15 Internships for College Students in Portland, OR
- Stephen Turban
- 3 hours ago
- 11 min read
If you’re in college and trying to figure out what kind of job might suit you, an internship is a good way to test your interests. You will learn how a workplace operates, contribute to projects, and learn how different roles connect. You’ll develop industry-relevant skills and figure out what you enjoy doing in your field. Plus, it’s a great way to build connections that could lead to job offers after graduation.
What internships are available for college students in Portland?
Portland has engineering teams, community groups, research labs, and creative studios that work with college students looking for professional experience. Choosing a local internship in Portland keeps things affordable. The projects you complete will add to your resume, strengthening your future applications to jobs and graduate schools.
With that in mind, here are 15 internships for college students in Portland, OR!
If you're looking for more prestigious internships, check out this set of blogs!
15 Internships for College Students in Portland, OR
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by the program. Financial aid is available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies based on the cohort; multiple deadlines throughout the year; you can apply to the program here
Eligibility: Open to undergraduate and gap year students able to commit 5–10 hours for 8 weeks
The Ladder University Internship is an eight-week program that places you with startups and established companies across sectors like technology, healthcare, sustainability, and finance. You’ll work on real-world projects, such as market analysis, business strategy, data science, or machine learning, while receiving guidance from both company mentors and Ladder Coaches. This dual-mentorship setup helps you understand how startups operate and gives you structured support as you build technical and professional skills. Throughout the program, you gain exposure to fast-growing industries, collaborate with founders and managers, and develop a clearer sense of potential career paths. You’ll also produce tangible project outcomes and present your work at the end of the internship.
Location: Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Richland, WA; or Remote
Stipend: $16.25-$26/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: Variable; may range from 10 weeks to 1+ years
Application Deadline: Varies by internship
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students; individual internships typically have additional requirements (GPA, major, prior experience)
One of the US Department of Energy’s national laboratories, PNNL, offers internships for college students in fields across science, national security, engineering, business, and more. In the Safeguards Internship Program, you’ll support US National Security initiatives focused on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear safeguarding in field work or laboratory settings. PNNL also offers a broader Project Internship program, providing STEM research experiences in areas across physical, biological, earth, and energy sciences. If you’re interested in both governmental operations and business, the Business Internship Program offers hands-on experience supporting financial operations, contract management, and accounting. Many former interns return to full-time positions at PNNL or join US government organizations like the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Location: Portland State University, Portland, OR
Stipend: $7,000 plus fully-funded housing and paid travel to conferences
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 10 students
Dates: June 23 - August 29
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current undergraduate students; graduating seniors are eligible if they are entering graduate school in the fall | Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents
The PSU Center for Climate and Aerosol Research hosts a select group of college students each summer for a 10-week research internship in Portland. You’ll work under an interdisciplinary group of researchers, beginning the program with training in climate and atmospheric sciences before working on an independent research project. Your work might focus on areas such as running quality assurance tests on atmospheric models, analyzing heavy metal contamination in soil and plants, or measuring stratigraphy in glacial ice. You’ll finish the internship by presenting your work at a program symposium, and you will be funded to attend an additional climate and atmospheric science conference in the following year.
Location: Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
Stipend: $4,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; ~25 students
Dates: June 22 to August 14
Application Deadline: January 22
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors planning to pursue a career in biomedical and data sciences | Students should have completed introductory college-level science courses, ideally including biochemistry and/or computer science | Must be US citizens, permanent residents, or visa-holders
The B-BRITE internship program provides 8 weeks of research and professional development to college students at Portland’s Knight Cancer Institute. You’ll be matched with a mentor from one of the Knight Cancer Center’s over 120 specialized units based on your interests to work on a project in biological and quantitative cancer research. Potential focus areas include Experimental Therapeutics, Translational Oncology, Imaging Research, Cellular Signaling, and more. Outside of research, you’ll also attend training in experimentation and data analysis, professional development seminars, educational workshops on research methods, and networking events. You’ll conclude the program by designing and presenting a research paper to the internship cohort.
