15 Summer Marketing Internships for Undergraduates in 2026

Internships are one of the most effective ways to enhance your resume and prepare for a competitive job market while still in college. They allow you to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, develop practical skills, and demonstrate initiative to future employers. Beyond skill-building, you also gain exposure to industry tools, workflows, and professional expectations while building connections with professionals who can support your career growth. Online internships, in particular, make it easier to access high-quality opportunities, removing geographic and financial barriers. For students interested in marketing, summer internships provide a focused period to explore areas such as digital marketing, branding, content creation, and analytics. The following list has been curated based on program prestige, the depth of hands-on experience, and the quality of networking and mentorship opportunities. 

If you’re interested in checking out summer internships in other subjects, check out a list of psychology summer internships here & law internships here.

Why should I do a Summer Marketing internship in college?

A summer marketing internship helps you develop foundational skills in campaign planning, audience analysis, content strategy, and performance tracking. You gain hands-on experience using industry-standard tools such as social media management platforms, SEO frameworks, and marketing analytics software, which are widely used in modern marketing roles. These internships also demonstrate your ability to work in fast-paced, results-driven environments, making you a stronger candidate for future full-time roles after graduation. In addition, you build a professional portfolio of projects and campaigns, which is crucial in marketing careers. By working with marketing teams and industry professionals, you expand your professional network and gain insights into different marketing specializations, helping you make more informed career decisions.

To help you get started, we’ve put together 15  summer marketing internships for undergraduates in 2026.

1. Ladder University Internship Program

Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Varies, starting at $2,990 | paid opportunities may vary by startup | not fixed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts – spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort – January, May, September, November
Eligibility: Undergraduates or gap year students able to commit 8 - 12 weeks, devoting 10 - 20 hours/week 

The Ladder University Internship Program is a selective virtual internship that places students with startups and nonprofits across industries, including marketing, branding, and growth strategy. During the internship, you contribute to real-world projects such as social media campaigns, content creation, market research, and digital strategy initiatives, depending on your assigned team. You work closely with a startup manager, gaining insight into how organizations approach customer acquisition, brand positioning, and performance management. The program emphasizes practical execution and accountability, concluding in a final presentation of your work. This internship is especially valuable for students seeking flexible, remote experience and exposure to fast-paced, project-driven marketing environments.

2. Bandwidth Marketing Analytics Intern

Location: Raleigh, NC (Headquarters)
Cost/Stipend: Paid (hourly; rate not disclosed)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer (10 - 12 weeks; June - August)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Undergraduate students in marketing, business, data analytics, finance, or related fields; proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets required

The Bandwidth Marketing Analytics Internship offers a data-driven marketing experience in performance analysis and decision-making. In this role, you work with campaign data, track key performance indicators, identify optimization opportunities, and build dashboards to communicate insights to stakeholders. You also collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure accurate reporting. The internship emphasizes hands-on experience with tools such as Salesforce, Marketo, and Google Analytics, helping you strengthen the technical and analytical skills relevant to modern marketing roles.

3. L’Oréal USA Summer Marketing Internship

Location: New York City, NY (hybrid; 3 days in-office)
Cost/Stipend: Paid ($24 - $29/hour)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June - August (about 11 weeks)
Application Deadline: August 15 - September 30
Eligibility: Undergraduate students (typically graduating in December) | interns must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis | no visa sponsorship

The L’Oréal USA Summer Marketing Internship offers experience in brand management within a global consumer goods organization. During the program, you take ownership of core marketing responsibilities, including analyzing consumer insights, monitoring market trends, and supporting campaign execution across digital and retail channels. You also complete an individual strategic project in which you develop business recommendations and present them to senior leadership. The internship provides exposure to cross-functional collaboration with teams such as digital marketing, finance, and supply chain, helping you understand how large-scale brand operations are managed.

4. Discover Publications Summer Marketing Internship

Location: Columbus, OH
Cost/Stipend: $800/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 - August 7
Application Deadline: April 30
Eligibility: Undergraduate students majoring in marketing, PR, or communications

The Discover Publications Summer Marketing Internship provides hands-on experience in niche marketing through custom publishing and direct mail campaigns. In this role, you develop localized content strategies and create community-focused marketing materials tailored to specific geographic audiences. You assist with drafting content, coordinating targeted mail campaigns, and contributing to publication design and layout concepts. The internship offers exposure to print media marketing and audience segmentation, helping you understand how localized campaigns drive engagement and lead generation. 

5. Lenovo Global Social Media Creator Marketing Intern

Location: Morrisville, NC
Cost/Stipend: Paid (hourly; rate not disclosed)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May 18 or June 1 - July 24
Application Deadline: Rolling until filled
Eligibility: Undergraduate students in marketing, communications, or related fields | experience with social platforms and influencer tools required

The Lenovo Global Social Media Creator Marketing Internship offers specialized experience in influencer and digital marketing within a global technology company. In this role, you support creator partnerships for large-scale campaigns and major global events by evaluating influencers, managing onboarding, and tracking campaign performance. You work with platforms such as CreatorIQ to manage creator relationships and analyze engagement metrics across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. The internship also provides exposure to real-time campaign execution, requiring you to monitor content performance, assess brand alignment, and contribute to strategy and campaign adjustments.

