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Business internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business internship. Business interns usually study business, finance, or accounting. 74% of business interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 10,435 real business internship resumes to see exactly what business internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for business interns are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online business internship courses to help get the education required to be a business internship.

There are certain business internship certifications that you should consider. These business internship certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

What education do you need to become a business internship?

What degree do you need to be a business internship?

The most common degree for business interns is bachelor's degree, with 74% of business interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a business internship?

You should major in business to become a business internship. 33% of business interns major in business. Other common majors for a business internship include finance and accounting.

Most common colleges for business interns

Business interns often get their degrees at New York University, Pennsylvania State University, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for business interns in the US based on their resumes.
Business internship common collegePercentages
New York University7.60%
Pennsylvania State University6.60%
University of California - Davis6.60%
Ohio State University6.46%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.03%

Best majors for business interns

RankMajorPercentages
1Business32.9%
2Finance11.0%
3Accounting8.7%
4Economics6.6%
5Marketing6.5%

Best colleges for business interns

The best colleges for business interns are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.

A business internship with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for business interns. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become business interns.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

20 best online courses for business interns

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business interns

The most affordable schools for business interns are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for business interns are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for business interns.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business interns

The hardest universities for business interns to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and New York University.

Some great schools for business interns are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for business interns based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business interns

The easiest schools for business interns to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business internship without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for business interns.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average business internship salary by education level

Business interns with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $40,418 annually. With a Master's degree, business interns earn a median annual income of $39,871 compared to $36,951 for business interns with an Bachelor's degree.
Business internship education levelBusiness internship salary
Master's Degree$39,871
Bachelor's Degree$36,951
Doctorate Degree$40,418
Some College/ Associate Degree$33,078

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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