stradaeducation.org/nsciMAY 2024 1
Building Better
Internships
MAY 2024
Understanding and Improving the Internship Experience
stradaeducation.org/nsciMAY 2024 2
Introduction
Internships and other forms of work-based learning, long
considered essential components of a student’s education
and preparation for the workforce in other countries, are
now gaining increased recognition in the United States. Both
institutions and policymakers see the potential value of
these experiences for both students and employers.
Evidence from interdisciplinary scholars around the world,
as well as Strada’s own research on work-based learning
(and paid internships specifically), shows how internships
can positively impact individual outcomes in the labor
market after graduation.
1
For example, college students
who completed a paid internship during their undergraduate
education have higher-paying jobs after graduation, even
when accounting for differences in pay based on field of
study, gender, and race/ethnicity.
2
Graduates who completed
a paid internship also are much more likely to report having
a first job that requires a degree compared to those who did
not complete an internship, and they are more likely to be
satisfied with their first job.
3
Many students recognize the benefits of internships;
about 70 percent of first-year students plan to complete an
internship during college. Despite this interest, less than half
of students find and complete an internship, and less than a
quarter secure a paid internship.
4
State leaders also recognize the valuable role internships
can play, especially for workforce development. In 2023,
Virginia established the goal that every postsecondary
student seeking an internship is able to complete one,
and tasked a working group to study its feasibility. Along
with other activities that support this goal, the state also is
investing in public-private partnerships to provide innovative
paid internship opportunities for students. States such
as California and Indiana also have turned more attention
and funding toward the goal of expanding access to paid
internships.
5
1
Hora, Matthew T., Matthew Wolfgram, and Samantha Thompson. “What do we know about the impact of internships on student outcomes? Results from a preliminary review
of the scholarly and practitioner literatures.” Center for research on college-workforce transitions research brief 2 (2017): 1-20.
2
Nichole Torpey-Saboe, Elaine Leigh, and Dave Clayton. “The Power of Work-based Learning.” (Indianapolis: Strada Education Foundation, March 2022).
3
“State Opportunity Index.” (Indianapolis: Strada Education Foundation, April 2024); “Talent Disrupted: College Graduates, Unemployment, and the Way Forward.”
(Bala-Cynwyd, PA: The Burning Glass Institute; and Indianapolis: Strada Education Foundation, February 2024).
4
Nichole Torpey-Saboe, Sowmya Ghosh, and Dave Clayton. “From College to Career: Students’ Internship Expectations and Experiences.” (Indianapolis: Strada Education
Foundation, May 2023); “State Opportunity Index,” April 2024.
5
Todd Stottlemyer, “Viewpoint: Every Virginia college student deserves a paid internship,” Washington Business Journal. March 7, 2024. California Learning Aligned Employment
Program (LEAP). (Rancho Cordova, CA: California Student Aid Commission).
HOPE (Hoosier Opportunities & Possibilities Through Education) Agenda. (Indianapolis: Indiana Commission for Higher Education).
stradaeducation.org/nsciMAY 2024 3
Yet despite the growing interest and promising evidence,
there is still a lot we do not know about the internship
experience. Limited data about participation, quality, and
specific design features (e.g., length, pay, nature of tasks,
modality), in addition to concerns about accessibility and
equity, can make evaluating and improving the internship
experience challenging.
6
Targeted research that focuses on
these important issues can help ensure internships and
other work-based learning experiences live up to their
potential and benefit both students and employers in
measurable ways.
To help address these and other questions, the University
of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Research on College-
Workforce Transitions developed the National Survey of
College Internships [NSCI) and the Internship Scorecard
to capture metrics for internship structure, quality, and
accessibility.
7
The survey, now administered in partnership
with Strada, examines the reasons students seek internships,
common barriers they face in securing internships, the
overall quality of the experience, and connections to
career goals.
This summary highlights the 2023 NSCI key findings
from third- and fourth-year students attending four-year
institutions. The complete NSCI 2023 findings are available
in the full technical report and also include results from
two-year institutions.
8
6
Matthew T. Hora, Chen Zi, Emily Parrott, and Pa Her. “Problematizing College Internships: Exploring Issues with Access, Program Design,and Developmental Outcomes in
three U.S. Colleges.” [Madison, WI: Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, March 2019). Henrietta O’Connor, and Maxine Bodicoat. “Exploitation or oppor-
tunity? Student perceptions of internships in enhancing employability skills.” British Journal of Sociology of Education 38, no. 4 (2017): 435-449.
7
Hora, et al. “The Internship Scorecard.” (Madison, WI: Center for Research on College Workforce Transitions, University of Wisconsin-Madison, July 2020).
8
Findings are largely consistent across two- and four-year institutions, with the notable exception that overall participation in internships is much lower at two-year institutions.
