Last updated: October 2026
Compassion International's summer 2027 internship is open right now. It's a paid, in-person program at the organization's Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs, running 24 May to 30 July 2027 at an expected $19.37 to $22.76 an hour, and applications close on 31 December 2026 at 5pm MST. In plain words: you apply during 2026, you intern in summer 2027. A separate remote spring 2027 internship closes even sooner, on 30 October 2026. As of 16 October 2026, Compassion's Workday board lists exactly 2 internship postings among 28 open requisitions. Applicants should also know that the qualifications list a Christian faith commitment, which we cover below.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Compassion Workday board (internship overview on the careers site) |
| Application window (2027–28) | Summer 2027 (in person): posted 11 Sep 2026, closes 31 Dec 2026, 5pm MST. Spring 2027 (remote): closes 30 Oct 2026, 5pm MST. Summer 2028: expected to post ~Sep 2027 (repeating this year; not confirmed) |
| Rolling? | No. One hard deadline per cohort, stated in the posting |
| Eligibility | Summer: college junior, senior or recent graduate (expected graduation Dec 2026 to May 2029). Must be legally eligible to work in the US. Faith and child-protection commitments are listed as qualifications |
| Duration | Summer: 24 May to 30 Jul 2027, Monday to Friday 8 to 5. Spring: 1 Feb to 14 May 2027 |
| Compensation | Paid. Summer 2027 expected range $19.37 to $22.76 per hour; spring 2027 $22.20 to $26.08 per hour. Housing offered for “a low-cost” (amount not stated) |
| Return offers | Not published. A separate, nine-month Fellowship Program exists for recent graduates |
| Locations | Summer: Colorado Springs, CO (in person). Spring: remote within the US |
| # Programs | 3 named routes: Summer Internship, Spring Internship, Fellowship Program |
The numbers that matter: two live postings, a 31 December 2026 deadline for summer 2027 (14 days to 30 October for the remote spring cohort), and an expected $19.37 to $22.76 an hour. Compassion posted both roles on 11 September 2026, about 8.4 months before the summer start.
Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project with a real company. Compassion's marketing and donor-research departments look for audience insight, which the Pinterest Gen Z Consumer Behavior Externship builds, and its creative and graphic design areas map to the Beats by Dre Creative Advertising Strategy Externship. Explore all Externships.
What Is a Compassion International Internship?
A Compassion International internship is a paid placement at a Christian child-development ministry headquartered in Colorado Springs. Compassion's own posting describes it as a “Christ-centered organization committed to global, holistic child development.” The internship program has three routes: a Summer Internship (in person, general application), a Spring Internship (remote, for recent graduates and early-career applicants) and a nine-month Fellowship Program for entry-level contributors. Interns choose areas of interest in one general application and can be considered for several positions. This page covers the US headquarters programs, not sponsorship offices or affiliates in other countries.
When Do Compassion International Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Compassion posts one general application per cohort and sets a hard date for each. Both 2027 postings went live on 11 September 2026. The remote spring internship (1 February to 14 May 2027) closes on 30 October 2026, about 4.7 months before it starts. The in-person summer internship closes on 31 December 2026, about 4.8 months before the 24 May start. Last cycle ran the same way: the summer 2026 posting carried a 31 December 2025 deadline for a 1 June to 7 August 2026 term. A summer 2028 posting is therefore expected around September 2027, but that's a projection from one repeated cycle, not a published date.
Both 2027 internships are live on Compassion's Workday board. The remote spring cohort has 14 days left (30 October). The in-person summer cohort has 76 days left (31 December). Pick the cohort that fits your graduation date first, because the eligibility windows differ.
Spring 2027 deadline (remote, 1 February to 14 May 2027). Open to college students and recent graduates with an expected graduation date between May 2024 and December 2026.
Summer prep window. The general application includes short-answer and essay questions, and the posting says answers suspected to be AI-generated will not be considered. Write them yourself, choose several areas of interest, and read the faith and child-protection qualifications before you apply.
Summer 2027 deadline (in person, Colorado Springs, 24 May to 30 July 2027). Open to juniors, seniors and recent graduates with an expected graduation date between December 2026 and May 2029.
Spring cohort runs 1 February to 14 May (remote). Summer cohort runs 24 May to 30 July (in person, Monday to Friday, 8 to 5). Summer 2028 applications are expected to open around September 2027, repeating this year's pattern.
