Finance Internships for High School Students & Freshmen in College (2026)

Getting an early start to your career in finance can begin as early as high school. Once you know the opportunities available to you, you’ll be able to begin building the foundations of your career before graduation.

Everything in this guide is sorted by what stage you are actually at, with eligibility verified against each program's own current listing. If you are in high school, jump to the high school section and skip the part where you waste an essay on a college-only program. If you are a freshman in college aiming at investment banking, asset management, or private equity, the second half gives you the six moves that matter, the recruiting timeline that decides everything, and ten programs worth your time.

Finance Internships for High School Students

If you are a current high school student interested in finance, here is the honest framing first. True paid finance internships that hire 15 to 17-year-olds are rare, competitive, and mostly local or program-based. The big banks that advertise "high school" experiences are usually running short workshops. That is fine. At your stage, the goal is building financial literacy, getting genuine hands-on exposure to how financial institutions work, and producing something real for your college applications.

For high school students interested in the financial sector, the right early experience does double duty - it is career exploration that tells you whether finance careers actually suit you, and it is a credential that signals genuine interest to admissions officers. The internship opportunities below range from paid roles to free competitions, and every one builds workplace skills you can carry into college and beyond.

To keep this useful, the programs are grouped into four honest categories so you can tell a paid job apart from a summer course, apart from a competition. Mislabeling these is the single most common mistake in other guides.

Paid internships and Work Experience

These are the closest things to a real finance intern role you will find as a high schooler. They pay a stipend or wage, and you do assigned projects rather than only sit in lectures.

KPMG U.S. Empower High School Experience

A three-week paid internship in July, open to current high school juniors and seniors, run by one of the Big Four accounting and professional services firms. Interns earn a competitive stipend in the range of $20 to $25 per hour, depending on the market, and KPMG invests roughly $7,000 per student once you count pay plus clothing and transportation stipends. You work alongside experienced professionals and rotate through interactive workshops and real-world case studies covering the core concepts of accounting, auditing, tax preparation, and advisory work, with KPMG professionals serving as mentors. It is a rare chance to gain hands-on experience inside a major firm while still in high school. Roughly 180 to 200 students participate across about eleven cities, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

• Duration - 3 weeks (July)
• Eligibility - Current high school juniors and seniors within commuting distance of a participating city
• Cost - Free and paid
• How to apply - KPMG works through nonprofit collaborator partners rather than a fully open public application, so check the early-career page and local partner organizations

The strongest brand-name paid option is genuinely built for high schoolers. Best for students who want professional services and accounting exposure on a resume. If you are not near a participating city, this one is out of reach, so do not build your summer around it.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston TIP Internship

Today's Interns, Tomorrow's Professionals has run since the 1980s, giving income-eligible Boston Public Schools students paid work experience inside the Boston Fed alongside job coaching and skill-building workshops. The focus is on financial literacy, workplace skills, and money management as much as finance technique. Strong performers can be selected into an extended internship that continues year-round, in some cases for up to three years, which is unusual for any high school program.

• Duration - Summer start, can extend year-round
• Eligibility - Boston Public Schools student who has completed sophomore year, income-eligible, and applied through the Boston Private Industry Council
• Cost - Free and paid

Excellent if you qualify geographically and financially. The multi-year track is a rare chance to build a real, sustained relationship with a financial institution before college.

Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI)

Running continuously since 1991, CSBI places Chicago high school students into a paid summer internship at Loop employers, including banks, accounting firms, law firms, and the City of Chicago Department of Finance. You work four days a week at your assigned site and attend a seminar one day a week that ties the classroom learning to the actual work. The program culminates in a graduation ceremony often featuring the Mayor or City Treasurer.

• Duration - 6 weeks (mid-June to late July)
• Eligibility - Chicago resident, high school sophomore or junior, 3.0 GPA minimum, family income below $80,000 per year
• Deadline - Roughly February 1 to March 31
• Cost - Free and paid

One of the few programs that places you inside an actual finance department for real work. The income cap means it is built for access, which is exactly who should apply.

