Quick Facts
CACI International internship · at a glance
Roles open and close throughout the year. Check CACI International's careers portal for what is live today, and apply in the first week a role posts.
Before you applyWould your profile get you in?6 questions, under a minute. Compared with real interns who landed similar roles.Check my oddsAlso in this guide
Put real project work on your résumé, with the Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship or the Wayfair AI Agent Engineering for Business Intelligence Externship.
Explore all externships →All quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | CACI careers search (Workday) |
| Application window (2027–28) | Summer 2027 reqs live since Aug 2026; most summer postings appear Aug 2026–Jan 2027 and close as they fill |
| Rolling? | Yes, confirmed: CACI calls the program "year-round" and requisitions close when filled, not on a date |
| Eligibility | Pursuing a bachelor's or master's in CS, software, data science, EE, IT, cybersecurity, finance, or related; sophomore+; 3.0 GPA on at least one JD; US citizenship and clearance eligibility for most roles |
| Duration | ~10–12 weeks full-time (May/June–August); some part-time and off-cycle roles |
| Compensation | $25–$44/hr working range; Levels.fyi median $32/hr; Summer 2027 JD ranges $18.94–$38.41/hr (SWE/DS) and $18.94–$27.64/hr (finance); housing stipends of $833–$2,500/mo at some sites |
| Return offers | No conversion rate published; cleared interns are well positioned given CACI's clearance investment |
| Locations | Reston HQ and Northern Virginia (Sterling, Dulles, Ashburn, Herndon, Stafford); Denver CO; Austin TX; Downers Grove and Lisle IL; Sarasota FL; Omaha NE; Oklahoma City OK; Ypsilanti MI |
| # Tracks | 10 documented tracks: software engineering, software/data science, cybersecurity, electrical engineering, UX design, finance & accounting, management, recruitment marketing, computer science, digital solutions |
Last updated: October 2026
CACI International is a $9.6 billion Fortune 500 defense and IT services company with about 27,000 employees serving the Department of Defense, homeland security, and the intelligence community, and Vault ranked its internship program #8 in Best Internships for Engineering for 2026. CACI calls the program year-round and means it: summer 2027 Software Developer and Data Scientist intern requisitions in Denver were live in August 2026, along with a Finance & Accounting intern role in Oklahoma City. So the cycle you're applying to isn't coming. It's here. You apply this fall, you intern in 2027.
What Is a CACI International Internship?
A CACI internship puts you on national-security technology work at a company that has grown through 50-plus acquisitions since 2003, including L-3 National Security Solutions, CSRA, and LGS Innovations. CACI says interns get "the same meaningful experience full-time employees receive," and its intern testimonials talk about supporting a program's mission in real time. Tracks span software engineering, a hybrid software developer/data scientist role, cybersecurity and DevSecOps, electrical engineering, UX design, finance, management, and recruitment marketing. Because the customers are DoD, DHS, and the intelligence community, most roles require US citizenship and the ability to obtain a Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Glassdoor rates the company 3.7/5 across 3,805 reviews; Indeed intern reviewers describe supportive mentors and start-to-finish project ownership.
When Do CACI International Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
So how does a year-round program map to a summer start? CACI posts intern requisitions continuously, with the densest run of summer postings from August through January, and each one closes when the pool fills. For summer 2027, the first requisitions went live in August 2026, roughly nine to ten months ahead of day one, and more will appear through winter.
Summer 2027 intern postings are live: Software Developer/Data Scientist Intern (Denver and two other locations), a cleared Software Engineering Intern in Ypsilanti, and a Finance & Accounting Intern in Oklahoma City. Apply this week, join the CACI Talent Network for alerts, and start clearance prep (SF-86 address and employment history, passport).
More summer 2027 requisitions expected across Northern Virginia, Illinois, Texas, and Florida. Apply within the first week of each. CACI recruits at career fairs near defense hubs, especially Virginia, Colorado, and Texas schools.
Rolling phone screens and interviews for fall applicants, expected. Glassdoor's intern interview data shows one-on-one interviews (38%), skills tests (25%), and group panels (13%). Background investigations begin for cleared roles.
Final wave of postings for remaining seats, expected. Late applications can still land if a requisition is open. Offers move to onboarding, drug screening, and clearance processing where required.
