Landing your dream job after graduation doesn’t seem so far-fetched with the right internship under your belt. Internships offer a glimpse of the working world and can bridge between college and your career.
What are the top internship statistics in the United States? And how do internships affect job prospects, earnings, and more? In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into the internship landscape in the US and cover the following:
- General statistics on internships
- Paid internships vs. unpaid internships
- Cooperative education programs
- Gender distribution of interns
- Ethnic distribution of interns
- Internships and employment
- Highest paying internships
- Challenges surrounding internships
- Future trends in internships
- Frequently asked questions
Let’s get started!
Top internship statistics
- 41% of college students have specifically had an internship while pursuing their bachelor’s degree.
- Among graduating seniors alone, 62% took part in an internship at some point in their college career.
- 50% to 60% of eligible interns convert to full-time employees.
- 59% of interns are paid and interns earn a median starting salary of $67,500, compared to $45,000 for unpaid interns.
- 75.5% of interns are still with the organization after the first year on the job, compared to 51.5% of non-intern employees.
- The internship participation rate is lower among first-generation college students, standing at 27%.
- 40% of the students involved in co-op programs received job offers from their employers, and 30.4% successfully transitioned into actual employment.
- Among men who took part in internships, 76.4% were paid compared to 51.5% of women.
- 52% of employers plan to increase intern hiring in the future, and 64.8% of employers expect to provide their interns with a hybrid experience.
- Students who have not had an internship cite difficulty obtaining an internship (30%) as a primary reason.
General statistics on internships
1. Research indicates that internship experiences increase skills, expand networks, enhance social capital, and offer direct pathways to jobs. (National Association of Colleges and Employers [NACE]).
2. 78.6% of students participate in experiential learning opportunities throughout college. This includes internships, cooperative education programs, and externships. (NACE).
3. 41% of college students have specifically had an internship while pursuing their bachelor’s degree. (Gallup)
4. Among graduating seniors alone, 62% took part in an internship at some point in their college career. (NACE)
5. Public college students have a lower-than-average internship participation rate of 36%. (Gallup).
Co-operative education programs
6. Cooperative education programs, commonly known as co-ops, allow students to alternate between full-time classroom study and full-time employment relevant to their field.
7. 40% of the students involved in co-op programs received job offers from their employers. (NACE).
8. 30.4% of students who received job offers successfully transitioned into actual employment. (NACE)
9. Nearly 90% of co-op employers plan to hire about the same number of students. (NACE).
10. Co-ops can include paid full-time jobs that typically last three to 12 months. (US News and World Report).
Paid vs. unpaid internships
11. Paid internships are those where the intern receives compensation for their work, while unpaid internships do not offer financial compensation.
Paid internship
12. According to research by NACE, students who undergo paid internships garner higher starting salaries and receive more job offers.
13. 59% of internships in 2023 were paid. However, the percentage varies by industry and location.
14. Among Pell Grant recipients, 53.5% had paid internships.
15. Paid interns average 1.4 job offers.
16. Paid interns earn a median starting salary of $67,500. (NACE).
Unpaid internships
17. Instead of financial compensation, unpaid interns typically avail college credits as well as work experience in exchange for their labor. (Indeed).
18. Unpaid interns earn a median starting salary of $45,000. (NACE).
19. Among non-Pell Grant recipients, 61% had paid internships.
20. Unpaid interns average 0.94 job offers. (NACE).
21. Students with no internship experience receive an average of 0.77 job offers.
22. 35% of colleges and universities reported offering a stipend program for low- and unpaid internships, but only 2.1% fulfill so. (NACE)
23. Such programs require the student to apply for competitive and limited funding.
Gender distribution of interns
Female
24. 58.4% of the student population is female. (NACE).
25. 39.1% of interns are female.
26. The overall participation rate of female students in internships is 61.8%.
27. Among women who participated in internships, 51.5% were paid (NACE).
Male
28. 64.8% of male graduating seniors participated in an internship. (NACE).
29. Among men who took part in internships, 76.4% were paid. (NACE).
Ethnic distribution of interns
30. NACE data indicates that Black, Hispanic, and Native American students have lower participation rates in paid internships.
Asian
31. 54.9% of Asian graduating seniors in 2023 had an internship.
