Carvana Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: September 2026

Carvana is the largest online used-car retailer in the United States, an S&P 500 company that posted a record $20.3 billion in 2025 revenue, up 49% in a year, and a record $7.4 billion quarter in Q2 2026, three years after it was flirting with bankruptcy. Behind that comeback sits a small, hands-on internship program at the Tempe, Arizona headquarters: 11-week summer tracks in operations and customer experience that paid $20 an hour in 2026, a historical software engineering track, and a separate Apex program for new-grad engineers and product managers that isn't an internship at all. Summer 2027 postings aren't live yet; based on the 2026 cycle, expect them on Carvana's careers portal around October to November 2026.

So this guide covers the expected timeline, the tracks (and how Apex differs), pay, eligibility, and the fast interview, all reconstructed from the summer 2026 job descriptions.

Quick Facts

Carvana's summer 2027 internship postings are expected around October to November 2026 and were removed within about two months in the prior cycle, so the window is short and review is rolling inside it. Operations and customer experience interns earned $20 an hour in 2026, on-site in Tempe. Watch the careers portal from October and apply the week your track appears.

Carvana's interns spend the summer inside a vertically integrated operation and finish with a capstone presented to senior leaders, so the evidence that lands is operational and analytical. While you wait for postings, build it with the Amazon Fulfillment Center Operational Strategy & People Analytics Externship for the operations and customer-journey analysis the Operations track runs on, or the Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy Externship for the e-commerce analytics an online retailer rewards. Both are short remote Externships (Carvana isn't an Extern partner). Explore all Externships.

What Is a Carvana Internship?

A Carvana internship is a paid, full-time summer placement at the Tempe headquarters. The summer 2026 Operations Intern job description lays it out: 11 weeks at $20 an hour, live customer interactions after an accelerated training program, a capstone project built with fellow interns and presented to senior leadership, executive lunch-and-learns, and tours of the Car Vending Machines and inspection centers. The JD's language about intent is unusually direct: Carvana says it's investing in your development "with the ultimate goal of you joining us full-time."

So what's Apex? A different thing. Carvana's early-career page describes Apex as a full-time program for new-grad software engineers and product managers, in cohorts of 15 to 20 that start in January and June, with a bootcamp, a structured curriculum and a required three-to-five-minute video pitch. It's a permanent role, not a summer internship, and this guide keeps the two separate.

When Do Carvana Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Carvana's summer internship calendar is short and fall-loaded. In the 2026 cycle, the Customer Service and Operations intern postings appeared around October 2025, came down by mid-December, and the program ran May 26 to August 7, 2026. That's a six-to-nine-month lead time, later than big tech but earlier than most retailers. The Apex new-grad program runs on its own rolling calendar, ramping in fall for January cohorts and in spring for June.

But every date below except "now" is an expected date, projected from that single documented summer cycle. If the postings are already live, the postings win.

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 does week one matter when the window is already short? Because Carvana reviews as it goes and moves fast. The 2026 intern postings were live for roughly two months, and Glassdoor's average intern time-to-hire is 11 days. That combination means the first candidates through the door can be signed before the posting is a month old. Waiting until Thanksgiving to apply for a posting that appeared in early October means competing for whatever is left, and there's no second summer intake to fall back on. Carvana runs one class a year.

Which Carvana Internship Programs Should You Target?

Carvana's documented summer tracks are few and specific, and the Apex program sits alongside them as a new-grad path. Here's how the four entry points compare, using the summer 2026 JDs and the live early-career page.

And one caution: the most recent Software Engineering Intern JD is from an older cycle, so that track may have been folded into Apex. Engineers should look for both in fall 2026. Carvana doesn't publish class size. Browse live roles on the Carvana job listings page.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Carvana's requirements come straight from the summer 2026 JDs and the Apex page, so they're precise. Expect the summer 2027 versions to roll graduation dates forward one year.

