14 Summer Internships for First-Year Undergraduates

Summer internships provide early exposure to professional environments, allowing you to bridge the gap between academic theories and practical application. By participating, you gain work experience in your field and develop a skill set that prepares you for full-time roles. They also help you clarify your academic and career interests and help you build valuable connections for the future. Online internships make getting work experience accessible no matter where you are. 

Why should I do a summer internship in college?

As a first-year undergraduate, summer internships allow you to gain technical skills specific to your field alongside crucial soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and time management. These experiences can help you develop relationships with mentors who can open doors to future job leads and industry connections. Students with internship experience have significantly better job prospects upon graduation, often receiving more offers and higher placement rates than their peers. Early internships sometimes even provide financial benefits through stipends, which can help if you need to pay off student loans.

Knowing how overwhelming the search can be, we've put together 14 high-quality summer internships for 1st year undergraduates to help you find the right fit. 

1. Ladder University Internship Program

Location: Virtual (fully remote program)
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25%; 70–100 students per session
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort; Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). 
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks

Ladder’s University Internships connect you with genuine startup projects where you collaborate with experienced founders and managers from successful companies. You can specialize in areas like machine learning, software engineering, finance, health technology, and more. You'll be matched with a project aligned with your interests and academic focus, allowing you to contribute to real business challenges. Throughout the eight-week program, you'll receive guidance from two dedicated mentors: a startup manager and a Ladder coach. Your work culminates in a final project presentation to company leadership, providing a concrete push to your resume and future interviews. Apply now! 

2. Explore Microsoft Program

Location: Redmond, WA, Atlanta, GA
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Dates: 12 weeks; typically June – August
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Freshmen or sophomores enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree in the US, Canada, or Mexico (or relevant regional hub), majoring in CS or a related STEM field

The Explore Microsoft Program offers you a structured introduction to software development roles and the product development cycle. You'll gain exposure to the design, build, and quality phases of real Microsoft projects, working in pods alongside other interns. You'll receive mentorship from experienced engineers and technical leads, combining on-the-job learning with formal training in software development practices, cloud computing, and emerging technologies. Throughout the summer, you'll participate in mentoring sessions, community-building activities, and networking opportunities with Microsoft employees across various teams. This program provides an excellent pathway to understand technology careers at major companies, while building fundamental skills in software engineering.

3. Jane Street Immersion Program (JSIP)

Location: Jane Street offices in New York City (in-person required)
Stipend: $12,500 scholarship per fellow
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; typically, 30–40 students
Dates: Mid-June – Mid-August (approximately 10 weeks)
Application Deadline: February 8
Eligibility: First- or second-year undergraduate students 

Jane Street's program provides you with a rigorous software engineering experience for undergraduates who have faced barriers in accessing computer science opportunities. You'll spend the initial weeks mastering computer science fundamentals and learning OCaml, Jane Street's preferred programming language, directly from full-time software engineers. In the latter half of the program, you'll apply these concepts to larger, structured projects, requiring robust code implementation and collaboration with experienced engineers. You'll live in a corporate apartment with other interns, fostering a strong community environment while tackling complex technical challenges.

4. Meta University Program

Location: Meta offices (e.g., Menlo Park, CA) and virtual options
Stipend: Paid, amount not publicly disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~1-2% acceptance rate; approximately 100 to 150 interns
Dates: 10 weeks (Typically May through August)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: 1st or 2nd-year undergraduate students in the US, Canada, or Mexico from historically underrepresented backgrounds who have completed at least one programming course

As a Meta University intern, you will spend 10 weeks exploring software engineering, data analytics, and product design. This program uniquely focuses on giving you an early career boost if you are a first- or second-year student from an underrepresented background. Throughout the summer, you will write production code for major applications, analyze user data to drive decisions, attend professional development workshops, and receive dedicated one-on-one mentorship. By working on these real-world projects, you will learn practical coding techniques, data analysis, and effective collaborative problem-solving.

