The 25 best internships of 2025 

Last year was the most competitive season for internships since the pandemic, and new data shows that in a shaky economy, landing one could be a key path to securing a permanent role. A recent Glassdoor Community poll revealed that *63% of workers say their internship helped them land a full-time job. When it came to younger professionals, 75% of those aged 21-25 said yes, compared to just 65% of workers aged 30-35. The percentages of professionals who said yes only got lower as age increased, hinting that in a competitive internship market, Gen Z workers may be adapting in ways that pay off more, career-wise, than previous generations. 

Chris Martin, Lead Researcher, Worklife Trends 

Internship listings on Glassdoor increase in October and November, but they really take off in January, peaking in February and March. However, application trends differ – the “pre-season” bump is much smaller. Most candidates apply between January and May.

 

These differences impact when internships are most competitive. The chart below shows the profile of competition for internships over the course of a year. Fall is the least competitive, as listings pick up before applications. Competitiveness picks up in the first two weeks of the year and remains elevated through June – even after the core season of internship listings has ended.

The big takeaway is that early applicants have an advantage. Listings rise before applications, and applications remain elevated even after internship listings have tapered off.

However, the time to land an internship isn’t the same in every sector. Financial services has more internships in the fall. Media & Communications and Government & Public Administration tend to post their internships later than others.

Some internships are just flat-out harder to get. This season, internships in technology got roughly 2.5x as many applications started per internship listing compared to the average. On the other end of the spectrum, Education and Government & Public Administration received 59% and 57% fewer, respectively. That said, Government & Public Administration is one of the few sectors that is more competitive this year: there was a 4.4% increase in applications-per-listing in the ‘25 internship season over the prior year.

 

Competitiveness also varies based on the type of internship. 

• Data science internships were the most competitive, with 6.9x as many applications per listing than average. 
• Several other software engineering and data titles were among the most competitive, including generic disciplines (like “software engineering intern” or “data analytics intern”) and certain specialties disciplines: DevOps, cybersecurity, and – of course – AI & Machine Learning. 
• UX/product design, business analysts, and product managers round out the top 10 most competitive intern disciplines.

While 63% of workers in our recent Glassdoor Community poll said their internships helped them land a full-time role, what about the other 37 percent? Our economic research team’s analysis of four- and five-star reviews from interns found that the overwhelming majority of those mentioning “return offer” listed it as a con (90%) because they did not get an offer when their internship ended. The high ratings signal that even internships that do not convert into full-time roles can yield significant career benefits.

 

We tapped Community users in the Worklife bowl to ask if their experiences helped prepare them for their careers, and 54% percent said yes. Even those who answered no said that they were still able to make the most of their internships and gain critical skills that helped them professionally. Whether or not an internship leads directly to employment, it provides unique growth opportunities that a classroom simply can’t replicate. Based on their insight, here are five key takeaways you can leave with after completing an internship, regardless of whether it ends with a job offer.

1. Discover what you’re really good (or bad) at
   You may not yet be totally sure about what you want to do career-wise, and that’s okay. An internship can be a learning opportunity for narrowing in on what you like or dislike to help steer the direction of your career. Community users found that their internships helped them discover their greatest strengths and weaknesses through their successes and mistakes.
   
2. Get accustomed to working in an office setting
   An internship can help provide a real-world experience in a professional environment that’s much different from the classroom. With RTO mandates being announced across industries, many early career professionals are experiencing office culture for the very first time. Our data shows that interns at four and five-star companies on Glassdoor had more positive mentions in reviews of hybrid work arrangements (69%) than fully remote options (38%). This aligns with our research that digs into the challenges of remote internships, particularly around communication and relationship-building. Glassdoor Community users say internships prepared them for navigating office dynamics.
   
   
3. Improve your time management
   Beyond adapting to an office environment, your internship can prepare you for balancing your time in a way that could set the tone for the rest of your career. While college coursework comes with deadlines, those look a little different in the workplace. Tackling different projects and assignments during an internship can help you adjust to the world of managing customer asks.
   
4. Show recruiters your level of dedication
   Your skills and experience signal a greater level of commitment to potential employers. Just having the experience you get from an internship can boost your resume and help you ultimately land something elsewhere. Some professionals said that even if the work isn’t exactly what you want to do in the future, it still shows initiative. 
   
5. Level up your networking skills
   When you reflect on the internship, the relationships you build throughout your experience could be the most valuable resource to landing a role after graduation. And you don’t have to limit yourself to just the people on your immediate team. Set up informational interviews with employees in areas you may have an interest in in the future. Building a solid network could lead you to land a role in a different department. 

Check out the Career Advice for Students bowl for more internship insights and advice.