Lincoln Financial Group Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: August 2026

Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) is an $18.2 billion-revenue insurance and retirement company that Vault ranked the #1 Best Internship in Financial Services and Top-20 overall for 2025. The 10-week hybrid program spans 10 business tracks, from Actuarial to Risk Management, across six US offices. Applications open in September and roll through December, so the build window is now and the apply window is weeks away.

Quick Facts

Lincoln runs a 10-week hybrid internship across 10 tracks with an Annual Active Recruiting Period from September through December. No published GPA minimum, no visa sponsorship, and community-reported pay of $20 to $28 per hour with housing assistance. Vault #1 Financial Services internship 2025.

Externships are short, remote projects where you finish real work for a real company. The Yinan Zhao Investing Financial Modeling Externship and the HP Tech Ventures Deal Sourcing Externship build the financial modeling and analytical evidence a Lincoln Financial application rewards. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Lincoln Financial Group Internship?

A Lincoln Financial Group internship is a paid, 10-week, hybrid placement that embeds students in one of 10 business areas at a Fortune 500 insurance and retirement company with roughly 11,000 employees. Lincoln earned Vault's #1 Best Internship in Financial Services and a Top-20 overall ranking in 2025, driven by mentorship quality, project ownership, and a strong pipeline to the full-time Accelerated Development Program (ADP). Interns work on real business problems alongside their team, present capstone findings to leadership, and get paired with a mentor and a buddy from day one. The program is designed as a direct pipeline: strong performers receive return offers to ADP rotational roles.

When Do Lincoln Financial Group Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Lincoln Financial runs a predictable annual cycle. The Annual Active Recruiting Period opens in September and runs through December, with roles filling on a rolling basis. That means the earlier you apply within the window, the more seats remain open. For summer 2027 internships, the recruiting window is September to December 2026. The build window is now: your resume, skills, and projects when that September posting goes live determine whether rolling review picks you up.

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

Lincoln Financial hires rolling within a fixed September-to-December window. That means the first applicants face the most open seats across all 10 tracks and six locations. By November and December, popular tracks like Actuarial and Finance may already be filled. The implication is straightforward: your resume when September arrives decides your odds. And since Lincoln does not publish a GPA cutoff, the differentiators are relevant experience, demonstrated interest in insurance or financial services, and for Actuarial candidates, exam progress. All of that takes months to build, which is why the build window matters more than the apply window.

Which Lincoln Financial Group Internship Programs Should You Target?

Lincoln Financial runs 10 distinct internship tracks spanning the full breadth of a diversified insurance and retirement company. Which one should you target? The honest answer is the track whose skills you can already evidence, because interviewers probe for genuine interest and relevant preparation.

See every open track on the Lincoln careers page when the Annual Active Recruiting Period opens in September. And apply early: roles fill rolling, and the most popular tracks close first.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Lincoln Financial's published requirements are consistent across tracks, with a few variations for specialized roles:

• Class year: rising juniors and seniors (graduating December 2027 or Spring/Summer 2028). Some tracks accept rising sophomores.

• GPA: no published minimum. Community reports suggest 3.0+ is competitive, but Lincoln emphasizes relevant experience and demonstrated interest over GPA cutoffs.

• Majors: varies by track. Actuarial prefers math, statistics, or actuarial science. IT prefers CS or engineering. Finance and operations welcome business majors broadly. Marketing and HR accept all majors.

• Visa sponsorship: not available. US work authorization required for all intern positions.

• Actuarial-specific: passing at least one SOA exam (Exam P or FM) is strongly preferred and gives a meaningful edge in the hiring process.

Does Lincoln Financial Require Actuarial Exams?

Not formally required for the Actuarial internship, but strongly preferred. Community consensus from r/actuary is clear: candidates with at least Exam P passed have a significant advantage, and many successful interns have two exams. Lincoln provides study time and exam support during the internship, signaling they expect interns to be on the exam track. For non-Actuarial tracks, no exams or certifications are required.

What Skills Does Lincoln Financial Group Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Read across Lincoln Financial's 10 intern track descriptions and community interview reports, and the pattern holds. Analytical and quantitative reasoning appears across nearly every track, communication and collaboration in eight of ten, and insurance or financial services interest in six. But the Actuarial track adds a hard filter: exam progress. If you are targeting that track, SOA exams are the clearest signal you can send.

How Is Demand for Insurance & Financial Services 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 the September window opens.

How close is the overlap? The Yinan Zhao project delivers financial modeling evidence that maps directly to Lincoln's Finance and Actuarial interview questions. The Youth Justice project produces a data visualization portfolio piece. And the Wayfair project builds the Python and BI skills Lincoln's IT and Risk tracks list in every posting.

