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Employers are going into the classroom to share expertise and establish relationships with students and faculty, according to results of NACE’s 2026 Internship & Co-op survey.
Overall, 60% of employer respondents said they take part in high impact practices (HIPs); among this group, more than 80% are involved in capstone courses and projects, 18% are involved in undergraduate research, and 16% are taking part in first-year seminars.
These collaborations are particularly important because working with students in the classroom helps employers build relationships with faculty as well as students and contribute to learning and skills development.
Other HIPs and collaborations include collaborative assignments (40%) and service-learning/community-based projects (25%).
NACE surveys its employer members yearly to gather benchmarks on internship and co-op programs. NACE conducted the survey for the 2026 Internship & Co-op Report, sponsored by 12twenty, from October 15, 2025, to January 4, 2026. A total of 284 organizations took part, including 192 NACE member organizations (26.1% of eligible member organizations), 48 12twenty member organizations, and 44 other companies. Participants can access the NACE’s 2026 Internship & Co-op Report and dashboard in MyNACE.
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