow. The programme is intentionally small, which allows for meaningful interaction with instructors and mentors. Support continues beyond the programme through connections with the Merage community and alumni network. 

Why it stands out: The program was honored with an AACSB Innovation Award, recognizing it as one of the most impactful pre-college business education initiatives at any accredited business school worldwide.

15. NSLC on Business & Entrepreneurship

Location: Multiple US University Campuses, including University of California, Berkeley, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $4,295
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: June 12-20 and June 24th – July 2nd
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions; early application recommended
Eligibility: High school students; open to international students

The program covers leadership development and entrepreneurship fundamentals, including opportunity identification, business model design, and team project work, structured to be accessible to students with no prior business background. You’ll complete the program with a business concept and an NSLC certificate. The curriculum blends business fundamentals, opportunity identification, business model design, marketing, and financial literacy, with a leadership track covering communication, resilience, and personality styles.

Field trips and tours are built into the program and have included visits to Cloudflare, SAP, the Haas School of Business, Oracle Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, and Pier 39, giving you direct exposure to working technology companies and the Bay Area innovation ecosystem beyond the classroom. 

Why it stands out: NSLC’s network spans multiple university partner campuses across the United States, making it one of the most geographically accessible entrepreneurship programs available to high school students.

Navigate Business, Campus Life, and New Environments

California’s startup scene can teach you more than how ventures grow; it shows how ideas, people, culture, and opportunity interact in fast-moving settings.

Through these 15 entrepreneurship internships in California for high school students, you can explore pitching, market research, leadership, product testing, financial thinking, and founder-style problem-solving.

The real value is not only professional exposure, but learning how to communicate, adjust, collaborate, and feel confident in unfamiliar academic, social, and cultural spaces.

Want to feel ready for life beyond the programme? Read our Student Life and Cultural Immersion blogs for academics, campus life, finances, accommodation, wellbeing, and cultural experiences.