Key Takeaways
Graduates with experiential learning, like internships and co-ops, earned an average of $15,000 more than those without it.
Skipping internships and co-op programs could make transitioning to the workforce harder, with fewer networking, resume-building, and skill-development opportunities.
Some universities make completing internships easier through guarantees, required placements, virtual opportunities, and grants.
Internships and co-op programs can pay career dividends for students, and some colleges offer assistance in finding those experiential learning opportunities.
Read on to learn more about how some colleges commit to helping students get involved in internships and co-ops.
What Are Internships and Co-Ops?
Internships and cooperative education (co-ops) give you hands-on experience in your field, usually while you're in college. Interns might work at a company over a summer or during a semester. Students in co-op programs might work full-time for one semester and attend school full-time the next, requiring a bigger time investment.
Both are designed to help you gain real skills, which strengthen your standing on the job market. And universities are catching on. Some are not just encouraging students' participation in internships and co-ops, they are actively facilitating — and sometimes even guaranteeing — access to these types of placements.
Why Are Internships and Co-Ops Important?
BestColleges previously reported that participating in experiential learning can lead to better career outcomes after college.
Additionally, a National Association of Colleges and Employers survey found that graduates who completed experiential learning opportunities, including internships and co-ops, advanced in their careers faster, were more satisfied with their jobs, and earned an average of $15,000 more annually than those who did not.
Some of the benefits of internships and co-ops include:
Experience on your resume
Network building
Real-world skill development
Testing out different careers
5 Colleges With Unique Internship Commitments
Many colleges help students get internships, but these five schools offer more unique commitments to their student bodies.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
UNC Charlotte's internship promise guarantees students access to an internship during their studies, and its Group Internship Courses are one distinctive way it fulfills that promise. Students work virtually in three- to five-person "mini-internship" teams solving real problems for employers while earning college credit over eight weeks.
Teams work on projects with guidance from an employer partner and a faculty member. Students typically meet their employer and teammates, break the project into milestones, research and develop solutions, and finish by presenting their work.
The university also offers a more intensive Career Catalyst Program, a three-credit, 15-week version geared toward sophomores and juniors. Catalyst projects can include researching customers or competitors, identifying growth opportunities, or improving internal processes for employers.
Endicott College
Endicott College is one of very few universities that requires all students to complete three internships throughout their four-year degree program. The internships are credit-bearing and built into the curriculum.
First- and second-year students complete short internships and reflect on whether they want to continue pursuing the career path. Juniors then complete a full-semester internship that aligns with their future career goals.
Each college has dedicated internship faculty who help students narrow down their career path and prepare for internships. Students also receive support from the Internship & Career Services center, though they're responsible for finding and applying to internships themselves.
High Point University
High Point University is among a small group of schools that guarantees an internship to students. Other schools on this list guarantee access to an internship, but High Point's commitment is distinctive because it guarantees an internship for eligible first- and second-year students who complete a professional development program.
The program includes:
An internship guarantee course
A career aptitude test
Structured networking
Professional branding guidance
Mock interviews
Professional development workshops
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati has one of the longest-standing co-op programs in the country. Started in 1906, UC is widely credited with inventing cooperative education and has spent 120 years developing the program.
Last year, the university partnered with nearly 1,800 employers and reported 9,614 paid co-op placements at organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startups. Some colleges, including engineering and information technology, integrate co-ops into the curriculum. UC even has a college dedicated to experiential learning, the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies.
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware provides up to $5,000 grants for students in unpaid or underpaid internships and other experiential learning opportunities. The size of the award depends on the hours students work. Students can use the grant on housing, transportation, clothing, and other expenses.
While unpaid internship stipends aren't unique on their own, UD offers one of the more substantial university-wide grant programs we found. Some universities offer larger awards, but those programs are often limited to specific majors and colleges or internal internships.
Frequently Asked Questions About Co-Ops and Internships
According to a Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions estimate, one in three interns is unpaid; co-ops, on the other hand, are usually paid.
However, some colleges, like the University of Delaware, offer stipends for students in unpaid or underpaid internships.