5. NASA – Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internship

Location: Multiple NASA centers nationwide (Ames, Glenn, Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Langley, Marshall, Stennis, JPL, and others)
Stipend: Paid, amount based on academic level and session duration
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~2,000+ students annually
Dates: 10–12 weeks typically, June – August; exact dates vary by center and project
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Full-time or part-time college students who are at least 16 years old 

NASA internships provide you with a rare opportunity to contribute directly to space exploration, scientific research, and aeronautical innovation. You'll work with world-class scientists and engineers on projects involving research or engineering support for Mars rover development, climate science, and aerodynamics research, thereby contributing meaningfully to NASA's mission. You'll work 40 hours per week under mentorship from research scientists and engineers recognized as leaders in their fields. The program explicitly welcomes students from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing that diverse perspectives strengthen innovation. Your internship will build your resume with prestigious agency experience while contributing to projects with national and global significance. 

6. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) – Pathways Program

Location: Laurel, Maryland (on-site in-person experience required)
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; ~400–500+ students
Dates: 10–12 weeks, typically late May or early June through mid-August
Application Deadline: Rolling basis until filled
Eligibility: Full-time college students through graduate level; minimum 3.0 GPA required

In this program, you'll work on technical projects with meaningful impact, collaborating with scientists and engineers recognized as leaders in their fields. The program provides structured mentorship, pairing you with professionals who guide your technical development and career exploration. You'll participate in regular networking opportunities, site visits to research facilities, and collaborative learning experiences with other interns. Your work spans technical fields including electrical engineering, materials science, mechanical systems, artificial intelligence, and controls optimization. You'll learn professional practices in a collaborative innovation environment while building a portfolio of substantial technical work.

7. Google Summer of Code (GSoC)

Location: Fully remote
Stipend: $750 - $6,600 based on location and project size
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; ~1,000+ globally
Dates: May 25 – November 2 (varies by project length)
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Students who are 18+ years old and eligible to work in the U.S.

Google Summer of Code is a remote program where you spend your summer writing code for well-known open-source organizations. Throughout the program, you will explore technical topics like web development, machine learning, and cloud computing. During your daily routine, you will write new code, fix software bugs, test features, and document your progress. You get paid by Google to contribute to independent, global software communities under the guidance of a dedicated mentor. By the end of the summer, you will learn practical skills like version control, debugging, and how to collaborate on large-scale software.

8. NASA Pathways Internship Program

Location: Multiple NASA centers nationwide (Ames, Glenn, Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Langley, Marshall, and others)
Stipend: Paid, hourly wage (GS-Scale)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; small cohorts
Dates: Spring: Late January – mid-May (14-16 weeks); Summer: Mid-May – mid-August (10-12 weeks); Fall: Late August – mid-December (14-16 weeks)
Application Deadline: Fall: Late March/April; Spring: August/September; Summer: February
Eligibility: Full-time undergraduate students with a minimum 2.9 GPA on a 4.0 scale

NASA's Pathways program positions you as a contributing team member, working directly with research scientists and engineers on agency projects. Your internship will support space exploration and scientific discovery, building hands-on experience in real-world aerospace engineering, systems design, data analysis, or research. The Pathways program explicitly welcomes students from diverse backgrounds and states that prior internship experience is not required. Upon completion, strong performers may be considered for full-time permanent or term employment at NASA, creating a direct pathway to careers in space exploration.

9. Capital One – Early Internship Program

Location: McLean, Virginia headquarters (in-person required; corporate housing provided)
Stipend: Paid, amount not publicly disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; ~600–700 interns agency-wide
Dates: 10 weeks, June – August
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Freshmen or sophomores; enrolled in a STEM or Quantitative major (CS, Math, Econ, etc.); must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident 

In this program, you'll work on meaningful projects that contribute to real business decisions. Past interns have developed card rewards features, designed security enhancements, and optimized marketing campaigns reaching millions of customers. Your project will focus on one of three areas: business strategy, technology innovation, or customer experience, allowing you to test your interest in different career paths. You'll be paired with mentors and managers invested in your success, receiving coaching in both technical skills (like SQL and data analysis) and professional development. Successful early interns often transition into full analyst internship positions the following summer or analyst development programs after graduation.

