Quick Facts
Nationwide internship · at a glance
Roles open and close throughout the year. Check Nationwide'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 Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling Externship or the HP Tech Ventures Deal Sourcing Externship.
Explore all externships →All quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Nationwide Careers |
| Application window (2027–28) | Partly closed: 15 summer 2027 internships live on October 6, 2026 (Workday posting end dates October 10 to December 31, 2026, Internal Audit Rotational to January 2, 2027); Claims, all Underwriting except MLS, Personal Lines Sales and Customer Experience, and Generative AI closed October 1 to 3 |
| Rolling? | Yes in practice: no deadline is printed in the job descriptions, but each Workday posting has an end date (earliest still open: October 10, 2026) |
| Eligibility | Pursuing a bachelor's degree; STEM OPT not supported; sponsorship rarely available for entry-level |
| Duration | 12 weeks, approximately May–August, full-time (40 hrs/week) |
| Compensation | $23–$50/hr (Nationwide's published band); community average ~$25.59/hr |
| Return offers | Not published — Nationwide says interns are 'strongly considered for future full-time positions' |
| Locations | Columbus, OH (primary); Des Moines, IA; Scottsdale, AZ; hybrid and remote options vary |
| # Tracks | 10+ areas including actuarial, investments, technology, underwriting, marketing, sales, finance, and internal audit |
Last updated: October 2026
Nationwide is one of America's largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services companies, with $73.2 billion in total sales and premiums, a record $4.29 billion net operating income, and $32.8 billion in total adjusted capital, the highest in its 100-year history. Ranked #69 on the Fortune 500 and celebrating its centennial in 2026, Nationwide takes more than 300 interns each summer, and its summer 2027 wave is partly closed: 29 requisitions titled Summer 2027 were live on Nationwide's Workday board on September 27, 2026, the Claims, Underwriting, Personal Lines Sales and Generative AI internships closed between October 1 and 3, and 15 summer 2027 internships were still live on October 6, 2026, with a published pay range of $23 to $50 per hour.
What Is a Nationwide Internship?
The Nationwide internship is a 12-week, paid summer program that places students into specialized roles across actuarial science, investments, technology, underwriting, marketing, sales, and other business functions at one of America's largest mutual insurers. Nationwide took more than 300 interns in a recent summer, with 74 in technology alone. The company ranks #69 on the Fortune 500, holds a 3.8 out of 5 on Glassdoor, and earned Vault's #1 Best Internship for Finance, #3 Best Insurance Internships, and #11 Best Internships for Data Analytics in 2026. The program is worth pursuing for its breadth, its well-documented conversion pipeline, and the stability of a century-old mutual company.
When Do Nationwide Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Nationwide posts internships progressively across the fall, with different tracks appearing at different times. The first four postings went live in August 2026 and the main wave followed from late August through September: by September 27, 2026, 29 summer 2027 requisitions were live, including Technology, Economics, Internal Audit, Underwriting, Claims, and Sales. The job descriptions print no deadline, but each Workday posting has an end date: Claims and most Underwriting closed on October 3, 2026, and the Generative AI posting came down early, so apply as soon as your track appears.
Applications are partly closed. Claims, Personal and Commercial Lines Underwriting, Agribusiness, Surety, E&S, Personal Lines Sales and Customer Experience, and Generative AI closed October 1 to 3, 2026, after the August Investments posting. Still live on October 6: 15 summer 2027 internships, including Technology (to December 31), Economics, Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk, Compliance, Feature Engineer, Financial Services, Controllership, MLS Underwriting and State Product Analyst (to October 17), and three Personal Lines roles ending October 10, 2026. Apply to the earliest end dates first.
Workday posting end dates run from October 3 (Claims and most Underwriting, now closed) to October 10 and 17 (Personal Lines, MLS Underwriting, State Product Analyst), October 30 (both Actuarial tracks, as listed on September 27), mid November (Economics, Internal Audit, Feature Engineer) and December 31 (Technology); Generative AI closed early, on October 1. Technology alone accounts for roughly 74 seats. Join the Intern Talent Network for alerts if more tracks post.
