Quick Facts
Root Insurance internship · at a glance
Roles open and close throughout the year. Check Root Insurance'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 Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy Externship or the Wayfair n8n AI Agent Engineering Externship.
Explore all externships →All quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Root's job board on Rippling, linked from its careers page; Root has no separate students page |
| Application window (2027–28) | Summer 2027: not open yet. 0 internships among 12 open jobs on October 5, 2026. Expected: summer 2027 postings from about mid-November to December 2026, staying up to about March 2027 (last cycle: actuarial intern announced November 18, 2025; data science intern live by December 11, 2025; removed from a job-site mirror March 12, 2026) |
| Rolling? | Likely rolling (low confidence): no posting states a deadline, and the 2026 data science role was up about three months |
| Eligibility | Data science: Master's or PhD students in a quantitative field, graduating late 2026 to late 2028 preferred; no OPT or CPT support. Actuarial intern requirements weren't published where we could read them |
| Duration | 11 weeks, June to August 2026 (the 2025 internship ran 12 weeks, May 27 to August 15) |
| Compensation | Data science, summer 2026: $45/hr for PhD students, $32/hr for Master's students. Actuarial intern pay not published |
| Return offers | "Potential to transition into a full-time Data Scientist role"; no conversion rate published |
| Locations | Remote anywhere in the US; headquarters in Columbus, OH |
| # Programs | Data Science Internship (recurring, graduate students); Actuarial Intern (posted for summer 2026) |
Last updated: October 2026
Root Insurance hasn't posted its summer 2027 internships yet, and its main one is narrow. On October 5, 2026 Root's job board listed 12 jobs, all senior, and no internships. Its recurring program is a remote Data Science Internship for Master's and PhD students only, which paid $45 an hour for PhD students and $32 for Master's students in summer 2026, per the 2026 posting. That posting also said Root can't support OPT or CPT work authorization.
Last cycle, Root's summer 2026 postings surfaced in mid-November 2025 and the data science role stayed up until about March 2026. In plain words: you apply from late 2026, you intern in summer 2027, and the postings should appear around mid-November 2026. Undergraduates should watch for the actuarial intern role, which Root also posted for summer 2026.
What Is a Root Insurance Internship?
A Root Insurance internship is a paid, remote summer role at Root, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROOT), a Columbus, Ohio auto and renters insurer that calls itself "the nation's first licensed insurance carrier powered entirely by mobile," per its company site. The recurring program is an 11- to 12-week Data Science Internship for Master's and PhD students, working on claims, customer lifetime value or marketing models with a mentoring data scientist. Root also posted an actuarial intern role for summer 2026. Its careers page says Root is Great Place to Work certified, and every job on its board is remote.
When Do Root Insurance Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Root's last cycle started in mid-November. A Root actuary announced the summer 2026 Actuarial Intern posting on November 18, 2025, and the Data Science Intern posting was live on Root's board by December 11, 2025. A job-site mirror removed the data science role on March 12, 2026, so it was open about three months, for an internship that started in June. That's a lead time of about 6.5 to 7 months. Applications for summer 2027 are expected from mid-November to December 2026 and to stay open until about March 2027. This rests on one dated cycle, so treat it as medium to low confidence.
Applications for summer 2027 aren't open yet: Root's board shows 12 senior jobs and no internships. This window is when you build a modeling project you can walk through in a long final interview.
Root's summer 2027 data science and actuarial intern postings are expected to appear. Apply in the first week or two.
A 30-minute recruiter phone screen, then a 2.5-hour final interview with the team, on camera. Last year's data science posting came down around March 12.
Offers settle. If you're a graduate student, confirm your work authorization early, since Root said it can't support OPT or CPT.
The internship is expected to run about 11 weeks from June, remote within the US. Summer 2028 postings are expected around November 2027.
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
Root's postings stayed up a while last cycle, about three months for the data science role, but no posting states a deadline and the program is small. The 2026 posting listed a 30-minute recruiter screen and a 2.5-hour final round, which takes time to schedule, so early applicants reach the final stage while seats are still open. Root also publishes few roles at once: on October 5, 2026 its whole board had 12 jobs. Check from early November 2026 and apply in the first week or two after the posting appears.