Ladder Internships

A selective remote program that matches high school students with real eight-to-twelve-week internships at high-growth startups, including fintech and finance-adjacent companies. You work ten to twenty hours per week on assigned projects under professional mentorship from industry professionals, then present your work to company leadership. This is the most realistic path to genuine real-world projects if you do not live near a major financial center.

• Duration - 8 to 12 weeks, multiple cohorts throughout the year
• Eligibility - High school students able to commit 10 to 20 hours per week
• Cost - Paid program, starting around $2,490, with need-based financial aid

Useful for students who want hands-on experience and live nowhere near Wall Street. Be clear-eyed that you are paying for placement, so weigh it against free competitions and simulations below before spending.

Local firms, RIAs, and family businesses (the highest-percentage move)

The internship that actually hires high schoolers is usually the one nobody advertises. Registered investment advisors (RIAs), community banks, insurance and wealth management offices, and local financial planning and accounting practices regularly take on a high school helper for data entry, filing, market research, and basic financial analysis support, especially if a parent, neighbor, or teacher makes the introduction. You might help reconcile simple financial statements, analyze data in a spreadsheet, or sit in on client meetings. This will not carry a famous logo, but it produces a reference, real assigned projects, and a story you can speak to. See the sample outreach approach in the college section, which works just as well for a 16-year-old.

Summer Finance Institutes and Pre-College Programs

These are paid programs in the sense that you pay them. They are courses, and you should never list them on a resume as an internship. They are still valuable for financial literacy and for showing genuine interest, and many offer need-based aid. Treat them as education.

Wharton Global Youth - Essentials of Finance

A two-week on-campus program at the University of Pennsylvania, taught by Wharton-affiliated university faculty, covering personal and corporate finance, the time value of money, risk and return, equities, and an introduction to investment analysis and valuation. The material goes well beyond the standard high school curriculum, and students complete a team project using the kind of analysis the financial services industry actually relies on.

• Eligibility - Grades 9 to 11, transcript and teacher recommendation required
• Cost - Roughly $7,500 to $8,000, including housing and meals, with need-based scholarships

Real academic rigor and a recognizable name, but it is expensive and confers no admissions advantage at Penn. Apply for aid before paying the sticker price, and skip it if the cost would strain your family.

University finance and investing institutes

Many strong business schools run a one-to-three-week summer finance institute for high school students, taught by university faculty, covering financial markets, valuation, and investment strategies, with multiple sessions across the summer and in-person or virtual formats. Examples include Fordham's Gabelli Finance Institute (about one week, taught by a former Wall Street trader, often around $1,100), Wake Forest's Finance and Investing Institute, and UCLA's Introduction to Investments. International students are typically eligible for the virtual formats.

A good lower-cost middle ground between the Wharton sticker price and free competition. Pick one near you, or a virtual one, and use it to confirm that finance is a path you actually want.

AIM Academy at the University of Tennessee

A free five-day residential program at the Haslam College of Business that prepares rising high school juniors interested in accounting and information management, with workshops in accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, and professional development, supported by a major accounting firm. While AIM targets rising juniors specifically, related summer business programs at other universities open their doors to rising seniors as well, so check class-year eligibility before you apply.

• Eligibility - Rising high school juniors, 3.0 GPA minimum, designed for underrepresented and first-generation students
• Cost - Free

Free, residential, and focused on accounting and information management specifically. A standout for access-minded students who want exposure without a price tag.

Free Competitions That Can Rival Internships on a Resume

For most high schoolers, a strong showing in a national finance competition signals more than a generic summer course, and it costs nothing. These also give you something concrete to write about.

Wharton Global High School Investment Competition

The largest competition of its kind, with more than 6,000 teams from dozens of countries in the 2025 to 2026 cycle. Teams of four to seven students manage a $500,000 virtual portfolio through Wharton's simulator, developing investment strategies for a real-world client and analyzing market trends across industries and companies. Teams are judged on the quality of their investment process, which rewards genuine analytical skills and structured problem-solving over luck. The top teams advance to a Global Finale on Wharton's campus. The 2026 finale named FigCapital from Stuyvesant High School the global champion.