Interviews begin. Glassdoor data shows two rounds are typical: a recruiter phone screen followed by a team interview. Behavioral questions using the STAR method dominate. Difficulty is 2.4 to 2.9 out of 5, with 69 to 88 percent positive experience.
Offers arrive, with actuarial and investments tracks likely sending decisions earlier given the specialized talent pool. Nationwide lists intern-to-associate conversion as a program feature.
The 12-week program runs approximately May through August, full-time at 40 hours per week. Pay falls within Nationwide's published $23 to $50 per hour band. The program includes customized orientation, learning sessions, community service, and networking with leaders.
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
Nationwide posted its tracks progressively, and the window has already closed for some of them: the August Investments posting is gone, Claims and most Underwriting postings ended October 3, 2026, and Generative AI came down weeks before its listed end date. The job descriptions print no deadline, so a posting can also come down early once a track fills. If you wait until November to check the board, most of the non-technology tracks will be gone.
Which Nationwide Internship Programs Should You Target?
Nationwide's college careers page lists more than 10 internship areas. Six tracks are documented from live or prior-cycle requisitions.
| Track | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| P&C Actuarial Internship | Pricing, research, and reserving across personal, commercial, and agribusiness lines | 12 weeks | Advanced mathematics and statistics, modeling, programming, quantitative analysis |
| Financial Actuarial Internship | Pricing, product development, valuation, and financial reporting in life insurance and annuities | 12 weeks | Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, communication and leadership |
| Product Analyst Intern | Data analysis for State Management across pricing, underwriting, and claims | 12 weeks, hybrid | Spreadsheet and presentation software, data analysis, underwriting methodologies |
| Investments Internship | Credit research, real estate investments, alternative investments (3 seats) | 12 weeks, in-office | Microsoft Office, programming languages, data analytics, financial acumen |
| Technology Internship | Software engineering, data science, digital workplace, innovation | 12 weeks (May–Aug) | Coding, technology fundamentals, mentoring and job shadowing |
| E&S Wholesale Underwriting Intern | Excess and surplus lines underwriting in the specialty division | 12 weeks | Insurance underwriting, risk assessment |
For the full list of internship areas, visit Nationwide's college careers page.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Nationwide's eligibility requirements center on degree pursuit and work authorization rather than GPA or specific class year.
• Degree pursuit: All four JDs read in August 2026 use 'pursuing a Bachelor's degree' or 'students pursuing a degree' language. No specific class year is required.
• Work authorization: All four August 2026 postings state that Nationwide does not participate in the STEM OPT Extension program and that visa sponsorship is not usually available for entry-level roles. This effectively closes the door for most international students at the intern level.
• Majors vary by track: Actuarial tracks ask for Actuarial Science, Mathematics, or Statistics. Investments asks for Finance, Economics, Accounting, or Data Analytics. The Product Analyst track prefers insurance, actuarial science, risk management, or business administration.
• Actuarial exams not required: Neither actuarial posting requires passed exams, but the Financial Actuarial track offers exam reimbursement for one preliminary exam during the calendar year.
• No GPA stated: None of the four JDs read in August 2026 contains a GPA number, though the Financial Actuarial posting asks for 'superior academic achievement.'
Does Nationwide Have a GPA Cutoff for Interns?
Only on some tracks. The Summer 2027 Technology Internship asks for a minimum 3.2 GPA (preferred); the four postings read in August 2026 named none. The Financial Actuarial JD asks for 'superior academic achievement' and the P&C Actuarial JD asks for 'advanced skills in mathematics and statistics,' but neither attaches a number. The gates that matter most are your major alignment, your quantitative skills, and your demonstrated interest in insurance or financial services.
Profile Match · Extern Data
Could You Get In at Nationwide? Compare Your Profile
Based on 543 investment banking summer analysts at top investment banks from the classes of 2025 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 finance, economics, accounting or business?
Math and statistics count too. Major is not a hard filter, but it shifts how much your coursework has to prove.