6. Estée Lauder Summer Internship Program 

Location: United States (varies by role and brand)
Cost/Stipend: $25 - $33/hr
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer (10 weeks)
Application Deadline: October 8
Eligibility: Current juniors(rising seniors) completing junior year by June of the current year and graduating in the spring of the upcoming year

The Estée Lauder Summer Internship Program offers a structured corporate experience across brand and functional teams, including marketing, brand management, and digital strategy. During the internship, you work on real-world business projects aligned with your interests, such as campaign development, consumer insights, and product marketing initiatives. You gain exposure to how global brands position themselves, engage target audiences, and analyze market trends. The program emphasizes critical thinking and practical application, helping you to address ongoing business needs while developing professional skills.

7. CDW Marketing Summer Internship – Customer & Market Insights

Location: Chicago, IL (hybrid)
Cost/Stipend: $20/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer (full-time, about 10 - 12 weeks)
Application Deadline: Not specified (rolling consideration)
Eligibility: Undergraduate students in marketing, communications, data analytics, or related fields

The CDW Marketing Summer Internship focuses on data-driven marketing strategy within a B2B technology environment. In this role, you analyze market trends, customer behavior, and competitive positioning to generate actionable insights that support marketing campaigns and business decisions. From the start of the program, you work on real projects, using AI platforms, analytics software, and reporting dashboards to transform data into strategic recommendations. The internship also emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, allowing you to contribute to research outputs, campaign planning, and executive-level reporting.

8. LJB Inc. – Marketing Client Experience Intern

Location: Miamisburg, OH
Cost/Stipend: $18/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May - August (summer term)
Application Deadline: Rolling until filled
Eligibility: Undergraduate students

The LJB Inc. Marketing Client Experience Internship offers a cross-functional experience across marketing, sales, and client engagement. In this role, you conduct market research to identify trends and potential clients, manage CRM platforms such as HubSpot, and support outreach through emails, proposals, and sales documentation. You also collect and analyze client feedback to improve customer experience and internal workflows. The internship provides exposure to the full client lifecycle – from lead generation to project handoff – while helping you build skills in data analysis, CRM management, and professional communication.

9. Baranko Companies Marketing Intern

Location: Dickinson, ND (on-site)
Cost/Stipend: $22 - $26 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer (duration varies)
Application Deadline: Not publicly specified
Eligibility: Undergraduate students in marketing, business, communications, or related fields

The Baranko Companies Marketing Internship provides hands-on experience in executing marketing campaigns within a growing business environment. In this role, you support the marketing team with brand initiatives, content creation, and promotional strategies to strengthen the company’s market presence. You assist with tasks such as developing marketing materials, conducting market research, and coordinating campaigns across multiple channels. The internship may also involve contributing to event planning, supporting digital marketing efforts, and analyzing campaign performance metrics.

10. The J.M. Smucker Co. Internship Program

Location: Orrville, OH
Cost/Stipend: Paid (hourly; housing allowance provided)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer (10 - 12 weeks) and extended co-op terms (6 - 8 months; varies by role)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Undergraduate students (sophomore–senior) with a minimum GPA of about 3.0

The J.M. Smucker Co. Internship Program offers a corporate marketing and business experience within a Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods organization. During the internship, you work on real business initiatives, which may involve brand management, campaign strategy, or market analysis, depending on your assigned team. You collaborate with mentors and cross-functional teams to solve business challenges, gaining exposure to how large consumer brands are positioned and marketed. The program also includes professional development workshops and networking opportunities with company leadership.

11. Old Dominion Freight Line - Marketing Intern (Summer)

Location: Elm City, NC
Cost/Stipend: Paid (hourly; rate not disclosed)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer (10 - 12 weeks; May/June–August)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate students in marketing, communications, or business (GPA ≥ 3.0; near graduation)

The Old Dominion Freight Line Marketing Internship provides a structured corporate experience within the transportation and logistics sector. You begin with onboarding and training, then work on assigned marketing projects that support branding and communication initiatives. During the internship, you contribute to campaign development, content creation, and execution while collaborating with internal teams and subject-matter experts. You typically work on multiple projects simultaneously, gaining exposure to different areas of marketing operations. The program also includes mentorship and shadowing opportunities, helping you understand how marketing functions within a large, operations-driven organization.

12. Griffith Foods - Global Marketing Intern 

Location: Lombard, IL (hybrid; 1 - 2 days/week in-office)
Cost/Stipend: $20/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer (8 - 12 weeks; full-time)
Application Deadline: April 30
Eligibility: Undergraduate or master’s students in marketing or business, graduating in December in the coming year or later | U.S. work authorization required

The Griffith Foods Global Marketing Internship offers a strategy-focused experience within a B2B food and ingredients company. In this role, you analyze product portfolios across global markets, identifying patterns in positioning, naming, and segmentation to support the creation of a unified portfolio architecture. You collaborate with cross-functional teams, including research and development, and conduct external benchmarking to understand industry practices. The internship also involves building structured databases, synthesizing complex datasets, and contributing to marketing toolkits that support product launches. 

