3 in 4 Graduating College Students Don’t Have a Job Yet

In April 2025, ResumeTemplates.com surveyed college seniors graduating this spring to understand their job search progress, salary expectations, and career readiness. The findings reveal that a significant number of students don’t have a job lined up, delaying their search for personal reasons.​

Study highlights:

• 3 in 4 graduating seniors have not secured a job yet​
• 34% have not started applying for jobs
• 24% of those who haven’t begun their job search feel too overwhelmed to start
• 3 in 10 job seekers have not received any interviews
• Nearly half of students without a job have not utilized their school’s career center resources​
• 1 in 5 expect to earn $70,000 or more in their first job out of college
• 9 in 10 won’t seek fully remote positions

3 in 4 Graduating College Students Don’t Have a Job Lined Up; Many Haven’t Started Applying Due To Overwhelm

About two-thirds of college seniors approaching graduation (66%) have already started their job search. However, approximately one-third (34%) haven’t yet begun applying for jobs. Of students who’ve engaged in a job search, only 41% have found a job so far.

Among those who haven’t started their job hunt, feeling overwhelmed is the primary reason (24%). Others plan to take a mental-health break after graduation (19%), intend to travel first (13%), or are moving back home and don’t feel an immediate urgency to find work (13%). Additional reasons include pursuing another degree (10%) or believing that current economic conditions make finding a job too challenging (6%).

“Graduating students should start their job search now, especially with career office events happening this time of year. However, it’s also okay to wait until after finals, if that makes sense. There’s no one right timeline, and some companies won’t post jobs until summer,” says ResumeTemplates’ Chief Career Strategist Julia Toothacre. “If job searching feels overwhelming, start by updating your resume and picking three to four types of roles you’d like to pursue. These initial steps will make identifying opportunities easier and answering the ‘What’s next after graduation?’ question.”

Of the students who’ve secured a job, the vast majority (81%) landed full-time roles, while about 20% will be working part-time.

These soon-to-be graduates most commonly found jobs through LinkedIn (22%), followed by their school’s career center or academic network (20%), and personal connections (17%).

Regarding starting salaries, 20% will earn $30,000 or less, while 24% will make between $30,001 and $50,000. About 31% will take home $50,001 to $70,000 annually, followed by 16% earning $70,001 to $90,000. Higher salaries are less common, with just 7% earning $90,001 to $100,000 and only 2% exceeding $100,000.

3 in 10 Job Seekers Haven’t Received Any Interviews

Among students still looking for jobs, nearly 3 in 10 (28%) haven’t received a single interview, and another 18% have had just one. Meanwhile, 24% report having two interviews, and a similar number (23%) have had three or four. Only 6% have reached five or more interviews.

Additionally, nearly half (46%) of students still without a job have yet to use any resources provided by their college career centers. Nearly one in 10 say they’ve been told during the hiring process that they seemed unprepared.

“Landing early career interviews comes down to your resume and your connections. Make sure you’re reaching out to alumni to boost your chances. If you’re not getting interviews, get your resume reviewed by the career office. And if you’re getting interviews but not offers, set up a mock interview with them. Your campus career office is there to help you prepare for the job search. Use it!” says Toothacre.

1 in 5 Expect To Earn Over $70,000 in Their First Job Out of College

When asked about expected salaries for their first post-college roles, most graduates set expectations between $30,000 and $70,000. About 21% anticipate earning $30,000 or less, while 17% expect between $30,001 and $40,000. Another 15% foresee $40,001 to $50,000, and 16% project earnings between $50,001 and $60,000. Additionally, 15% aim slightly higher, targeting $60,001 to $70,000.

About one in five students set their salary goals above $70,000: 7% expect $70,001 to $80,000, 3% $80,001 to $90,000, and 3% $90,000 to $100,000. Only 2% believe they’ll earn over $100,000 straight out of college.

Graduates have mixed preferences about their ideal working arrangements. Nearly half (45%) hope to work entirely in person, while roughly the same share (44%) prefer a hybrid work environment. Only 11% seek fully remote roles.

“Many recent graduates spent part of high school and college online. While some want to maintain flexibility with a remote or hybrid job, a lot want in-person connections. Young people want to experience working in an office, build professional relationships, and establish the kind of mentoring they may have missed out on during school. In-person environments help them learn the unspoken norms of professional life, something that’s hard to replicate virtually,” says Toothacre.

Methodology: In April 2025, ResumeTemplates.com surveyed 378 students graduating from either a four-year (78%) or two-year (22%) college program. The survey was conducted online via Pollfish. Respondents were selected based on demographic criteria and screening questions to ensure they were appropriate participants for the study.