Internship survey for students: what to ask before interns leave
Ask interns in their last week how the internship really went: the work, the feedback, the support and whether they would come back. The core 12 takes about five minutes, and a short midpoint check-in catches problems while you can still fix them.
- 24questions
- 12for the last week
- 4for a midpoint check-in
- 5 minto answer the core
By Michael Hodge, BSc Psychology Updated September 2026
All 24 internship survey questions
Every question lists the answer choices an intern picks from, plus a note on how to read the answers. The core 12 comes ticked. Add a module, untick anything you can skip, and send the set as an online survey, a printout or plain text.
Last-week core 1212 questions
Seven statements on the things that shape how an internship feels, one question on how hard the work was, two on the future and two open questions. Send it in the final week, before the goodbyes start.
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The work I did here was useful to my team.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeMeaningful work is one of the strongest links to intern satisfaction. A low score means busywork.2
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In my first two weeks, I knew what was expected of me.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeTells you whether the first weeks were planned. A low score points to onboarding, not to the intern.
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My supervisor gave me feedback I could use.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeFeedback is one of the best predictors of intern satisfaction. Read it next to the mentoring module.2
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When I got stuck, I could get help quickly.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeSupport from the people around them. Low scores often come from supervisors who were stretched thin.
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I learned skills here that I will use after this internship.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeThe learning question. It shows whether the internship paid off for the student, not just for the team.
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People on my team treated me as a real member of the team.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeBelonging. Interns who feel like visitors rarely picture a future with you.
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My tasks connected to what I study or want to do next.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeRelevance to their path. College coordinators ask for this one too.
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Most of the work I was given was:
Far too easyA little too easyAbout rightA little too hardFar too hardShows which way to adjust the work. An average hides it, so look at how answers split.
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How likely are you to recommend this internship to a friend or classmate?
0123456789100 = Not at all likely, 10 = Extremely likelyInterns talk to the next wave of applicants. This is your reputation on campus in one number.
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If we offered you a job after you graduate, would you consider it?
Yes, definitelyProbablyNot sure yetProbably notNoReturn intent. For employers who hire from their intern pool, this is the answer that matters most.
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What was the most valuable thing you did or learned here?
Open answerTells you what to keep. Interns name specific projects and people, which makes this easy to act on.
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What one change would make this internship better for the next intern?
Open answerOne change, not a wish list. Put the answers side by side and two or three themes usually stand out.
Midpoint check-in4 questions
Four quick questions for the halfway point, when there is still time to fix access, workload or a quiet supervisor. None of them repeats the last-week core.
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I have the equipment and logins I need for my work.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeMissing logins and laptops cost an intern days they cannot get back. Fix these the same day.
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I have enough work to keep me busy on most days.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeIdle interns go quiet rather than ask. This question finds them.
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I am on track to finish a project I can show people at the end.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeA finished project is what interns take to their next interview. A low score still leaves time to change it.
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What would make the second half of your internship better?
Open answerAsked halfway through, the answer turns into a change the same intern gets to see.
Supervisor and mentor4 questions
Add these when interns have an assigned supervisor or mentor, and you want to know how that relationship worked.
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How often did you meet one to one with your supervisor or mentor?
Every week or moreEvery two weeksAbout once a monthLess than once a monthNeverA plain count of contact time. Read the other ratings against it.
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My supervisor was open to my ideas.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeWhen host teams listened to intern ideas, interns were more likely to want to apply for a job there.3
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I felt comfortable asking basic questions.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeWhether it felt safe to ask. Interns who hold back basic questions lose days to guessing.
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My mentor talked with me about my career, not just my tasks.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeSeparates a mentor from a task manager. Students notice the difference quickly.
For school credit programs4 questions
For college internship coordinators, or employers whose interns earn academic credit. Send it after the placement ends, from the school.
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I met the learning goals I agreed with my school.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeChecks the placement against the learning agreement, which is what credit depends on.
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I used things I learned in my classes during this internship.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeShows how well coursework prepared the student for this kind of work.
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My school coordinator was easy to reach when I needed help.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeRates the school side of the program, which the host employer cannot see.
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How did this internship affect your career plans?
It confirmed my plansIt pointed me to a different pathNo changeNot sure yetA different path is a good result too: finding out early is part of what internships are for.
When to send which set
Two short surveys work better than one long one. Ask each question once, at the moment the answer can still change something.
Halfway through: the midpoint check-in
Four questions on access, workload and the end-of-internship project. Anything that comes up can still be fixed for this intern.
Final week: the core 12
Add the supervisor and mentor module if you assign mentors. Interns can now judge the whole experience, and they are still around to answer.
After the placement: the school credit questions
Sent by the school rather than the host team, so students can speak freely about both. The school checks learning goals and its own support.
