High School Programs Where Students Start a Real Company
You bring the passion. We bring the launchpad. LaunchX is one program family with several ways in: online or in person, three weeks or eight, beginner-friendly or full launch. Whichever door you walk through, the goal is the same. You start a real company.
One Program Family, Every Format
Families searching for the best online summer program, or the best summer program for high schoolers generally, are really asking two different questions at once: which format fits my schedule, and which program actually delivers. LaunchX answers both with one worldwide community of over 3,000 Launchies and a single standard across every program: rigorous yet practical. Whether you join from your bedroom or a university campus, you're held to the same bar of real work and real outcomes.
Explore the Six LaunchX Programs
LaunchX offers a portfolio of programs, in person and online, for students ages 14 to 18, with our Online Startup Experience open to a wider age range.
San Diego Exploration. 2 weeks, in person, starting from $6,495. Get hands-on and build your first product in two weeks.
San Diego Entrepreneurship (Flagship). 4 weeks, in person, starting from $11,495. Live, build, and launch your startup on a university campus.
Online BootCamp. 3 weeks, about 2 hours a day, starting from $1,995. Learn the foundations and shape your first idea on a flexible schedule.
Online Innovation. 3 weeks, starting from $4,495. Solve real business problems for existing companies and walk away with a portfolio project.
Online Flagship Entrepreneurship. 5 weeks, starting from $6,495. Start a real business and generate real revenue in five weeks.
Online Startup Experience. 8 weeks, about 5 to 10 hours a week, starting from $4,495. Intern at a real startup and build your resume. Open to students roughly ages 14 to 22.
San Diego Exploration. 2 weeks, in person, starting from $6,495. Get hands-on and build your first product in two weeks.
San Diego Entrepreneurship (Flagship). 4 weeks, in person, starting from $11,495. Live, build, and launch your startup on a university campus.
Online BootCamp. 3 weeks, about 2 hours a day, starting from $1,995. Learn the foundations and shape your first idea on a flexible schedule.
Online Innovation. 3 weeks, starting from $4,495. Solve real business problems for existing companies and walk away with a portfolio project.
Online Flagship Entrepreneurship. 5 weeks, starting from $6,495. Start a real business and generate real revenue in five weeks.
Online Startup Experience. 8 weeks, about 5 to 10 hours a week, starting from $4,495. Intern at a real startup and build your resume. Open to students roughly ages 14 to 22.
Choose Your Format: In-Person or Online
If you're specifically comparing in-person high school summer programs, San Diego Exploration and San Diego Entrepreneurship (Flagship) put you on a university campus with your team, living and building alongside other Launchies. If online is the better fit for your schedule or budget, Online BootCamp, Online Innovation, Online Flagship Entrepreneurship, and Online Startup Experience run the same rigorous curriculum from wherever you are. Financial aid is available to qualified students in either format.
What This Looks Like on a College Application
Parents and students researching summer programs often want to know how a program reads on an application. LaunchX doesn't promise admission to any school, and no summer program can. What LaunchX gives you is something concrete to write about: a real team you built, a real product you shipped, a real customer who paid you, and a pitch you delivered on Demo Day. That's a specific, provable story, not a certificate for attending.
Track Record: Acceptance Rate, Alumni, and Recognition
3,000+
~30%
2013
2025
Launchies
worldwide
worldwide
Flagship
acceptance
rate
acceptance
rate
First summer
course
course
Global
Recognition
Award
Recognition
Award
LaunchX has been recognized with the 2025 Global Recognition Award, the Great Companies Global Business Award in 2024 and 2025, and a Stevie Award, and has been featured in outlets including CNBC, the Associated Press, Business Insider, and HuffPost. LaunchX is also listed among TeenLife's Top 100 Summer Programs.
What Alumni and Families Say
"This was a great opportunity and one of my best experiences. I got to make life-long friends, who I wish to continue my entrepreneurship journey with after LaunchX." (Afitab Iyigun)
"LaunchX is great because it's challenging. You learn a lot from the experience when it comes from teamwork and collaboration. This program will take you to a whole different level." (Jefferson Cooper)
"LaunchX is great because it's challenging. You learn a lot from the experience when it comes from teamwork and collaboration. This program will take you to a whole different level." (Jefferson Cooper)
Frequently Asked Questions
What online summer programs does LaunchX offer?
