Last updated: October 2026
Year Up United doesn't hire interns. It's a tuition-free job-training program for ages 18 to 29, and the internship is one phase of it: Year Up staff place enrolled students at corporate partners, so the way in is to apply as a student. Admissions are rolling, a new cohort begins about every six months, and Year Up says 72% of its graduates are employed within four months of graduating (its own figure). As of 16 October 2026, the Chicago page lists fall 2026 starts in September and October and still shows an Apply button. In plain words: you apply in 2026 as a student, you intern later in the program. This guide is about Year Up United, not City Year, which is a different organization.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | yearup.org/students/how-it-works, then pick your location; admissions@yearupunited.org for questions |
| Application window (2027–28) | Rolling admissions. A new cohort starts about every 6 months; Chicago lists Sept and Oct 2026 starts. The next cohort after fall 2026 is expected ~spring 2027 (dates are per location) |
| Rolling? | Yes. “Spaces can fill up quickly,” so apply early |
| Eligibility | Ages 18 to 29, high school graduate or GED, no bachelor's degree, low to moderate income, within commuting distance of a location, US work authorization, available Mon–Fri |
| Duration | In most locations a one-year commitment, Monday to Friday; duration varies by location. Business-hours schedule, hybrid |
| Compensation | No tuition. Educational stipend during the whole program that increases during the internship; amount not published on the pages we read |
| Return offers | Not published as a rate. Year Up cites 72% of graduates employed within 4 months of graduation |
| Locations | More than 20 US metro areas, hybrid with required in-person days (no remote-only option) |
| # Programs | 1 program (Career Pathways: learning phase, internship, job search), with specialties that vary by location |
The facts that matter: it's free, it's for ages 18 to 29 without a bachelor's degree, admissions are rolling, and the internship isn't guaranteed. Year Up pays an educational stipend that increases during the internship, but the amount isn't published on the pages we read.
Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project with a real company. They're a separate option, not a substitute for Year Up's program. The vCISO Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Externship and the Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy Externship are examples of project work in security and business data. Explore all Externships.
What Is a Year Up Internship?
A Year Up internship is the middle phase of Year Up United's Career Pathways program, a tuition-free, roughly year-long job-training program for young adults ages 18 to 29. Year Up describes three steps: a Learning and Development phase of technical and professional skills training, an internship at a corporate partner, and job-search support through its placement firm, YUPRO Placement. Year Up's students page says the internship is staff-led: matching happens as students finish the learning phase, and not every student gets one. Year Up United was formerly called Year Up, and the Chicago page lists partners such as Bank of America, JPMorganChase, LinkedIn, Salesforce and Amazon, which vary by location.
When Do Year Up Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
Year Up doesn't run a once-a-year recruiting season. Its FAQ says admissions are rolling and a new cohort begins about every six months, with start dates listed on each location page. The Chicago page shows fall 2026 starts in September and October 2026. Cohort dates for spring 2027 and fall 2027 weren't posted on the pages we read, so the dates below are projections from the stated six-month cadence, and your own location page is the one that counts.
Admissions are open and rolling. Fall 2026 cohorts are starting (Chicago lists September and October 2026), so spaces in the nearest cohort may already be tight. Pick your location, check its pathways and start dates, and open the application, which takes under 20 minutes.
Interview and decision. After the application you attend an interview (currently virtual), then view and sign your decision letter. Admissions staff support you through each step.
Complete pre-work, any academic assessment your location uses, and documents: proof of diploma or GED, proof of US work authorization, references and a background check. Misdemeanor or juvenile records don't affect admission but must be disclosed to internship companies.
Next cohort after fall 2026, expected about six months later. If you miss the current class, Year Up's FAQ says to apply for the next. Check your location's page for exact dates.
Following cohort, expected about a year from now. Internship matching happens late in the learning phase, so the internship itself comes months after you start.
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
Admissions are rolling, which means there's no single deadline, but Year Up warns that spaces can fill up quickly and encourages early applications. Because new cohorts start about every six months, a missed class costs roughly half a year. Applying early also gives you time to sort out onboarding documents, including proof of work authorization and references, before your start date.
Which Year Up Internship Programs Should You Target?
Year Up has one program with three phases, and the pathway you train in varies by location. You list your top specialty choices when you apply, and staff assign one, which you can't change later.
| Program / Track | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning and Development | Hybrid instruction in a career pathway: technical and professional skills, with a business-attire dress code | First part of a program that is one year in most locations | Pathway-specific technical skills and professional skills |
| Internship | Hands-on work at a corporate partner, assigned by Year Up staff as students finish the learning phase | Second phase; length varies by location | On-the-job application of training; stipend increases |
| Job search with YUPRO Placement | Job-search support after the program; some students move directly here instead of interning | After the program | Interviewing, placement support |
| Pathways (Chicago example) | Banking, Business Operations, Customer Success, Financial Operations, Network Security & Support, Data Analytics, IT Support, Project Management, Sales Support | Varies by location | Varies; pathways and partners change each cycle |
Check your location page for the pathways and start dates offered near you.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Year Up's eligibility requirements:
• Age: 18 to 29. You can apply at 17 if you turn 18 before the internship starts, and you must be no older than 29 when you're accepted.
• Education: high school graduate or GED, and no bachelor's degree. An international college degree is acceptable, per the FAQ.
• Income: low to moderate income.
• Location and schedule: live within commuting distance of a location and be available Monday to Friday for the whole program, including in-person days.
• Work authorization: authorized to work in the US for the full duration.
Is There a GPA Requirement?
Year Up doesn't state a GPA requirement on the pages we read. Some locations use a basic academic assessment during onboarding. Onboarding also includes a background check; misdemeanor or juvenile records have no impact on your application but do need to be disclosed to the companies where students are placed.
