Glassdoor’s top 25 companies for internships

Looking for an internship this summer? More than 4,700 US companies are hiring interns, according to the career company Glassdoor. Glassdoor looked at 20 cities with employers hiring interns and found Boston ranked at number six with more than 300 companies looking to hire young talent. Glassdoor also released its annual list of the 25 Highest Rated Companies Hiring Interns in 2014. This year, tech giant Google was knocked out of first place by Facebook, which made its debut on the list. Check out which companies are among the best for interns, how the interns grade each company, and how difficult the interview process is for prospective interns. (Glassdoor’s interview difficulty and company satisfaction ratings are based on a 5-point scale: 1 = very easy ; 5 = very difficult.)

25. Amazon.com, Seattle, Wash.

Company rating according to interns: 3.9Interview difficulty rating: 3.2Recent intern feedback by:Amazon Financial Analyst Intern (Seattle, Wash.)Pros: “The financial analyst internship is one of the best experiences I have had. It is much longer than most internships (six months) and in this time you are given meaningful work that will challenge you and expand your skills outside of school. The most important component of the internship is the people you work with. You are surrounded with very bright, thoughtful individuals and it really helps to develop a passion for the work you do.’’Cons: “At times the internship and what is expected of you can be incredibly vague/unclear. This can be an opportunity to work on self direction but many people have trouble with ambiguity. Another drawback are the long hours. A lot of work goes into the weekly tasks and final project and there isn’t much gratitude but the reward is personal growth.’’

24. Nordstrom, Seattle, Wash.

Company rating according to interns: 4.0Interview difficulty rating: 2.9Recent intern feedback by:Retail Management Intern (Walnut Creek, Calif.)Pros: “The Retail Management Internship Program was amazing. I loved the Nordstrom culture and I was very well taken care of. My manager was very passionate in her work and taught me how to grow a business.’’Cons: “The quality of the internship varies between each store. Luckily, I was placed in a store that was very supportive of their interns. Interns from other stores had a bad experience. Also, I wished I could learn even more about the managerial side than feeling like a sales associate 65% of the time.’’

23. Quicken Loans, Detroit, Mich.

Company rating according to interns: 4.0Interview difficulty rating: 2.4Recent intern feedback by:Mortgage Banking Intern (Detroit, Mich.)Pros: “Amazing culture. You will make friends. The company REALLY cares about contributing to Detroit.’’Cons: “Your life is work. Hard to balance work and life outside of work.’’

22. GE, Fairfield, Conn.

Company rating according to interns: 4.0Interview difficulty rating: 2.7Recent intern feedback by:GE HRLP Intern (location, n/a)Pros: “Robust roles, challenging projects, smart and motivated people with high standards. Career development. They want to see you reach your potential. The 4 Es are a great mantra and shine through.’’Cons: “Work-life balance, environment can be harsh and critical, not a good place if you are not viewed as a high potential star.’’

21. J.P. Morgan, New York City

Company rating according to interns: 4.0Interview difficulty rating: 3.0Recent intern feedback by:J.P. Morgan Chase Equity Research Intern (New York City)Pros: “Friendly and motivating people, challenging but fulfilling projects, and a great training program (gives you all the training needed to do well on the job).’’Cons: “The only downside I can think of is the long hours … but that is expected and the benefits greatly outweigh the extra hours spent in the office.’’

20. Deloitte, New York City

Company rating according to interns: 4.0Interview difficulty rating: 3.0Recent intern feedback by:Deloitte Tax Intern (Charlotte, N.C.)Pros: “A ton of hands on experience doing what the staff do, lots of networking events/intern socials, an amazing team of coworkers, and great pay.’’Cons: “I wish the internship was longer! (basically I just want to work there full time).’’

19. Broadcom, Irvine, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.1Interview difficulty rating: 3.1Recent intern feedback by: Broadcom Intern (Sunnyvale, Calif.)Pros: “It’s real work, in a highly technical environment. There’s lots of scope for learning, and, in keeping with the tech culture in the Bay Area, as long as you get your work done, nothing else matters.’’Cons: “Work pressure is generally greater in Broadcom than comparable companies, and may encroach on your personal time. HR is almost invisible, and the number of social activities/events are minimal.’’

18. Cisco, San Jose, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.1Interview difficulty rating: 2.7Recent intern feedback by:Cisco Software Engineer Intern (San Jose, Calif.)Pros: “There are a lot of smart people at Cisco and this is a good place to learn and gain experience. The campus is also large and beautiful. Cisco has tons of resources.’’Cons: “At times the work is a little slow paced. Some people who are mentors should not be mentors whereas other people who should be mentors are not.’’

17. Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio

Company rating according to interns: 4.1Interview difficulty rating: 3.4Recent intern feedback by:Customer Business Development Intern (Fayetteville, Ark.)Pros: “The benefits are fantastic, and you’re surrounded by brilliant people. The opportunities for advancement are immense, and it’s wonderful to be able to see the impact you’re making on global brands. The training programs are also top notch. I can’t think of anywhere else I would have preferred to start my career!’’Cons: “While there are many opportunities, it seems like it’s a bit upwards or outwards. Everyone was constantly talking about moving up the ladder, which is nice to have motivated workers … but it worried me a bit about what might happen when people reach their peak.’’

16. Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.1Interview difficulty rating: 2.6Recent intern feedback by:Hewlett-Packard Business Development and Marketing Intern (Houston, Texas)Pros: “Lots of people who are willing to help that you can start building a network with from the start. It’s very easy to move to a new role and find your fit in the company. Also, amazing compensation, even as an intern.’’Cons: “You are placed in a small cube in a large office and may feel like a number at times. One person’s experience can vary from the next. It completely depends on what team and role you fall into.’’

15. Goldman Sachs, New York City

Company rating according to interns: 4.1Interview difficulty rating: 3.2Recent intern feedback by:Goldman Sachs Summer Analyst Intern (Salt Lake City, Utah)Pros: “Absolutely loved the friendly atmosphere. Interns had an opportunity to set up a one-on-one meeting/phone call with anybody from the company to get some tips on professional development. Interns had many opportunities to network.’’Cons: “GS has high expectations for their employees: the further you move up the career ladder, the more GS becomes a priority in your life.’’

14. Yahoo, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.1Interview difficulty rating: 2.9Recent intern feedback by:Yahoo Technical Intern I (Sunnyvale, Calif.)Pros: “Free food, flexible work hours, CEO with vision, company on the rise.’’Cons: “Expensive housing around Yahoo headquarters.’’

13. Morgan Stanley, New York City

Company rating according to interns: 4.1Interview difficulty rating: 3.3Recent intern feedback by:Morgan Stanley Intern (New York City)Pros: “There are a lot of opportunities for mobility; the company is also very diverse, especially relative to its peer companies.’’Cons: “A lot of people who have a choice choose Goldman over Morgan Stanley because of simple name recognition, so it may lose some of the young talent.’’

12. Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas

Company rating according to interns: 4.2Interview difficulty rating: 3.0Recent intern feedback by:Texas Instruments Embedded Systems Intern (Goleta, Calif.)Pros: “Staff is very friendly and knowledgable. Recruiting process is not as long as other engineering companies. Dallas location has many perks and lots of social events for interns. Recent graduates can apply for a rotation program that lets you work in three different locations throughout the country (maybe including Toronto too?)’’Cons: “The problem with TI internships is that the pay is extremely low compared to other engineering companies. I was just a sophomore when I took the offer so I wasn’t aware of this until my classmates all got higher paying jobs. Also, if you work in the smaller branches you might be the only intern there like I was (makes for a boring summer).’’

11. Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, N.J.

Company rating according to interns: 4.2Interview difficulty rating: 2.8Recent intern feedback by:Johnson & Johnson MBA Intern (New Brunswick, N.J.)Pros: “Great company, great culture, and great project. People are always willing to help out, you just have to take the initiative to ask. I would recommend this company to anyone looking to work in the supply chain/ operations/ project management/ and IT space.’’Cons: “A little unorganized at times, but allows for more opportunities.’’

10. Exxon Mobil, Irving, Texas

Company rating according to interns: 4.2Interview difficulty rating: 3.0Recent intern feedback by:Exxon Mobil Intern (Houston, Texas)Pros: “Professional Development, Pay, and Exposure to Fortune 5 Company. As an Intern, I had the opportunity to really challenge myself, work on some weaknesses, present to executives, and get great exposure to a large energy firm.’’Cons: “Hours and Culture. I worked 12-13 hour days regularly during my internship, including holidays and weekends. The culture is cultish. Very Texan and/or country. Those who don’t drink the Kool-Aid and show outward enthusiasm and constant positivity are visibly frowned upon. Cosmopolitan, city-esque individuals with even a hint of a sarcastic sense of humor don’t fit in well. Although there is some diversity, it’s a bit of a smoke screen. The cultural and personality make-up of the company is very homogeneous. Safety culture is extreme. There are literally parking ‘hall monitors’ with orange vests reminding you to use the handrail. The safety minute presentations about how to appropriately cut an avocado were too much. The ranking system. Enron did something very similar to what XOM does in its ranking. Enough said.’’

9. Apple, Cupertino, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.3Interview difficulty rating: 3.1Recent intern feedback by:Apple Software Engineering Intern (Cupertino, Calif.)Pros: “I worked on a consumer-facing product for iOS, and even as a first-year intern, I was given the chance to work on a high-impact project and take it on myself. At the end of the internship we had the opportunity to present the results of our work to the VP of our department, which was a really fantastic opportunity given that this was my first internship experience.General perks of interning at Apple: They treat their interns really, really well. In addition to providing free housing (which was at worst a 15 minute drive from work) or a $1000 housing stipend, some teams provide free lunches/dinners to employees, and you’re also eligible for all the other employee benefits, like health insurance, fitness center membership, product discounts, etc. More importantly, you get to work in a really flat environment and form a really close bond with your manager and others on your team. Apple also does an ‘Executive Speaker Series’ during which each of the Apple executives give a seminar-style talk to the interns about the work they do, where they come from, etc.’’Cons: “This wasn’t my experience, but the truth is that depending on your team, the work might be uninspiring because working on consumer-facing products at Apple is undeniably more fun than working on internal tools or QA. That said, that’s true of almost all product-driven companies, so it’s really just a general point to note.’’