What Is the Lincoln Financial Group Application and Interview Process Like?

Lincoln Financial's interview funnel is straightforward, with behavioral emphasis for most tracks and a technical layer for Actuarial:

1. Apply on the Lincoln Financial careers portal. Submit your resume during the Annual Active Recruiting Period (September to December). Tailor your resume to the specific track you are targeting.

2. Phone screen. A 20 to 30 minute call with a recruiter or HR representative exploring your background, interest in Lincoln Financial, and fit for the specific track.

3. Final-round interview (1 to 1.5 hours). Behavioral questions using the STAR framework for all tracks. Actuarial candidates also face technical questions on probability, statistics, and exam preparation. Some tracks include a case study or situational exercise.

4. Offer decision. Lincoln typically extends offers within two to four weeks of the final interview. Background check and onboarding paperwork follow acceptance.

Two things to nail: a clear story about why Lincoln Financial specifically (not just 'insurance' generically) and three to five STAR examples demonstrating analytical thinking, collaboration, and genuine curiosity about the insurance and retirement space. For Actuarial, be ready to discuss your exam progress and study plan in detail.

What the Community Says

Lincoln Financial's intern program generates consistent positive discussion on r/actuary, with multiple threads confirming return offers, housing support, and a strong exam-support culture. Glassdoor intern reviews echo the sentiment.

How Do You Stand Out at a Vault #1 Financial Services Internship?

Three moves, all before September. First, get exam progress on the board: Lincoln's Actuarial track strongly favors candidates with at least Exam P passed, and two exams puts you in the top tier of applicants. Even for non-Actuarial tracks, quantitative credentials signal seriousness. Second, demonstrate cross-line curiosity: Lincoln operates across annuities, life insurance, retirement plans, and group benefits, and interviewers want to see you understand the breadth, not just one silo. Reference the Vault #1 ranking and explain specifically what drew you to Lincoln over MetLife or Prudential. Third, apply on day one of the September window: rolling admissions within a fixed period means the first qualified applicants capture the most seats. The ADP pipeline is the prize, and your summer performance is the audition.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Lincoln Financial is not the only large insurance and financial services firm running competitive summer programs. If you are building an insurance internship list, these are the obvious neighbors:

Our finance internships guide maps the whole landscape, timeline by timeline.

FAQ

When does the Lincoln Financial Group internship application open?

Lincoln's Annual Active Recruiting Period runs from September through December. For summer 2027 internships, applications open in September 2026 and fill rolling within that window. Apply early for the widest selection of tracks and locations.

Does Lincoln Financial require actuarial exams for the Actuarial internship?

Not formally required, but strongly preferred. Community consensus is that at least one SOA exam passed (Exam P or FM) gives a significant edge, and many successful candidates have two. Lincoln provides study time during the internship.

What GPA do I need for a Lincoln Financial internship?

Lincoln does not publish a minimum GPA requirement. Community reports suggest 3.0 or above is competitive. The company emphasizes relevant experience, demonstrated interest in financial services, and for Actuarial candidates, exam progress over strict GPA cutoffs.

How much does a Lincoln Financial internship pay?

Community-reported compensation ranges from $20 to $28 per hour depending on track and location. Housing assistance is provided for interns relocating from outside the office area. Official figures are not published on the careers page.

Does Lincoln Financial sponsor visas for interns?

No. Lincoln Financial does not offer visa sponsorship for internship positions. US work authorization is required for all intern roles. This applies across all 10 tracks and all six office locations.

What is the Lincoln Financial interview process like?

The process has two stages: a 20 to 30 minute phone screen with HR, followed by a 1 to 1.5 hour final-round interview. Most tracks are behavioral (STAR format). Actuarial adds technical questions on probability and exam preparation. Offers come within two to four weeks.

Do Lincoln Financial interns get return offers?

Lincoln has a strong pipeline from intern to the Accelerated Development Program (ADP). No specific conversion percentage is published, but community reports and the structured ADP pathway indicate that high-performing interns regularly receive full-time return offers.

Is the Lincoln Financial internship remote or in-person?

Hybrid. Interns split time between in-office days for team collaboration and mentorship, and remote days for focused project work. The primary locations are Radnor PA, Greensboro NC, Charlotte NC, Hartford CT, Fort Wayne IN, and Omaha NE.

Lincoln Financial's Vault #1 Financial Services ranking and ADP pipeline make it a top-tier target, and the rolling September window rewards early movers. Spend the remaining weeks building proof: a remote Externship turns 'interested in insurance' into a finished analytical project you can point at when the application portal opens.