About

The Economics Academy at the University of Pennsylvania is a three-week, residential academic summer program for high school students offered through Penn Arts & Sciences. Designed as an immersive introduction to economic theory, the academy brings participants to the Philadelphia campus to engage with core principles such as scarcity, market structures, and global economic frameworks. The program is open to students in grades 9–11 (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) who are at least 16 years old by the start of the session.

For the Summer 2026 cycle (July 11 – August 1), instruction is led by Penn faculty and long-standing professionals in the field. The curriculum emphasizes a global context, using current events to explore supply and demand, competition, and market failures. Students engage with analytical models that require a limited math background, focusing instead on applying economic reasoning to policy and individual decision-making. The session culminates in a capstone project, where teams analyze a real-world economic challenge and present their findings in a formal poster format.

Admission is selective, requiring a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5 and a letter of recommendation. For 2026, the regular application deadline is February 11, with a total residential cost of $10,050 (plus a $100 application fee). Students reside in university halls and follow a schedule that includes two field trips and various weekend social activities. A full scholarship is available specifically for eligible students from School District of Philadelphia public and charter high schools, with applications due by the February deadline.

Institutionally, the academy is one of eight residential Summer Academies that leverage Penn’s research strengths to bridge theoretical study with relevant applications. Students leave with a foundational understanding of economic analysis and a Certificate of Completion. There are relatively few serious academic precollege programs devoted exclusively to economics, and Penn’s Economics Academy presents a good option for those trying to immerse themselves in this field.