32. Of all the Asian graduating seniors who had an internship, 48% were paid. (US News and World Report).
Black
33. 62.7% of Black graduating seniors in 2023 had an internship.
34. Of all the Black graduating seniors who had an internship, 20% were paid. (US News and World Report).
Hispanic
35. Hispanic students have a lower internship participation rate than their peers.
36. 55.4% of Hispanic graduating seniors in 2023 had an internship.
37. Of all the Hispanic graduating seniors who had an internship, 24% were paid. (US News and World Report).
White
38. 64.1% of White graduating seniors in 2023 had an internship.
39. While they only make up 71% of the sample population in an NACE study, 74% of paid interns are White. (NACE).
Internships and socioeconomic background
40. Among first-generation college students whose parents have not completed a degree, the internship participation rate is lower at 27%. (Gallup).
41. According to an analysis of data from United Nations interns, having highly educated parents leads to a 30% greater chance of taking an unpaid internship. (T and F Online).
42. Individuals from developing countries are 75% more likely to take unpaid internships. (T and F Online).
43. 56.6% of seniors in college who are Pell Grant recipients have had an internship. (NACE).
44. First-generation students account for 25% of students who have never had an internship. (NACE).
45. First-generation students account for only 19% of paid interns. (NACE).
Internships and employment
46. According to the NACE Job Outlook report, employers view internship experience as the deciding factor when evaluating two otherwise equivalent candidates.
47. Applicants with internship experience have, on average, a 12.6% higher probability of being invited to a job interview. (Science Direct).
48. 68.3% of interns receive a job offer. (NACE)
49. 50% to 60% of eligible interns convert to full-time employees. (NACE).
50. 75.5% of interns are still with the organization after the first year on the job.
51.51.5% of non-intern employees stay in the organization after their first year.
52.73.3% of employers recruit for interns. (NACE).
53. The 2022-2023 academic year represents a 9.1% increase in intern recruitment over the previous year.
54. According to a recent NACE poll, 80% of employers indicated that internships provided the best return on investment (ROI) as a recruiting strategy.
55. NACE research suggests that internships have proven to be more effective than career fairs, on-campus visits, on-campus panels, or other activities.
Internships and Job competitiveness
56. Nearly half (49%) of Gen Z job and internship seekers are submitting more than 50 applications during their search. (Forbes).
57. Companies note more competition in internship applications. Data from ServiceNow indicates a 50% increase in internship applications.
58. Citadel saw a 65% increase in internship applications with a less than 1% acceptance rate. (Forbes).
59. Internship applications are up 163% in the semiconductor industry. (Forbes).
60. Tech job openings for college students and new graduates are up 36%. (Forbes).
Highest paying internships
61. Tech companies dominate the list of organizations that offer the highest-paying internships. (Glassdoor).
62. Consultancy firms and financial institutions also follow tech companies’ lead in offering lucrative internships. (Glassdoor).
63. The highest-paying internship is in Stripe, the Irish-American multinational financial services and software company. (Glassdoor).
64. According to Glassdoor and Yahoo Finance, here are the top 25 highest-paying internships in 2023:
| Company | Nature of Business | Average monthly internship salary |
| Stripe | Tech | $9,064 |
| Roblox | Tech | $9,017 |
| NVIDIA | Tech | $8,280 |
| Coinbase | Tech | $8,206 |
| Meta | Tech | $8,160 |
| Capital One | Finance | $8,050 |
| Credit Suisse | Finance | $7,947 |
| Bain & Company | Consulting | $7,873 |
| Amazon | Tech | $7,809 |
| EY-Parthenon | Consulting | $7,651 |
| TikTok | Tech | $7,619 |
| Adobe | Tech | $7,568 |
| Snap | Tech | $7,520 |
| HubSpot | Tech | $7,477 |
| Splunk | Tech | $7,375 |
| Tech | $7,360 | |
| X (formerly Twitter) | Tech | $7,290 |
| BlackRock | Finance | $7,270 |
| J.P. Morgan | Finance | $7,188 |
| McKinsey & Company | Consulting | $7,170 |
| Uber | Tech | $7,090 |
| Citi | Finance | $7,025 |
| ServiceNow | Tech | $6,989 |
| Rivian | Automotive | $6,988 |
| Microsoft | Tech | $6,934 |
Challenges surrounding internships
65. Although internship postings remain above pre-pandemic levels, the job market for summer stints is cooling and internship listings have decreased by 14.7%. (Forbes).