Location: Multiple U.S. and international locations, including Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: Highly competitive pay
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive
Dates: 10 weeks over the summer
Application Deadline: Recruiting begins in the prior summer and closes in mid-October
Eligibility: Rising undergraduate seniors | GPA requirement, preferred majors, and other requirements can vary by internship
The Bank of America’s summer internship program offers placements across over a dozen departments, including investment banking, global markets, risk management, and quantitative data analytics. While tasks will vary based on your placement, you’ll work directly with B of A employees on projects like reviewing compliance risk regulations, supporting debt and equity advising, contributing to investment strategies, developing predictive models, and more. Most work will emphasize quantitative financial data analysis, though the wide variety of placement areas provides the opportunity to develop an area of specialization to prepare you for a future professional role.
Location: OHSU School of Medicine, Portland, OR
Stipend: $5,742
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 10 students
Dates: 9 weeks from June 16
Application Deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Current undergraduate sophomores and juniors with an interest in pursuing graduate-level study and a career in biomedical research | Students must be US citizens, permanent residents, or valid visa holders
CPB - SURP is a research and training program where college students spend nine weeks in Portland studying advanced topics in biomedicine. You’ll be matched with a faculty researcher to support their ongoing research. Potential focus areas include studying cellular reactions to bacterial infections, neuron-heart interactions in cardiac disease, and the impact of drug use on cellular signaling receptors. In addition to research, you’ll have access to professional development opportunities, including sessions on preparing for graduate school, discerning your career path in biomedicine, networking and social events, and journal talks. You’ll finish the internship with a poster presentation on your research at a program-wide symposium.
Location: Portland, OR (Hybrid)
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid; students may earn academic credit for participation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: N/A
Dates: Internships are offered FT during the summer or PT throughout two academic terms
Application Deadline: November 16
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students
The Oregon DOJ offers a Bias Response Internship Program for college students in Portland looking to support civil rights and victim advocacy across the state. You’ll begin the program with a 40-hour training on Bias Response Advocacy focused on oppression and ethical skills, including trauma-informed responses, safety planning, hate/bias crimes, and criminal justice. You’ll then get started on direct project assistance, including direct advocacy, ongoing victim support, social media management, outreach, and bias prevention. Your tasks might include speaking on behalf of the Civil Rights Unit at community events, staffing the Bias Response Hotline, supporting special projects for the Attorney General, and developing training modules for law enforcement.
Location: Multiple research sites in Portland, OR, and across the state
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: N/A
Dates: 6 months with flexibility based on interns’ schedules
Application Deadline: January 12 (Spring), April 5 (Summer), or June 28 (Fall)
Eligibility: Current undergraduate and graduate students studying science, public health, psychology, or a related field | Background check required | See site for additional details on preferred academic/research experience
Oregon Health & Science University’s CORE program brings college students into ongoing public-health work across Oregon, especially projects tied to cancer and health disparities. You will join a research team to analyze public-health data, review interventions, and study how certain programs affect local communities. A portion of the work is outward-facing: drafting clear materials for community partners, preparing short presentations, and talking with residents about the issues being studied. Throughout the internship, you move between research tasks and community engagement, seeing how both sides inform each other.
Location: Multiple Oregon locations, including Portland
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: N/A
Dates: Varies; short-term programs (<8 weeks), semester-long, summer, and 6-month internships are offered
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Varies; many opportunities are open to undergraduates
Oregon State Government hosts a variety of internships for college students, with structures ranging from short-term project assistance to six-month commitments. You’ll apply directly to an individual internship posting within a governmental agency; potential placement areas include Health & Human Services, Transportation & Infrastructure, Finance & Consumer Services, Energy & Environmental Protection, and more. As these opportunities are not a single structured program, experiences can differ substantially. However, you’ll be tasked with supporting real-world public service projects supporting the state of Oregon, which might include conducting environmental research, designing community outreach materials, or contributing to technology projects.
Location: Remote
Stipend: $7,000 stipend plus $2,600 meals/housing allowance
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 8-10 students
Dates: June 8 – August 14
Application Deadline: March 29
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors (incoming freshmen considered) studying STEM or related disciplines | Interns must be US citizens or permanent residents
Portland State University and Portland Institute for Computational Science partner over the summer to offer college students an internship focused on applying interdisciplinary computer science to problems. You’ll start the internship with two weeks of training in computational research, then be matched with a mentor from PICS and/or PSU to complete a research project over the following two months. Your work will center on developing solutions to community issues in Portland and beyond; past projects have included using socio-ecological-technological systems to mitigate the effects of climate change in Portland, applying finite element modeling to track volcanic activity in the Pacific Northwest, and leveraging civil and environmental engineering to optimize Portland’s transportation infrastructure. You’ll conclude the internship by delivering a presentation on your work at a research symposium.
