For students interested in business, entrepreneurship summer programs in San Francisco for high school students can be an exciting way to explore new ideas while experiencing a more independent style of learning. They give you the chance to step outside your usual routine, spend time in a university setting, and start building the confidence and initiative that college life often demands.

You dive right into hands-on projects, such as creating business plans, working in teams, or pitching ideas, which provides practical academic experience that goes way beyond a standard high school classroom. Along the way, you develop advanced, real-world skills, such as problem-solving, leadership, and public speaking, giving you a head start for your future education and careers.

San Francisco is one of the world’s most influential centers for innovation and entrepreneurship. Located in the heart of the Bay Area, the city is situated next to Silicon Valley, where startups, venture capital firms, and global technology companies operate alongside leading research universities.

Why should high school students attend an entrepreneurship program in San Francisco?

The region is home to major research universities such as Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, which have played a central role in shaping the modern startup ecosystem. Many of the world’s most influential technology companies, including Google, Apple Inc., and Meta Platforms, also operate nearby, creating a unique environment where new ideas are constantly tested and scaled.

For students, this environment offers opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. Entrepreneurship programs in the region may include guest lectures from founders and investors, visits to startup incubators, and collaborative projects inspired by real-world challenges.

For more options, you could consider summer programs in San Francisco. For adjacent opportunities, check out online business programs.

Disclaimer: This list also contains programs based in the San Francisco Bay area.

15 Entrepreneurship Summer Programs in San Francisco for High School Students

1. B-BAY Summer Founder Bootcamp

Location: Berkeley, California
Cost: $7,950 for solo founders; $7,450 per person for teams; limited scholarships are available for students who demonstrate significant financial need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; small cohort sizes
Dates: June 14-27
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school founders with a startup idea that has early traction (e.g., active users or initial revenue); open to international students

Designed for high school founders who already have a startup idea, this program focuses on helping participants grow and scale their ventures through structured mentorship and practical frameworks. You learn how to test hypotheses with real users, measure growth metrics, and explore strategies for expanding your user base. Guest entrepreneurs and industry professionals lead sessions on topics such as growth hacking, partnerships, and startup operations.

You also work closely with peers who are building ventures at similar stages, creating a collaborative founder community. By the end of the program, students present measurable progress on their ventures while gaining insight into how startups scale within Berkeley’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Why it stands out: You work on scaling real startups with measurable user or revenue growth during the program.

2. Immerse’s San Francisco Entrepreneurship Summer School

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Location: San Francisco, California (based at University of California, Berkeley)
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on programme options; financial aid available through our bursary programme
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; an average of 7 participants per class
Dates: 2-week sessions in July
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until cohorts fill
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18; open to international students

The Entrepreneurship Programme by Immerse Education offers high school students an immersive introduction to startup development in the heart of Silicon Valley. Hosted near San Francisco, the programme combines academic instruction with project-based learning focused on building and launching new ventures. Students explore topics such as market research, business strategy, and startup growth through workshops led by industry professionals and experienced entrepreneurs.

Participants also work on their own personal projects while receiving feedback through one-on-one coaching sessions. Throughout the programme, students develop practical entrepreneurial skills while experiencing aspects of university-style learning and collaboration. In addition to classroom sessions, industry visits, and career skills workshops provide insight into the broader technology and startup ecosystem of the Bay Area.

Why it stands out: Students work on personal startup projects while learning directly from entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.

3. B-BAY Summer Entrepreneurship Residency

Location: Berkeley, California
Cost/Stipend: $7,450 (in-state); $7,950 (out-of-state) + $100 application fee; limited need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 50 students per cohort
Dates: July 5-18; July 19th – August 1st
Application Deadline: February 8th
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9-12; open to international students

In one of the most hands-on entrepreneurship summer programs in San Francisco for high school students, you collaborate in teams to develop a startup concept and build a comprehensive business plan from the ground up. The curriculum combines lectures from Berkeley faculty with guest talks from industry professionals, along with research assignments and group projects.