The internship: about 10–12 weeks at a CACI office, some hybrid. Intern seminars, weekly staff meetings, and project work from start to finish. Strong performers whose clearance CACI has sponsored are well positioned for return offers.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
So why apply the week a posting appears? Because CACI closes requisitions when the pool fills, not on a date, and the summer 2027 Software Developer/Data Scientist role has been open since August. A rolling, year-round program rewards speed twice: the earliest applicants face the smallest pool, and for cleared roles, the earlier a recruiter can start a background investigation, the more likely you're cleared by June. Apply to multiple locations and tracks if your skills fit; clearance requirements vary by JD.
Which CACI International Internship Programs Should You Target?
But which track fits you? CACI's tracks are synthesized from live JDs, Levels.fyi listings, and intern testimonials on its careers page; the exact summer 2027 catalog will grow as requisitions post.
| Track | Focus | Clearance note | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineering | Full-stack, backend, and embedded development; the most frequently posted track | Many roles need Secret or TS/SCI eligibility; some require an active clearance | Python, Java, C/C++, Git, Linux, Agile |
| Software Developer / Data Scientist | Hybrid development and ML/data science role; live summer 2027 JD in Denver | Citizenship and clearance eligibility | Python, SQL, ML, data analysis |
| Cybersecurity / Cyber Engineering | Network defense, DevSecOps, information security | Cleared positions common | Threat modeling, SIEM, incident response |
| Electrical Engineering | Hardware, signals, RF, embedded systems | Varies by contract | Circuit design, signal processing |
| UX Design | User experience for mission applications | Varies | Design tools, research |
| Finance & Accounting | Shared service center operations; live summer 2027 JD in Oklahoma City | Unclassified corporate role | 3.0 GPA, Microsoft Office, prior office experience |
| Management, Recruitment Marketing, Computer Science, Digital Solutions | Corporate operations, employer branding, general IT, digital platform development | Mostly unclassified | Track-specific |
And where do you find them? Filter for internships on CACI's careers search, or join the Talent Network at searchcareers.caci.com/careers/join for alerts. Cleared roles are tagged {S} or {TS/SCI} in the title.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
So who qualifies? At CACI the answer depends less on GPA than on whether the government will let you see the work.
• Degree: Pursuing a bachelor's or master's in computer science, software engineering, data science, electrical engineering, IT, cybersecurity, finance, or a related field
• Class year: Sophomores through graduate students; some postings specify junior standing
• GPA: 3.0 minimum on the Finance & Accounting intern JD; not printed on the software and data science JDs reviewed
• Citizenship: Required for most defense and intelligence roles under ITAR, EAR, and contract terms; a few unclassified corporate roles may not require it
• Clearance: Ability to obtain a Secret or TS/SCI clearance for most technical roles; some require an active clearance on day one; CACI sponsors processing for eligible hires
• Sponsorship: Not stated in the JDs reviewed; F-1 and J-1 students are effectively excluded from most positions
Does CACI Have a GPA Cutoff for Interns?
Yet only one JD prints one. The Finance & Accounting intern posting requires a 3.0; the software and data science postings don't mention GPA. That's consistent with defense IT hiring generally, where clearance eligibility, relevant technical skills, and project experience carry more weight than a decimal. A 3.0 is a safe benchmark, and below it you may be filtered for corporate roles, but a technical candidate with a clean background, strong projects, and citizenship shouldn't self-select out.
Profile Match · Extern Data
Could You Get In at CACI International? Compare Your Profile
Based on 403 software engineering interns who started their first software internship between 2024 and 2026 (public LinkedIn profiles, aggregated). Six questions, under a minute.
Which summer are you applying for?
Recruiting timelines differ by class year, so we compare you with the right group.
Which group is your school closest to?
Firms recruit on campus in tiers. We match you against admits from schools like yours.
Is your major computer science, software engineering, data science or electrical engineering?
Almost every software intern in our data studied one of these. Other majors get in, but the coursework has to show elsewhere.
How many internships, externships or research positions have you held so far?
Count anything with a real employer, mentor or principal investigator attached. Retail and food service do not count.
Has any of that experience been tech-related?
Software, data, IT, engineering or a research lab. Any size of company counts.