66. According to a recent Gallup survey, students who have not had an internship cite difficulty obtaining an internship (30%) as a primary reason.
67. Respondents to the survey also cite the following top reasons for not acquiring an internship:
- Lack of interest in internships on the part of the student (25%)
- Inability to find an internship that aligns with the interest of the student (23%)
- Inability to afford an internship due to the need of a secure and better-paying job (20%)
68. 57% of job seekers say they are not confident they will find an internship or job that meets their standards. (Ripplematch).
Future trends on internships
69. 52% of employers plan to increase intern hiring in the future. (NACE).
70. Approximately 13% of employers plan to cut back on intern hiring.
71. More than 33% of employers expect to hire the same number of interns
72. Employers are driven primarily by their organizational needs when planning to hire interns. (NACE).
73. According to NACE, 28.5% of employers indicate the state of the market and economy as key factors in their intern hiring plans.
74. 12% also cite the potential for inflation as a contributing factor to the availability of their internship programs.
75. When choosing among otherwise qualified candidates, NACE employers indicate that GPA as a differentiator between candidates has continued to lose ground.
76. Employers cited communication, teamwork, and critical thinking abilities as the three most important competencies for interns and co-ops. (NACE).
Hybrid internships
77. According to NACE, 64.8% expect to provide their interns with a hybrid experience with a portion of the time spent working in person and the rest in a virtual environment.
78. While employers relied heavily on virtual forms of recruiting during the pandemic, NACE data indicates that they favor in-person recruiting when given the choice.
Other Statistics Articles
- High school statistics
- Literacy statistics
- How many schools are there in the US
- Average College Graduate Salaries
- Internship Statistics
- Average College Graduation Rates
- Average Cost of a Masters’ Degree
- Average Private School Tuition
- Average High School GPA
- How Many Teachers are there in the US?
- College Dropout Rates
- International Students in the US
- Cohort Based Learning Statistics
- Scholarship Statistics
- Latest eLearning Statistics
- 105 Resume Statistics
- 105 Time Management Statistics
Frequently asked questions
Around 78.6% of students participate in experiential learning opportunities such as internships, cooperative education programs, and externships. Among graduating seniors alone, 62% took part in an internship at some point in their college career.
Leading tech companies like Stripe, Roblox, and NVIDIA offer the highest paying internships, with monthly salaries exceeding $8,000. Finance and consulting firms also offer lucrative internship opportunities.
While around 59% of internships nationwide are paid, the percentage varies by industry and location.
Sources
- Forbes. Getting An Internship Is More Competitive Than Ever—But The Experience Has ‘Really Eroded’
- Gallup. Four in 10 College Students Have Had Internship Experience
- National Association of Colleges and Employers. Position Statement: Unpaid Internships and the Need for Federal Action
- NACE. Executive Summary: 2023 Internship & Co-Op Report
- NACE. Intern Hiring Up More Than 9% for 2022-23 Academic Year
- NACE. NACE's Guide to Internships
- NACE. More Than Half of College Class of 2023 Grads Took Part Internships—The Majority Were Paid
- NACE. The Class of 2023: Inequity Continues to Underpin Internship Participation and Pay Status
- NACE. 2022 NACE Internship & Co-op survey
- NACE. First-Generation Students Underrepresented in Internships
- Yahoo Finance. $19K Monthly Internship? Citadel’s Coveted Gig and 25 More High-Paying Internships
- RippleMatch. Gen Z Is Losing Confidence in the Job Search in 2023 – RippleMatch
- US News and World Report. Unpaid Internships Remain Out of Reach for Many College Students
- US News and World Report. Top Colleges, Universities for Internship, Co-Op Programs
- Science Direct. Student internships and employment opportunities after graduation: A field experiment – ScienceDirect
- Unpaid internships and equality of opportunity: a pseudo-panel analysis of UN data
Gail holds a degree in International Development and has a strong background in research and writing. Her work focuses on exploring topics related to development, including education.
This is an incredible assortment of information, great work Gail!