Banks cut grads, keep interns mixed
Graduate hiring fell at Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs since 2023, while BNP Paribas increased its intern intake — signaling uneven hiring that favors targeted, early applications. That divergence means internship windows and quantitative skills are becoming critical differentiators for applicants (efinancialcareers.fi).
Deutsche Bank’s annual figures show graduate hires fell from 1,177 in 2023 to about 1,025 in 2025, a drop of roughly 152 hires over two years. (db.com) Goldman Sachs reported roughly 2,600 summer interns in 2025 while public figures show the firm received about 315,126 applications for its 2024 program (yielding an acceptance rate below 1%). (goldmansachs.com) BNP Paribas increased its global intern count from 1,674 in 2024 to 1,834 in 2025 (an almost 10% rise), even as its graduate hires in France fell from roughly 490 to 387 in 2025. (efinancialcareers.com) BNP’s Americas summer internship drew more than 37,000 applications for just 168 roles in 2024, equating to about 220 applicants per position, while Goldman’s applicant volumes have been reported in the hundreds of thousands — intensifying acceptance-rate pressure across top banks. (usa.bnpparibas) Industry benchmarking shows the average employer extended full-time offers to about 62% of their 2024 intern class, with in-person internships converting at higher rates (~72%), and recruitment guides list BNP conversion estimates around 65–70% for summer analysts. (naceweb.org) Campus timelines remain front-loaded: BNP’s recruiting cycle commonly opens August–October for next‑year internships, and Goldman’s student programs and targeted campus postings (example: October recruitment for specific 2026/2027 analyst tracks) underscore why early, focused applications and quant skills matter. (superdayai.com)
