50 Most Prestigious Internships for 2022
Published: Nov 09, 2021
Today, we’re excited to release our 50 Most Prestigious Internships for 2022. This ranking is based on our recent survey of more than 11,400 interns from 140 internship programs. In addition to asking respondents to rate and review their own internship experiences for our 100 Best Internships ranking, we asked interns to rate the prestige of other employers to determine which internships are the most desirable. Survey respondents were presented with a list of top companies and asked to rate each company on how prestigious its internship is on a scale of 1 to 10—with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Interns were asked to rate only the companies whose reputations they were familiar with. Firsthand averaged the ratings for each employer and then ranked the companies in order, starting with the highest score as No. 1 down to No. 50.
The Top 50 Most Prestigious Internship Programs for 2022 Are:
1. NASA
2. Google
3. Apple
4. Microsoft
6. Tesla
7. SpaceX
8. J.P. Morgan
10. Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal
12. Amazon
13. McKinsey & Co.
14. Deloitte
15. Facebook
16. NBA
17. NFL
18. Ernst & Young
19. Walt Disney
20. Nike
21. IBM
22. PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) LLP
23. Bain & Co.
24. Bloomberg, L.P.
25. BlackRock
28. KPMG LLP
29. MLB
30. ESPN, Inc.
32. Mercedes-Benz
33. Bank of America
34. Pfizer
35. Spotify
36 (tie). Adobe Systems Incorporated
36 (tie). Deutsche Bank
38. American Express
40. BMW Group
41. HBO
42. The Procter & Gamble Company
43. Sony Corporation of America
44. Oracle
45. Coca-Cola
46. Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
47. LinkedIn
48. Dell Inc.
49. Citigroup
50. AT&T
The Top 5
NASA takes a giant leap in the rankings this year, surpassing Google to rank No. 1 and become the Most Prestigious Internship for 2022. It’s the first time in our seven years of surveying interns that Google didn’t top our prestige ranking. This year, survey respondents tell us that NASA, which ranked No. 2 last year and No. 3 the year before, is “on the cutting-edge for all STEM majors,” “forward-thinking,” “groundbreaking,” “revolutionary,” and filled with “brainiacs” and “driven, creative people.” Respondents add that NASA “looks incredibly impressive on a resume,” has a “cool culture,” and offers “high pay.” It’s the “premier internship program,” “peak STEM,” and a “dream job.” NASA is also the “leader in space tech” and “top aerospace firm,” and offers “engaging” internships where you get to work on “big projects and presentations.” However, getting an internship with NASA is “extremely competitive.” You “need to be talented,” a “top student,” and have “extreme skills.”
Although Google slips one place to rank No. 2 this year, many survey respondents still see Google as “the place to be” and “best place to learn,” and numerous call it the “top tech firm,” saying it looks both “impressive and cool on a resume.” Google offers “high pay,” a “great culture,” “great management,” “interesting products,” “excellent benefits,” and “cool workspaces.” It’s a “tech’s dream.” The recruiting process, though, is “competitive” and “tough”— this “pioneer in tech” “only hires the best students.”
Meanwhile, Apple holds onto its No. 3 ranking this year, as survey respondents tell us that Apple is still an “amazing company,” “the biggest name in the tech sector,” “always growing,” “extremely prestigious,” “the future of tech,” “a global innovator,” “evolving,” and “cool.” Apple offers interns “high pay,” “great design and marketing roles,” and the opportunity to learn alongside “smart people” in a “culture of innovation and excellence.” Survey respondents add that working at Apple can be “very intense,” but the vast majority call it “the top tech firm” and agree that an internship with the firm is a “big resume booster.”
Microsoft also holds onto its ranking this year, again coming at No. 4. According to survey respondents, this “elite,” “massive,” strong,” “cool,” “pioneering” tech company offers “great pay,” “great benefits,” “a fun environment,” “great products,” and the ability to learn from “smart people” on “engaging” projects. Some respondents say that since a Microsoft internship is so “highly sought after,” the “interview process is hard.” It’s nearly unanimous, though, that Microsoft is a “top tech firm” and its name “would look amazing on your resume.”
Impressively, Goldman Sachs jumps over two Elon Musk-led firms (Tesla and SpaceX) to rank No. 5 this year. Survey respondents call Goldman “the gold standard in banking,” “glamour finance,” “great for finance,” “great for your resume,” and “the top bank,” with “top talent.” However, working for the firm can be “challenging” and “stressful”—“the hours can be crazy.” Still, there’s almost no doubt among our respondents that Goldman is “very prestigious,” the “premier name in finance,” and “exit opportunities are huge.”
Other programs that made notable leaps
Another company that made a significant jump in this year’s rankings is Morgan Stanley, which rose two places to crack the top 10 at No. 9. Survey respondents tell us that this “great financial institution” “cares about its interns,” is the “least pretentious of the top banks,” and would look impressive on a resume.” Meanwhile, in its first year in the rankings, Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal ranked No. 10, with respondents saying it’s a “great organization,” “highly regarded,” “a well-known name in econ,” and “journalism prestige”—it “would look awesome on a resume.”
At No. 11 this year is Berkshire Hathaway, the Warren Buffett-led financial services giant, which rose seven places in the rankings this year. Interns call the investing icon’s firm “amazing,” prestigious,” and “great for finance.” And in another impressive rise, McKinsey & Co. jumped 14 places to rank No. 13 this year, up from No. 27 last year. Respondents call McKinsey “the best consulting firm in the world,” “super smart,” and “research-oriented,” with “pretty good work/life balance for consulting” and “amazing exit opportunities.”
Best Internships by Industry, Employment Factor, Role, and More
Tomorrow, we’ll be revealing our complete Internship Rankings. Already, we’ve released our 2022 Internship Rankings for Accounting, Consulting, and Investment Banking, as well as our 100 Best Internships, 30 Best Internships for Diversity, 30 Best Internships for Training & Mentoring, Best Internships for Data Analytics, and Best Internships for Sales & Marketing. So, check back tomorrow for the rest of our 2022 Internship Rankings by Industry, Employment Factor, and Role!