15 Awesome Engineering Internships
Participating in engineering internships during college is a powerful way to boost your profile and earn valuable work experience. These programs not only bolster resumes but also significantly improve employability by providing real-world, practical exposure in chosen fields. Hands-on internships in fields like engineering are particularly beneficial as they allow you to apply theoretical knowledge to tangible projects, develop problem-solving skills, and collaborate with seasoned professionals.
Engineering internships help you build a deeper understanding of industry practices, and the networking and connection opportunities they offer can be pivotal in shaping future career paths. Recognizing the importance of these experiences, we've curated a list of 15 exceptional engineering internships for college students. This selection encompasses a diverse range of opportunities, each designed to provide meaningful and practical engineering experience.
Location: Various NASA centers across the U.S.
Stipend: Paid (amount varies) for most positions; some volunteer opportunities also available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Extremely competitive, but varies depending on the projects available
Dates: 6-10 weeks depending on the project
Application Deadline: Fall: May 16 | Spring: September 12 | Summer: February 27
Eligibility: U.S. citizens with a 3.0 GPA; enrolled full-time or part-time in a minimum of 6 semester hours; 16 or older
NASA OSTEM internships offer college students the chance to contribute to the agency's mission of advancing science, technology, aeronautics, and space exploration. As a NASA intern, you will engage in research and development projects, collaborating with NASA scientists and engineers. The program is a rare opportunity to benefit from NASA staff’s mentorship and their state-of-the-art facilities and contribute to their active missions. Each internship takes place either full-time or part-time at a NASA center or facility, allowing you to be involved with their work at ground zero. You can look through the variety of engineering internships they have to offer, as they are not limited to only STEM internships – all sorts of positions are available, including accountants, writers, IT specialists, project managers, and more.
2. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,490
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective with small cohorts
Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year, with the summer cohort starting June 2
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort; upcoming deadline is April 13 for regular admission into the summer cohort
Eligibility: University students and young professionals
Ladder Internships connect university students with startup companies for an 8-week virtual internship, followed by 15 weeks of research. As a participant, you’ll work on projects aligned with your interests, dedicating 5-10 hours weekly. The program offers mentorship from company coaches, opportunities to define and deliver projects, and exposure to startup environments. Unique elements include flexible scheduling and the chance to work directly with entrepreneurs and CEOs/founders from FAANG-level firms. You can get more information here and apply here!
3. General Dynamics Mission Systems Internship
Location: Various U.S. locations; remote + hybrid options available
Stipend: $20 onwards (tentatively; based on the internship)
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: 10-12 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling; early applications encouraged
Eligibility: Rising freshmen to postgraduate students
General Dynamics offers 10 to 12-week engineering internships (among others) in projects related to mission-critical solutions in defense and cybersecurity. As an intern, you will collaborate with professionals on system designs, software development, and testing. This internship program has a strong focus on virtual recruitment and also includes specific, neurodiversity-focused internships, greatly improving accessibility and providing neurodiverse students the opportunity to contribute and thrive. This internship is rated as one of the Top 100 in the country and is a pathway to permanent employment at General Dynamics, with two-thirds of former interns joining the firm later.
4. Cooperative Education Program – Shaw Industries Engineering
Location: Various locations in the United States
Stipend: Varies
Cohort Size: Typically moderate cohort sizes
Dates: Semester-long rotations; multiple entry points throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by academic calendar
Eligibility: Undergraduate students in engineering; cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
Shaw Industries offers co-op programs where students gain diverse work experience in manufacturing and operations. As an intern, you’ll get to rotate through various departments, working on process improvements and product development. The internships are spread across operations management, sales, supply chain, and marketing and customer experience. The program provides mentorship, hands-on project work directly impacting company operations, and exposure to large-scale manufacturing processes.
5. NVIDIA Engineering Internship
Location: Santa Clara, CA, and other locations
Stipend: Hourly rate varies between $27-82
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly competitive; cohort size varies
Dates: 10-12 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines depending on the individual job posting
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in computer engineering, computer science, and related fields
NVIDIA's internship program offers engineering internships that allow students to work on cutting-edge technologies in graphics processing and AI. It is their primary pipeline for hiring new college graduates. As an intern, you’ll engage in projects involving software development, hardware design, and research. The program is an excellent opportunity to learn from experts at one of the world’s biggest tech companies and to contribute to products impacting various industries.
6. Jane Street Software Engineering Internship
Location: Jane Street, New York, London, or Hong Kong
Stipend: Paid, amounts vary by position and location
Acceptance Rate: Very competitive
Dates: 10-12 weeks between May and September
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines depending on the individual job posting
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students with strong programming skills; all majors considered
Jane Street offers engineering internships focusing on functional programming and real-time trading systems. As an intern, you’ll work on software development projects, collaborating closely with experienced engineers. You’ll get to attend classes on topics like writing performance-sensitive code or machine learning, and learn about things like why Jane Street uses OCaml or better understand the complexities of heuristics and biases. An average day includes lectures on coding or machine learning, 1:1 sessions with your mentor, and plenty of independent project work.