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 finance-related?
Banking, PE or VC, corporate finance, wealth management, equity research, accounting or consulting. Any size of firm counts.
Are you in a finance club, investment fund or case competition team?
Campus clubs are how most admits get their first deal and modelling reps.
Aggregated from public LinkedIn profiles of people who held the internship. No individual profile is shown. Read the full investment banking intern profile analysis and the cross-industry study of 2,500+ intern profiles.
What Skills Does Nationwide Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Across the four summer 2027 intern postings read in August 2026, analytical and problem-solving skills appear in every single JD, followed by communication skills and demonstrated leadership qualities. Actuarial and product analyst tracks emphasize mathematics, statistics, and quantitative analysis, while the investments track highlights financial acumen and interest in leveraging AI to solve business problems.
What Nationwide looks for in interns
Skills across 5 Nationwide intern & analyst job descriptions · 4 Nationwide summer 2027 intern JDs
Frequency across 4 Nationwide intern job descriptions, summer 2027 cycle, read in full, August 2026.
How Is Demand for Insurance Interns Moving Right Now?
Actuarial intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 43 in August
For Nationwide applicants: Actuarial 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.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
And every skill in that chart maps to a remote Externship.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Financial analysis & portfolio modeling | Conducting portfolio and fundamental credit analysis to assess risks and opportunities | Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling Externship |
| Data analytics & pattern recognition | Analyze data, identify underlying issues, devise alternative solutions; looking for patterns | Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Analytics Externship |
| Deal analysis & due diligence | Commercial mortgage loan underwriting, asset management and portfolio analysis | HP Tech Ventures Deal Sourcing & Startup Analysis Externship |
These Externships build the analytical, financial modeling, and data visualization evidence Nationwide's requisitions reward. None teaches insurance underwriting or actuarial science directly, but each demonstrates the quantitative rigor and problem-solving approach that Nationwide's JDs ask for.
What Is the Nationwide Application and Interview Process Like?
Nationwide's application process takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes online and leads to a behavioral-heavy interview sequence.
1. Go to the job board. Visit careers.nationwide.com or search the Workday board at nationwide.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com.
2. Join the Intern Talent Network. Sign up at Nationwide's Yello form to get alerts when new tracks post, especially Technology, Marketing, and Sales.
3. Check the career fair calendar. Visit nationwide.yello.co/external/events_central for upcoming campus events. Nationwide attends fairs and reviews resumes on the spot.
4. Apply online. The application takes about 10 to 15 minutes and requires past work experience information plus an optional resume upload.
5. Prepare for behavioral interviews. Glassdoor data shows STAR method questions dominate. Two rounds are typical: a recruiter phone screen followed by a team or panel interview. Difficulty is 2.4 to 2.9 out of 5, with the majority of candidates describing a positive experience.
6. Wait for communication either way. Nationwide states that if you are not selected for an interview, you will receive an email or other communication from a recruiter.
For more details on Nationwide's application process and intern rankings, see Vault's Nationwide Internship page.
What Students on Reddit Say
Here is what real candidates and employees say about Nationwide internships on Reddit.
A student applied for the Nationwide Technology Internship in mid-September and proceeded through multiple interview rounds, confirming the fall application window and a multi-step process for the tech track.
When comparing Nationwide's actuarial internship to a competitor, one poster noted that the rival paid $4 to $5 more per hour, but both offered 12-week programs with similar structure. The consensus: Nationwide pays competitively but not at the top of the insurance intern market.
A student considering Nationwide's hybrid model against another offer received positive community feedback about the personal interaction and quality of life in Columbus. The hybrid arrangement was seen as a genuine advantage.
How Do You Stand Out at Nationwide?