Location: Knight Cancer Institute and OHSU Department of Biomedical Engineering, Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: Stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 2-3 students accepted
Dates: 8 weeks beginning in June
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Current high school and undergraduate students
The Galbraith Lab at OHSU hosts 2-3 interns each summer for a two-month internship providing a tailored research experience in quantitative biology and physics. Based on your experience and interest, you’ll structure a research project under the guidance of a lab mentor; potential focus areas include super-resolution microscopy, cell imaging, photophysics, and applying machine learning to track cell movement. You’ll meet with PIs multiple times a week to receive feedback and guidance on your work, learn skills in conducting literature reviews and quantitative analysis, and deliver a brief weekly presentation to the lab on your research progress. At the end of the internship, you’ll present your work at the annual Pacific Northwest Quantitative Biology Consortium meeting, and you may be listed as a co-author on a national abstract presentation. You can read more about the Galbraith Lab’s work here.
Location: Port of Portland, Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: N/A
Dates: One year (PT during the school year and FT over the summer)
Application Deadline: Applications typically open in the spring, though additional postings may be added throughout the year
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school, college, and graduate students with a minimum GPA of 2.5
The Port of Portland, which governs Portland International Airport and marine activities in the Portland metropolitan area, offers internships for college students in a variety of disciplines. You’ll apply to your preferred field - options include finance, information technology, legal, engineering, and public affairs, where you’ll work under a corporate mentor to support real-world functions for major infrastructure operations. Your mentor will provide ongoing feedback on your work as you advance through the year-long program, preparing you for increasingly challenging assignments.
Location: Multiple Cascadia Health locations in Portland, OR
Stipend: $19.32-$21.26/hour (if approved by intern’s college)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: N/A
Dates: Varies
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Current undergraduate and graduate students with an internship partnership with Cascadia (check site for full list) | Interns must earn academic credit/satisfy a degree requirement through the internship | Background check required
Cascadia Health is a Portland-based community health care system offering internships to college students interested in pursuing a career in medicine, therapy, or nonprofit management. You’ll receive training in Cascadia’s practice areas across behavioral health and addiction, primary care, crisis intervention, and other wellness services, and complete an internship exposing you to multiple Cascadia departments. Tailored to your interests, your internship may entail a specific job role, a rotational structure, or specialized project-based work. You’ll work under a personal supervisor, who will provide ongoing mentorship and training.
Location: Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
Stipend: $4,500 plus fully-funded housing and meals stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; approximately 15-20 interns
Dates: June 22 - August 14
Application Deadline: January 23
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have completed at least one college-level course in the core sciences (may require a lab component), and at least one course in math/statistics
The OHSU Equity Research Program provides college students from underrepresented groups in academia with an eight-week intensive research program. You’ll apply to a specific research track, with options including Biomedical Studies, Public Health, Dental, or Medicine, where you’ll be mentored by faculty and professional scientists to complete a research project. Your experience will be personalized based on your interests, so experiences will vary substantially between interns; however, your work may include analyzing patient health outcomes data, working with cell and DNA samples in medical laboratories, evaluating pharmaceutical efficacy, or utilizing statistical and computational methods for healthcare research.
Location: Multiple company placement options in Portland, OR
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Interns complete two 6-month internships over the course of their junior and senior years
Application Deadline: April 5 (Spring Selection) or October 5 (Fall Selection)
Eligibility: Current sophomores at Oregon State University, Oregon Tech, Portland State University, or University of Portland | Eligible majors/disciplines supported vary and may differ between universities; check the site for complete details
MECOP runs a long-term internship program that pairs Oregon college students with companies for two separate six-month placements during their final two years of college. You apply within your academic track in fields such as manufacturing, electronics and software, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or business. After the interview stage, the program matches you with an industry partner and assigns you a mentor who supports you throughout the internship. You spend the first six months of placement at one company, working on projects tied to your major and getting used to professional expectations. The second placement takes you to a different company, so you build experience in more than one workplace and see how your field operates across industries.
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 in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Bank of America logo