Business Analyst Intern
McKinsey's undergraduate internship, with a client service team.
- For
- Undergraduate degree in progress
- Length
- 8 to 10 weeks
- US and Canada pay
- $108,000 USD gross a year
- Offices
- 90 locations listed
McKinsey internship: programs, pay and deadlines
McKinsey's main internships are the Business Analyst Intern for undergraduates and the Associate Intern for MBA and other advanced degree students. Both put you on a client service team for 8 to 10 weeks. For new joiners in the US and Canada, the business analyst intern posting gives a salary of $108,000 USD gross per year, and the associate intern posting $189,000 USD. Deadlines differ by office. Next in the US: MBA associate interns apply by November 12, 2026, and McKinsey hasn't posted its next undergrad window yet, so undergrads can start with its McKinsey Edge virtual series, November 4 to December 3, 2026. To rehearse the interviews out loud, Soreno, an AI voice interview practice app for consulting, investment banking and other finance candidates, runs McKinsey-style cases and PEI drills with follow-up questions and scored feedback.
Updated
- Two main programs. Business Analyst Intern for undergrads, Associate Intern for MBA and PhD students.
- 8 to 10 weeks on a client team. Research, data analysis, interviews and brainstorming with the client.
- Pay is stated in the posting. $108,000 USD gross a year for business analyst interns in the US and Canada, $189,000 for associate interns.
- Next: US MBAs by November 12, 2026. US undergrads: the next window isn't posted yet. McKinsey Edge runs November 4 to December 3.
- Then Solve and two interviews. For most consulting roles, a personal experience interview and a problem-solving (case) interview.
McKinsey's internship programs
From McKinsey's campus deadlines page and its intern postings, read on October 25, 2026. Most programs run in many offices, and a few are for one country only.
Associate Intern
The internship for MBA and other advanced degree students.
- For
- Typically MBA or PhD students
- US MBAs
- First year of a two-year MBA
- Length
- 8 to 10 weeks
- US and Canada pay
- $189,000 USD gross a year
Sophomore Summer Business Analyst
A summer on a client service team for second-year students.
- Where
- US and Canada only
- Length
- 8 to 10 weeks
- For
- Second-year undergrads
Country programs
Internships McKinsey lists for one country or region.
- Australia
- First Nations Internship, 8 weeks
- New Zealand
- Māori and Pasifika internship, 4 to 8 weeks
- Switzerland, Australia, NZ
- Women's Internship
What interns doMcKinsey's words
From the Business Analyst Intern posting. The Associate Intern posting describes the same team role.
The team
A real client service team
You join a team for 8 to 10 weeks and contribute to workstreams on hard problems for clients that range from Fortune 500 companies to startups.
McKinsey: Business Analyst InternThe work
Research, data and interviews
Interns combine research, data analysis, interviews and brainstorming to find insights, and help clients refine strategies and carry out changes.
The output
Decks, models and memos
The posting asks for the ability to produce PowerPoint decks, Excel models, articles or other written work, and to travel to places such as factories, hospitals and mines.
Early programs before you applyNorth America
For undergraduate and non-MBA master's students, from McKinsey's page for US undergraduate and master's schools.
Sep 2026 to Jun 2027
Connect with McKinsey
Early contact with McKinsey colleagues and its recruiting process for students across North America, for full-time and internship roles starting in 2028.
McKinsey: US undergraduatesNov 4 to Dec 3, 2026
McKinsey Edge
A four-part virtual series for students graduating between December 2028 and August 2029. No case prep or business background needed.
From McKinsey: campus deadlines and roles, McKinsey: Business Analyst Intern and McKinsey: Associate Intern.
Who can apply
McKinsey's postings list these. Requirements can vary by country and practice.
A degree in progress
An undergraduate degree for the business analyst internship. An advanced degree such as an MBA or PhD for the associate internship. In the US, associate interns are in the first year of a two-year MBA.
English and the office's language
Strong spoken and written English and the local office language. McKinsey says most offices need local language fluency and work authorization for the country.
Decisions from data
Rational decisions based on data, facts and logic, strong organization and time management, and the ability to run work largely on your own.
Any major
McKinsey's US Edge series says no case prep or business background is needed and all majors are welcome. You can name up to three preferred offices when you apply.
From McKinsey: Business Analyst Intern, McKinsey: Associate Intern, McKinsey: US MBA schools and McKinsey: campus deadlines FAQ.
McKinsey internship deadlines
From McKinsey's deadline tool, rechecked on October 26, 2026. McKinsey says timelines vary by location and role. Some offices, like the US, have one campus window a year, others, like Germany, several deadlines, and some roles have none.
US undergrads
- Next window
- Not posted yet
- McKinsey Edge
- Nov 4 to Dec 3, 2026
- Last deadline
- March 29, 2026
McKinsey hasn't posted the next Business Analyst Intern window: on October 26 its tool said this round has passed and to check back later. Until then, US undergrads can join Connect with McKinsey (through June 2027, for roles starting in 2028) and the four-part virtual McKinsey Edge series, November 4 to December 3, 2026. Last cycle's deadline, for summer 2027, was March 29, 2026.
US MBAs
- Role
- Associate Intern
- Deadline
- November 12, 2026
- Window
- One a year
Associate Intern applications are due November 12, 2026, local time. McKinsey asks US candidates to follow the US deadline whichever office they want.