NACE advises against asking interns the same question twice when you run a start survey and an exit survey, so the midpoint set does not repeat the core.1 Want to cover the very first week as well? Pair this page with the orientation feedback questions, which focus on day one and onboarding.
On the last afternoon: the short version
Only a few minutes before an intern hands back their badge? Ask about the work, the feedback, what they learned, whether they would return and the one change to make.
- 01The work I did here was useful to my team.
- 02My supervisor gave me feedback I could use.
- 03I learned skills here that I will use after this internship.
- 04If we offered you a job after you graduate, would you consider it?
- 05What one change would make this internship better for the next intern?
Past the politeness: what interns really think
Interns hope for a good reference or a job offer, so they tend to be polite. Three habits get you past the politeness to the truth.
Take the names off
Interns are auditioning for a job. In a study of 122 interns and their supervisors, interns who wanted an offer made more effort to impress, and 60% of the internships ended in an offer.3 Answers tied to a name come out polite. NACE suggests letting interns answer without identifying themselves, or having a third party run the survey.1 Send one anonymous link to the whole cohort, and report only when enough interns have answered that nobody stands out.
Ask about the work and the feedback
Free lunches and socials are pleasant, but research points to the work itself. A study of student interns found that meaningful tasks, feedback, chances to learn and a supportive supervisor were the best predictors of internship satisfaction.2 A review of internship research points the same way: mentoring, autonomy, pay and meaningful work matter most.4 That is why seven of the core statements cover those areas, and none of the 24 asks about perks.
Say why, then keep it short
Open with one sentence on why you are asking, such as "We want next summer's internship to be better than this one." NACE recommends exactly that, along with a simple test for every question: will the answer lead to a change you are willing to make? If not, cut it.1 Twelve questions pass that test for most programs.
Running a cohort session or a farewell lunch? A single question works well there. Put the difficulty question on screen as a quick live poll, let everyone vote from their phones, then talk about the result together. Making a poll takes about a minute.
See what your interns said on one page
Enter how many interns picked each number on the scale. The chart puts the statements in order, shows where interns agree and where they split, and picks the two areas to fix first. Print it for the team that runs next year's program.
- 1For each statement, percent agree means the 4s and 5s as a share of all interns who responded. The report calculates it as you type.
- 2Rank the statements against each other. The lowest two go on the list of fixes before the next cohort arrives.
- 3Then read the open answers and group them by theme. The biggest themes tend to explain the weakest statements in the interns' own words.
- 4Tell this year's interns what you heard before they leave, or by email after. It shows the survey mattered, and they tell the next group.
Intern cohort results
From survey answers to the exit interview
The survey shows where to look. The exit conversation finds out why. Read each intern's answers first, then pick the follow-up that fits. For more on question wording, see the guide to writing survey questions.
Low score on useful feedback
Ask: "Tell me about a time feedback helped you, or a week when you wished you had some."
The work was too easy
Ask: "Which task would you have liked to take on if someone had offered it?"
Not sure about a job offer
Ask: "What would make an offer from us an easy yes?"
0 to 6 on recommending the internship
Ask: "What would you tell a friend before they applied here?"
Felt like a visitor on the team
Ask: "When did you feel most on the outside, and who could have changed that?"
Running a whole placement program across several employers? The program evaluation questions cover goals, delivery and outcomes at the program level.
Hand it out on paper, or keep the PDF
A paper form works well at an intern farewell lunch or a final cohort session: give it out, leave the room and collect the forms in a box. Both files print on letter or A4.
Intern questionnaire
Page one holds the last-week core 12 with tick boxes and lines for the open answers. The midpoint, mentor and school credit modules follow on page two.
Download PDF
Results worksheet
Tally each statement from the paper forms, turn the tallies into percent agree, and note the two things to fix before the next cohort arrives.
Download PDFCommon questions about intern surveys
Quick answers for the person who runs the internship program.
What should I ask interns at the end of their internship?
Ask about the work itself, the feedback they got, the help available, what they learned and whether they would come back. The last-week core 12 covers all of these, with two open questions for detail. Use their answers to plan a short exit conversation.
Should an internship survey be anonymous?
Yes, for honest answers. Interns want a good reference, so named answers tend to be kind rather than useful. Use one anonymous link for the whole cohort and share results only for groups of five or more interns.
When is the best time to survey interns?
Twice: a four-question check-in halfway through, while you can still fix problems, and the core 12 in the final week. College programs add their own short survey after the placement ends.
Is this the same as an intern evaluation?
No. Here the interns rate the internship. An intern evaluation goes the other way: the supervisor rates the intern's work, usually on a form from the intern's school.
Survey this cohort before they go
Send the last-week core 12 as a phone-friendly survey link, or print the intern questionnaire for the farewell session.
