Work-Based Learning
Among the many approaches to work-based learning, internships and apprenticeships currently have the strongest evidence base for improving student outcomes.
Paid student internships are recognized as a best practice that makes quality work-based learning experiences more accessible.
By the numbers
of graduates who completed a paid internship have a first job that requires their degree, compared to 44 percent of those who did not complete an internship.
of seniors have completed a paid internship, which is linked to better career outcomes.
Why work-based learning matters
Connecting academic learning with hands-on learning in a workplace setting is one of the oldest and most proven methods of education in the world. Despite this strong evidence base, the current supply of work-based learning opportunities is often insufficient and inequitable. Individuals of color, first-generation students, community college students, and those who are financially vulnerable face some of the worst odds of securing an internship.
Internships and Beyond: Strengthening Career Value Across Diverse Models of Work-Based Learning
One of the most promising strategies for helping students connect their education to career opportunities is giving students the opportunity to participate in off-campus learning experiences that are aligned with their field of study. Unfortunately, these work-based learning experiences remain too scarce.
With internships, the issue is supply, not demand
For college students, a paid internship comes with abundant benefits. Among them are a greater chance of securing a college-level job, and increased opportunities to explore careers, develop skills, and grow professional networks. There also is the likelihood of higher pay one year after graduation. Yet the nation’s supply of internships has not kept up with demand.
How we support work-based learning
Strada partners with states, institutions, policymakers, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations to support proven work-based learning models that are responsive to changing workforce needs and students’ interests.
State Higher Education Executive Officers
Through a series of engagements with states, SHEEO is supporting the growth of paid work based learning. States will develop action plans to scale work-based learning, including the expansion of education-to-career guidance, and share their plans with other state leaders.
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
This pilot initiative with major employers aims to significantly increase work-based learning opportunities that provide real-world experiences for students at state colleges and universities in Pennsylvania.
National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree
In a groundbreaking approach to college education, the National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree is redefining traditional pathways to success by combining paid, hands-on experience with academic learning through the Apprenticeship Degree — an accredited college degree, delivered through a new approach.
Aspen College Excellence Program
The program promotes work-based learning by helping community colleges integrate career skills into curricula, build strong employer partnerships, and expand paid internships. These efforts are aimed at aligning programs with high-wage regional jobs.
How we measure progress
While the benefits of work-based learning experiences are clear, access to quality work-based learning — such as paid internships — is still limited.
Strada developed the State Opportunity Index to help states measure their progress toward broadening access to paid internships, considered by many experts to be the gold standard for work-based learning. To better understand the internship experience, we conducted a nationally representative survey of individuals who completed their college education (public two- and four-year institutions) between 2020 and 2023. We also looked at public four-year graduates in the four largest states: California, Florida, New York, and Texas.
The 2025 State Opportunity Index showed that nationally, 26 percent of four-year students complete a paid internship by the time they graduate, while just 10 percent of community college students complete a paid internship. Graduates who completed a paid internship are much more likely to have a first job that requires a degree (73 percent), and are more likely to be satisfied with their first job and the progress they are making toward their long-term career goals.
A new Strada grant aims to test and support the effectiveness of employer intermediaries, which can fill a critical gap between the learners and employers.
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In light of what the State Opportunity Index reveals about progress in individual states and nationally, panelists will highlight practical strategies that all who seek to connect education to opportunity can apply to their work.
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Work-based learning is linked to better early career outcomes, including higher earnings and greater likelihood of securing college-level employment. As part of the 2025 State Opportunity Index, states were benchmarked using student-reported participation in at least one of five types of paid work-based learning at public two- and four-year institutions: internships, apprenticeships, co-ops, practica, and undergraduate research experiences.
As Strada’s eight-year investment in historically Black colleges and universities reaches its halfway point, the partner institutions and students involved reflect on how it helps students connect their education to economic opportunity.
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