70% of internship postings right now require physical presence. If you're filtering for remote only, you're cutting yourself off from most of the market.
I analyzed 4,959 internship postings from February through April 2026, pulled from a live global aggregator. The work format breakdown:
Work format distribution across 4,959 postings, Feb–Apr 2026
For every fully remote internship posted, there are nearly six in-person ones. If you're filtering exclusively for remote work, you're voluntarily cutting yourself off from 88% of the available market.
Why did this happen?
Remote internships were a pandemic accommodation, not a permanent shift. Companies experimented with remote onboarding and found it harder to integrate interns, build culture, and get real output from people who'd never been in the office. The hybrid model emerged as a compromise, but the dominant hiring preference returned to in-person — quietly, without announcement.
People online are still talking about remote being the future while recruiters are posting location-required roles in every sector.
Remote postings as a share of total — weekly trend, Feb–Apr 2026
What this means strategically
Being willing to relocate for a summer opens up 70% of the market. Most people aren't doing it.
The most competitive segment is remote: highest demand, lowest supply, most applicants per posting. The least competitive? In-person roles outside major tech hubs.
If you've been limiting your search to remote opportunities, it's time to change that filter.