15 Internships for Sophomore College Students
- Stephen Turban
- Dec 15, 2025
- 10 min read
While in college, internships are a great way to prepare for the future in a competitive job market. Internships offer opportunities to build professional skills, gain industry exposure, make valuable connections, and simultaneously build your resume. As a college sophomore, you can benefit from internships within your field of interest, as they can help you prepare for graduate school as well as professional opportunities. Many internships offer exposure to career paths, and some even serve as a direct pipeline to permanent employment. These opportunities can also help you start building an early network of professionals.
To help you find the right fit, we have put together a list of 15 internships for sophomore college students.
If you are looking for paid online internships, check out our blog here.
15 Internships for Sophomore College Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial assistance available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple eight-week cohorts scheduled throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Undergraduates, gap-year students, and high school students who can work 10–20 hours/week for 8–12 weeks
Ladder Internships offer virtual work experiences, connecting students with startups across industries such as health tech, AI, media, biotechnology, and sustainability, among others. You will be paired with a startup mentor who will offer consistent feedback and career-focused guidance throughout the internship as you work on real projects and deliverables. You will also have access to the guidance of a Ladder Coach, who will act as a second mentor during the program. You will work on building skills in research, analysis, and communication, while preparing for and delivering a project presentation at the end of the internship.
Location: NASA facilities around the U.S.
Stipend: Paid; amount varies by location and education level
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Fall, spring, and summer internships; dates and lengths vary by opportunity
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Full-time or part-time college students (undergraduate to graduate) who are U.S. citizens and hold a minimum 3.0 GPA
NASA’s OSTEM Internship Program places students across NASA facilities to support mission-specific work in engineering, operations, science, computer science, communications, and program management. You will work with NASA mentors on active projects, which may focus on laboratory research, software development, mission planning, data modeling, financial analysis, or technology testing, depending on your placement. You will gain firsthand exposure to NASA’s daily operations and NASA tech. You may contribute to ongoing missions or support activities related to Earth science, space exploration, or aeronautics. Facility tours, virtual engagements, and opportunities to connect with NASA staff are part of the experience.
Location: Multiple Fidelity sites across the U.S., commonly in Boston, MA
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer, beginning in June
Application deadline: Applications are reviewed from mid-September through mid-October
Eligibility: Current undergraduate sophomores and juniors
The Summer Associate Program at Fidelity offers current college sophomores and juniors rotational internships in finance. You will work within different sub-departments in your chosen field of specialization, with opportunities spanning areas like finance, actuary, audit, and risk and compliance. You will work alongside current researchers and financial analysts. Your tasks will include running quantitative data analysis, conducting market research, creating visualizations and charts of financial data, and preparing presentations for department meetings. You will have access to professional development opportunities, including mentorship from both a former intern now working at Fidelity and an experienced employee, skills training sessions, networking events, and social activities.
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Stipend: $5,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; two to six students/year
Dates: Early June – Mid-August; dates TBA.
Application deadline: January 23
Eligibility: Undergraduate students
Harvard’s Laboratory for Social Cognitive Science hosts sophomores and other college students for summer internships in the fields of psychology, sociology, and philosophy. You will be paired with one or two mentors and collaborate with them on ongoing research projects in cognitive science, with focus areas including analyzing the psychology and philosophy of ethical decision-making or studying how moral frameworks are socially formed and influenced. You will also have access to career development opportunities, including networking events, presentation opportunities, and meetings with Harvard professors, fellows, and grad students. The experience can offer insights into lab operations and the complete research cycle.
5. Rice University’s Translating Research in the Psychological Sciences to the Real World Fellowship
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Stipend: $4,800 plus funded housing, travel, and meal stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; eight students/year
Dates: June 8 – July 31
Application deadline: January 6
Eligibility: Current undergraduate students in psychology or related fields planning to pursue graduate-level study
Part of NSF’s Research Experience for Undergraduates, this psychology-focused internship allows undergrads to spend eight weeks in the summer conducting research. Under the mentorship of a Rice researcher, you will design and complete a research project within psychology or a related field, with options spanning from using virtual reality to aid individuals with motor disabilities to using behavioral research to enhance voting security. You can check out examples of past projects here. Outside of research, you will attend networking sessions, connecting Rice faculty and grad students to gain insights into psychology as a career path. You will finish the internship by presenting your research to your cohort. You will receive funding to attend a psychology conference during your junior year.