13. Ascensus Marketing Summer Intern

Location: Newton, MA (hybrid)
Cost/Stipend: $20/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June - August (full-time, 40 hours/week)
Application Deadline: Not specified (rolling consideration)
Eligibility: Undergraduate students typically rising seniors, in marketing, business, analytics, or related fields

The Ascensus Marketing Internship provides broad exposure to multiple areas of marketing within a corporate environment. In this role, you support digital marketing initiatives, including email campaigns, website updates, and social media content, and assist with campaign planning and execution. You also contribute to marketing operations by managing workflows, coordinating projects, and maintaining systems such as content calendars and project management tools. The internship also includes analytics responsibilities, where you help track performance metrics, generate reports, and support business intelligence initiatives.

14. Vowio Founding Marketing Internship Program

Location: Hybrid/Remote (Washington DC–Maryland Metro Area)
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid | includes mentorship, recommendation letters, and LinkedIn endorsements
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective | 10 positions available
Dates: Summer (4 - 6 months)
Application Deadline: July 25
Eligibility: Final-year undergraduate students graduating in Spring in the current year | majors in marketing, business, communications, digital media, public relations, entrepreneurship, or related fields | must attend a university in the Washington, DC Metro area

The Vowio Founding Marketing Internship Program offers hands-on exposure to early-stage startup growth within the AI, wellness, and relationship intelligence space. During the internship, you can work across areas such as growth marketing, storytelling and content creation, social media strategy, market research, or video and media operations. Depending on your assigned track, you may contribute to lead generation campaigns, audience engagement strategies, competitor analysis, AI-assisted content workflows, or multimedia publishing pipelines. The program emphasizes practical startup-building experience, allowing you to collaborate directly with founders and contribute to the company’s early growth initiatives.

15. Forge Marketing(Now Grit x Forge) Summer Sales Internship

Location: Bismarck, ND (placements may vary; relocation required; housing provided)
Cost/Stipend: Commission-based with performance bonuses
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: May - August (3 - 4 months)
Application Deadline: Not publicly specified
Eligibility: College students or recent graduates interested in sales, marketing, or business development

The Forge Marketing Summer Sales Internship offers a field-based experience focused on customer acquisition and sales strategy, both of which are closely related to marketing. In this role, you promote residential services, generate leads, and convert prospects into customers, gaining direct exposure to consumer behavior and sales funnels. You participate in structured training on communication, negotiation, and performance tracking, which are critical skills in marketing and growth roles. The internship emphasizes measurable outcomes, requiring you to meet performance targets and evaluate performance metrics.

Summary

This list covers 15 summer marketing internships for undergraduates in 2026, spanning consumer brands, B2B technology, logistics, and early-stage startups, hosted by organizations including L'Oréal USA, Estée Lauder, J.M. Smucker, and Lenovo. The strongest disclosed hourly rates come from Estée Lauder ($25–$33/hour) and L'Oréal USA ($24–$29/hour), while Discover Publications offers a flat weekly rate of $800. Ladder Internships and Vowio's Founding Marketing Internship Program are the two fully remote or hybrid-flexible options with the broadest geographic reach, while most other programs require in-person or hybrid presence in specific cities like Chicago, Raleigh, or the Washington D.C. metro area.

Questions Students Often Ask About These Programs

1. Several programs here, like Bandwidth and CDW, are described as data-driven marketing roles. How do these differ from a more traditional creative marketing internship, like Lenovo's Social Media Creator role?

Data-driven roles like Bandwidth's Marketing Analytics Intern and CDW's Customer & Market Insights internship center on tracking KPIs, building dashboards, and using tools like Salesforce and Google Analytics to inform decisions, which suits students more interested in the analytical side of marketing. Creative and content-focused roles like Lenovo's Social Media Creator internship center on influencer partnerships, content strategy, and platform-specific engagement metrics, which suits students more drawn to brand storytelling and digital content.

2. I go to school in the Washington, D.C. area. Is Vowio's internship a good fit if I'm interested in startups specifically?

Yes, Vowio's Founding Marketing Internship Program is specifically designed for early-stage startup exposure, letting you work directly with founders across growth marketing, content, and social strategy within the AI and wellness space. It is unpaid, though it includes mentorship and recommendation letters, so if you need paid experience, Ladder Internships offers similar startup-style project work with financial aid available and no D.C.-area restriction.

3. A couple of these, like Forge Marketing, are commission-based sales roles rather than traditional marketing internships. Are these still relevant marketing experience?

Yes, though the emphasis is different. Forge Marketing's Summer Sales Internship focuses on direct customer acquisition and sales funnel experience, which builds skills in consumer behavior and conversion that are genuinely relevant to marketing and growth roles, even though the day-to-day work is more sales-oriented than campaign planning or content creation. If you want a more traditional marketing internship experience instead, options like Griffith Foods or Ascensus offer broader exposure to campaign strategy and digital marketing operations.