• Duration - Roughly 10 to 11 weeks, registration opens in June, trading begins late September
• Eligibility - Grades 9 to 12, teams from the same school with a teacher advisor
• Cost - Free

The single best free finance credential available to a high schooler. The process-over-returns judging means thoughtful students beat lucky ones, and it teaches real investment strategy.

National Personal Finance Challenge and National Economics Challenge

Both run by the Council for Economic Education, these team competitions move from state rounds to national finals. The Personal Finance Challenge covers earning, spending, saving, investing, credit, and risk management, which is to say practical money management and financial literacy. The Economics Challenge covers microeconomics, macroeconomics, and international economics. Both are free, and qualifying teams earn travel to the finals.

• Eligibility - High school students, teams of three to four with a teacher coach
• Cost - Free

Lower profile than Wharton, but excellent for demonstrating depth. Pair one of these with the Wharton competition, and you have a finance-focused application narrative without spending a dollar.

Free Virtual Job Simulations

JPMorgan and others on Forage

Forage hosts free, self-paced virtual job simulations built by real employers, including a JPMorgan investment banking experience plus simulations from other major financial institutions. You complete tasks that mirror the actual work, such as building a basic model or advising a simulated client, in roughly three to ten hours, and earn a certificate. There is no application, no age requirement, and no cost, so it is open to current high school students anywhere, including international students.

• Cost - Free, year-round, self-paced

The lowest-effort, highest-availability item on this entire list. It will not impress on its own, but completing two or three simulations shows initiative and gives you vocabulary for interviews and essays. Do these this week.

Tips for Freshmen Aspiring to a Career in Finance

Now for the college side. Because of the quantitative and technical demands of finance internships, most firms will not pay much attention to freshmen applicants. That is not a reason to wait. This window is for building the skills, coursework, and references that make you a competitive applicant when sophomore recruiting opens, which happens far earlier than most students expect. Finance careers, especially the most competitive career paths in investment banking, asset management, and private equity, reward students who start early. Here are six moves for freshmen who want to eventually land an internship and a career at a top firm.

1. Fill in the gaps

Though you are not actively applying for investment banking internships yet, build a resume that signals intent. Target your school's investment club, finance society, or IB club, and aim for a treasurer or vice president role by sophomore spring. Enter stock-pitch competitions - the CFA Institute Research Challenge, any school-hosted pitch competition, and similar events. On the academic side, knock out Introduction to Financial Accounting, Corporate Finance, Statistics or Probability, and one programming course in Python or R. Add volunteer work or a part-time job you can actually speak to, because those experiences feed directly into your personal story and your "Why banking?" answer.

Read: Investment Banking Interview Guide: Process & Tips (2026)

2. Hustle during your sophomore year (with an actual timeline)

Vague advice to "build connections" is useless without dates, so here is the calendar that matters. Junior summer analyst recruiting now opens absurdly early - many bulge brackets and elite boutiques post applications between January and February of your sophomore year, with some boutiques opening as early as the preceding fall, all for an internship that does not start until the summer after junior year, roughly 15 to 19 months out. Early-insight and diversity programs open even sooner, often the summer before sophomore year and into that fall. Offers are largely made on a rolling basis from winter through spring of sophomore year, and at many firms, the junior class is mostly filled before junior year even begins.

What does that mean for your sophomore calendar -

• Summer before sophomore year and early fall - apply to sophomore early-insight programs as they open. Update your resume now and have it reviewed.
• Fall of sophomore year - start a networking call cadence of two to three informational conversations per week with analysts and associates at target firms. Track every firm's open and close dates with a simple spreadsheet or a tool like Trackr.
• December to January - lock down your technicals so you can interview on short notice.
• January through April - the flurry. Applications and interviews compress into a short window, often on a rolling basis, so submit the day a posting opens.

Getting a return offer after your junior internship is what actually propels your career, and the whole funnel narrows years before most students realize recruiting has started.

