Training One in four students completes an internship after graduation
Almost a quarter of all university graduates do an internship after completing their studies. A new analysis by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) shows that internships after a Master's degree in law are particularly common.
13.10.2025, 09:13
SDA
The rate there is 80 percent, according to the analysis published on Monday. The reason for this is that an internship is mandatory for training as a lawyer or notary.
If the field of law is excluded, the overall rate of university graduates with an internship falls from 23 to 19 percent.
Internships are also common after a Master's degree in the humanities or social sciences: 41% of graduates complete an internship in the first five years after graduation. Internships in the technical sciences (15 percent) and in medicine and pharmacy (7 percent) are much rarer.
Career situation worse after internship
In retrospect, 89% of those surveyed would opt for an internship again. The greatest benefit of internships was seen in the acquisition of professional experience and the development of new skills, but internships also proved to be helpful in finding a job.
However, according to the FSO figures, the experience does not seem to pay off: Five years after graduation, people with internships earn an average of 1 to 2 percent less and are less likely to be in management positions or positions that match the content of their training than those without internships, according to the FSO analysis.
