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Vault is ecstatic to share our 2027 Internship Rankings today! The Internship Rankings highlight the top programs in more than 30 categories. Vault’s rankings include the Most Prestigious Internships, Best Overall Internships, Best Internships by Industry, Best Internships by Role, Best Internships for Inclusion, and Best Internships for Key Employment Factors.
This past summer, Vault surveyed more than 18,000 current and former interns from more than 240 internship programs. We asked respondents to rate a list of top companies on how prestigious their internship programs are. We also asked respondents to rate and review their own internship experiences for our 2027 Best Internships Rankings in seven core areas: Quality of Life, Culture of Acceptance, Compensation & Benefits, Interview Process, Career Development, Full-Time Employment Prospects, and Inclusion.
To determine an overall score for each program, the ratings were assigned relative weights based on what interns told us they value most in an internship. The overall scores are based on the following weighted formula: 35 percent career development, 20 percent employment prospects, 20 percent quality of life, 20 percent compensation, and 5 percent culture of acceptance. Vault then compiled rankings of the top internship programs in more than 30 different areas.
This year’s top programs are:
No. 1 Overall Best Internship: PKF O'Connor Davies Internship Program
Accounting firm PKF O'Connor Davies is back at the top of our Best Internships list once again. We here at Vault see a well-established pattern with the firm of offering interns remarkable training and a clear path to full-time employment. Given that these are two of the most important aspects of any internship, it’s no surprise that PKF O’Connor Davies continues to dominate. Interns at the firm laud the training they received, with on saying “Every professional took time out of their day to teach what they do. They broke down new concepts and ideas even though they were busy working. For example, forms or tax codes I've never seen before were always explained to me and related to real-world examples.” Another intern said, “I learned so much, I can do actual tax work like an associate now.”
For those interested in joining future PKF O’Connor Davies internship classes, one intern had this advice to offer: “The only thing I wish I'd known is that there was nothing to be anxious about. Sometimes the hardest step is the first one, and it certainly was for me. However, I left this internship feeling like a more disciplined, open, and satisfied individual.” Another said, “Asking questions and being social with the people around you are key to success. The more people you know, the more help and assignments you obtain. Everyone is happy to meet you, and it is important to put the effort in to get your face around.”
No. 1 Most Prestigious Internship: NASA OSTEM Internship Program
For the sixth year straight, NASA comes in at the top of our list of most prestigious internships. No surprise, given NASA’s reputation as “the forefront of aerospace knowledge,” per one survey-taker. Other interns who took the Vault survey said that NASA was “the dream job for most engineers,” the “gold standard,” and “iconic.” Interns go on to say that the agency “would actually be the coolest thing you could put on your resume,” and that “Everyone loves NASA. It is the poster child for changing the world.” One intern kept it simple with, “I mean, it’s friggin’ NASA.” Hard to disagree.
Actual NASA interns also had kind words for their program. One intern said, “This is easily the best work-life balance and quality of life at any job in the field. Everyone is easy to work with and gets things done, but you never really feel an insane amount of stress or pressure.” Another intern reports, “The career development opportunities here were amazing! While I only technically had one mentor, many other people on the team acted as my mentors depending on the projects I was helping with throughout the summer. I also had a lot of fun with all of my projects, they all weren't extremely difficult however they all had their own challenges that I had to figure out, which is a wonderful learning opportunity. None of my projects were boring either, they all made me really excited to come into work every day and I wouldn't ask for anything different. I also got a TON of real-life engineering experience; every single project I worked on was contributing to something real and I even got to touch hardware that flew around the moon! As for networking opportunities, there were so many intern activities as well as other company activities where I got to meet so many cool people!”
Below are the No. 1 internship programs in each ranking category.
Top Internships by Employment Factor:
Compensation & Benefits: PKF O'Connor Davies Internship Program
Culture of Acceptance: Encompass Health Internship Program
Employment Prospects: PKF O'Connor Davies Internship Program
Networking Opportunities: PKF O'Connor Davies Internship Program
Overall Career Development: PKF O'Connor Davies Internship Program
Quality of Assignments: PKF O'Connor Davies Internship Program
Quality of Life: PKF O'Connor Davies Internship Program
Real-Life Experience: Fastly Internship Program
Training & Mentoring: PKF O'Connor Davies Internship Program
Top Internships for Inclusion:
Overall Inclusion: WilkinGuttenplan Internship Program
Best Internships for LGBTQ+ People: ADUSA Distribution and Transportation Internship Program, DP World – Americas Internship Program, Hanson Internship Program, Lumsden McCormick CPA Internship Program, Persona Internship Program, Schneider Downs Internship Program, WilkinGuttenplan Internship Program (seven-way tie)
Best Internships for People of Color: ADUSA Distribution and Transportation Internship Program, Schneider Downs Internship Program, WilkinGuttenplan Internship Program (three-way tie)
Best Internships for Women: ADUSA Distribution and Transportation Internship Program, Carnival Corporation’s Emerging Talent Program, Five Below Internship Program, LPL Financial Internship Program (four-way tie)
Top Internships by Role:
Data Analytics: Bates White Summer Consultant Program
Engineering: FactSet Internship Program
Finance: Guggenheim Securities Summer Investment Banking Internship Program
Information Technology: Vanguard Specialty Internship Program
Sales, Marketing, & Communications: Lincoln Financial Internship Program
Software Engineering & Development: Fastly Summer Engineering Intern Program
Strategy & Business Development: Lincoln Financial Program Internship
Top Internships by Industry:
Accounting: PKF O’Connor Davies Internship Program
Construction & Trades: DAVIS Summer Internship Program
Consulting: Bates White Summer Consultant Program
Consumer & Industrial Products: Constellation Brands Internship Program
Energy & Renewables: The Williams Companies Internship Program
Financial Services: Popular Internship Program
Health Sciences: AdventHealth Internship Program
Insurance: HUB International Internship Program
Investment Banking: Guggenheim Securities Summer Investment Banking Internship Program
Media: Cox Early Careers Internship Program
Retail: The Home Depot Internship Program
Tech & Engineering: Fastly Internship Program
Travel & Transportation: ADUSA Distribution and Transportation Internship Program
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