Tulane vs. Penn State: Which School Offers Better Access to Internships?

Penn State tends to provide the broader national internship network, especially for students targeting large employers in engineering, technology, business, finance, government, or research. Its exceptionally large alumni community and major University Park career fairs give students access to recruiters from across the country, even though the main campus is in a college-town setting. A student who values scale, employer recruiting, and mobility beyond one city may find Penn State’s infrastructure more useful. The tradeoff is that many internships, particularly in major metro areas, may require a summer move or more proactive networking because University Park is not embedded in a large city.

Tulane suits students interested in New Orleans-based opportunities and relationship-driven networking. The city offers accessible semester internships in health care, public health, nonprofits, education, hospitality, law, entrepreneurship, local government, and industries tied to the Gulf Coast. Tulane’s smaller undergraduate environment can make it easier to get to know professors, alumni, and local organizations, while its career services and school-specific resources help connect students with employers.

For a student pursuing a nationally recruited field or wanting the largest possible alumni reach, Penn State has the edge. For someone energized by New Orleans and interested in hands-on, community-connected work during the school year, Tulane’s location can create more immediate internship access.