Research Internships - Data and Advanced Analytics (2 positions)

Travel: Some statewide travel for quarterly CPE Board Meetings, the annual Kentucky Association for Institutional Research meeting, and other required meetings., We are hiring two (2) paid interns for the 2026-2027 academic year to join the data team. This is a chance to gain real work experience at a busy state agency and to help with projects that shape college policy in Kentucky. Our goal is to give you valuable experience that supports your career and academic goals.

As a research intern, you will:

• Use large, real-world datasets to find trends and draw conclusions
• Help CPE staff answer data requests and prepare publications
• Take part in meetings with policymakers and partner organizations
• Earn course credit toward your degree, if your program allows it
• Prepare, present, and publish your own analyses
• Lead your own research project with support from CPE staff
• Help review and update technical documents, such as data guidelines, policy updates, and how-to instructions

These skills are helpful but not required. We welcome both undergraduate and graduate students to apply.

• Studying higher education, social sciences, public policy, statistics, computer science, or a related field
• Some experience writing SQL database queries
• Some experience with data analysis or visualization tools, such as R, Tableau, or Stata
• Some experience using statistics to answer research questions
• Strong writing, speaking, and presentation skills
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams)

Each internship is about 20 hours per week and pays $20 per hour. The work is hybrid. Typically, 7.5 hours will be in-person on Tuesdays at the CPE office at 100 Airport Rd., Frankfort, KY 40601. The remaining 12.5 hours will be scheduled virtually and with consideration of your academic schedule.

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is the state agency that oversees Kentucky’s public colleges and universities. We work to keep college high-quality, affordable, and focused on helping students succeed. Our Data and Advanced Analytics team supports this mission by using data and research to guide the agency’s goals and to explain higher education issues to the Governor’s Office and the state legislature.