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
This is a hard-deadline program, not a rolling one. Each posting names a date and a time (30 October and 31 December, both 5pm MST) and states no late entry. The same 31 December date applied last year. Don't plan around the final afternoon: the application includes written answers, and the spring cohort is only two weeks away. Apply early to the cohort that fits, because a missed date means waiting for next year's posting.
Which Compassion International Internship Programs Should You Target?
Compassion runs one general application per cohort rather than a separate application for each team. Departments vary each year, and the postings say they are “subject to change.” The routes and areas listed for 2027:
| Program / Track | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Internship (in person) | Business Support, Donor Relations, Donor Research, Global Program, Graphic Design, Legal, Marketing, Marketing Operations, People and Culture, Project Management | 24 May to 30 Jul 2027, Mon–Fri 8 to 5 | Not listed per role; inferred from areas: research, design, communications, administration |
| Spring Internship (remote) | Global Communications (Video), Marketing, Marketing Operations, Donor Relations, Donor Research, Global Workplace (HR) | 1 Feb to 14 May 2027, Mon–Fri 8 to 5 | Not listed per role; the application asks which skills apply to your preferences |
| Fellowship Program | Nine-month entry-level path (September to May) with a mentor; posts in the summer months per the careers page | Sept to May | Entry-level contributor; no fellowship posting live on 16 Oct 2026 |
See the official internships page for the full list of past departments, which also includes IT, finance, social media and video production.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
These come from the two live 2027 postings:
• Summer class year: college junior, senior or recent graduate, with an expected graduation date between December 2026 and May 2029.
• Spring class year: college student or recent graduate, expected graduation date between May 2024 and December 2026.
• Availability: the entire internship period (24 May to 30 July 2027 for summer; 1 February to 14 May 2027 for spring), Monday to Friday, 8 to 5.
• Work authorization: legally eligible for employment in the US. International students must already have a work or study visa and an SSN.
• Faith and conduct: the qualifications list maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and being a consistent witness for Jesus Christ, plus abiding by Compassion's Statement of Commitment to Child Protection and Code of Conduct.
Is There a GPA Requirement?
No GPA figure appears in either posting. What the postings do state is stricter on other points: the faith and child-protection qualifications, full-period availability and written answers that must be your own. Housing in Colorado Springs is offered at a low cost, and the posting encourages summer interns to bring their own transportation.
What Skills Does Compassion International Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Compassion doesn't publish a per-role skills list for the general application, so this page doesn't invent one. What the postings do say: interns do hands-on work in their area, join professional development workshops, get 1:1 mentorship, and the internships page adds weekly impact sessions with executive leaders. The areas on offer (donor research, marketing, graphic design, video, HR, project management) point to research, writing, design and organization skills.
Note: Only two internship postings exist on Compassion's board and neither lists tools or skill requirements, so there is no skill-frequency count to show. We would rather show nothing than fill a chart with guesses.
How Is Demand for Marketing Interns Moving Right Now?
Marketing intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 1,424 in August
For Compassion International applicants: Compassion's own Workday board lists 2 internship postings among 28 open requisitions, and both are general applications that cover marketing and marketing operations areas.
Daily US job-posting counts, Sep 1–30 vs Aug 1–31, 2026. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
No remote Externship replaces Compassion's faith-based, in-person experience, but these show comparable skills in finished projects.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing & audience research | Areas: Marketing; Marketing Operations (summer and spring postings) | Pinterest Gen Z Consumer Behavior Externship |
| Creative & graphic design | Area: Graphic Design (summer posting) | Beats by Dre Creative Advertising Strategy Externship |
| Donor research & data | Areas: Donor Research; Donor Relations (both postings) | Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Analytics Externship |
| Finance & accounting | Past departments: finance/accounting (internships page) | Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis Externship |
| IT & cybersecurity | Past departments: IT, including cybersecurity (internships page) | vCISO Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Externship |
These are adjacent skills, not equivalents. Compassion's roles also depend on its mission commitments, which no Externship covers.
What Is the Compassion International Application and Interview Process Like?
Compassion's process, based on the postings:
1. Choose your cohort. Spring is remote and closes 30 October; summer is in person and closes 31 December. Read the postings first.