• Class year: Rising seniors: the 2026 JDs required enrollment at a four-year university and a graduation date of winter 2026 or spring 2027, so expect winter 2027 or spring 2028 for summer 2027

• GPA: 3.5 or above for the Software Engineering Intern track; no GPA is mentioned for Operations or Customer Service, or for Apex

• Majors: None required for Operations and Customer Service; computer science or a related field for engineering roles

• Work authorization: Must be legally authorized to work for Carvana in the United States; the JDs don't address CPT, OPT or sponsorship

• Location: On-site in Tempe or Phoenix for the full program; no remote or hybrid option

• Background check: Offers are conditional on passing one

• Apex only: New grads and early-career candidates with up to three years of experience; a three-to-five-minute video pitch is required

Does Carvana Have a GPA Cutoff for Interns?

But isn't 3.5 steep? Yes, and it applies only to the Software Engineering Intern track, where the JD says a 3.5 or above is "proof of your solid work ethic." The Operations and Customer Service JDs never mention GPA; they list empathy, communication, curiosity and resilience instead. Apex doesn't list one either, and its early-career page says the firm evaluates "signal-rich work rather than your resume alone," which is why the video pitch and a project walk-through carry so much weight. So a 3.2 shouldn't stop you from applying to the CX tracks or Apex. It will stop the SWE intern application, if that track posts again.

What Skills Does Carvana Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

We inspected three Carvana intern JDs (the summer 2026 Operations Intern and Customer Service Internship postings and the Software Engineering Intern posting) and counted how many name each skill. What comes up in all three?

So communication, adaptability and curiosity appear everywhere, and the CX JDs go further, asking for empathy, active listening and problem-solving under pressure in live customer calls. The engineering JD is the only one with a tool list: JavaScript, HTML/CSS, C#, .NET, SQL Server, DevOps and QA. Carvana's Apex page adds a cross-cutting theme the JDs hint at: evidence of AI-forward thinking, which the company now asks for explicitly.

Build These Skills Before You Apply

And every skill in that chart maps to a remote Externship. Extern has no automotive-retail Externship, so the rows below build the operations, e-commerce analytics, strategy and AI evidence Carvana's JDs and capstone reward, not car-business knowledge itself.

Each Externship runs 4 to 11 weeks (most commonly 8) and ends with a deliverable you can present the way Carvana interns present their capstone.

So finish one before October and it's on your resume, or in your Apex video, when postings appear.

What Is the Carvana Application and Interview Process Like?

Carvana's process is short: a phone screen, one interview, an offer. No online assessment is documented for intern roles, and the Apex program swaps the resume-first screen for a video pitch. What does it look like?

So here's the sequence from the JDs, Carvana's early-career page, Glassdoor intern interview reports and Indeed's interview FAQ.

1. Apply on the careers portal (Greenhouse-powered) when your track posts. For Apex, submit the three-to-five-minute video pitch covering why Carvana, your track preference and a project walk-through; Carvana publishes example pitches on its early-career page.

2. Recruiter phone screen: motivation, fit and logistics (Tempe, on-site, graduation date).

3. Interview by Zoom or in person with the hiring team. Glassdoor intern reports are behavioral and STAR-based; one recurring question asks about a team member who was difficult to work with and how it turned out.

4. Technical round for engineering roles: a coding question; Reddit reports on Carvana's software engineer interviews describe a standard coding conversation rather than a puzzle gauntlet.

5. Offer and background check: Glassdoor's average time to hire for intern roles is 11 days, and Carvana's own portal describes seven to ten business days from application to offer.

One Reddit poster who submitted an Apex video waited three weeks without a reply, so Apex may batch-review rather than respond individually. For the summer internship, expect speed. Carvana's early-career page is the current source for Apex requirements.

What Students on Reddit Say

Reddit's Carvana threads are mostly about hourly operations jobs, not the corporate internship.

But three are worth reading: one on the Apex application wait, one on the software engineer coding interview, and one on what employees say about benefits and culture.

How Do You Stand Out at Carvana?

