WashU vs. Emory: Which school offers better access to undergraduate internships?

The biggest practical difference is that Emory places students in the Atlanta metro area, while WashU is in the smaller St. Louis market. Atlanta offers a wider concentration of major employers and organizations within reach during the academic year, especially in health care, public health, business, media, nonprofits, and government-adjacent work. WashU has excellent opportunities, but its local market is more compact and can require a more targeted search.

Emory students can pursue internships with Atlanta-based institutions such as Emory Healthcare, the CDC, major corporate headquarters including Delta and Coca-Cola, startups, consulting and finance offices, and a large nonprofit sector. Its location can make part-time, semester-long internships more realistic without needing to leave campus. The Emory Career Center supports students through advising, employer events, recruiting, internship listings, and alumni connections, with a particularly useful regional network in the Southeast.

WashU students benefit from strong links to St. Louis employers and institutions, including BJC HealthCare, Washington University School of Medicine, Cortex Innovation Community organizations, Boeing, Edward Jones, Enterprise Mobility, and local civic and nonprofit groups. For research, medicine, biotech, and certain business or engineering paths, WashU’s on-campus and nearby ecosystem can be unusually accessible. The Center for Career Engagement provides career advising, recruiting events, and support for finding internships, while WashU alumni connections extend well beyond the Midwest.

For sheer breadth of local undergraduate internship options during the school year, Emory has the slight advantage because Atlanta is a larger and more diverse employment hub. WashU remains highly competitive for students drawn to research, health care, biotech, and St. Louis-based corporate opportunities, and either school can support strong summer internships nationally.