LaunchX runs four distinct online programs: Online BootCamp, Online Innovation, Online Flagship Entrepreneurship, and Online Startup Experience. Each is built for a different amount of time and depth, so students can choose based on their schedule and how far they want to go. Every one holds to the same rigorous yet practical standard as our in-person courses. More than 3,000 Launchies have gone through LaunchX programs since our first summer course in 2013.
Is LaunchX a good fit for a high schooler looking for an online program?
Yes. LaunchX was built specifically for high school students, not adapted from a college or adult program. Online BootCamp, Online Innovation, and Online Flagship Entrepreneurship are all designed for students ages 14 to 18, with real mentorship and a real project or product at the center of each course. LaunchX holds an approximately 30% acceptance rate for its Flagship programs, reflecting a genuinely selective, high schooler-focused curriculum.
What's the right age for a LaunchX program?
Every LaunchX online program, from the 3-week Online BootCamp to the 5-week Online Flagship Entrepreneurship, is built around students ages 14 to 18. Our Online Startup Experience extends to a wider age range, roughly 14 to 22, for students who want a startup internship rather than a build-your-own-company track. Whichever course fits, students join a worldwide community of over 3,000 Launchies who started at the same age.
Does LaunchX have an in-person option, or is it only online?
Both. San Diego Exploration and San Diego Entrepreneurship (Flagship) put students on a university campus for 2 or 4 weeks, building a real product or launching a real company alongside their team. LaunchX's Flagship programs accept approximately 30% of applicants, and the in-person experience carries the same rigorous yet practical standard that's earned LaunchX recognition including the 2025 Global Recognition Award.
Will a LaunchX program help my college application?
LaunchX doesn't promise admission to any school, and no summer program can. What it gives students is something specific to write about: a real company they started, a real product they sold, and a pitch they delivered on Demo Day, not a certificate for showing up. With over 3,000 Launchies worldwide and a track record dating back to 2013, it's built to produce a genuine, provable story rather than a generic summer credential.
LaunchX runs four distinct online programs: Online BootCamp, Online Innovation, Online Flagship Entrepreneurship, and Online Startup Experience. Each is built for a different amount of time and depth, so students can choose based on their schedule and how far they want to go. Every one holds to the same rigorous yet practical standard as our in-person courses. More than 3,000 Launchies have gone through LaunchX programs since our first summer course in 2013.
Is LaunchX a good fit for a high schooler looking for an online program?
Yes. LaunchX was built specifically for high school students, not adapted from a college or adult program. Online BootCamp, Online Innovation, and Online Flagship Entrepreneurship are all designed for students ages 14 to 18, with real mentorship and a real project or product at the center of each course. LaunchX holds an approximately 30% acceptance rate for its Flagship programs, reflecting a genuinely selective, high schooler-focused curriculum.
What's the right age for a LaunchX program?
Every LaunchX online program, from the 3-week Online BootCamp to the 5-week Online Flagship Entrepreneurship, is built around students ages 14 to 18. Our Online Startup Experience extends to a wider age range, roughly 14 to 22, for students who want a startup internship rather than a build-your-own-company track. Whichever course fits, students join a worldwide community of over 3,000 Launchies who started at the same age.
Does LaunchX have an in-person option, or is it only online?
Both. San Diego Exploration and San Diego Entrepreneurship (Flagship) put students on a university campus for 2 or 4 weeks, building a real product or launching a real company alongside their team. LaunchX's Flagship programs accept approximately 30% of applicants, and the in-person experience carries the same rigorous yet practical standard that's earned LaunchX recognition including the 2025 Global Recognition Award.
Will a LaunchX program help my college application?
LaunchX doesn't promise admission to any school, and no summer program can. What it gives students is something specific to write about: a real company they started, a real product they sold, and a pitch they delivered on Demo Day, not a certificate for showing up. With over 3,000 Launchies worldwide and a track record dating back to 2013, it's built to produce a genuine, provable story rather than a generic summer credential.
Find Your Program
Your future starts with the program you choose. Explore in-person and online options, and get ready to launch.
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