What separates a strong Carvana candidate from someone who knows it as the car vending machine company? Three things. First, explain the flywheel. Carvana buys, reconditions, photographs, prices, finances and delivers cars under one roof, and more cars mean better selection, more customers, better data and lower costs. A candidate who can say that in two sentences, and add that revenue went from near-bankruptcy in 2022 to $20.3 billion in 2025, sounds like someone who'll understand the capstone brief.

So second, if you're applying to Apex, treat the video as the application. Carvana says it wants to see how you think and evaluates signal-rich work over resumes. Structure it as why Carvana (the model, not the brand), which track and why, then one project: the problem, your choices, the result. Watch the examples on the early-career page before you record.

And third, show AI fluency. Carvana calls itself AI-forward, its engineering roles ask for evidence of AI-driven workflows, and its proprietary Carli software runs reconditioning end to end. Mention how you've used AI tools in a real project, or how AI shapes pricing and logistics at an online retailer, and you're speaking the company's current language rather than its 2019 pitch. One honest note: Glassdoor rates Carvana 2.8/5 overall, driven by operations roles; its six intern interview reports are all fast and positive.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Not sure Carvana is the right fit? But it isn't the only automotive employer recruiting for summer 2027. The closest retail peers are CarMax and the big dealership groups; the automakers below run much larger, earlier programs for students who want the industry without the retail floor.

Compare all options in our Marketing Internships Summer 2027 Guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Carvana internship?

No. The summer 2026 Operations and Customer Service internships ran May 26 to August 7, 2026, and their postings came down in December 2025. Summer 2027 postings are expected around October to November 2026 on carvana.com/careers/jobs. Check weekly from October and apply the week your track appears, since the window lasted about two months last cycle.

How long is a Carvana internship?

Ten to eleven weeks. The summer 2026 Operations and Customer Experience internships ran exactly 11 weeks, and the historical Software Engineering Intern posting describes a 10-week program. Both are full-time, paid and on-site at the Tempe, Arizona headquarters. The Apex program is different: it's a permanent full-time role, not a time-limited internship.

How much do Carvana interns get paid?

Twenty dollars an hour for the Operations and Customer Service tracks, stated directly in the summer 2026 job descriptions. Indeed's estimate across all Carvana intern types is $25.10 an hour. Software engineering interns likely earn more, but no recent Carvana-specific rate is published, and no housing or relocation support is documented.

What is the Carvana Apex program?

Carvana's full-time early-career program for new-grad software engineers and product managers, not a summer internship. Cohorts of 15 to 20 start in January and June at the Tempe headquarters, with a bootcamp and structured curriculum. Applications are accepted year-round and require a three-to-five-minute video pitch covering why Carvana, your track, and a project you built.

Does Carvana require a minimum GPA?

Only for one track. The Software Engineering Intern job description requires a 3.5 GPA or above. The Operations and Customer Service intern postings don't mention GPA at all and emphasize empathy, communication and curiosity instead, and the Apex program lists no cutoff, weighing the video pitch and project work more heavily.

Where are Carvana internships located?

Tempe, Arizona, in the greater Phoenix area, at Carvana's corporate headquarters. Every documented intern role is fully on-site, with no remote or hybrid option, and the Apex program is also in-person in Phoenix. Carvana doesn't document housing support, though Phoenix is cheaper to live in than coastal tech hubs.

What is the Carvana intern interview process?

Fast and behavioral. Glassdoor reports an average of 11 days from application to hire for intern roles, with a phone screen followed by a Zoom or in-person interview using STAR-style questions about teamwork, customer situations and why Carvana. Engineering roles add a coding question, and the Apex program requires a video pitch up front.

Can a Carvana internship lead to a full-time job?

Yes, and Carvana says so explicitly. The intern job descriptions state the company is investing in your development "with the ultimate goal of you joining us full-time," and interns present a capstone to senior leaders at the end of the summer. Carvana doesn't publish a conversion rate, so treat the capstone as your audition.

Carvana's summer 2027 window is expected to open in October, last about two months, and move in days once you're in it, so the preparation has to happen now.

So spend September on a short remote Externship, then apply the week postings go live with an operations or analytics project you can present the way Carvana interns present their capstone. Explore all Externships.