Read: IB Technical Interview Guide & Questions (With Sample Answers) and How to Nail the Second Most Common Investment Banking Interview Question ("Why This Firm?")

3. Build your quantitative skillset

Finance internships are quantitatively demanding, and your freshman course load should reflect that. Lock in Calculus I and II, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics, Microeconomics, and Financial Accounting, and add at least one intro programming course, with Python preferred. Strong grades across this sequence produce a transcript that screens cleanly at bulge brackets and Big Four firms.

Outside of class, knock out two credentials freshman year - Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC), an eight-hour self-paced certificate that is free at many universities, and the foundational modules of CFI's Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA) program. Both signal initiative and give you vocabulary you will actually use in interviews.

4. Know Excel

For anyone hoping to break into investment banking, Microsoft Excel is non-negotiable. Junior analysts and associates live in it every day for return analyses, financial modeling, and data work. Learning it as a freshman means fewer late nights teaching yourself later.

The functions you will actually use - INDEX/MATCH, VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, OFFSET, and pivot tables. Equally important are keyboard shortcuts, because analysts barely touch the mouse - Alt-key menu navigation, F2 to edit a cell, F4 to anchor references, and Ctrl+Shift+Arrow to select ranges fast. Get comfortable with these early, and you will look sharp the moment you sit down at a desk. If you want to be genuinely modeling-ready before sophomore recruiting begins, Wall Street Prep and Breaking Into Wall Street both offer structured courses built for aspiring analysts.

5. Read the news

Building finance literacy starts with a daily reading habit, and the sources matter. Make the Wall Street Journal (the Markets and Heard on the Street sections), the Financial Times (especially the Lex column), and Bloomberg's Markets section your core rotation. For newsletters, subscribe to Matt Levine's "Money Stuff" from Bloomberg, which is free and the single best finance read on the internet, plus Axios Pro Rata for deal flow and the WSJ's 10-Point morning brief. A daily habit is the cheapest way to gain skills, track industry trends, and pick up the valuable insights that make your interview answers sound informed rather than rehearsed. Most universities provide free WSJ, FT, and Bloomberg access through the library, so check before you pay.

For a broader list of newsletters and podcasts, check our guide: The Best Finance Newsletters & Podcasts to Subscribe To

6. Go local

If you are set on completing some kind of finance internship your freshman year, the highest-percentage move is to go after firms that do not advertise. Target specific firm types - registered investment advisors (RIAs), community and regional banks, family offices, and wealth management practices. These firms are far less hesitant to hire a freshman, and the work is a genuine introduction to the finance world.

How to find them and reach out -

• Build a target list - Use FINRA BrokerCheck to find registered advisory firms in your area, search your local CFA society chapter's member directory, and check your university career center portal for alumni at small local firms.
• Find the right person - You want the founder of a small RIA or the head of a local branch.
• Send a short, specific outreach note - Keep it to four sentences - who you are, one concrete reason you are interested in their firm specifically, what you are offering (10 to 15 hours a week of help with research, data, and admin), and a low-friction ask for a 15-minute call. For example - "I am a freshman at [University] studying finance, and I follow [specific thing the firm does or a market they focus on]. I am looking for part-time, unpaid or paid experience this summer and would happily help with market research, data entry, and portfolio admin. Could I ask you 15 minutes about how you got into the business?"

Having real experience already on your resume makes you a markedly more competitive applicant in the following years, and a single local mentor can become the reference that moves your resume to the top of the pile later. These smaller firms also surface business opportunities you would never see on a national job board, and the exposure to day-to-day operations is a practical complement to any business administration or finance coursework you are taking.

Best Summer Finance Internships for College Students (2026–2027)

The programs below split into clear tracks so you can target by goal. Investment banking and front-office - most bulge-bracket summer analyst programs target juniors, so freshmen and sophomores aiming at IB should focus on sophomore early-insight programs (Morgan Stanley Early Insights, JPMorgan's sophomore programs, Citi Early ID, Bank of America's sophomore program) rather than the standard summer analyst track. Corporate finance - Abbott, Highmark, Capital One, John Deere, AT&T, and Vanguard offer real finance work and strong resume credentials. Accounting and audit (Big Four) - Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC run dedicated early-college programs.