7. GlobalFoundries Internship Program
Location: GlobalFoundries; multiple locations across the globe
Stipend: $20-$40 per hour for U.S. locations, depending on role
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: 12-week-long internships posted throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling; depends on the individual job posting
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in engineering disciplines
GlobalFoundries offers engineering internships in semiconductor manufacturing, providing students with hands-on experience in chip design and fabrication. As an intern, you’ll be able to collaborate on projects related to process development and yield improvement, while under the mentorship of GF’s experienced engineers. The program also offers virtual engagement sessions and connects with key leadership, making it a valuable experience for aspiring semiconductor professionals.
8. Abbott Engineering Internship
Location: Abbott; multiple locations across the globe
Stipend: Competitive pay, varying by role and location
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: 10-12 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling; depends on the individual job posting
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students majoring in a related discipline
Abbott's internship program is one of the best engineering internships (rated #1 in health sciences, #4 in finance and information technology, according to Vault’s 2025 rankings) that offers students the chance to work on meaningful, challenging projects in the healthcare industry. The engineering vertical allows you to work in areas such as instrument development, manufacturing support, and process system design. The program offers opportunities across the globe to contribute to global health initiatives, access training resources, and become a part of global intern networks.
9. Boeing Engineering Internship Program
Location: Boeing; various locations worldwide
Stipend: Paid, roughly $40,000-$60,000 for a summer internship in the U.S.
Acceptance Rate: Highly competitive
Dates: 10-12 weeks
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by country
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in engineering disciplines
Boeing's internship program provides you with the chance to participate in engineering internships (among others) that let you work on innovative aerospace projects. There are several verticals available, and the engineering vertical alone lets you specialize in fields like industrial, material, production, electrical, chemical, or even flight engineering.
As an intern, you’ll work together with mentors, leaders, and peers on unique projects and products that you’ll find only in a few industries. You’ll also start to build the foundation for a successful engineering career by attending development seminars, networking events, community outreach, executive engagements, and more.
Location: GE Appliances; various locations across the U.S.
Stipend: $18-$30/hour, depending on role, location, and prerequisites
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive; only around 450 students per batch
Dates: 10-12 weeks during summer
Application Deadline: Varies by position and location
Eligibility: Undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors, in engineering and related fields
GE Appliances offers internships across various engineering fields, including renewable energy, aviation, and healthcare. GE runs a Student Development Program for each of the internship fields it offers, inviting sophomores, juniors, and seniors to explore career paths at the company.
As an intern, you’ll work on projects that drive technological advancements, collaborating with professionals to solve complex challenges. Aside from that, you’ll also benefit from mentoring, on-the-job training, extracurricular activities, and community volunteer projects.
11. Cisco Engineering Internship
Location: Cisco offices across the U.S. and the world; remote available
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: 6-12 weeks
Application Deadline: Varies by position
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in computer engineering, computer science, and related fields; specific requirements vary by internship
Cisco's internship program allows students to work on networking and cybersecurity projects. As an intern, you’ll get to engage in software development, network engineering, and product management tasks. The program offers mentorship, hands-on projects, and exposure to cutting-edge networking technologies.
12. Lockheed Martin Internship Program
Location: Lockheed Martin; various U.S. locations
Stipend: Highly competitive pay
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: 8 – 12 weeks (tentatively)
Application Deadline: Varies by position
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in engineering disciplines; U.S. citizenship may be required depending on the role
Lockheed Martin offers engineering internships in the aerospace, defense, and security sectors. As an intern, you’ll work on projects related to aircraft design, systems integration, and advanced technologies. There are both full-time and part-time options available, with all sorts of mission-critical roles on offer – from software engineering to control account management to machine learning. Each role comes with sufficient mentorship to enable your contribution, and the internship is structured to allow you to contribute to national security initiatives.
13. Intel Engineering Internship
Location: Intel offices across the U.S. and worldwide
Stipend: Paid, stipends for U.S.-based roles vary from $40,000-$108,000 depending on position and duration
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Both part-time and full-time internships are available
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, and related fields
Intel's internship program offers opportunities in software development, AI, business, hardware, manufacturing, and even sales and marketing. It is a solid introduction to the vast world of semiconductor manufacturing and the operations supporting it. As an intern, you will be in charge of a critical, real-world project from day one while receiving the support you need from Intel mentors.
Location: Tesla offices across the U.S. and the world
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate: Extremely competitive
Dates: 12-16 weeks; multiple sessions throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in various engineering fields
Tesla's internship program offers students the chance to work on electric vehicles, energy products, and manufacturing processes. As an intern, you’ll participate in projects related to product design, software development, and factory operations. The program offers 1:1 mentorship, various networking opportunities, and weekly seminars by Tesla experts.
15. Ford Motor Company Internship Program
Location: Ford offices across various U.S. locations, primarily in Michigan
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: 10-12 weeks during summer
Application Deadline: Varies by position
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and related fields
Ford’s internship program gives engineering students hands-on experience in the automotive industry. As an intern, you’ll work on projects related to vehicle design, manufacturing, electrification, and autonomous driving technologies. You will receive mentorship from Ford engineers, collaborate with them on real-world engineering challenges, and gain exposure to the latest advancements in the automotive sector. There are also networking events, technical workshops, and facility tours to take advantage of.