Vault's Top 25 Internship Programs for 2014

Earlier this year, Vault surveyed more than 7,700 interns at more than 100 different internship programs. Respondents were asked to rate their internship experiences in five areas: quality of life, compensation and benefits, interview process, career development, and full-time employment prospects. These ratings were averaged in order to determine an overall score for each program and to develop a Top 25 ranking. And this year, the new No. 1 internship program belongs to ... BP.

Current and former BP interns rave about the BP America Intern and Co-op Program. One former BP intern told us that the program “provides great opportunity for growth” and that “BP cares about its interns and their work/life balance.” Qualities of the intern program cited by other respondents include “a large network,” “good pay,” “good benefits,” “an impressive company culture,” and “fun, exciting, engaging, and challenging work.”

Below is the complete Top 10 Overall Internship Programs:

1. BP America Intern and Co-op Program

2. Bain & Company Summer Associate (SA) and Associate Consultant Internship (ACI)

3. Bates White Economic Consulting Summer Consultant Program

4. Elliott Davis Internship Experience

5. Evercore Partners Investment Banking Summer Analyst and Associate Program

6. Northwestern Mutual

7. Plante Moran's Internships

8. Houlihan Lokey

9. Boston Consulting Group Summer Internship Program

10. Capital Fellows Programs

In addition to ranking the Top Overall Internships, Vault ranked the top 10 internships in six additional categories: Banking & Finance, Consulting, Engineering and IT, Best Internships for MBA Candidates, and the Best Programs for Marketing & Communications Majors. Below are the top-ranked firms in these categories (along with a quote by a current or former intern).

Best Banking & Finance Internship: Evercore Partners Investment Banking Summer Analyst and Associate Program (“I was staffed on live deals as well as pitches. Working on these projects increased my technical knowledge of finance, improved my Excel and financial modeling skills, and provided me with a valuable skill set I can use across multiple firms or industries.”)

Best Consulting Internship: Bain & Company Summer Associate and Associate Consultant Internship (“Consulting is demanding wherever you do it. Bain makes considerable effort to make the lifestyle sustainable, to develop their staff, and to let you know how your efforts fit in the broader picture.”)

Best Internship for MBA Candidates: Bain & Company Summer Associate and Associate Consultant Internship (“A Bain internship or career out of business school is a fantastic opportunity. Bain teams tend to be young, as they hire more undergrads, so this makes for a fun environment. The work is important and valuable to the client. The variety from case to case is huge, so know that while your experience will be representative, it will not be average or typical.”)

Best Internship for Marketing & Communications Majors: Boston Consulting Group Summer Internship Program (“The internship was well thought out and organized with structured networking and social events. A lot of thought goes into staffing each and every intern on a project that fits their preferences and provides a learning opportunity.”)

Best Engineering Internship: Westar Energy Internship Program (“The best aspect of the internship was getting to have hands-on work doing electrical and mechanical work, which put to use some of the things I have been learning in school for four years now. The crew I was matched with was great and very safety-oriented, while still allowing me to get hands-on experience.”)

Best IT Internship: Capital One Internship Program (“The best part of the internship was to have ownership of a project that was meaningful to the business unit. I met with senior-level managers during the data collection and analysis phases, and my recommendations were taken seriously.”)