12 Best Business Internships for College Students in 2025

If you’re a college student and interested in business, participating in internships will help you get a practical understanding of the opportunities available and help you develop skills that will enhance your resume and bolster your employability. Participating in business internships offers a glimpse into how industries work and how classroom concepts are applied when millions of dollars are at stake. It fosters skills like strategic thinking, communication, and problem-solving.

We've curated a list of the top 12 business internships for college students. This selection encompasses both U.S.-based and virtual programs, ensuring accessibility and diversity in opportunities.

1. McKinsey & Company Sophomore Summer Business Analyst Program

Location: Various U.S. offices
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: May 1 – June 10
Eligibility: Undergraduate sophomores at U.S. or Canadian universities with an outstanding academic record and demonstrated aptitude for analytics
Stipend: Paid; Competitive salary

McKinsey's Sophomore Summer Business Analyst (SSBA) Program offers internships for college students that provide a comprehensive introduction to management consulting. As a participant, you’ll get to work on real client projects and receive mentorship from experienced consultants. You will be working at one of McKinsey’s North America offices for a full 10 weeks, doing the full range of work that any consultant does: interviewing stakeholders, building financial models, creating and delivering presentations, and working on internal knowledge building and research. You will walk away from the internship with a much stronger understanding of what a career in consulting entails.

2. Ladder University Internship Program

Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple 8-week cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks
Cost: $1,490; Financial aid available

The Ladder Internships university program offers selective business internships for college students, where you’ll get to work at a high-growth start-up that’s raising over a million dollars on average. These start-ups range across several industries, including tech, AI/ML, marketing, consulting, and more. As a Ladder intern, you will get to work closely with a manager from the start-up as well as a Ladder Coach. They will both offer guidance and mentorship as you work on a real-world project that’s of value to the company. Finally, at the end of the internship, you’ll get to present your work to the company.

3. Capital One Internship Program

Location: Various U.S. locations
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: 10 weeks 
Application Deadline: Varies by position
Eligibility: Undergraduate students earning a bachelor’s degree by August of the following year
Stipend: Paid

Capital One offers 10-week internships for college students where you will have the opportunity to tackle real business challenges in areas like finance, banking, strategy consulting, analytics, and more. As an intern, you will be integrated into existing teams working on projects with tangible business impact and will be assigned mentors who will guide you. Capital One posts internships as individual job opportunities throughout the year, and you can apply for as many as you are interested in. While each internship prefers hiring undergraduates from relevant majors, this is not a mandate.

4. Google Business Internship Program

Location: Various offices across the globe
Acceptance Rate: Highly competitive
Dates: 12-14 weeks
Application Deadline: Varies by position
Eligibility: Varies by position
Stipend: Paid; competitive salary

Google's Business Internship Program involves interns in solving real-world challenges from the get-go. The internships for college students offered range across a variety of fields, as required by business opportunities. Each internship is between 12 and 14 weeks long and has its own specific requirements according to the business unit, location, and job role. As an intern, you will work alongside Google coders, engineers, and managers, impacting their day-to-day operations and output. It’s a great opportunity to gain exposure at one of the largest and most influential tech firms in the world!

5. Amazon Business Internships

Location: Various U.S. locations
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Summer 
Application Deadline: Varies by position
Eligibility: Undergraduate students, specific requirements vary by position
Stipend: Paid

Amazon offers internships for college students in various business domains, including retail, operations, and finance. As an intern, you will be paired with a mentor who will provide guidance and feedback on your work. You’ll also get to engage in hands-on projects that influence customer experiences and operational efficiency. The program provides exposure to Amazon's customer-centric approach and data-driven decision-making processes. You’ll also get to event several events where you’ll meet other professionals and peers in the field, getting the chance to establish and grow a network. 