Do you have at least one project on your resume or LinkedIn?
Personal, class, hackathon or open-source projects all count.
Aggregated from public LinkedIn profiles of people who held the internship. No individual profile is shown. Read the cross-industry study of 2,500+ intern profiles.
What Skills Does CACI International Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
CACI's intern JDs are shorter than Big Tech postings, but the pattern is clear across the eight reviewed. Communication and teamwork appear in every one. Python anchors both the software and data science tracks, with Java and C++ secondary, and cloud platforms, Agile, Linux, and DevSecOps tooling show up on modernization and cleared work. The one requirement no civilian tech company asks for is clearance eligibility, stated or implied in most postings. The chart scores prominence rather than counting, since only communication and teamwork had an explicit count.
What CACI International looks for in interns
Skills across 5 CACI International intern & analyst job descriptions · Scored 1–5 by prominence across 8 CACI intern JDs and postings reviewed in August 2026 (summer 2026 and summer 2027 cycles)
Prominence score across the 8 postings, not a per-JD count; only communication and teamwork were counted explicitly (8/8). CACI's SWE JDs list fewer named tools than Big Tech postings.
Policy intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 537 in August
For CACI International applicants: Policy intern hiring picked up sharply in September; apply within the first week a role posts, while the most seats are open.
Daily US job-posting counts, Sep 1–30 vs Aug 1–31, 2026. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size. Pay = median of employer-published ranges only (47 postings in September, 55 in August).
Build These Skills Before You Apply
And the technical half of that chart maps to a remote Externship.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity & DevSecOps | Cyber engineering track: network security, threat modeling, penetration testing, incident response | Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense |
| Data analysis & ML tooling | Software Developer/Data Scientist JD: machine learning, data analysis, Python, SQL | Wayfair AI Agent Engineering for Business Intelligence |
| Document intelligence & applied AI | Software tracks on federal modernization contracts: automation, data pipelines, technical documentation | Pfizer Advanced AI-Powered Document Intelligence |
Each Externship runs 4–11 weeks and ends with a deliverable. A clearance can't be built on a laptop, but a security or ML project can, and CACI's interviewers ask about exactly that.
What Is the CACI International Application and Interview Process Like?
So what does the process look like? Interview-based, not assessment-based. No HackerRank or CodeSignal step appeared in any Glassdoor or Indeed report for CACI intern roles.
1. Apply on CACI's careers search (Workday). Create an account to track status on the dashboard; you'll get a receipt notification.
2. Recruiter phone screen: background, motivation, citizenship and clearance status, role fit.
3. Technical and behavioral interview. CACI describes prescreen questions plus in-depth behavioral assessment and role-relevant technical questions. Indeed respondents met a section leader and team lead and called it informal and detailed.
4. Panel or sequential interviews for some roles. Glassdoor intern data: one-on-one (38%), skills test (25%), group panel (13%), phone (13%).
5. Offer, verbal then written, followed by background investigation, drug screening, and clearance processing for cleared positions.
And the prep? CACI's own FAQ says to research its mission and values, review the specific JD, look up your interviewers, and browse current projects. Details on the CACI careers FAQ.
What Students on Reddit Say
Reddit talk about CACI lives on r/SecurityClearance, r/cscareeradvice, and r/AskNetsec, and it's almost entirely about the clearance. Threads were read from search previews, so each takeaway is paraphrased.
A student choosing between Blue Origin and a TS/SCI software internship at CACI was steered toward CACI by most commenters. Their reasoning: a clearance is a golden ticket into cleared roles anywhere, and CACI's work skews DevSecOps and infosec.
In a thread about interning with CACI, cybersecurity commenters said having a clearance or not makes a real difference in what work you get, that the company takes security seriously, and that it's always posting new opportunities.
Asked what it's like to work at CACI, employees gave mixed but mostly positive answers that depend heavily on the contract. Some described only good experiences; others treat CACI as a clearance gateway before moving to higher-paying cleared jobs.
Think you’re ready for an interview at CACI International?
CACI starts with a recruiter screen on background, motivation, citizenship and clearance status. Three rounds, honest feedback on every answer, no sign-up.
You check whether a username is taken millions of times a day. Which structure gives the fastest lookups?
How Do You Stand Out at CACI International?
