New Report: Internships and Beyond: Strengthening Career Value Across Diverse Models of Work-Based Learning

Posted by Strada Education Foundation on July 29, 2025

Colleges and universities recognize that students are looking to them as a launching pad for their future. Eighty percent of freshmen say that “getting a better job” is a very important reason for attending, and 74 percent say “gaining training for a specific career” is very important in their decision to go to college. To better meet the needs and goals of their students, colleges and universities increasingly are focused on strategies that help their students connect their education to career opportunities.

One of the most promising strategies for making this connection is giving students the opportunity to participate in off-campus learning experiences that are aligned with their field of study. Unfortunately, these kinds of work-based learning experiences remain too scarce, so only a limited number of students reap the benefits.

This report is based on students’ responses to the National Survey of Work-based Learning, a 15-minute online survey fielded to a nationally representative sample of seniors enrolled at public four-year universities and colleges, which was completed by more than 2,000 individuals between October and December 2024. The report explores students’ responses to questions about seven different experiences that blend academic learning and authentic or work-based experiences, including paid and unpaid internships, practica (such as supervised clinical experiences in health professions or student teaching), project-based learning, undergraduate research with a faculty member, on-campus jobs, and off-campus jobs.

Read more and download the report.