Which Schools Do Companies Hire Interns From? (Go Here, Get Hired There)
- Recognize the significant relationship between certain universities and leading companies, understanding how these feeder schools often serve as primary talent sources for internships and early career roles.
- Gain insights into the geographical and academic trends in internship hiring, such as the preference for local candidates or those from universities with strong programs relevant to the company’s industry.
- Understand that while being from a top feeder school can potentially aid your application, it’s your individual skills, experiences, and fit that truly matter. This awareness will reinforce the importance of personal growth and skills development, alongside academic success.
It’s late, you’ve already had three cups of coffee, and the words on your computer screen are blurring together. But you can’t sleep—you still have no idea what you’re doing this summer, and despite seemingly infinite options, nothing is a good fit. And then, there it is, finally: your dream internship. It’s exactly what you were looking for, from the industry and culture to the free donuts on Thursdays. So, now what?
Well, that perfect, primo program will likely be highly competitive—but don’t worry; we did a little research to help you out. Based on WayUp’s top 100 U.S. internships list, and using our database of millions of resumes, we identified the top feeder schools for some of the largest internship programs on WayUp’s list. Click on the companies below to see where your school leads the internship pack!
*All charts based on Chegg data models
Cisco
The top feeder schools for Cisco are North Carolina State University, San Jose State University, UC Berkeley, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan.* The global IT leader, headquartered in sunny San Jose, tends to hire local interns, with three of the five top feeder schools located in California. North Carolina State University is also a key talent pool, given that Cisco’s second-largest campus (with about 7,000 employees) is in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Deloitte
The top feeder schools for Deloitte are University of Illinois, University of Southern California, University of Texas, UC Berkeley, and Brigham Young University.* The Big Four accounting giant, headquartered in Manhattan, hires interns from coast to coast. With more than 80 US locations, it’s no surprise that Deloitte sources much of its up-and-coming workforce from large universities, with large talent pools and renowned accounting programs. In fact, four of the five top feeder schools are ranked among the top 10 in the nation, according to US News & World Report.
EY
The top feeder schools for EY are Indiana University, University of Texas, Brigham Young University, University of Southern California, and Penn State.* The Big Four accounting giant, headquartered in Manhattan, hires interns from coast to coast. With more than 260,000 employees world-wide, it’s no surprise that EY sources much of its up-and-coming workforce from large universities, with large talent pools and renowned accounting programs. In fact, this year University of Texas’ and Brigham Young’s accounting programs were ranked #1 and #2 in the nation respectively by US News & World Report.
The top feeder schools for Facebook are Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, University of Waterloo, and MIT.* The social media behemoth, headquartered in sunny Silicon Valley, leans toward hiring local interns, with two of the five top feeder schools located in California. All five schools are top-tier institutions with renowned computer science programs, demonstrating Facebook’s emphasis on innovation and critical thinking. Wondering about the mysterious University of Waterloo? It’s one of Canada’s leading schools, known for its computer science and engineering programs.
General Electric (GE)
Goldman Sachs
The top feeder schools for Goldman Sachs are Northwestern University, Drexel University, City University of New York, Northeastern University, and New York University.* The financial services giant, headquartered in New York City, leans toward hiring local interns, with two of the five top feeder schools located in the Big Apple. All five schools are located in or near major cities in the Eastern United States, offering large, diverse talent pools.
The top feeder schools for Google are Stanford University, UC Berkeley, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and University of Pennsylvania.* The legendary technology company, headquartered in sunny Silicon Valley, leans toward hiring local interns, with two of the five top feeder schools located in California. All five schools are top-tier institutions with renowned computer science programs, demonstrating Google’s emphasis on innovation and critical thinking.
IBM
The top feeder schools for IBM are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Texas, Columbia University, North Carolina University, and Cornell University.* The renowned information technology firm, headquartered in Armonk, New York, leans toward hiring local interns, with two of the five top feeder schools located near the Big Apple. (Wondering about Armonk? It’s a hamlet located 37 miles north of Manhattan!) Four of the five top schools are located in or near major cities in the Eastern United States, offering large, diverse talent pools.
KPMG
The top feeder schools for KPMG are Penn State, University of Illinois, University of Texas, University of Maryland, and Indiana University.* The Big Four accounting giant, headquartered in New York City, hires interns across the country, with four of the top five feeder schools located in or near major cities in the Eastern United States. With more than 31,000 employees across 110+ offices nationwide, it’s no surprise that KPMG sources much of its up-and-coming workforce from large universities, with large talent pools and renowned accounting programs. In fact, University of Illinois, University of Texas, and Indiana University are among the top 10 undergrad accounting programs in the nation, according to US News & World Report.
Lockheed Martin
The top feeder schools for Lockheed Martin are University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Maryland, Penn State, and Georgia Tech.* The aerospace and defense giant, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, keeps things fairly local by hiring interns along the East Coast. In addition to hiring up-and-coming talent from University of Maryland, which is just around the corner from their Bethesda hub, Florida is a key talent pool, given the company’s robust presence and rapid growth in Orlando.
Morgan Stanley
The top feeder schools for Morgan Stanley are New York University, UC Berkeley, Fordham University, University of Maryland, and UCLA.* The financial services colossus, headquartered in New York City, hires interns from coast to coast—with a focus on two of the most populous states. With two top feeder schools in New York and two in California, Morgan Stanley sources much of its up-and-coming workforce from large universities near its major hubs.
If you don’t see your school on the graph above, fear not! You should still apply if you’re interested; after all, we’re only showing you the top five feeder schools.* However, if you do see your school, it’s a good indication that Morgan Stanley sources interns from among your academic peers and may even do on-campus recruiting—and that your dream internship could be closer than you think.
NBC
The top feeder schools for NBCUniversal are New York University, University of Southern California, UCLA, Syracuse University, and Fordham University.* The mass-media conglomerate, headquartered in New York City, tends to hire local interns, with three of the five top feeder schools located in New York. USC and UCLA are also key talent pools—not a surprise, given that NBCUniversal has six of its 27 US locations in sunny California, home to LA, the entertainment capital of the world.
Remember, if your university isn’t listed among the top feeder schools, don’t be discouraged! These lists represent trends, but they are not definitive. Each of these companies values a diverse range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. Therefore, they recruit from a broad array of schools, not just those listed above.
Your success in securing an internship isn’t exclusively determined by the name of your university, but by your abilities, your passion, and how well you can demonstrate that you’re a fit for the company and role. So, whether or not you see your school listed here, don’t hesitate to pursue an internship opportunity that aligns with your career goals and interests.
Apply, prepare thoroughly for your interviews, and most importantly, believe in your potential. Your dream internship could be closer than you think. You’ve got this!