Which Root Insurance Internship Programs Should You Target?
Root runs a small program. Here's what it posted in the last two cycles.
| Role | Who it's for | Pay and dates | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Science Intern (summer 2026) | Master's or PhD students in a quantitative field | PhD $45/hr, Master's $32/hr; 11 weeks, June to August 2026 | Statistical modeling, machine learning, R or Python, data visualization |
| Data Science Intern (summer 2025) | Master's or PhD students | $45/hr; 12 weeks, May 27 to August 15, 2025 | Same skills; claims, lifetime value or marketing projects |
| Actuarial Intern (summer 2026) | Not published where we could read it | Not published | Announced November 18, 2025; posting text not recovered |
Check Root's Rippling board for new postings. A high school IT intern role in Columbus has also appeared on job sites; it's for local high school students, not college interns.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
The summer 2026 data science posting set clear rules:
• Degree level: currently pursuing a Master's or PhD in a quantitative field; undergraduates aren't eligible for this role.
• Graduation date: ideally between late 2026 and late 2028 (an earlier version of the posting said late 2027).
• Work authorization: Root said it's "unable to do OPT and CPT work authorizations."
• Location: remote from anywhere in the US.
• GPA: no GPA requirement stated.
• Undergraduates: the actuarial intern role is the likelier fit, but its requirements weren't published anywhere we could read.
Can Undergraduates Get a Root Insurance Internship?
Not the data science one. Both the 2025 and 2026 postings required current Master's or PhD enrollment. Undergraduates should watch for the actuarial intern posting, which a Root actuary announced on November 18, 2025 for summer 2026. International graduate students should note the OPT and CPT line before investing in a 2.5-hour final round.
Profile Match · Extern Data
Could You Get In at Root Insurance? 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 Root Insurance Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Root's data science interns use the same toolkit as its full-time data scientists. The 2026 intern posting asks for statistical modeling, machine learning and probability theory, R or Python with model fitting, strong data visualization and storytelling, and an end-to-end ownership mentality. Root's three live data scientist postings, in telematics, lifetime value and performance marketing, add Python and SQL in production, version control and survival or time-series modeling. Interns work on claims, lifetime value or marketing problems.
What Root Insurance looks for in interns
Skills across 5 Root Insurance intern & analyst job descriptions · 2 data science intern postings (2025, 2026) plus 3 live data scientist postings, October 5, 2026
Method: requirements sections of Root's 2025 and 2026 Data Science Intern postings (read from job-site mirrors) and its three data scientist postings live on its Rippling board on October 5, 2026. The staff roles also require years of experience, which isn't counted. Root posts too few intern roles for an intern-only chart.
How Is Demand for Data Science Interns Moving Right Now?
Data science intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 182 in August
For Root applicants: Root's board listed 12 jobs and no internships on October 5, 2026; three of the 12 are senior data scientist roles in telematics, lifetime value and marketing, the same areas its interns work in.
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
Each Root skill below maps to a remote Externship you can finish before the November window.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and marketing analytics | Intern projects in "Lifetime Value Estimation, and Marketing" | Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy |
| Applied machine learning and automation | "Apply statistical and machine learning techniques to solve quantitative problems in the insurance industry" | Wayfair n8n AI Agent Engineering |
| SQL and data pipelines | Live data scientist postings: Python and SQL, building modeling datasets | Breaking Games SQL Database Architecture |
| Financial modeling for actuarial work | Actuarial Intern track (summer 2026) | Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis and Private Company Valuation |
The analytics match matters most: Root's interns present findings to leaders, so a project that ends in a clear chart and a recommendation is the right practice.
What Is the Root Insurance Application and Interview Process Like?
Root's 2026 data science posting spells out the interview process:
1. Apply on Rippling. Postings appear on Root's board; check from early November.
2. Recruiter screen. A 30-minute phone interview with a recruiter.
3. Final interview. A 2.5-hour interview with the team for candidates who advance. Root asks every candidate to be on camera for virtual interviews.