First, get clearance-ready before you apply. If you're a US citizen with a clean background, say so plainly; if you already hold an active clearance from military service or a prior contractor, you jump the line, because CACI spends months and real money processing clearances. Compile your ten-year address and employment history for the SF-86 now. Second, talk mission, not just stack. Intern testimonials on CACI's site repeat the same theme, that the work supports the country, and interviewers listen for it. Third, show DevSecOps and cleared-environment fluency: Docker with security scanning, a CTF record, a vulnerability assessment of an open-source tool. Fourth, apply early and widely; the program is rolling, so the first week after a posting is the best week, and multiple locations multiply your odds. Finally, join the Talent Network and show up at career fairs near Virginia, Colorado, and Texas defense hubs.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
So who else should be on your list? CACI competes for cleared technical interns with the other government IT services firms clustered around the DC metro.
- LeidosLargest direct GovCon peer (~47,000 employees) with higher intern volumes and a similar clearance-gated structureGuide →
- SAICClosest profile to CACI in federal IT modernization, cyber, and intelligence analytics at slightly smaller scaleGuide →
- Booz Allen HamiltonConsulting-flavored GovCon with stronger campus brand, more structured programs, and generally higher intern payGuide →
- ManTechMid-cap cyber and intelligence IT peer competing for the same Northern Virginia cleared internsGuide →
- PeratonPerspecta and Northrop IT services combination with similar cybersecurity and software intern rolesCareers site
Compare all options in our Tech Internships Summer 2027 Guide.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 CACI International internship?
No. The summer 2026 cohort ran roughly June through August and has ended. CACI is now hiring for summer 2027: Software Developer/Data Scientist and Finance & Accounting intern requisitions went live in August 2026, and because the program is year-round, some off-cycle and part-time roles are also open right now.
When do CACI International internship applications open for summer 2027?
They're already open. Summer 2027 postings appeared in August 2026, and CACI expects to keep adding requisitions through about January 2027 as part of its rolling, year-round program. Each posting closes when it fills rather than on a fixed date, so apply within the first week a matching role appears.
Do I need a security clearance to intern at CACI?
Not for every role, but for most. CACI's FAQ says not all positions require a clearance, yet most defense and intelligence intern roles require US citizenship and the ability to obtain a Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Postings tagged {S} or {TS/SCI} need an active clearance on day one; CACI sponsors processing for others.
Does CACI International require US citizenship for internships?
For most internships, yes. Roles serving DoD, DHS, and intelligence customers require citizenship under clearance and export-control rules. A few unclassified corporate roles in finance, marketing, or IT may not, but they're the exception. International students on F-1 or J-1 visas are effectively excluded from most positions.
What GPA do you need for a CACI International internship?
A 3.0 is the only figure CACI prints, and only on its Finance & Accounting intern posting. The software and data science JDs reviewed don't state a GPA. For technical roles, clearance eligibility, relevant skills, and project work outweigh the number, so a strong technical candidate slightly below 3.0 isn't automatically out.
How much does a CACI International internship pay?
About $25 to $44 per hour depending on location, role, and clearance level. Levels.fyi's 15 software engineering intern data points put the median at $32 per hour, with Dulles, Virginia at the top at $44.18. The summer 2027 Software Developer/Data Scientist JD lists $39,400–$79,900 annualized, and some sites add housing stipends.
What is the CACI International internship interview like?
Informal and experience-focused, with no LeetCode-style online assessment reported. Expect a recruiter phone screen, then a one-on-one or panel interview blending behavioral questions with technical discussion tied to the role. Indeed reviewers called it timely, fair, and detailed. CACI's FAQ recommends researching its mission and values beforehand.
Does CACI offer return offers to interns?
CACI doesn't publish a conversion rate. Its careers page frames the internship as the start of a career at CACI, and the economics favor retention: clearance processing takes months and costs the company real money, so interns who perform well and come out cleared are well positioned. Treat the summer as an audition.
So apply now, not in the spring. CACI's summer 2027 requisitions have been live since August, each one closes when its pool fills, and a background investigation started in October is a clearance in hand by June. Submit this week, join the Talent Network, and spend the wait building the cyber or data project your interviewer will ask about with a short remote Externship. Explore all Externships.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