First, apply to a live track now and join the Intern Talent Network, because postings close on their own dates and some come down early. The Technology track alone accounts for roughly 74 seats and is listed through December 31, 2026. Getting the alert when new tracks post is the difference between applying in the first wave and discovering the role after it has filled. Second, for actuarial tracks, start an exam before you apply. Nationwide reimburses one preliminary exam and its full-time program covers fees, study materials, and raises for passing. A candidate who has passed Exam P or FM signals commitment that academic achievement alone does not. Third, name insurance knowledge explicitly. Nationwide's JDs ask for 'knowledge of current insurance trends' and 'underwriting standard methodologies,' so talk about combined ratios, loss reserving, or rate filings rather than just Excel proficiency.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
If you are exploring insurance and financial services internships, these companies recruit from the same actuarial and finance talent pool as Nationwide.
- State FarmThe largest P&C insurer in the US by market share, with a similar mutual structure but significantly larger operationsGuide →
- USAAMilitary-affiliated and membership-based, with strong P&C and financial services programs but limited to eligible applicantsGuide →
- Liberty MutualOne of the largest P&C insurers globally, with a broader geographic footprint and different organizational structureGuide →
- Erie InsuranceA regional P&C mutual based in Erie, Pennsylvania, smaller but highly rated for workplace cultureGuide →
- Auto-Owners InsuranceMichigan-based mutual with a very low public profile but strong presence in Midwest P&C marketsGuide →
For more in insurance, see our insurance internships summer 2027 guide, which compares more than 60 carriers, brokers and health insurers by pay, timing and where to apply.
FAQ
Are Nationwide internship applications open for summer 2027?
Partly. As of October 6, 2026, 15 summer 2027 internships are live on Nationwide's Workday board, covering technology, economics, internal audit, enterprise risk, compliance, financial services, controllership, MLS underwriting and three Personal Lines roles (ending October 10). Claims, most Underwriting, Personal Lines Sales and Generative AI closed October 1 to 3, and the August Investments posting closed earlier, so apply now.
How long is a Nationwide internship?
Twelve weeks. Every documented Nationwide summer internship runs 12 weeks, typically May through August, full-time at 40 hours per week. This is consistent across actuarial, technology, investments, product analyst, and all other tracks listed on Nationwide's college careers page.
How much do Nationwide interns get paid?
Nationwide publishes a national hourly pay range of $23 to $50 for all internships. The actual rate depends on role, location, and qualifications. Community-reported data on Indeed shows an average of about $25.59 per hour, roughly 27 percent above the national intern average.
Does Nationwide sponsor visas for interns?
Generally no. The August 2026 postings and the September wave all state that Nationwide does not participate in STEM OPT Extension and that visa sponsorship is not usually available for entry-level roles. Students needing sponsorship should contact recruiting directly, but the posted language is discouraging.
Can a Nationwide internship lead to a full-time job?
Yes. Nationwide lists intern-to-associate conversion as a program feature, and both actuarial postings state that interns are strongly considered for future full-time positions. Nationwide does not publish a conversion rate, but the language and structure point to a well-established pipeline.
Where are Nationwide internships located?
Primarily Columbus, Ohio. The summer 2027 postings are mostly in Columbus and Des Moines, Iowa, with E&S Wholesale Underwriting in Scottsdale, Arizona, Surety Underwriting in Avon, Connecticut, and MLS Underwriting in New York. Remote and hybrid options are listed as a program feature, though the investments track requires in-office work.
What is the Nationwide intern interview like?
Expect behavioral questions using the STAR method. Glassdoor data shows intern interviews rate 2.4 to 2.9 out of 5 in difficulty, with 69 to 88 percent positive experience. Two rounds are typical: a recruiter phone screen followed by a team or panel interview focused on your motivation and analytical thinking.
What skills does Nationwide look for in interns?
Analytical and problem-solving skills appear in all four postings read in August 2026, along with strong communication and demonstrated leadership. Actuarial tracks ask for mathematics, statistics, and quantitative analysis. The investments track asks for financial acumen and interest in leveraging AI to solve business problems.
Fifteen Nationwide summer 2027 internships were still live on October 6, 2026, but the claims and underwriting tracks have already closed. Whichever track you target, build the financial analysis and data skills their JDs reward through a remote Externship. A completed project in financial modeling or data visualization gives you evidence to discuss when the STAR-method interview begins.
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.
