Which is better for getting Philadelphia internships: Arizona State or Drexel?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that Drexel puts you in Philadelphia and builds paid work experience into its co-op culture, while Arizona State offers a large university network but requires you to create a Philadelphia connection from across the country. For internships that take place during the academic year, Drexel students can interview, commute, and maintain relationships with local employers far more easily.

Drexel’s location also makes short-term, part-time, and semester-long roles realistic, including opportunities that may arise through professors, student organizations, alumni, and in-person networking.

At Arizona State, you could still land a Philadelphia internship, especially for a summer position, a remote role, or an opportunity secured through your own outreach. ASU’s career services, alumni base, and national employer connections can be useful, but its most accessible recruiting and networking ecosystem is centered in the Phoenix area rather than Philadelphia. Traveling to Philadelphia for interviews or trying to fit a local internship around an Arizona-based academic schedule adds friction.

For a student who sees Philadelphia internships as a major priority, Drexel is the stronger choice because proximity and local employer access reinforce one another throughout college. Arizona State makes more sense only if other factors outweigh that goal and you are comfortable treating Philadelphia internships primarily as summer or independently sourced opportunities.