Other offices
- Offices
- Up to three per application
- Germany
- Several deadlines a year
- Missed it
- Next cycle
Pick your degree, your school's country and the role in McKinsey's tool to see the date. Use the deadline of the office you most want. If you miss it, McKinsey considers you in the next cycle or invites you to apply again.
The intern interview process
McKinsey describes the same steps for interns as for full-time roles. It does not publish the number of rounds.
Show the steps
Step 1
Application
Your resume and up to three preferred offices. McKinsey reviews your experience, skills and eligibility for the role.
Step 2
Solve or a screen
Depending on role and location, a phone screen, a test or a game. Most consulting roles get Solve, and McKinsey says there is no need to prepare.
Step 3
Personal experience interview
A detailed talk about your own experiences, with the focus on your role and your reasoning.
Step 4
Problem-solving interview
McKinsey's case: a real-life business problem you work through with the interviewer. Some roles add an expertise interview.
10 questions to practice for a McKinsey internship
Intern interviews pair a PEI with a case. These are in our words, in McKinsey's style, with what a strong answer does.
Personal experience interview4 questions
Stories from school, clubs, jobs or sports work fine.
Tell me about a time you worked with someone who saw things differently.
What a strong answer does
Their view put fairly, what you did to understand it and how you decided together. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about something difficult you achieved.
What a strong answer does
The goal, the obstacle that nearly stopped you and the choices that got you past it. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you led a group to a result.
What a strong answer does
Your own moves, how people came along and the result in numbers if you have them. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you had to learn something quickly.
What a strong answer does
How you learned it, who you asked and what you did with it under pressure. Practice it, see a model answer
Problem-solving (case) interview4 questions
One case, asked as a few separate questions.
A regional grocery chain's profits are down 20% in two years. How would you find out why?
What a strong answer does
A structure built for this chain, then the branch you would check first and why. Practice it, see a model answer
How many cups a day does a new coffee shop need to sell to break even?
What a strong answer does
Fixed costs over the margin per cup, worked by hand and out loud. Calculators are not allowed. Practice it, see a model answer
A streaming service's churn has doubled. What could explain it?
What a strong answer does
Causes on the customer, product and market side, grouped, then how you would test each. Practice it, see a model answer
The CEO walks in. What do you recommend?
What a strong answer does
The answer in one sentence, two or three reasons with numbers, the main risk and a next step. Practice it, see a model answer
Why McKinsey2 questions
Often at the start of a round.
Why consulting?
What a strong answer does
Two reasons backed by things you have done, and what you want to learn in the internship. Practice it, see a model answer
Why McKinsey?
What a strong answer does
Something you learned from a McKinsey person or its own pages, tied to the work you want to do. Practice it, see a model answer
Mistakes and how to prepare
Where internship candidates slip
Waiting for junior fall
McKinsey's US undergrad deadline for summer 2027 was in March 2026. Join Connect with McKinsey or Edge this fall and watch its deadline tool from the start of the year.
Applying where you can't work
Most offices need the local language and work authorization. Pick offices you qualify for.
One story for every PEI area
McKinsey suggests two stories for each of its four PEI areas. With one, a repeat area leaves you with nothing fresh.
Practicing math with a calculator
McKinsey does not allow calculators in interviews. Do every practice case by hand.
A prep plan for the internship interviews
Our suggestion for the weeks between applying and your first round.
Week 1
Learn the format
Read how the PEI and the problem-solving interview work, and work McKinsey's own sample cases.
Week 2
Build eight stories
Two for each PEI area: Connection, Drive, Leadership and Growth. Say each out loud and let someone push on the details.
Weeks 2 to 4
Cases out loud, every few days
Full cases with someone asking one question at a time, a partner or an AI interviewer. Drill the math by hand in between.
Get ready for the intern interviews, out loud
Soreno's AI interviewer runs McKinsey-style cases one question at a time and probes your PEI stories with follow-ups, then scores the session. Start your free week.
Questions people ask
When is the McKinsey internship deadline?
It depends on the office. Next in the US: MBA associate interns apply by November 12, 2026. McKinsey had not posted the next US undergrad window by October 26, 2026 (summer 2027's closed on March 29, 2026), and its McKinsey Edge virtual series runs November 4 to December 3, 2026.
How much do McKinsey interns make?
McKinsey's postings give a salary for new joiners in the US and Canada of $108,000 USD ($99,000 CAD) gross per year for business analyst interns and $189,000 USD ($198,000 CAD) for associate interns. By our arithmetic, that is $9,000 and $15,750 a month in US dollars. McKinsey says actual salaries may vary and does not publish an intern bonus.
How long is a McKinsey internship?
8 to 10 weeks for business analyst, associate and sophomore interns. Some country programs differ, such as 8 weeks for Australia's First Nations Internship.
Does McKinsey have a sophomore internship?
Yes, in the US and Canada only. McKinsey lists a Sophomore Summer Business Analyst role, 8 to 10 weeks on a client service team. Check its job search for the current posting and date.
What is the McKinsey intern interview process?
An application, then a phone screen, test or Solve depending on the role, then a personal experience interview and a problem-solving (case) interview. McKinsey does not publish the number of rounds.
Can I apply to more than one McKinsey office?
Yes. You can list up to three preferred offices. Use the deadline of the office you most want, and check that you have the language and work authorization each office needs.