Location: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York, NY
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application deadline: October 12; applications open in early September.
Eligibility: Current undergraduate sophomores and juniors; graduate students are also eligible.
The Summer Analyst Program at the New York Fed hosts college sophomores, juniors, and graduates for 10-week internships in specialized financial analysis. You will select a focus area, such as markets, research, audits, or infrastructure, and complete real-world work analyzing both state and nationwide financial data. While tasks can vary depending on your placement, potential assignments include researching monetary policy, analyzing market data, and studying inflation. You will have access to professional development opportunities, including weekly presentations from senior management, personal mentorship from a current Fed employee, networking events, and discussions on planning your career in finance.
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art or Met Cloisters, New York, NY
Stipend: $24/hour + $1,500 housing/travel stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 2 – August 7
Application deadline: January 14
Eligibility: Current undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Summer Internships at the Met are designed for undergraduates interested in art or intersections of art with fields from STEM to architecture. You can choose to intern in one of the museum's various departments, which include curation, exhibition design, scientific research, and institutional advancement, among other options. You will start the program by undergoing training in general skills like public speaking, arts education, and museum programming; then, you will use what you learn to design museum tours and other events. Within your assigned department, you will work closely with current Met employees to support specialized projects. While assignments will vary substantially based on your focus area, your work might include event planning, developing concepts for new exhibits, or researching art pieces for publications and gallery installations.
Location: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Stipend: $6,000 + financial support for housing, travel, and food
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~10 interns/year
Dates: 10 weeks during the summer
Application deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Undergraduate students; minority students and students studying at community colleges and undergraduate-only institutions are especially encouraged to apply.
The American Museum of Natural History is another REU site, offering undergraduate students research experiences in the fields of biology, physics, and earth sciences. You will work under two or three researchers to pursue a project in evolutionary biology or physical sciences while working with the museum’s collections, resources, and technical equipment. For biology-focused projects, your work might focus on studying the evolution of a species over time by comparing museum specimens with modern-day samples. Physics research often focuses on astronomy, with past projects including analyzing weather conditions on Brown Dwarf planets and simulating the formation of stars or planets. As a participant, you will gain experience in techniques like DNA extraction, statistical analysis, and running MRI scans, and exposure to advanced research methodologies, research ethics, and career planning opportunities.
Location: Brennan Center for Justice in New York, NY, or Washington, D.C.
Stipend: Typically, $17.95/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June – August (10 weeks); spring and fall semester-long internships are also available.
Application deadline: January 2
Eligibility: Undergraduate students
The Brennan Center for Justice hosts college students interested in politics, policy, and law for internships focused on voting rights, campaign financing, and criminal justice. You will work within units Liberty and National Security (LNS), Development, Graphic Design/Creative, Cybersecurity, or Communications. Tasks vary by placement; for instance, Communications and internships might include translating Brennan Center informational materials into Spanish, writing press releases, and content creation for the Center’s social media platforms. Development internships focus on supporting fundraising, donor engagement, and event planning. In LNS placements, you will research topics like law enforcement, constitutional law, and surveillance, as well as draft advocacy briefs and correspondence to federal agencies. The opportunities here offer targeted professional experience within the broader policy realm.
Location: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, or other NIH campuses in the U.S.
Stipend: Starting at $3,010 (for undergraduates); amount varies by educational level (check details here)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Typically June – August (eight weeks)
Application deadline: February 18; applications open on December 8.
