Clemson University Ranks High Among Universities In Student Internships

Clemson University ranked fourth in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top 10 schools with the highest percentage of students who hold internships or co-op positions. The list ranks schools where the majority of students held internships during their undergraduate studies.

Based on data from the 2010-2011 academic year, some 67 percent of Clemson’s graduating seniors held an internship or co-op position before graduation.

“Our entire university is committed to making education matter," said Neil Burton, executive director of career services at Clemson. "Faculty, staff and administrators are all pulling in the same direction to make sure that what our students are learning has relevance to their personal and professional success.

"Our faculty truly see the value of internships, and many of them have been instrumental in helping students find internship and co-op opportunities,” he said.

In 2011, 34 percent of students graduating from Clemson had job offers in hand compared to an 18 percent national average, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Burton says the link between Clemson’s high internship numbers and job placement rates is obvious.

“If you look at our 2010-2011 numbers, 39 percent of students who held an internship or co-op went on to take a full-time job with that same employer after graduation,” Burton said. “It’s like a multi-month job interview.”

Burton predicts the percentage of student internships will increase this year thanks to a new program that places interns in departments on campus. Started this past summer, the University Professional Internship/Co-op Program provides students with the opportunity to work in departments across campus in part-time or full-time paid internship or co-op positions. The program currently has 74 interns and co-ops, with plans to expand the program to 130 positions next year.

“It’s all about the concept of engaged learning, which is a priority at Clemson,” Burton said. “We want to make sure that education is pertinent to students, not just an academic exercise that stays in the classroom.”

The internship list is part of the U.S. News Short List, which highlights individual data points about colleges and universities. Other schools on the list include Clarkson University, Darthmouth College and Syracuse University.