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

Last updated: July 2026

Grant Thornton is the 5th most prestigious US accounting firm per Vault 2025 and #8 for Best Internship Employment Prospects. With 50+ offices nationwide, roughly 8,500 US employees, and intern Glassdoor ratings of 4.5 to 4.7 out of 5, it offers hands-on experience across Audit, Tax, and Advisory that often rivals the Big 4 in quality with smaller, more accessible team sizes. For the 2027–2028 cycle (you apply fall 2027, you intern summer 2028), applications fill rolling by office, so the calendar decides your odds.

Quick Facts

Grant Thornton hires rolling by office with no single national deadline. A 3.0 GPA is preferred (not required), no visa sponsorship is available, and pay runs $28 to $40 an hour depending on city and service line. Apply early in the window because seats fill as candidates are accepted.

Externships are short, remote projects where you finish real work for a real company. The Attronica Financial Planning & Valuation Externship and Beats by Dre Data Analytics Externship build the financial analysis, data interpretation, and communication skills a Grant Thornton application rewards. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Grant Thornton Internship?

A Grant Thornton internship is a paid, 8-to-15-week placement that puts students on real client engagements across Audit, Tax, or Advisory. The firm is the 6th-largest US accounting firm by revenue (~$1.9B) and part of a global network spanning 73,000 personnel across 147 markets. Intern reviews hold up: 4.7 out of 5 on Glassdoor with a 95% recommendation rate. The firm positions itself as more hands-on and accessible than the Big 4, with a culture built around its six CLEARR values: Collaboration, Leadership, Excellence, Agility, Respect, and Responsibility.

When Do Grant Thornton Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Grant Thornton's recruiting calendar is predictable: core internships open roughly 10 to 14 months before the start date, and the Empower early-ID program engages students 18 to 24 months ahead. For the summer 2028 cycle, that means applications projected to open fall 2027, filling rolling by office through winter and spring 2028. The date that matters is when you submit, because rolling review by office means late applicants face fewer open seats.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

Rolling by office is the whole game. Grant Thornton does not publish a single national deadline; instead, each office opens and fills positions on its own timeline. The firm advises applicants to consult with the local recruiter to determine deadlines. That means a late application to a popular office could land after seats are already filled. So identify your target office, connect with the local recruiter early, and submit the week applications open.

Which Grant Thornton Internship Programs Should You Target?

Grant Thornton runs 6 distinct intern tracks, from traditional audit and tax to technology-focused advisory. Which one should you target? The honest answer is the track that matches your major and CPA timeline, because eligibility gates are real: Audit and Tax require an Accounting degree, while Advisory and Risk tracks accept broader backgrounds.

See the full list on the official students page. Note that summer and winter internships are both available for Audit and Tax, so CPA-track students can choose the season that fits their credit timeline.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Grant Thornton's requirements are role-specific, but several lines repeat across nearly every intern posting:

• Class year: typically juniors (internship the summer before or between junior and senior year), enrolled in an accredited college or university. The Empower program targets freshmen and sophomores.

• Major: Audit and Tax require a Bachelor's or Master's in Accounting, CPA-eligibility path strongly preferred. Risk Advisory and IT Assurance accept Accounting, Finance, IT, MIS, Data Analytics, or related fields. Advisory/Consulting accepts Finance, Business Economics, Information Systems, or related fields.

• Work authorization: every JD requires US work authorization without employment-based visa sponsorship, now or in the future. International students needing future sponsorship are excluded.

• Certifications (preferred): CPA, CIA, CISA, CISSP, or CISM license or certification desire is preferred for Advisory and IT roles, but not required for entry.

Does Grant Thornton Have a GPA Cutoff?

The posted bar is a "minimum major and overall GPA of 3.0/4.0 preferred," stated verbatim across Audit, Tax, Risk Advisory, and IT Assurance JDs. But "preferred" is doing real work there: it is not listed as a hard requirement, and Grant Thornton positions itself as more accessible than Big 4, with a culture that values authenticity and CLEARR-values alignment over pure metrics. Competitive admitted candidates at mid-tier firms typically sit around 3.0 to 3.5. So a 3.0 is the floor to aim for, but your STAR stories and cultural fit carry real weight.

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

Read across five full-text Grant Thornton intern JDs, one Audit, one Tax, one Risk Advisory, one IT Assurance, and one Advisory/Finance Modernization, and the pattern holds. Analytical skills, communication, and teamwork appear in all five of five. Technical aptitude and project management also show up across the board. But the skill list only tells half the story. Grant Thornton's CLEARR values, Collaboration, Leadership, Excellence, Agility, Respect, and Responsibility, are the framework every interview is scored against. So what does that mean? Bring the accounting or analytical foundation, then wrap every story in a CLEARR value.

How Is Demand for Accounting and Advisory Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

And every skill in that chart maps to a remote Externship where you finish a real project before a role opens.

How close is the overlap? The Attronica project is financial planning and valuation work that yields the analytical evidence a Grant Thornton behavioral interview probes for, and the Beats project ends on the data-driven-insights story a CLEARR-values round wants.

What Is the Grant Thornton Application and Interview Process Like?

Grant Thornton's funnel is behavioral-first and relationship-driven, with no standardized online assessment confirmed for US intern candidates:

1. Apply on grantthornton.com/careers/students. Applications route through the Oracle Cloud careers portal. You can also apply through campus recruiting channels. Contact: URprograms@us.gt.com or your local office recruiter.