Be honest with yourself about the goal. If you want investment banking, the corporate finance and Big Four programs are useful resume builders, but do not feed directly into IB recruiting. For an IB track, prioritize the sophomore insight programs and treat the list below as a parallel way to build skills, references, and a story.

1. Goldman Sachs

Role - Summer Analyst Program (2026)

What you'll do - Participate in orientation and comprehensive training, work directly on teams within Investment Banking, Asset Management, or Operations, and contribute to real projects alongside full-time employees.

Eligibility - Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's degree (any major), strong academic performance, demonstrated interest in finance, and able to work full-time in person during Summer 2026.

• Program length - 8 to 10 weeks
• Preferred majors - Any (finance, economics, math, and STEM are common)
• Locations - Multiple U.S. offices (New York, Salt Lake City, Dallas, and others)
• Application window - Opens early, closes on a rolling basis, so apply early
• Eligibility year - Junior for the Summer Analyst track. Freshmen should look at Goldman's first-year insight offerings instead

The gold-standard front-office program, but the standard summer analyst track is a junior-year play. Freshmen and sophomores should treat Goldman as a networking target now and an application later.

See the program page here.

2. Deloitte

Role - Discovery Internship, Audit & Assurance (Summer 2026)

What you'll do - Rotate across client service lines to explore multiple career paths, gain mentorship, join developmental workshops, and collaborate on business projects.

Eligibility - College freshman or sophomore pursuing a bachelor's in accounting or a related field, with definitive plans to meet CPA eligibility, and strong academic credentials.

• Program length - Short immersive discovery experience (about one week)
• GPA requirement - 3.2 minimum
• Locations - Deloitte offices nationwide
• Application window - Opens in the summer, closes fall
• Eligibility year - Freshman / Sophomore

One of the rare front-loaded programs explicitly open to freshmen. Best for accounting-leaning students. If your goal is IB, it is a credibility builder.

See the internships listing here.

3. Abbott

Role - 2026 Finance Internship

What you'll do - Gain hands-on experience in corporate finance, build technical and interpersonal skills, and work across corporate headquarters, operating units, or support functions alongside finance professionals and business partners.

Eligibility - Completed at least one year of college, enrolled in the following semester, BS/BA student planning at least four accounting classes before graduation (one in cost accounting), with Excel and PowerPoint experience.

• Program length - 10 to 12 weeks
• Preferred majors - Finance, accounting, business
• Locations - Multiple U.S. cities (IL, OH, TX, CA, and others)
• Application window - Opens fall, closes winter/spring
• Eligibility year - Freshman (after first year) / Sophomore / Junior

A genuine 10-to-12-week corporate finance role open to students right after freshman year, which is uncommon. Strong for corporate finance and FP&A interest, less relevant for pure IB.

See open finance roles here (search "finance intern").

4. Highmark Health

Role - Summer 2026 Business Analyst, Undergraduate Intern

What you'll do - Gain practical experience through rotation across business lines, work on real projects, conduct research, write recommendation reports, and translate business needs into requirements with root-cause analysis.

Eligibility - Enrolled in a U.S. college or university, available full-time in Summer 2026.

• Program length - About 10 to 12 weeks
• Preferred majors - Business, finance, analytics, related fields
• Locations - Multiple offices with some remote options
• Application window - Opens fall, closes winter/spring
• Eligibility year - Freshman / Sophomore / Junior

Open eligibility and remote options make this one of the more accessible corporate roles for early-college students. A solid analytics and business strategy resume line.

See current openings here.

6. PwC

Role - Start Internship, Finance & Consulting Focus (Summer 2026)

What you'll do - Explore finance, accounting, and consulting paths, participate in professional development and client shadowing, and work in diverse teams.

Eligibility - Freshman or sophomore pursuing a business-related major, with nationwide locations and hybrid options.

