13 Best Remote Internships for College Students
- Stephen Turban
- 24 hours ago
- 8 min read
If you’re a college student preparing for the next stage of your academic or career path, consider doing an internship in your field. An internship can help you apply what you’ve been learning in class, and interning remotely allows you to participate from anywhere.
These internships are available across fields like STEM, business, social sciences, writing, data, and design, allowing you to choose an internship that matches your major or the direction you want to pursue. Interning makes the move from college to the workplace smoother because you have concrete professional experience. Working remotely also keeps costs low, since you don’t need to travel or relocate for the summer.
With that, here are the 13 best remote internships for college students! Since we’re highlighting the best opportunities, all programs on this list are selective with low acceptance rates and clear standards for student involvement.
If you're looking for more prestigious opportunities, check out this set of blogs!
13 Best Remote Internships for College Students
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost: Varies by the program. Financial aid is available
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10 – 20 hours/week for 8 – 12 weeks. Open to undergraduates and gap year students!
Ladder’s University Internship Program is an eight-week, remote experience that connects college students and young professionals with fast-growing startups for real project work. You’re matched with a company based on your interests, and your weekly schedule stays light enough, about five to ten hours, to fit alongside classes or other commitments. Depending on your placement, you might build a machine learning model, conduct market research, design a product prototype, or contribute to a go-to-market plan. The work is structured to give you material you can use later on your resume or portfolio. You will work closely with your manager at the startup. Apply now!
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 0.81%
Location: Primarily in-person or hybrid, with several remote opportunities available each year
Cost/Stipend: Paid internships
Dates: Typically 9-10 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Varies by specific internship position
Eligibility: Open to undergraduates
JPMorgan Chase offers a wide range of competitive summer programs across divisions such as Investment Banking, Asset & Wealth Management, and Software Engineering. As an intern, you work on deals, analyze markets, and help develop client-focused solutions while receiving structured training and regular exposure to senior leaders. Most roles are in-person or hybrid, but a small number of fully remote positions are available each year. Because of the firm’s scale and reputation, these remote spots are extremely competitive, making them one of the hardest high-quality virtual internships to land.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Less than 2%
Location: Remote, hybrid, and in-person options available
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Dates: 12 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Internship positions are posted individually
Eligibility: Open to undergraduate and graduate students in Bachelor's, Master's, MBA, or PhD programs
Microsoft offers one of the largest internship programs in the tech industry, with positions in software engineering, program management, data science, UX, cybersecurity, and other technical fields. You join a product team and work on projects that matter, features that may ship to millions of users. Most internships take place at major hubs like Redmond, but some teams open fully remote positions depending on project needs. Because of Microsoft’s scale and reputation, these remote roles are limited and competitive.
Acceptance Rate / Cohort Size: Extremely selective due to its small cohorts
Location: Remote
Cost: None. Interns receive a stipend of $7,000 for the internship period
Dates: Summer: Late May to late August; Winter: December to March
Application Deadline: Initial applications are usually due in February (for the summer cohort) and August (for the winter cohort).
Eligibility: Open to applicants worldwide (18+) who are underrepresented in the tech industry.
Outreachy is a fully remote internship program that connects you with mentors at major open source organizations such as Mozilla, GNOME, and Wikimedia. You apply to a specific project, contribute code or design work, and collaborate with maintainers who support you throughout the internship. The program is structured for remote participation, so you do not need to relocate or follow in-person schedules. It gives you a clear path to build technical skills, gain experience in open source development, and receive pay for your work.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 0.075% acceptance rate
Location: Remote
Cost: None. Paid internship
Dates: Typically 12 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in the fall for the following summer
Eligibility: Students in their penultimate year of undergraduate studies
Atlassian, the company behind Jira and Confluence, runs its internship program under its “Team Anywhere” model, which means you can work remotely from day one. As an intern, you’re placed on a product or engineering team and contribute to features used by millions. You work with mentors, attend team stand-ups, and take part in the same workflows as full-time employees. The program is selective, but it’s one of the few major tech internships designed to be remote-first rather than remote-optional.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Less than 2%
Location: Most internships are remote/flexible, but availability may depend on your country of residence.
Cost: None; paid internship
Dates: 12 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Varies. Keep an eye on the website for the latest details.
Eligibility: Current students or recent graduates
Canva’s Early Careers programs include Launchpad, a twelve-month development program for recent graduates, and a twelve-week summer internship for students in their second to last year. The internship is a twelve-week summer role for penultimate year students. You are paired with mentors and buddies, join weekly study hall sessions, and take part in social events. Canva assigns interns to projects with real responsibility, and previous interns have contributed features that reached millions of users. Both the internship and Launchpad begin with a one-week onboarding bootcamp.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Remote (depending on host company) or hybrid
Cost: None; paid internship
Dates: Varies by host company, but all internships take place over the summer.