What Skills Does Year Up Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
Year Up trains skills rather than screening for them, so it doesn't publish a list of job requirements. What it emphasizes on its pages is technical and professional skills, a business-attire dress code, attendance expectations and the ability to attend in person regularly. The pathway you're assigned determines the technical side: IT support, network security, data analytics, financial operations, project management and others, depending on the location.
Note: Year Up places students rather than posting intern requisitions, so there are no job descriptions to count and no skill-frequency chart. We'd rather leave it out than invent percentages.
How Is Demand for Data Analyst Interns Moving Right Now?
Data analyst intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 37 in August
For Year Up applicants: Data analyst 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
No Externship is a substitute for Year Up. These show adjacent project skills in the pathways Year Up lists.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Network security & support | Pathway: Network Security & Support (Chicago page) | vCISO Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Externship |
| Financial operations & banking | Pathways: Financial Operations; Banking (Chicago page) | Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis Externship |
| Data analytics | Pathway: Data Analytics (Chicago page) | Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy Externship |
| Business operations & healthcare data | Pathway: Business Operations (Chicago page) | TruBridge Healthcare Data Analytics Externship |
These give you finished work to discuss in your interview. They don't replace Year Up's training, stipend or internship placement.
What Is the Year Up Application and Interview Process Like?
Year Up's five steps:
1. Complete the application. Create a student portal account and fill out the form, which takes under 20 minutes. You'll also get access to information sessions. Start at yearup.org.
2. Attend your interview. Interviews are currently held virtually.
3. View and sign your decision letter. Year Up notifies you by email.
4. Complete onboarding. Pre-work, an academic assessment where used, and documents: proof of diploma or GED, proof of work authorization, references and a background check.
5. Begin the program. You list your top specialty choices, and staff assign one. Internship matching comes later, as you finish the learning phase.
What Students on Reddit Say
Three first-hand threads from alumni and participants, mostly positive with clear caveats.
Alumni replying to a prospective student call the program legitimate. One who finished in 2018 warns that a points-based attendance system means missed or late sessions can end your place, and that transportation and covering income during the program are real risks.
A participant in the New York and New Jersey area rates the program 7 out of 10, finished an internship and was converted to a full-time contractor with a goal of full-time employee. They say the experience depends on the team, the company and the location, and a commenter confirms a conversion through the program.
An alum from 2020 says Year Up is a career readiness program rather than an internship program, and another alum says the stipend is meant to offset costs, not to work as a paycheck. The second calls the program worth it if the stipend isn't your first concern.
How Do You Stand Out?
Three moves. Apply early to the nearest cohort, since spaces can fill and a miss costs about six months. Choose your specialty preferences carefully, because staff assign the pathway and you can't switch later. And treat attendance as part of the job: alumni describe a points-based system, and the program expects you in person on set days, Monday to Friday. Year Up doesn't publish an internship conversion rate, only its 72% four-month employment figure, so ask your admissions office about outcomes at your location.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
Year Up sits among workforce and service nonprofits. Each of these is a different model, so compare how each works before you apply.
- City Yeara separate organization (not Year Up): AmeriCorps service year in schools, with a living stipendGuide →
- Teach For Americaeducation nonprofit with a two-year teaching corps rather than job trainingGuide →
- International Rescue Committeehumanitarian nonprofit with employer-style internships in US citiesGuide →
- Per Scholastuition-free technology training nonprofit, a similar training modelCareers site
For more roles in this space, see our Nonprofit & Social Impact Internships Summer 2027 Guide.
FAQ
Can I still apply to Year Up for the fall 2026 cohort?
Possibly. Admissions are rolling, and the Chicago page lists fall 2026 starts in September and October 2026 with an Apply button. Spaces can fill quickly, and cohort dates vary by location. If you miss the class, Year Up says to apply for the next one, about six months later.
Is Year Up an internship?
Not exactly. Year Up United is a tuition-free job-training program, and the internship is one phase of it, placed by Year Up staff at corporate partners. You apply as a student, not as an intern. The internship isn't guaranteed, since some students move directly to a job search instead.
Who can apply to Year Up?
Young adults ages 18 to 29 with a high school diploma or GED and no bachelor's degree, who have low to moderate income and live within commuting distance of a Year Up location. You must be authorized to work in the US and available Monday to Friday for the whole program.
Does Year Up cost anything or pay a stipend?
There's no tuition. Year Up says you can earn an educational stipend during the entire program and that it increases during the internship, but it says the stipend won't replace a full-time job. The pages we read don't publish an amount, so ask your local admissions office.
When can I start Year Up?
Cohorts start about every six months, and admissions are rolling. Each location page lists its own start dates; Chicago shows September and October 2026. The next cohort after fall 2026 is expected around spring 2027, though exact dates depend on your location and haven't been posted for all of them.
Am I guaranteed a Year Up internship?
No. Students who meet expectations in the learning phase have the opportunity to advance to an internship or go directly into a job search with YUPRO Placement. Year Up doesn't publish an internship placement rate. It does cite 72% of graduates employed within four months of graduating.
Is Year Up remote?
No. Year Up uses a hybrid model combining virtual and in-person instruction, and you must be able to attend in-person days regularly and live within commuting distance of a location. Hours roughly mirror business hours, Monday to Friday, with a business-attire dress code.
Is Year Up the same as City Year?
No. Year Up United is a job-training program for ages 18 to 29 with a corporate internship phase. City Year is a separate AmeriCorps organization in which members serve in schools. They have different applications, eligibility rules and programs, so check the right site before applying.
Admissions are rolling, so the best time to start is when you know your location and can gather your documents. Begin at yearup.org, and use the wait to build proof of your skills: a remote Externship is a separate, short way to finish a real company project, though it doesn't replace Year Up's program.
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.