2. Submit the general application on Workday. One application covers all positions in the cohort. Select your areas of interest; you may be considered for multiple positions.
3. Answer the short-answer and essay questions yourself. The postings say answers suspected to be AI-generated will not be considered.
4. Interview steps are not published. The internships page FAQ was not readable when we checked, so we can't describe rounds or timing. Watch your email after the deadline.
5. Plan logistics. Summer interns are expected on site in Colorado Springs for the whole period; the posting says Compassion will provide housing for a low cost.
What the Community Says
We found no first-hand intern accounts of Compassion's internship on Reddit or elsewhere, only job-alert bot posts, so we aren't showing cards here rather than padding this section.
How Do You Stand Out?
Three moves. First, treat the written answers as the application: they're screened for authenticity, so concrete examples from your own jobs, volunteering and coursework beat polished generalities. Second, select several areas of interest, because the general application can place you in more than one position. Third, show you've read the qualifications: the posting spells out the faith and child-protection commitments, and applicants who can speak plainly to both are answering the exact thing the screen asks. Compassion hasn't published a return-offer rate, so don't rely on one.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Compassion sits among faith-based and child-focused nonprofits, and these guides cover employers with similar intern profiles.
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospitalchild-focused nonprofit in Memphis, research and fundraising oriented rather than ministry-basedGuide →
- International Rescue Committeehumanitarian aid nonprofit with US city offices, focused on refugees and crisis responseGuide →
- American Heart Associationnational health nonprofit that pays a flat hourly rate across three cohorts a yearGuide →
- Teach For Americaeducation nonprofit with a corps model rather than a summer internshipGuide →
- World Visionfaith-based child-focused nonprofit, also with stated faith requirementsCareers site
For more roles in this space, see our Nonprofit & Social Impact Internships Summer 2027 Guide.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Compassion International internship?
No. The summer 2026 internship ran 1 June to 7 August 2026, and its deadline was 31 December 2025. The summer 2027 internship is open now and closes on 31 December 2026 at 5pm MST. A remote spring 2027 internship closes sooner, on 30 October 2026.
When is the Compassion International summer 2027 internship deadline?
The deadline is 31 December 2026 at 5pm MST, per the Workday posting. The role was posted on 11 September 2026 for a 24 May 2027 start. Last year's summer deadline fell on the same date, 31 December 2025, so the pattern has held for two cycles.
Are Compassion International internships paid?
Yes. The summer 2027 posting lists an expected salary range of $19.37 to $22.76 per hour, and the remote spring 2027 posting lists $22.20 to $26.08. Compassion also offers housing in Colorado Springs for a low cost, though the posting doesn't state the amount.
Does Compassion International require a faith commitment for interns?
The postings list it among the qualifications: maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and being a consistent witness for Jesus Christ. They also require abiding by Compassion's child-protection commitment and code of conduct. Read those lines before applying, since the posting asks applicants to meet all qualifications.
Where is the Compassion International internship located?
The summer internship is in person at Compassion's Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with an on-site schedule of Monday to Friday, 8 to 5. The spring 2027 internship is remote within the United States. Both are US-based programs at Compassion's headquarters organization.
Who is eligible for the Compassion International summer internship?
College juniors, seniors and recent graduates with an expected graduation date between December 2026 and May 2029. You must be available for the whole period, 24 May to 30 July 2027, and legally eligible to work in the US. International students need an existing work or study visa and an SSN.
Does Compassion International accept AI-written application answers?
No. Both 2027 postings state that application answers suspected to be AI-generated will not be considered. The general application includes short-answer or essay questions, so write them yourself. Use specific examples from your own jobs, volunteering and coursework, since generic answers are the ones most likely to read as machine-written.
Is there a Compassion International internship for recent graduates?
Yes, in two forms. The remote spring 2027 internship (1 February to 14 May 2027) targets recent graduates and early-career applicants, with a 30 October 2026 deadline. A separate nine-month Fellowship Program for entry-level contributors exists, but no fellowship posting was live on 16 October 2026.
Both live postings have hard deadlines: 30 October 2026 for the remote spring cohort and 31 December 2026 for summer. Apply on the Workday board, and spend the weeks before then building proof of your skills: a remote Externship gives you a finished project to reference in your written answers.
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.
