Bentley University junior Carolina Torres landed a summer internship at a Boston marketing agency and expected long hours and a steep learning curve. She did not anticipate having to work 20 hours a week at a restaurant to afford the experience.
“It was supposed to help my career,” Torres said. “Instead, it drained me. I was basically paying to work.”
Her case is not unique. National data show 57% of interns were paid in 2024, leaving more than four in 10 without wages. Paid interns tend to receive more job offers and higher starting salaries than unpaid peers.
Bentley students say Boston’s high costs can make unpaid or low-paying roles unattainable. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Boston ranges from $2,700 to $2,950 a month, depending on the neighborhood. Commuting can be costly too: a monthly Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail pass for Zone 2, which serves Waltham, costs $232.
Senior Jadon Osebre said his unpaid internship helped him make connections but came at a price. “I relied on family help,” Osebre said. “A lot of students don’t have that, and it shuts them out from certain industries.”
Kevin Aprea Cabrera, career colleague director, said the university encourages companies to offer paid internships, but challenges remain. “Some organizations, especially smaller nonprofits, still depend on unpaid roles,” Cabrera said. “We offer stipends where possible, but demand usually exceeds the number of awards we can provide.”
Bentley provides limited stipends through its Career Services office, but these awards are competitive and rarely cover Boston’s high living costs. In 2024, fewer than 50 students received internship stipends, according to the university, leaving many to rely on part-time jobs or family support.
Faculty say the burden often extends into the classroom. Management professor Leeann Simons advises students who juggle coursework, jobs and internships at the same time. “Experience matters, but so does well-being,” Simons said. “Students without financial support face more stress, more time pressure, and sometimes delay graduation because they need to work extra hours.”
The numbers highlight the problem. The average hourly wage for bachelor’s degree-level interns in 2023 was $22.06, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Students in computer science and data analytics typically earned more, while marketing and management majors made closer to the average. Yet those figures mask a stark reality: 43% of internships offer no pay, even as Boston’s cost of living outpaces the national average.
For paid positions, the math still underscores financial strain. A student earning $22 an hour for 20 hours a week over 10 weeks would make about $4,400 before taxes, covering little more than rent and commuting for the summer—with food and other expenses extra.
Research suggests the impact goes beyond summer. The National Association of Colleges and Employers said paid interns received an average of 1.61 job offers, compared to 0.94 for unpaid interns and 0.77 for students without internships. These differences often lead to higher starting salaries and faster full-time employment.
Experts say unpaid internships persist because smaller organizations lack the budget for entry-level workers. While federal guidelines discourage unpaid roles that displace paid employees, enforcement is limited.
For Bentley students, the trade-off is clear—valuable experience often comes with hidden costs. “It shouldn’t be a privilege to get experience,” Torres said.
Students and faculty are calling for stronger employer accountability and transparency in internship postings, arguing that these changes could help level the playing field. Until then, the real cost of opportunity will continue to fall unevenly across the student population.