• Program length - Short early-insight format
• Eligibility year - Freshman / Sophomore

Rounds out the Big Four early-insight set with Deloitte and KPMG. Apply to all three if accounting or advisory is on your radar, since they recruit on similar timelines.

See the program page here.

7. Capital One

Role - Finance Internship Program

What you'll do - Support corporate finance, treasury, or internal audit teams, use data to inform decisions, and join workshops and mentoring.

Eligibility - Typically open to sophomores, with early applicants encouraged.

• Locations - Multiple Capital One hubs (VA, TX, IL, and others)
• Eligibility year - Sophomore (early freshmen encouraged)

A well-run corporate finance and analytics program. Best for students who want brand-name corporate experience without committing to the IB grind.

See the program page here.

8. John Deere

Role - Accounting/Finance Summer Intern

What you'll do - Run process-improvement projects with finance automation, use tools like Excel and Power BI, gather and analyze financial data, and work cross-functionally with company leaders.

Eligibility - Pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's in accounting, finance, economics, business analytics, or a related field, with at least six credit hours of accounting and a 3.0 GPA minimum.

• Locations - Multiple U.S. cities
• Eligibility year - Sophomore / Junior

Underrated. Real analytical work, strong mentorship, and a recognizable company, without the coastal-finance intensity. Great for students who want substance over prestige.

See the program page here.

9. AT&T

Role - EDGE Internship Program

What you'll do - Work with a team on a group project in one of five focus areas, including finance, present findings to an executive panel, and develop skills for full-time management tracks.

Eligibility - Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree, able to work full-time in person for 10 to 12 weeks.

• Locations - Multiple U.S. cities
• Eligibility year - Undergraduate (varies)

More of a rotational business program than a pure finance role, but the executive-panel presentation is genuine experience in business strategy and communication. Good for undecided students.

See the program page here.

10. Vanguard

Role - College to Corporate Finance Internship

What you'll do - Analyze budgets, forecast financials, influence business strategy, attend a speaker series and mentorship events, and work on cross-functional projects.

Eligibility - Pursuing a finance or business-related degree, 3.0 GPA or higher.

• Locations - AZ, NC, and PA, with relocation assistance for some roles
• Eligibility year - Sophomore / Junior

A strong asset management and corporate finance brand with real investment-adjacent exposure. Best for students drawn to investment management rather than deal-making.

See the program page here.

Where to Find More Finance Internships

The programs above are a starting point. To build a broader pipeline, work on these platforms in parallel.

High school students should add a different set: your school counselor's office, your local CFA society chapter, FINRA BrokerCheck for nearby RIAs, and competition and simulation platforms like the Wharton competition, the Council for Economic Education challenges, and Forage.

What to Expect After You Apply

Most finance internship recruiting follows a predictable sequence. Here is the typical path from submission to offer -

1. Online application - resume, transcript, and sometimes a short cover letter or essay.
2. Online assessment or recorded video - numerical and situational tests and/or recorded video answers, usually within one to two weeks of applying.
3. First-round interview - 30 to 45 minutes, behavioral plus light technical, usually with an analyst or associate.
4. Superday or final round - three to five back-to-back interviews in one day, technical and fit, with senior team members.
5. Decision - typically within one to two weeks of the Superday.

At bulge-bracket banks, the full junior summer analyst process can compress into four to six weeks once applications open, and the whole cycle runs on a rolling basis, so be ready to interview on short notice.

Why Early Finance Internships Give You a Competitive Edge

At top banks, a freshman or sophomore internship is one of the strongest resume signals for landing a junior summer analyst spot. Recruiters at firms like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley use prior experience as a primary screen for sophomore programs and junior recruiting. Once you have cleared the resume bar at one firm, others read it as validation, and most junior summer analyst classes are filled from sophomore insight-program alumni. This is the screening mechanic, and it is why the funnel narrows so early.

What you'll actually do as a finance intern, by track. The day-to-day varies significantly -

• Investment banking interns - build pitch decks, run trading and transaction comps, populate three-statement and LBO models from company financial statements, and support live deal teams on diligence.
• Corporate finance interns - run variance analysis, build forecast and budget models, support month-end close, and handle expense or headcount reporting for a business unit.
• Asset management interns - draft equity research notes, run portfolio screens, build company tear sheets, and observe investment committee meetings, gaining direct hands-on experience with investment management and client management.

