The graduate employment crisis
The number of college graduates working jobs that don't require a degree has reached historic levels. This isn't a recession blip — it's a structural shift.
Underemployed grads
41.3%
of recent grads in jobs not requiring a degree (2024)
Graduate unemployment
4.6%
recent grad unemployment rate — 2x the pre-2020 average
Degree premium
+65%
lifetime earnings advantage — still real, but narrowing
Avg student debt
$37,650
carried by bachelor's degree graduates at graduation
Explore the data
Who's most affected
52%
Humanities & arts graduates
Highest underemployment of any category. Writing and design roles disrupted earliest by AI tools.
44%
Social science graduates
Psychology, sociology, political science — broad skills, unclear career paths without added credentials.
38%
Business graduates
Generalist business degrees underperform. Specialized graduates (finance, accounting) fare significantly better.
19%
STEM & health graduates
Lowest underemployment — but even here, graduates without specialization face increasing competition.
This is not a reason to skip college. It's a reason to build on top of it.
The degree premium is still real — college graduates earn 65% more over a lifetime than non-graduates on average. The crisis is not that college doesn't work. It's that college alone no longer works. Graduates who add specific skills and certifications in school dramatically outperform those who rely on the degree itself.
Don't be a statistic — build on your degree now
Find out exactly what to add based on your major