10. Amazon – Software Development Engineer (SDE) Internship

Location: Multiple US locations, including Seattle, New York, Virginia, and others
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; very large cohorts
Dates: 12 weeks, May – August
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Eligibility: Enrolled in a Bachelor's degree or above in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems, or related STEM fields; at least 18 years old

As an Amazon SDE intern, you'll own the complete lifecycle of your code, from design through deployment and ongoing operations in production environments. You'll work on scalable services within a large distributed computing environment, collaborating with experienced engineers to design solutions that impact millions of customers worldwide. Your role will involve using cloud-native architectures and microservices, participating in code reviews, and contributing to technical documentation. You'll be matched with both a manager and a mentor who support your growth throughout the summer. Your work will have an immediate business impact, with your code likely deployed to production and serving real customers.

11. Goldman Sachs – Possibilities Series

Location: Multiple Goldman Sachs offices nationwide (specific location varies by program placement)
Stipend: None; may lead to paid roles
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; moderate to large cohorts
Dates: Typically in Spring (March–April) or Fall (September–October) 
Application Deadline: Generally mid-August for Fall sessions and January/February for Spring sessions
Eligibility: Primarily first and second-year undergraduates

The Possibilities Series introduces you to the finance industry through a combination of technical and soft skills training, group projects, and extensive networking. The program explicitly welcomes students from all academic backgrounds, recognizing that diverse perspectives strengthen financial services. You'll attend educational sessions led by Goldman Sachs professionals, collaborate with other first-year interns on business scenarios, and participate in networking sessions with experienced staff. This program provides an accessible entry point to finance careers, helping you understand whether investment banking, trading, research, or other specializations align with your interests. Successful Possibilities Series participants often transition into full summer internship opportunities in subsequent years. 

12. Deloitte – Discovery Internship

Location: Deloitte offices across the United States (specific location determined by placement)
Stipend: Paid, amount not publicly disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; moderate cohorts 
Dates: 10 weeks, typically June – August
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: First- and early second-year undergraduate students; minimum 3.2+ cumulative GPA; pursuing STEM, Business, or related degrees

Deloitte's Discovery internship introduces you to professional services and consulting through immersive projects addressing real client challenges. During your 10 weeks, you'll work on client-facing projects, gaining exposure to how consulting firms approach complex business problems. The program combines hands-on project work with comprehensive training in professional skills and consulting methodologies. You'll receive mentorship from dedicated coaches and onboarding advisors who guide your experience and provide ongoing feedback. You'll also attend Deloitte's National Internship Conference, a major networking event bringing together interns from various offices and business units.

13. Major League Hacking (MLH) Fellowship

Location: Remote
Stipend: Paid (Educational stipend provided; amount varies by location)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; about 10–15 students
Dates: 12 weeks during the Summer (also runs in Spring and Fall)
Application Deadline: Typically closes several weeks before the summer cohort begins
Eligibility: 18+ years old, proficient in English, basic coding experience, not residing in a US-embargoed country

The Major League Hacking (MLH) Fellowship is a 12-week remote internship alternative that connects you with real-world tech projects. During the program, you will focus on core industry topics like software engineering, production engineering, and Web3 development. You will write code for major open-source repositories, attend daily stand-up meetings with your group, debug existing software, and compete in scheduled hackathons. A uniquely valuable feature of this fellowship is its pod-based structure, which pairs you directly with a dedicated industry mentor and a small network of global peers for constant support

14. Salesforce – Summer Internship (Software Engineering)

Location: Multiple Salesforce offices globally, including San Francisco, Hyderabad, Paris, Tokyo, Dublin, and others (specific location varies)
Stipend: Paid, amount not publicly disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 500+ students globally
Dates: 12 weeks, typically June – August (exact dates vary by office location)
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Eligibility: Undergraduate students pursuing a BS/MS in Computer Science or a related field 

Salesforce's software engineering internship places you on real product teams, building features within the world's number-one CRM platform with strong AI integration. You'll participate in the complete software development lifecycle from architecture and design through implementation, testing, and deployment of features used by millions of business users worldwide. You'll work with engineers on breakthrough features, learning best practices in software architecture, code quality, and operational excellence. Training will cover industry practices in telemetry, metrics, and data-driven decision making. You'll attend educational sessions on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and learn how Salesforce applies cutting-edge innovations to customer relationship management.

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