UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth

UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) offers exploratory coursework and team-based experiential learning focused on business. The program includes a Middle School Discovery Program that is a project-based introductory program for business fundamentals. It also offers several high school programs that focus on business research, planning, and building startup ideas for impact.

• Ages: 11–18 years old

Developing business leaders since 2009, B-BAY is part of the Institute for Business & Social Impact. Its programs include the High School Entrepreneurship Residency, an immersive business and college experience program focused on business research and planning; the High School Founder Bootcamp, a residential accelerator for high school teams and solo-founders with validated ideas and traction; and the High School Startup Launchpad, a two semester incubator program for high school students who want to become founders. B-BAY empowers middle and high school students at every stage, from early interest to launching their first company, and programs are designed to ideate, test, and build ideas for impact. Students learn from faculty and mentors and develop critical thinking, leadership acumen, and professional skills to recognize and pursue opportunities in higher education. B-BAY has more than 1,700 graduates pursuing education and careers in business and tech, and 25+ countries are represented across its five programs. The acceptance rate for 2025 Summer High School Sessions is 12%.

UC Berkeley Business Academy for Youth states that its mission is to educate and accelerate pre-collegiate students to learn about business through exploratory coursework and team-based experiential learning. Berkeley Haas faculty involved with the program include two Nobel Prize Laureates in Economics. Berkeley Haas faculty have earned awards for spearheading research knowledge in game theory, behavioral finance, Open Innovation, and knowledge management.

Last updated March 22, 2026.