Knowing what the work looks like before you interview helps you ask sharper questions and signal genuine interest, both of which matter at the Superday stage.

The relationship-building move that compounds - Separate from the screening signal, the real long-term value of an early internship is the analyst and associate relationships you build. Those convert into referrals, mock interviews, and warm introductions when junior recruiting opens. One mentor who advocates for you internally can move your resume from the general pile to the priority stack, and over time, those same relationships connect you to senior leadership. The most successful careers in finance are almost always built on a network started years before the first full-time offer, so treat a freshman or sophomore internship less as the credential itself and more as a deliberate entry point into that network.

Land a Finance Job With the Help of an Expert

Whether you are preparing for interviews, polishing your resume, or just exploring the industry, one of the fastest ways to prepare is to talk to someone who has done it. Browse experienced finance and investment banking coaches, and explore the Career Hub for free resources and guides.

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• What to Do if You Didn't Have an Internship This Summer

FAQs

Can a high school student really get a finance internship?

• Yes, but be realistic about what "internship" means at your stage. Genuine paid roles for high schoolers exist through programs like KPMG's Empower High School Experience, the Boston Fed's TIP program, the Chicago Summer Business Institute, and local RIAs or community banks. Beyond those, the highest-value options are free competitions like the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition and free virtual simulations on Forage. Watch eligibility carefully, since several widely listed "high school" programs, including Girls Who Invest and the current Bank of America Student Leaders cycle, are not actually open to current high school students.

Can you get a finance internship as a college freshman?

• Yes, though options are limited. Most bulge-bracket programs target juniors, but freshmen can apply to early-insight programs like KPMG Embark, PwC Start, and various sophomore-track insight programs, as well as local and regional banks and RIAs. Going local is the highest-percentage move your freshman year.

Are finance internships paid?

• The vast majority at major banks, Big Four firms, and Fortune 500 corporate finance teams are paid. Unpaid finance internships are most common at very small boutiques, startups, and nonprofits. If a name-brand firm offers an unpaid finance internship, treat that as a red flag. High school program stipends vary - KPMG Empower pays roughly $20 to $25 per hour, while many pre-college finance institutes are paid programs that you pay to attend.

How much do finance interns make?

• Pay varies sharply by firm type. Bulge-bracket investment banking summer analysts earn roughly $2,000 to $2,300 per week, which annualizes to around $100,000 to $115,000, with elite boutiques at the top of that range. Big Four accounting and consulting interns earn roughly $30 to $40 per hour. Corporate finance interns at large companies typically earn $25 to $35 per hour, and regional or local firms pay less. High school paid programs like KPMG Empower pay around $20 to $25 per hour.

What GPA do you need for finance internships?

• Most firms list a 3.0 minimum. Bulge-bracket investment banks expect 3.5 or higher for serious consideration, and elite boutiques effectively want 3.7 or higher. Big Four programs cluster around 3.2 to 3.5. A lower GPA can be partly offset by leadership, networking, and strong technical preparation, but it is far easier to protect your GPA early than to explain it later.

What do finance interns actually do?

• It depends on the track. Investment banking interns build pitch decks, run comparable-company analyses, populate financial models, and support live deal teams. Corporate finance interns run variance analysis and forecast models and support the month-end close. Asset management interns write equity research notes, screen portfolios, and observe investment committee meetings. High school interns more often do market research, data entry, basic financial analysis support, and structured workshops.

When should I apply for finance internships?

• Earlier than you would expect. Bulge-bracket banks open junior summer analyst applications around January to February of sophomore year, with some boutiques opening the preceding fall, all roughly 15 to 19 months before the internship starts. Early-insight programs open the summer before sophomore year. Big Four firms recruit on a similar timeline, and corporate finance programs typically post six to nine months before the start date. High school summer programs generally open between fall and early spring, with deadlines clustered from January through March.