“A record number of employers and students participated in this year’s survey, providing us with valuable insights about the most recent class of interns across an incredibly diverse range of companies.” said Eric Stutzke, SVP & General Manager of Vault. According to Stutzke, “Interns want to gain valuable experience, receive a full-time offer, and work for a company that promises career advancement opportunities. Our survey also lined up with overall labor market trends. For example, due to the shortage of accountants, accounting firms are ‘rolling out the red carpet’ for interns to try to convince them to accept full-time employment offers after graduation. On the other hand, interns in some other industries face considerable uncertainty about whether they will receive an offer, as employers have limited visibility into future staffing needs.”

Key findings from Vault’s survey, which was fielded this past Summer, include:

Accounting firms across the U.S. perform strong in Vault’s Best Overall Internships Ranking: For the second year in a row, New York-based accounting firm PKF O’Connor Davies took the #1 spot on Vault’s Best Overall Internships list. Interns at PKF O’Connor Davies were especially satisfied with their Quality of Life and Compensation. Other accounting firms in the Top 10 Best Overall Internships are Texas-based Weaver, Alabama-based BMSS, and Wisconsin-based Wipfli. The U.S. is facing a severe shortage of accountants and has a declining number of students majoring in accounting. As a result, accounting firms put considerable effort into recruiting interns and convincing them to return as full-time employees after college.

NASA and a trio of tech giants are brand names that impress interns: Vault asked survey participants what the most impressive name to have on a resume is, and NASA emerged as the most prestigious internship. Google, Apple, and Microsoft rounded out the top 4, showing that the allure of working for Big Tech remains strong.

Uncertainty about full-time job offers continues to grow among interns: Among those interns who were eligible for full-time employment offers, 42% said they received or expected to receive an offer, 52% were uncertain, and 6% had been denied an offer. During the same survey window last year, 49% of offer-eligible interns said they received or expected to receive an offer, 45% were uncertain, and 6% had been denied an offer. Two years ago, 60% said they received or expected to receive an offer, 35% were uncertain, and 5% had been denied an offer.

Interns want to climb the career ladder in a nurturing environment: Vault asked interns what their most important considerations were when they were choosing an internship. The top three responses were: career advancement in the individual’s chosen industry, company culture, and compensation.

10 to 12-week internships with significant time in the office are the norm: 94% of interns reported that their internships were either fully in-person or hybrid, and most interns spent between 10 and 12 weeks at their internship.

The Top 10 Most Prestigious Internships for 2025:

1. NASA
2. Google
3. Apple, Inc.
4. Microsoft Corporation
5. Goldman Sachs and Co.
6. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
7. J.P. Morgan
8. Morgan Stanley
9. IBM
10. BlackRock

The Top 10 Best Overall Internships for 2025:

1. PKF O’Connor Davies Internship Program
2. College Works Painting Internship
3. Spaulding Ridge Internship Program
4. Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Summer Internship Program
5. Weaver Internship
6. BMSS Internship Program
7. Wipfli Internship
8. Royal Caribbean Corporate Internship Program
9. MongoDB Internship Program
10. Lowe’s Summer Internship Program

Best Internships by Industry:
Accounting: PKF O’Connor Davies Internship Program
Construction & Trades: College Works Painting Internship
Consulting: Spaulding Ridge Internship Program
Consumer & Industrial Products: LyondellBasell Internship & Co-Op Program
Energy & Renewables: NRG Energy Internship Program
Financial Services: Lincoln Financial Internship Program
Health Sciences: Abbott Internship Program
Insurance: CareSource Internship Program
Investment Banking: Guggenheim Securities Summer Associate Internship Program
Media: Comcast Internships
Retail: Lowe’s Summer Internship Program
Tech & Engineering: MongoDB Internship Program
Travel & Transportation: Royal Caribbean Corporate Internship Program

View all the Vault Internship Rankings.

About Vault

Vault is the leader in career research, exploration, and discovery for professionals and students. Through our data-driven Vault rankings, verified employee and intern reviews, and an extensive network spanning hundreds of campuses and universities, we have been the trusted provider of career intelligence solutions for emerging talent for over two decades. Our exclusive company rankings, in-depth employer profiles, and valuable employee/intern reviews encompass a wide range of industries, including Law, Banking, Accounting, Consulting, and the top Internship programs.

SOURCE Vault

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