Application Deadline: Typically early February
Eligibility: Black and/or Latinx students enrolled in a US college/university, seeking a tech industry internship, and with coding experience in at least one language like C++, Python, Java, etc.
The Code2040 Fellows Program is a career accelerator for Black and Latinx computer science students, giving you a clear path into the tech industry. You are matched with an internship at a partner tech company, where you gain experience while taking part in workshops on leadership, racial equity, and navigating work in technology. The program mixes technical growth with community support, so you build skills while connecting with peers who share your goals. Fellows usually relocate to work onsite, though many companies now offer remote options
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive
Location: Remote options available, varying by team
Cost: None; paid internship
Dates: 12 weeks during the summer, starting in either May or June
Application Deadline: Varies by role; the deadlines are rolling
Eligibility: Current undergraduate or graduate students in their penultimate year
TikTok’s internship program gives you direct experience inside a fast-moving social media and technology company. You work on projects across engineering, product, and operations, contributing to the platform’s global work and learning how large-scale digital systems operate. Some teams offer remote or flexible arrangements, which let you collaborate with colleagues across different regions. The program also includes sessions with company leaders and opportunities to learn about the culture that shapes TikTok’s work.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 5-7% acceptance rate.
Location: Remote options available
Cost: None; paid stipend provided
Dates: 10 weeks over the summer
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics disciplines from accredited U.S. universities with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
The JPL Summer Internship Program is a ten-week, full-time opportunity for undergraduate and graduate STEM students to work directly with scientists and engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. You are paired with a JPL mentor and complete a project that contributes to ongoing NASA missions or research. You gain hands-on experience in your field while taking part in lab tours, lectures, and career sessions organized by the JPL Education Office. The program is built to give you technical training and professional development inside a leading research environment.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely competitive, with only 800 interns selected annually across 62 laboratories.
Location: Varies by lab, with remote opportunities available in some locations
Cost: No cost, interns earn a $7,500 stipend
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: November 1
Eligibility: Rising sophomores enrolled full-time at an accredited four-year college or university. The program is only open to U.S. citizens.
The Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program is a competitive ten-week summer internship that places college and graduate students in Department of the Navy laboratories to work on active research projects with scientists and engineers. You gain experience in naval research and technology while receiving professional mentorship. Selection is based on academic performance, personal statements, recommendations, and your research interests. With more than eight hundred placements across labs nationwide, the program offers opportunities in many STEM areas, and several interns continue into careers within the Department of the Navy.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Remote
Cost: No cost, internships are competitively paid
Dates: Varies by role
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines varying by specific position
Eligibility: Open to current undergraduates, with specific requirements varying by role.
Yelp is a remote-first company, and many of its intern roles are fully remote. You can work in areas such as social media management, event planning, and community management. Throughout the internship, you are paired with a mentor who gives you direct guidance while you take responsibility for specific tasks that support Yelp’s daily operations. You also join a cohort of interns across the U.S. and Canada, which gives you opportunities to connect with peers and build a professional network.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Location: Fully virtual. There is an end-of-program in-person symposium
Cost: No cost, students receive a $4,000 stipend
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Undergraduates entering their junior or senior year in the fall, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The INSIGHT Summer Research Program at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center is an eight-week paid internship for undergraduate students interested in injury and violence prevention. You work on an independent research project under the mentorship of the University of Washington health sciences faculty, joining students from across the country who study topics such as risk factors for injuries, prevention strategies, trauma care, and recovery outcomes. You also attend seminars and research workshops that support your professional development. The program ends with a symposium where you present your findings to the INSIGHT community.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; cohorts are small
Location: Remote options available
Cost: No costs, assistants are paid $21/hour
Dates: Varies by specific role, 10-12 weeks in the summer is expected
Application Deadline: Varies by role
Eligibility: Open to currently enrolled undergraduate students
The Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard offers Research Assistant positions that let you work on its projects. Academic year roles are open to Harvard students, and summer positions are open to any enrolled U.S. undergraduate or graduate student. You take part in both collaborative and independent research under the guidance of staff, fellows, and faculty, with responsibilities shaped by your skills and the needs of each project. Your work supports the Center’s mission of studying the relationship between technology, law, and society, and projects often focus on areas such as digital governance, online privacy, AI ethics, cybersecurity, and internet policy.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Ladder Internship logo