Finance internships for 2027 aren't one track, they're three: investment banking and summer analyst programs, corporate finance and FP&A internships inside non-financial companies, and fintech internships that recruit more like tech internships than traditional finance ones. The honest answer to "when should I apply" depends entirely on which of those three you're after, since banking moves a full year ahead of the other two.
Investment banking recruits earliest of any field outside quant trading. Many 2027 summer analyst seats had interviews running well before this internship market's normal August-through-October wave. Corporate finance and fintech both post closer to a standard internship calendar, which gives you more room if you're only starting to look now.
Investment banking vs corporate finance vs fintech
Investment banking interns build financial models and pitch books, sit in on live deal work when staffing allows, and spend the summer being evaluated for a full-time offer through a compressed, high-pressure process. Corporate finance and FP&A interns work inside a company's own finance team on budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis, a steadier and less client-facing version of the same skill set. Fintech interns often sit closer to a product or data team, working on pricing models, risk analysis or payments infrastructure, and the internship itself can look more like a software or data science internship than a classic finance one.
When each finance track opens for 2027
| Track | Applications open | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Investment banking / summer analyst | Spring through fall 2026 | Earliest of the three. Bulge bracket and boutique banks fill many seats through campus recruiting well ahead of the internship start. |
| Corporate finance / FP&A | Fall 2026 through winter | Posts closer to a normal internship timeline at companies outside finance itself. |
| Fintech | Rolling, summer 2026 through spring 2027 | Runs on a tech-style hiring calendar rather than a fixed banking cycle. |
| Accounting (Big 4 and mid-tier) | August to October 2026 | Its own track with its own timeline. See our accounting internships guide. |
How competitive is banking recruiting, really
Very, especially at the largest banks. Expect a resume screen, one or more technical interviews on discounted cash flow, comparable company analysis and basic accounting, and a final "superday" round of back-to-back interviews. Networking still matters more in banking than in almost any other field. Reaching out to alumni, attending info sessions and building a relationship with a recruiter before you apply can matter as much as your resume. Boutique and regional banks run smaller, less structured processes, and they're a real option if the bulge bracket names feel out of reach.
What finance interns actually get paid
Investment banking sits near the top of the internship pay scale industry-wide, which we cover in more detail in our highest paying internships guide. Corporate finance and FP&A internships pay a solid, steady wage that's usually well below banking but comparable to other corporate internships. Fintech pay varies the most, since it depends more on company stage and size than on the "finance" label itself, similar to how pay varies across tech internships generally.
Do you need a finance degree?
Not strictly, though it helps for banking specifically, where interviewers assume you already know the technicals cold. Corporate finance and FP&A roles are more open to economics, accounting or even general business majors as long as you're comfortable in a spreadsheet. Fintech is the most flexible of the three: plenty of fintech finance-adjacent roles will take a strong analytical candidate from almost any quantitative major, especially if you can show real project or coursework experience with data.
Where to start
If banking is the goal, you're already behind the earliest movers by August 2026, but boutique banks and regional offices keep interviewing later into the fall. If corporate finance or fintech fits better, you have more runway. Either way, apply broadly rather than betting everything on a handful of famous names. Browse everything currently open on our 2027 finance internships list, or compare timelines against the rest of the market in our summer 2027 internships guide and our Big 4 internships guide if accounting is also on your list.
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Frequently asked questions
When do finance internships for 2027 open?
It depends on the track. Investment banking recruits earliest, often more than a year ahead, with many 2027 summer analyst seats already moving through interviews by August 2026. Corporate finance and FP&A internships post closer to a normal fall-through-winter timeline, and fintech internships run on a rolling, tech-style calendar.
What's the difference between investment banking and corporate finance internships?
Banking interns build financial models and pitch books and get evaluated for a full-time offer through a compressed, high-pressure summer. Corporate finance and FP&A interns work inside a company's own finance team on budgeting and forecasting, a steadier version of similar skills without client-facing deal work.
How much do finance interns get paid?
Investment banking sits near the top of the internship pay scale industry-wide. Corporate finance and FP&A pay a solid, steady wage typically well below banking. Fintech pay varies more, driven by company stage and size rather than the finance label itself, similar to how pay spreads across tech internships generally.
Do I need a finance major to get a finance internship?
Not strictly, though it helps for banking, where interviewers expect you to already know the technicals. Corporate finance and FP&A are open to economics, accounting or general business majors comfortable in a spreadsheet. Fintech is the most flexible, often taking strong analytical candidates from any quantitative major.