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, ages 17 and up, who are enrolled in school at least half-time, and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The NIH Summer Internship Program places students within groups working on biomedical, behavioral, and social science research. You will work under a Principal Investigator, supporting active laboratory, computational, or clinical research projects. You will gain experience in data analysis, literature review, and experimental design while working within your research group. The program combines mentorship with professional development workshops focused on research careers, scientific communication, and graduate school preparation. You will also attend events such as the NIH Graduate and Professional School Fair and present your research on Summer Poster Day.
Location: Gibbs Lab at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR
Stipend: Unpaid; interns may get invited for paid internships next summer.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 6–8 students/year
Dates: Flexible start and end dates with a minimum 10-week commitment
Application deadline: March 15
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students
The Fluorescence Molecular Imaging Internship at OHSU is designed for students interested in exploring biomedical engineering within professional labs. You will spend 10 weeks or more at the Gibbs Lab at OHSU, gaining experience in developing novel contrast agents to improve imaging technologies. In the process, you will gain insight into the lab’s work, which focuses on enhancing macroscopic and microscopic cancer imaging applications. Additionally, you will explore techniques like spectroscopy, immunostaining, organic synthesis, microscopy, cell culture, and bioconjugation. You will also gain practical exposure to image analysis, fluorescence imaging, and analytical characterization.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Stipend: $3,000 – $3,500/month + on-campus housing provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 1 – July 31
Application deadline: December 31
Eligibility: Current undergraduate sophomores and juniors (rising juniors and seniors); graduating seniors and first-year master’s students can also apply.
The Summer Research Internship at Columbia Business School prepares college students for graduate-level study through a two-month research-focused internship. You will be placed within one of six research divisions: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Decision, or Risk and Operations. Within the assigned area, you will work one-on-one with a faculty advisor on one or more active research projects. Potential topic areas include studying variations in investment performance by time horizons and analyzing case studies in global macroeconomic investing. You will gain experience in statistical analyses, literature reviews, data visualization, and study design. You will also prepare for future careers and graduate-level study through weekly educational seminars with CBS faculty, attending networking events, and presenting your work at the end of the internship.
Location: McKinsey & Company’s North America offices
Stipend: Paid
Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application deadline: Application window typically opens in late summer/early fall; details TBA
Eligibility: Students who are completing or have recently completed their first year of undergraduate study
The Sophomore Summer Business Analyst Program places students within consulting project teams to work on addressing real client challenges across industries and functional areas. As an intern, you will assist with tasks like interviewing stakeholders, building financial and operational models, collecting and analyzing data, and coming up with recommendations. The internship begins with a week of training, during which you will build consulting skills; this is followed by internship responsibilities within the assigned office. You will work on real projects and present your findings to teams and connect with McKinsey management. The program also includes networking sessions and events with McKinsey’s affinity networks.
Location: New York, NY
Stipend: Up to $665/week
Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Vary based on placement; internships last a maximum of 13 weeks.
Application deadline: Positions are posted in February; application deadlines vary by agency
Eligibility: Current undergraduate and graduate students
NYC’s Summer Internship Program offers college students opportunities to directly contribute to governmental operations. You will work in one of multiple municipal departments and service areas, with options including the Department of Finance, the New York City Council, and the Administration for Children’s Services. Your tasks might include supporting budget analysis for the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, serving as a front-end developer for the Office of Technology and Innovation, or providing project and event management support for the Department of Transportation. You will support city-wide projects and access networking and professional development opportunities.
Location: American Red Cross offices in the U.S.
Stipend: Paid and unpaid opportunities available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Internships are offered year-round and are aligned with academic calendars; availability varies by department and need.
Application deadline: Not specified; you can apply as and when opportunities are posted on the website.
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs
American Red Cross periodically hires college undergrads and graduate students as interns, allowing them to contribute to its mission-specific tasks, humanitarian work, or organizational functions. As an intern, you will spend 10 weeks or more assisting the assigned Red Cross unit staff with their day-to-day tasks. You can find paid and unpaid roles and remote or on-site formats, depending on the position and department offering the internship. The work is structured to provide you with practical exposure to the operations of a large non-profit and to various volunteer/staff responsibilities.
One other option—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, check out students’ reviews of the program here and 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 PhD 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.
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