The sample included third- and fourth-year students from four-year institutions (n=2,824) and students of all class years from two-year institutions (n=2,531).
Data are weighted to be nationally representative by gender, race/ethnicity, class year, and financial aid status.
stradaeducation.org/nsciMAY 2024 4
Key findings from the 2023 NSCI include:
• Nearly every student (96 percent) participating in an internship
sought a way to connect education with career opportunities,
either to gain relevant experience in a specific career (70
percent) or to explore a potential career interest (26 percent).
It appears that students are savvy in seeking ways to
differentiate themselves from peers “without experience”
and/or wanted to discover whether a field of study was a
“good fit” for them.
• Three-quarters (74 percent) of students are extremely or very
satisfied with their internship. Satisfaction is tied to supervisor
support and mentoring, career developmental value, and
opportunities to develop durable skills.
• The vast majority of these internships (more than 75 percent)
were in-person. The median time worked in an internship was
13 weeks.
• The majority of internships occurred in the final year of
college, with juniors about half as likely to have had an
internship in the past year compared to seniors.
• Most students who did not participate in an internship
reported that they wanted to, but could not for a range of
reasons (more than 6 in 10 students at four-year institutions).
Among the biggest obstacles they faced were a lack of time
due to heavy course loads and/or other jobs.
• Financial challenges also impeded students from participating
in internships. About one-third of four-year internships were
unpaid, and even paid internships sometimes require students
to forgo wages or pay for additional transportation and/or
housing.
• Many students reported that they were unsure of how to find
an internship or that there were not sufficient internships
available in their field of study.
Three quarters of students
(74%) were extremely or very
satisfied with their internship.
Less than a quarter of students
(18%) were somewhat satisfied
with their internship.
And 8% experienced little
satisfaction or none at all.
SATISFACTION WITH INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
74%
18%
8%
stradaeducation.org/nsciMAY 2024 5
Percentage breakdown of obstacles impacting internship participation by race,
gender, and first-generation status of four-year students
The NSCI also provides a deeper analysis of the common
obstacles facing students who want to participate in an
internship experience. Most of these obstacles were similar
across demographic groups, as seen in the chart below, but
there are a few differences worth noting.
• Male students were less likely to report financial obstacles
such as insufficient pay or needing to work at their current job.
• First-generation college students were more likely to face
financial obstacles.
• Hispanic, Black, and students of another race or ethnicity
were more likely than white or Asian students to identify
transportation as an obstacle.
• Male students and Asian students were more likely than others
to report not being selected for an internship as an obstacle.
65
%
+
1
%
PERCENTAGE KEY
ASIAN
BLACK
HISPANIC
OTHERS
WHITE
MALE
FEMALE
FIRST-GEN
NOT FIRST-GEN
58
%
52
%
65
%
54
%
57
%
51
%
60
%
59
%
57
%
48
%
28
%
32
%
37
%
34
%
48
%
32
%
34
%
38
%
33
%
25
%
35
%
32
%
32
%
29
%
34
%
33
%
32
%
21
%
29
%
38
%
37
%
34
%
25
%
34
%
34
%
30
%
26
%
27
%
30
%
22
%
27
%
27
%
27
%
27
%
27
%
14
%
22
%
23
%
34
%
29
%
17
%
28
%
29
%
22
%
15
%
22
%
26
%
21
%
11
%
14
%
17
%
17
%
15
%
3
%
4
%
5
%
4
%
5
%
4
%
4
%
4
%
5
%
1
%
3
%
3
%
3
%
2
%
2
%
2
%
4
%
1
%
H
eav
y
course loa
d
Applied to
internship but
not selected
Lack of
internships
in field
Work at
current job
Not sure
how to find
internships
Insucient
pay
Lack of
transportation
Internship
canceled
(COVID )
Lack of
childcare
65
%
+
1
%
PERCENTAGE KEY
ASIAN
BLACK
HISPANIC
OTHERS
WHITE
MALE
NON MALE
FIRST-GEN
NOT FIRST-GEN
58
%
52
%
65
%
54
%
57
%
51
%
60
%
59
%
57
%
48
%
28
%
32
%
37
%
34
%
48
%
32
%
34
%
38
%
33
%
25
%
35
%
32
%
32
%
29
%
34
%
33
%
32
%
21
%
29
%
38
%
37
%
34
%
25
%
34
%
34
%
30
%
26
%
27
%
30
%
22
%
27
%
27
%
27
%
27
%
27
%
14
%
22
%
23
%
34
%
29
%
17
%
28
%
29
%
22
%
15
%
22
%
26
%
21
%
11
%
14
%
17
%
17
%
15
%
3
%
4
%
5
%
4
%
5
%
4
%
4
%
4
%
5
%
1
%
3
%
3
%
3
%
2
%
2
%
2
%
4
%
1
%
H
eav
y
course loa
d
Applied to
internship but
not selected
Lack of
internships
in field
Work at
current job
Not sure
how to find
internships
Insucient
pay
Lack of
transportation
Internship
canceled
(COVID )
Lack of
childcare
Demographic Differences in Access
stradaeducation.org/nsciMAY 2024 6
While the potential for internships and other work-based
learning experiences to support students in their journey
from education to employment is clear, educational
institutions, employers, and researchers will need to work
collaboratively to ensure that more students have the ability
to participate in a positive internship experience. To support
those efforts, the NSCI report provides action steps for
increasing access and maximizing the benefits internships
provide to students.