8. Bloomberg L.P., New York City

Company rating according to interns: 4.3Interview difficulty rating: 3.0Recent intern feedback by:Bloomberg Financial Software Developer Intern (New York City)Pros: “Awesome location, snacks, usually interesting work and good hours. The employees seem very content and taken care of. The full-timers were very welcoming to the interns, inviting us to play frisbee after work. (The work-life balance was good — people normally left around 6 pm to do that sort of thing.) The interns had a week of training which also allowed us to socialize, and the intern class ended up pretty close and brave.’’Cons: “The codebase is largely old and kludgy (like any 30+ year old company). They spent a week teaching the interns how to use their proprietary stack, though, and it’s pretty effective at what it does.’’

7. Microsoft, Redmond, Wash.

Company rating according to interns: 4.3Interview difficulty rating: 3.2Recent intern feedback by:Microsoft Research Intern (Redmond, Wash.)Pros: “The research internship program is really well-organized. There’re housing, car rental and relocation subsidies, as well as internship only events.’’Cons: “No option for a return offer.’’

6. Intel Corp., Santa Clara, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.4Interview difficulty rating: 2.7Recent intern feedback by:Intel Undergraduate Intern (Austin, Texas)Pros: “I was just an intern, but all of the managers that I have worked with have been extremely flexible and emphasized that school came first. If I ever needed a day off for school, it was not an issue. My team was very supportive and assigned projects that were challenging helped me to learn a lot of things that I had not learned in school. Very laid back environment that was very comfortable to work in.’’Cons: “Being an intern, I would not always get the most exciting projects or I would go periods of time without projects so there wouldn’t be a lot to do. Communication can be very slow because everyone is so involved and busy with their own work.’’

5. Epic Systems Corp., Verona, Wis.

Company rating according to interns: 4.5Interview difficulty rating: 3.3Recent intern feedback by:Epic Systems Software Development Intern (Verona, Wis.)Pros: “I had a great experience interning at Epic for the summer of 2013. The compensation was great, the offices were really neat, and I felt like I learned a lot from being there. Epic has a great support staff for interns, and ultimately, they want to see their interns both do excellent work and learn a lot at their time at Epic. It is a good place to start out.’’Cons: “Epic is not a place where I would want to stay long term. While the internship was an excellent experience, there is little room for career advancement at Epic, and the effectiveness of your team largely depends on your team lead.’’

4. Schlumberger, Houston, Texas

Company rating according to interns: 4.5Interview difficulty rating: 3.1Recent intern feedback by:Schlumberger Electrical Intern (Sugar Land, Texas)Pros: “They seem to really care about and take care of their employees. They spend a lot of time and resources in training. The people who I worked with on my specific project really seemed to go the extra mile to give their reasoning behind what direction I should take on the project, as well as my future career.’’Cons: “Obviously, a large company will be slower at making any and all decisions. Sometimes the people above me were hard to reach.’’

3. Qualcomm, San Diego, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.5Interview difficulty rating: 3.0Recent intern feedback by:Qualcomm Interim Engineering Intern (San Diego, Calif.)Pros: “People at Qualcomm are talented and yet they are very helpful. Most of the people I worked with have open doors policy. Qualcomm has one of the best internship programs and interns are regularly showered with fun activities. Interns are automatically being considered for return internship opportunities or a full time position. There are many career opportunities in the Qualcomm HQ, employees are encouraged to explore areas that fit their passion.’’Cons: “None that I could think of.’’

2. Google, Mountain View, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.6Interview difficulty rating: 3.4Recent intern feedback by:Google Software Engineer Intern (Mountain View, Calif.)Pros: “You’ll work with very talented and motivated people, lots of perks, state-of-the-art infrastructure. Having the opportunity to take a look at all the wonderful stuff they’ve developed and taking part in the creation of new tools and products is an amazing experience, especially if you’re still in college.’’Cons: “I couldn’t say. The internship can be quite demanding, but it really depends on your projects, your skills and how many weeks you’re staying. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing either, but I’d be prepared to be quite busy for the duration of the internship.’’

1. Facebook, Menlo Park, Calif.

Company rating according to interns: 4.6Interview difficulty rating: 3.1Recent intern feedback by:Facebook Software Engineer Intern (Menlo Park, Calif.)Pros: “The culture is pretty awesome and has staying power. The intern program is amazing and everyone is actually happy that the interns are there.’’Cons: “Sometimes things can get “hacky’’ because the company is so small and everyone has so much on their plate, i.e. working code speaks louder than words/design. As a full-time employee you will occasionally have to put in merciless overtime.’’