6. WayUp Remote Business Internships

Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate: Varies by company; Typically, selective
Dates: Varies by internship
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: College students and recent graduates
Stipend: Varies by internship; Many are paid

WayUp is a platform that connects college students with remote internship opportunities across various business sectors, including finance, marketing, and operations. The platform aggregates internships from numerous companies, allowing you to apply to multiple positions through a single portal. Some companies you might get to work with include Cisco, Childhood Cancer Society, KPMG LLP, and so many more. You can either work remotely with these companies or in the office. WayUp also offers resources to help you prepare for the application process, such as resume tips and interview guidance.

7. The Intern Group – Remote Internship Program

Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate: Relatively selective
Dates: Start dates available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: College students and recent graduates
Cost/: $1,990 – $2,490

The Intern Group provides virtual internships for college students in business fields, connecting students with companies worldwide. It’s a well-respected program that’s been featured on platforms such as Financial Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur, TIME, Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal. As an intern, you will gain international experience, develop cross-cultural communication skills, and receive guidance from industry professionals. It allows you to choose between 10 to 40 hours of remote internship experience per week, and to choose the duration from 4 to 24 weeks. Internships are offered year-round, with a new batch every two weeks. 

8. FedEx Internships

Location: Various U.S. locations
Acceptance Rate: Highly competitive
Dates: 10 weeks from June to August
Application Deadline: End of October
Eligibility: College students with at least one year of education completed
Stipend: Paid

FedEx College Connections is a 10-week, 40 hours a week summer internship program that has you working on impactful projects under the guidance of senior FedEx leadership. It offers opportunities all over the U.S., across business verticals ranging from HR, IT, and marketing to engineering, operations, and transportation. Beyond the significant work exposure, you’ll also benefit from networking events, facility tours, and an executive speaker series! If you’re serious about a career in logistics, this is a good opportunity.

9. Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) Internship Program

Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: During the academic year (typically September to May)
Application Deadline: Varies by position
Eligibility: U.S. citizens enrolled in a degree-granting program at the undergraduate or graduate level
Stipend: Unpaid; Potential for academic credit

The Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) is a unique, remote internship opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of State. Designed for college students, this program allows you to contribute to various projects across federal agencies, including the Department of State, USAID, and NASA. You will engage in tasks such as data analysis, research, social media management, and policy planning, all from the comfort of your own homes. The program emphasizes flexibility, requiring a commitment of approximately 10 hours per week during the academic year.

10. KPMG Global Internship Program

Location: Various U.S. locations
Acceptance Rate: Highly competitive
Dates: Varies
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: College students
Stipend: Paid

KPMG's Global Internship Program, or GIP, offers a great opportunity to be part of a global consulting team. As a participant, you’ll be able to improve your business skills, find a mentor, and grow your network. You’ll start the internship at an office in the U.S., and then spend four weeks on assignment with international teams working with major clients, benefitting from a global support network. The KPMG GIP provides some of the best global exposure possible, allowing you to build an international network and understand how business works across nations. An internship with KPMG might even lead to a full-time job! 

11. IBM Extreme Blue Internship

Location: Various U.S. locations
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Varies by role
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students with strong business, technical, or design backgrounds
Stipend: Paid

IBM's Extreme Blue program is a 3-month leadership development initiative where you’ll work as an intern on high-impact projects combining business and technology. Unlike standard tech internships, it has a strong focus on leadership and management alongside technical skills. You’ll work in a team of interns on a genuine and tangibly impactful project at IBM, collaborating with other teams in the organization. It concludes with an Expo Day where you will have to present your work to senior IBM executives.

12. SEO Career Internship Program

Location: Various U.S. cities
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very competitive; ~100+ firms participate
Dates: 4-6 weeks in the summer 
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions from October through April
Eligibility: Underrepresented minority college students (freshmen, sophomores, juniors) with a GPA of 3.2+
Stipend: Paid

SEO Career (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) is a premier summer internship program targeting Black, Latinx, and Native American college students who are underrepresented in competitive business sectors. It provides training, mentorship, and access to internships at over 100 partner firms in industries such as investment banking, corporate finance, marketing, and consulting. SEO also supports students throughout the internship with coaching and access to professional development events. Track partners include such prestigious firms as HSBC, Bank of America, Bloomberg, Capital One, Johnson & Johnson, Blackstone, and more.