You explore core business topics such as market research, product development, and financial planning while refining communication and presentation skills. By the end of the program, teams present their final business plans, simulating the process entrepreneurs follow when pitching new ventures. Alongside academic learning, you also experience aspects of college life through campus activities and discussions with current Berkeley students.

Why it stands out: You develop and pitch a complete startup business plan in just two weeks at UC Berkeley.

4. Innovation and Startup Culture – Wharton Global Youth

Location: San Francisco, California (hosted at the Wharton School campus of the University of Pennsylvania)
Cost: $8,959; scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited cohort sizes
Dates: July 5-17; July 19-31
Application Deadline: March 18th
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-11 with a minimum 3.3 GPA; open to international students

The Innovation and Startup Culture program from the Wharton Global Youth Program is one of the most academically focused entrepreneurship summer programs in San Francisco for high school students, introducing participants to the fundamentals of venture creation within the local startup ecosystem. Over two weeks, participants explore how entrepreneurs generate ideas, evaluate market opportunities, and build scalable business models.

Through lectures, case studies, and group activities, students learn about business model generation, product-market fit, and venture implementation. The program culminates in a startup pitch where students present their venture concepts while applying frameworks used in real entrepreneurial settings. Site visits and interactions with Bay Area entrepreneurs provide additional exposure to innovation and startup culture.

Why it stands out: Students develop and pitch original startup ideas while learning Wharton’s entrepreneurial frameworks in the heart of San Francisco’s startup ecosystem.

5. USF Pre-College Program: Biotech Entrepreneurship Academy

Location: University of San Francisco (USF) in San Francisco, California
Cost: Residential: $5,795; Commuter: $3,495 + $95 application fee; limited financial aid may be available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: July 5-18
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th grade students; open to international students

As one of the more specialised entrepreneurship summer programs in San Francisco for high school students, the USF Biotech Entrepreneurship Academy lets you act as a startup founder while exploring the practical intersection of life sciences and business. You will explore topics such as business strategy, research and development, marketing, and finance.

To build your expertise, you will run a virtual biotech company simulation, develop a foundational business plan, create an investor pitch deck, and utilize data and project software such as Monday.com and Tableau. The program also features excursions to real-world San Francisco incubators such as Johnson & Johnson JLabs.

Why it stands out: It goes beyond classroom theory by having you actively build and pitch a startup while networking directly within the world’s leading biotechnology hub.

6. Berkeley M.E.T. Innovation Academy – M.E.T.ia

Location: Berkeley, California
Cost: ~$8,000 – $13,000; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 40 students per session
Dates: June 21st – July 8th
Application Deadline: March 24th
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors with strong STEM and leadership interests; open to international students

Designed for high-achieving students interested in the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship, this program blends engineering problem-solving with startup development. You collaborate on a capstone project where you design and pitch a startup idea to venture investors while developing prototypes at Berkeley’s Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation.

You also learn directly from industry professionals and entrepreneurs across Silicon Valley, gaining exposure to real-world innovation and product development. Additional programming includes networking with current M.E.T. students and career guidance to help participants strengthen their academic and professional goals.

Why it stands out: You get to prototype technology-driven startups and pitch them to venture investors while learning at Berkeley’s engineering and business schools.

7. USF Pre-College Program: Sport Marketing & Sponsorships

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The USF Pre-College Program in Sport Marketing & Sponsorships introduces you to the business of sports, showing you how to grow an audience for anything from a tennis event to a global football website. You will study topics like fan behavior, brand building, communications, event experiences, and sponsorship sales.

To practice, you will build your own sports brand, create a sponsorship proposal, tour professional arenas, and give a business pitch. You also learn directly from a professor who has advised major teams like the San Francisco Giants. Ultimately, you gain practical skills in networking, understanding exactly what cricket or football fans want, and confidently pitching your ambitious ideas.

Why it stands out: It gives you real-world access to Bay Area sports executives and hands-on practice building a brand, rather than just teaching you from a basic textbook.

8. Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S. (SEUS)

Location: Online
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 20 students per session
Dates: June 6th – October 3rd
Application Deadline: April 8th
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled in the U.S.; not open to international students

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship U.S. (SEUS) is one of the most accessible entrepreneurship summer programs in San Francisco for high school students, teaching you how to use social entrepreneurship to solve real-world problems. You will explore topics like design thinking, social innovation, problem identification, and navigating new technologies like AI.

You will join live virtual classes with Silicon Valley experts, collaborate on group projects, share ideas on discussion boards, and complete independent research. A unique feature of SEUS is its “co-learning” environment, where you and peers from across the country shape the class together. Ultimately, you will build essential skills like critical thinking, agile problem-solving, intentional listening, and effective communication.

Why it stands out: It removes financial barriers to top-tier education, offering completely free, direct engagement with Stanford scholars and Silicon Valley leaders in a highly collaborative setting.

9. Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies

Location: Online
Cost: $3,200; need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; ~16 students per class
Dates: June 15-26; July 6-17
Application Deadline: March 13th
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-11; open to international students

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship course from Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies introduces high school students to the core principles behind building successful businesses. The program explores topics such as customer insight, product development, marketing strategy, and business models while emphasizing design thinking as a framework for solving real-world problems.

Through interactive discussions, exercises, and projects, you learn how entrepreneurs identify market opportunities and develop solutions that address customer needs. You also analyze examples from Silicon Valley companies to understand how innovation drives growth and competitive advantage. The course concludes with a team-based startup project where students apply entrepreneurial concepts to design and present their own business ideas.

Why it stands out: You apply design thinking to real-world business challenges and develop a startup concept while learning from Stanford’s entrepreneurship curriculum.

10. Santa Clara University – My Own Business Institute (MOBI)

Location: Virtual
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; no fixed cohorts
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: Ongoing
Eligibility: All high school students; open to international students

Santa Clara University’s My Own Business Institute (MOBI) offers you a completely free, self-paced online program to learn the basics of starting a company. In these courses, you will explore simple but important topics like how to start, run, and grow a business, along with basic accounting, marketing, and selling online.

You will read short texts, watch helpful videos, practice using business plan templates, and take quick quizzes. A special feature of MOBI is that you can choose to listen, watch, or read the lessons, and you can earn a real university certificate when you finish.

Why it stands out: It gives anyone, no matter their age or budget, the chance to get professional business training and an official university certificate for absolutely free.

11. Becoming an Entrepreneur: An Inside Look at Innovation – Georgetown University

Location: Online (offered by Georgetown University)
Cost/Stipend: Enrichment course: $1,895; College credit course: $3,995; need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; no fixed cohorts
Dates: Multiple 1-, 2-, and 4-week sessions throughout the year
Application Deadline: Typically one week before the course start date
Eligibility: All students ages 13 and up; open to international students

In this program, you will explore the complete journey of launching a successful startup. You will dive into essential topics like identifying market gaps, exploring different business models, securing financing, networking, and understanding how to pivot after a failure.

You will identify your target customers, write a compelling business pitch, interact with a dedicated mentor, and record a final capstone video presentation. A unique feature of this program is its highly flexible, asynchronous format that pairs faculty lectures with personalized, one-on-one mentor feedback.

Why it stands out: It allows you to experience top-tier university instruction entirely at your own pace while building a tangible, college-ready portfolio project under the direct guidance of an experienced industry mentor.

12. Rice University Precollege – Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Impact in Fintech

Location: Online
Cost: $1,795; limited scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not disclosed
Dates: Year-round / Multiple Sessions
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up; open to international students

In this program, you explore how digital innovation disrupts traditional banking and investment. You will dive into diverse topics like blockchain technology, cryptocurrency volatility, digital lending, and the evolution of payment platforms like Apple Pay. To apply these concepts, you will analyze real-world case studies, engage in interactive simulations, and receive direct guidance from an industry mentor.