2. Two back-to-back interviews. Typically one with a partner and one with a senior manager. The format is predominantly behavioral/STAR questions with strong emphasis on Grant Thornton's CLEARR Culture values. Common questions: 'Tell me about a time when...' (STAR format), 'Why Grant Thornton?', 'Why audit/tax/advisory?' No technical questions reported for standard audit and tax tracks.

3. Rolling offer. Offers are made on a rolling basis as interviews complete. The process typically takes about 5 weeks from application to decision, though some candidates report faster or slower timelines.

So the skill to drill is clear: four to six STAR stories mapped to Collaboration, Leadership, Excellence, Agility, Respect, and Responsibility. Candidates describe the experience as conversational and approachable, with the firm valuing personality and authenticity above all. Prepare your stories, but be yourself.

What Students on Reddit Say

Three community themes show what the process looks like from the inside, all paraphrased.

When choosing between RSM, BDO, and Grant Thornton, most people say it comes down to office culture and the specific team you'd join. GT has a solid reputation among midsize firms, and interns generally report getting real client exposure rather than just busy work.

r/Accounting consensus, paraphrased · read the thread

Grant Thornton audit interns say the culture is more relaxed than Big 4, with better work-life balance during busy season. Teams tend to be smaller, so you get more face time with managers and partners, which helps if you want a return offer.

r/Accounting consensus, paraphrased · read the thread

GT audit internship interviews are mostly behavioral. Expect questions about teamwork, time management, and why public accounting. Researching the specific office's client base and showing genuine interest in audit work goes a long way.

r/Accounting consensus, paraphrased · read the thread

How Do You Stand Out at a Mid-Tier Firm That Values Culture?

Three moves, all before a role opens. First, engage early: attend campus events, register for the Empower program if you are a freshman or sophomore, and connect with office-specific recruiters so your name is recognized when applications open. Second, map your STAR stories to the six CLEARR values (Collaboration, Leadership, Excellence, Agility, Respect, Responsibility), because every interview question is scored against them, and candidates who speak the firm's language convert at higher rates. Third, build real analytical artifacts: a financial analysis project, a data deliverable, or client-facing work from an Externship, so that 'tell me about a time you analyzed data' gets a concrete answer, not a hypothetical. Grant Thornton's interview is conversational, but the candidates who win are the ones who have something specific to talk about.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Grant Thornton competes directly with the Big 4 for accounting and advisory interns. If you are building an accounting-internship list, these are the obvious neighbors:

• Deloittelargest Big 4, broadest service lines; same fall-rolling calendarGuide →
• PwCBig 4 with strong tax and deals practicesGuide →
• EYBig 4 with a growing technology consulting armGuide →
• KPMGBig 4 known for audit quality and advisory growthGuide →

Grant Thornton's advantage over the Big 4? Smaller teams, more hands-on client exposure from day one, and a culture that many interns describe as more accessible and personable.

FAQ

When do Grant Thornton internship applications open for summer 2028?

Applications are projected to open fall 2027 (September to November) based on prior-cycle cadence. No 2028 postings exist yet. Applications fill rolling by office, so apply as early in the window as possible. For the Empower early-ID program, register in spring or summer 2027.

What GPA do I need for a Grant Thornton internship?

A 3.0 overall and major GPA is described as "preferred" across Audit, Tax, Risk Advisory, and IT Assurance JDs. This is preferred, not required, suggesting some flexibility. Grant Thornton is generally considered more accessible than Big 4 on metrics, so your CLEARR-values fit and STAR stories carry real weight.

Does Grant Thornton sponsor visas for interns?

No. Every intern JD states that candidates must be authorized to work in the US without employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. International students needing future sponsorship are excluded from these intern roles.

Do I have to be an accounting major?

For Audit and Tax, essentially yes: an Accounting degree on a CPA-eligibility track is required. Risk Advisory and IT Assurance accept broader majors including Finance, IT, MIS, and Data Analytics. Advisory/Consulting accepts Finance, Business Economics, Information Systems, and related fields.

How hard is the Grant Thornton internship interview?

Two rounds of behavioral/STAR interviews, one with a partner and one with a senior manager. No technical questions reported for standard audit and tax tracks. Heavy emphasis on CLEARR cultural values and authenticity. Candidates describe the experience as conversational and approachable, with the firm valuing personality above all.

What does a Grant Thornton internship pay?

$28 to $40 per hour depending on city and service line. High-cost metros like NYC and Boston pay $37 to $40 per hour (from posted JDs), while smaller markets run $28 to $37 per hour. Interns also receive medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid sick leave, and paid holidays.

Will I get a return offer from Grant Thornton?

No official conversion rate is published. Community consensus is that strong performers who fit the culture typically receive offers, but it depends on office headcount and business needs. One community report described an intern not receiving an offer due to lack of business needs in the tax line. Treat the internship as a paid audition.

What is the Empower program?

A virtual one-day program for college freshmen and sophomores held each June. It offers professional development, mentorship, and networking to get students on Grant Thornton's radar early. It is not an internship but a pipeline program that positions participants for a core internship in a later year.

Grant Thornton's culture-first interview rewards students who show up with real stories and real work. Spend the runway building proof: a remote Externship turns 'interested in accounting' into a finished analytical project you can point at in a CLEARR-values conversation.

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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.