4. Offer. Root doesn't publish a timeline; last year's role stayed posted until about March.
A 2.5-hour final usually mixes technical and behavioral questions, so prepare both. Our behavioral interview guide covers the STAR method.
What Root Employees Say on Reddit
We found no Reddit thread about Root internships. These two threads come from claims staff, not interns, and describe the culture interns join.
A former Root auto appraiser said the company had the best culture they'd seen across three carriers: strong work-life balance, six weeks of PTO and no ego trips. The downsides they named were pay and health insurance.
Views on Root as an employer were mixed: one employee called it the best company they'd worked for after years in insurance, while others pointed to the 2022 and 2023 layoffs and colleagues who left quickly.
How Do You Stand Out for a Root Insurance Internship?
Three moves. First, check eligibility before anything else. The data science role takes Master's and PhD students only, and Root said it can't support OPT or CPT. Second, bring a modeling project with a business result. Root's interns work on claims, lifetime value and marketing, so a project on claim severity, customer retention or marketing response, fitted in R or Python and explained with a clear chart, speaks directly to the posting. Third, prepare for a long final round. The 2.5-hour team interview rewards candidates who can walk through modeling choices and tradeoffs. Root publishes no applicant count or conversion rate.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Students looking at Root usually compare other auto insurers and data-driven carriers.
- ProgressiveTelematics auto pioneer with large data science and actuarial intern classesGuide →
- NationwideColumbus neighbor with a large actuarial and IT intern programGuide →
- AllstateAuto carrier with analytics and actuarial internshipsGuide →
- Oscar HealthTech-first insurer in health with data internshipsGuide →
- LemonadeClosest insurtech peer, app-based home and auto insurerCareers site
Our insurance internships summer 2027 guide compares calendars across auto, life, property and health insurers.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Root Insurance internship?
No. Root's summer 2026 internships ran June to August 2026, and on October 5, 2026 its board listed 12 jobs and no internships. Summer 2027 postings are expected from about mid-November 2026, based on when last year's actuarial and data science roles appeared.
When do Root Insurance internship applications open for summer 2027?
Expected around mid-November to December 2026. Last cycle, a Root actuary announced the actuarial intern posting on November 18, 2025, and the data science internship was live by December 11, 2025. That role stayed up until about March 2026, but apply early rather than late.
Is the Root Insurance internship remote?
Yes. Root calls itself a "work where it works best" company and supports interns working from any US location. Every job on its board on October 5, 2026 was remote within the United States. Its headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.
Can undergraduates apply to Root's data science internship?
No. The 2025 and 2026 data science postings required current enrollment in a Master's or PhD program in a quantitative field. Undergraduates should look for the actuarial intern posting, which Root also ran for summer 2026, though its requirements weren't published anywhere we could read.
How much do Root Insurance interns make?
The summer 2026 data science internship paid $45 an hour for PhD students and $32 an hour for Master's students. The summer 2025 version paid $45 an hour as a single rate. Root didn't publish pay for its actuarial intern role anywhere we could find.
Does Root Insurance sponsor international students?
Not for the data science internship. The 2026 posting said Root is "unable to do OPT and CPT work authorizations," which rules out most international students on F-1 visas. Check the summer 2027 posting when it appears, in case the policy changes.
What is the Root Insurance interview process?
The 2026 data science posting describes a 30-minute phone interview with a recruiter, then a 2.5-hour interview with the team for candidates who advance. Root asks every candidate to be on camera for virtual interviews. Expect to discuss modeling choices from your own projects.
Can a Root Insurance internship lead to a full-time job?
Possibly. The data science posting says interns finish with the "potential to transition into a full-time Data Scientist role." Root doesn't publish a conversion rate, and its board currently lists only senior data scientist roles, so treat a return offer as a chance, not a promise.
Root's summer 2027 postings are expected from mid-November. Build a modeling project before then: a remote Externship gives you finished work to walk through in a long final interview.
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.