The course is flexible, asynchronous format, allowing you to complete approximately 30 hours of work on your own schedule. By the end, you will have developed a comprehensive business plan for your own fintech product and gained critical skills in market analysis and strategic branding.

Why it stands out: It combines the prestige of Rice University faculty with personalized mentorship, giving you a professional-grade certificate and a tangible startup portfolio in the high-growth field of financial technology.

13. Harker School – DECA BoostCamp

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Location: Bay Area, California (hosted by The Harker School)
Cost: $1,145 (approximate tuition for the one-week intensive)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small/medium cohort sizes
Dates: July 20-24; July 27-31; August 3-7
Application Deadline: Rolling until sessions fill
Eligibility: Rising high school students in grades 9-10; open to international students

The DECA BoostCamp at The Harker School is a one-week intensive program designed to help students build foundational business and entrepreneurship skills while preparing for competitive business events. Using the official DECA curriculum and formats, you explore key business concepts across marketing, finance, business management, and hospitality.

Throughout the program, you analyze case studies, complete practice exams, and develop an Entrepreneurship Series Business (ESB) startup concept. You also participate in multiple role-play simulations that mimic real business scenarios, gaining experience in problem-solving, strategic thinking, and persuasive communication. The program culminates in a final presentation where you pitch your startup idea and demonstrate the strategies you developed during the week.

Why it stands out: You create and pitch a startup idea while practicing real DECA-style business competitions and role-play simulations.

14. Be Future Founders – Be Your Own Boss Internship

Location: Virtual
Stipend: Up to $250
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; limited cohorts per year
Dates: January 20th – February 12th
Application Deadline: January 12th
Eligibility: High school students attending public or charter schools in Chicago and living in the U.S.; not open to international students

In this program, you will dive into the fast-paced world of startups while actually getting paid to learn. You’ll explore essential topics like the startup ecosystem, market validation, app prototyping, and professional networking. You will actively collaborate with a team to design a business idea, build a basic working app prototype, and ultimately pitch your vision to a panel of judges at a community showcase.

You get “VIP access” to seasoned Silicon Valley and Chicago-based entrepreneurs who provide direct mentorship. By the end of the internship, you will have developed skills in persuasive storytelling, digital prototyping, agile problem-solving, and professional communication.

Why it stands out: It is one of the few national entrepreneurship opportunities for high schoolers that provides a cash stipend, ensuring that financial barriers don’t stop you from becoming a founder.

15. Silicon Valley Innovation & Entrepreneurship Camp – Big Bang Artwork

Location: Silicon Valley, California (South Bay; visits across the Bay Area)
Cost: $4,300; limited merit-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~30-40 students per cohort
Dates: Session 1: Mid-July; Session 2: Early August (Typical duration is 10-12 days)
Application Deadline: Rolling until spots fill
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12; open to international students

In this program, you explore how startups and tech companies operate by visiting major technology firms, startup incubators, and leading universities. The experience blends company visits, innovation workshops, and networking opportunities with entrepreneurs and professionals. You may tour campuses such as Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and Santa Clara University while also visiting major tech companies, including Apple Inc., Google, and Intel.

Activities often include design thinking workshops, startup incubator visits, and discussions with entrepreneurs about building and scaling companies. In addition to structured learning sessions, the program features city tours of San Francisco and collaborative networking experiences designed to expose students to the broader Silicon Valley startup ecosystem.

Why it stands out: You visit major tech companies and startup incubators across Silicon Valley while learning innovation and entrepreneurship directly from industry professionals.

From Startup Ideas to Future Careers

The best entrepreneurship experiences go beyond theory, helping you test ideas, solve problems, and understand how innovation works in fast-moving, real-world environments.

That is why entrepreneurship summer programs in San Francisco for high school students can be so valuable, especially in a region shaped by startups.

They give you more than practical skills, offering exposure to collaboration, decision-making, creative risk-taking, and the mindset that shapes founders, leaders, and future careers.

See where entrepreneurial thinking could take you by exploring our Career Exploration blogs, where real industries, future roles, and new possibilities start to feel more tangible.