Drexel or Penn State for co-op jobs: which is better for getting internships and work experience?

For co-op specifically, Drexel has the clearer edge. Co-op is built into Drexel’s identity, and many students graduate with multiple substantial work experiences already on their resume. If your top priority is structured, recurring job experience before graduation, Drexel is usually the school students choose for that reason.

Drexel fits students who want a hands-on, career-first college experience and are comfortable with a faster quarter system. Its co-op model is not just an optional extra at the margins; it is a central part of how many majors are organized. That often makes it easier to leave college with concrete experience, employer references, and a clearer sense of what kind of work you actually want.

Penn State makes more sense for students who want a more traditional four-year residential experience and are willing to be more self-directed about internships. Penn State has a huge alumni network, strong recruiting in several fields, and plenty of students do land solid internships and jobs. But those opportunities are typically driven more by career fairs, networking, departmental connections, and summer internships than by a university-wide co-op structure.

From a student perspective, the difference is often this: at Drexel, work experience is more systematically built into the path. At Penn State, you can absolutely build a strong resume, but you usually have to piece it together more independently. If you want the school itself to do more of the organizing around work experience, Drexel stands out more clearly.