EDUCATORS AND INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS
• Use internships intentionally.
Support students and employers in the development of
structured learning plans and objectives so that students
have clear targets for skill development or other goals they
want to achieve during their internship. Dedicated advisors,
including faculty advisors, could facilitate the development of
these learning plans and assist students with securing aligned
internships.
• Prepare students to secure and thrive in internships.
Provide additional ways for students to engage in career
exploration early in their academic journey in preparation for
an internship. This could include site visits, employer visits to
the classroom, and collaborative projects with employers that
are embedded in coursework.
• Connect internships to other student experiences and
supports.
Integrate and coordinate internships and other experiential
learning experiences across departments on campus to
ensure a more holistic, student-centered approach that
is based on research and uses resources effectively. This
includes intentional collaboration across those entities
that lead career services, service learning, and alumni
engagement.
EMPLOYERS
• Embed internships in your talent strategy.
To overcome the known financial obstacles facing some students,
prioritize investments in paid internships as a means to develop a
more diversified workforce and talent pipeline.
• Have a voice in design.
Engage with colleges and universities to design and scale
industry-specific internships and other learning opportunities
for students.
• Strengthen supervision.
Establish processes and standards for the supervision and
mentorship of interns, including clearly defined roles and
responsibilities for interns and measures of accountability
for supervisors.
RESEARCHERS
• Understand the spectrum of opportunities.
Continue to examine and differentiate the range of internships
and other experiential learning experiences offered to
students, focusing especially on quality, access, and equity.
• Identify the contributions of component parts.
Develop and advance more nuanced definitions and
assessment tools for internships, focusing on both skills and
social capital.
• Examine “best fit” student experiences.
Measure and examine student goals and expectations for
internships (program features, learning goals, student
satisfaction) to better understand what types of internships
are best suited for a range of students.
• Document employer experiences.
Investigate employer perspectives on the value of internships
and other work-based learning models to better understand
employer motivations and identify opportunities for
improvement.
From Research to Action
stradaeducation.org/nsciMAY 2024 7
Principles for Effective Work-Based Learning
Educational institutions, employers, and researchers all
have an important role to play in supporting the policies
and practices that will allow more students to benefit not
only from internships, but also other work-based learning
experiences. While the NSCI findings and recommendations
focus solely on internship, Strada’s research and similar
work done by other experts in the field support a broader
set of principles that can inform programmatic and policy
discussions about the many kinds of work-based learning
experiences.
PAY
Unpaid internships are often out of reach for students who
work part time to pay for their education. The gold standard
is an employer-paid, quality internship or work-based
learning experience that is both affordable and accessible
to a wide range of students. In some internship models,
government entities, education providers, or philanthropic
resources can help offset any additional costs, but any
student-required costs should be kept to a minimum to
maintain accessibility.
CREDIT
Ideally, all internships and work-based learning experiences
should be for credit and/or embedded into a course and
aligned to the student’s major and field of study.
MENTORSHIP AND COACHING
Students should have supervised, human-supported
mentorship and coaching from both the educational
institution and the employer that includes guidance,
feedback, and career planning. At the institutional level, this
might include assigning advisors that help place students in
internships.
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Internships and work-based learning experiences should
provide in-demand, transferable skills and related
disciplinary knowledge that connect to a student’s education
and career goals, as well as their talents and interests. This
means identifying specific disciplinary skills that students
can acquire during the internship and ensuring that these are
incorporated into orientation, mentoring, and everyday work.
EQUITY FOCUS
Internships and work-based learning experiences should
be designed and measured so they are accessible to all
interested individuals, regardless of the financial, logistical,
and systemic barriers they face.
AVAILABILITY
Quality internship and work-based learning opportunities
should be accessible through a range of education, training,
employer, intermediary, and workforce providers and
contexts.
Developing more research-based guidelines for internships
and the broader work-based learning landscape will require
both will and resources, but as the available research shows,
the potential benefits often outweigh the costs. For more
detailed information and research on internships and work-
based learning, please visit www.stradaeducation.org.
