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Operations internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an operations internship. Operations interns usually study business, kinesiology, or finance. 79% of operations interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 21,730 real operations internship resumes to see exactly what operations internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for operations interns are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

There are also many online operations internship courses to help get the education required to be an operations internship.

There are certain operations internship certifications that you should consider. These operations internship certifications include Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

What education do you need to become an operations internship?

What degree do you need to be an operations internship?

The most common degree for operations interns is bachelor's degree, with 79% of operations interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 8% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 79%
  • Master's, 8%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an operations internship?

You should major in business to become an operations internship. 23% of operations interns major in business. Other common majors for an operations internship include kinesiology and finance.

Most common colleges for operations interns

Operations interns often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, New York University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for operations interns in the US based on their resumes.
Operations internship common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania State University6.65%
New York University6.59%
University of Florida6.46%
Temple University6.34%
Ohio State University5.83%

Best majors for operations interns

RankMajorPercentages
1Business23.2%
2Kinesiology18.9%
3Finance6.9%
4Communication6.3%
5Marketing5.8%

Best colleges for operations interns

The best colleges for operations interns are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Georgetown University.

An operations 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 operations 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 operations interns.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

10. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

20 best online courses for operations interns

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Top 10 most affordable universities for operations interns

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

If the best universities for operations 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 operations 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for operations interns

The hardest universities for operations interns to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Georgetown University.

Some great schools for operations 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 operations 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. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

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

The easiest schools for operations interns to get into are Barry University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an operations 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 operations 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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average operations internship salary by education level

Operations interns with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $38,655 annually. With a Master's degree, operations interns earn a median annual income of $38,087 compared to $35,071 for operations interns with an Bachelor's degree.
Operations internship education levelOperations internship salary
Master's Degree$38,087
Bachelor's Degree$35,071
Doctorate Degree$38,655
Some College/ Associate Degree$31,103

Operations internship education FAQs

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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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