Despite a challenging job market, recent college graduates are finding jobs faster than the previous class, according to ZipRecruiter's 2026 grad report. Here's what you need to know.
Faster Job Placement
77% of 2025 grads landed a job within three months of graduation, up from 63% in 2024. The fastest-hiring majors include agriculture and environmental science, nursing, history or philosophy, and education.
Adapting to Reality
New grads are submitting more applications—16% sent 20+ applications for a single offer, compared to 12% in 2024. Many are taking "bridge jobs" that may not align with their dream career, focusing on covering expenses while continuing to search. 1 in 5 employed grads feel overqualified, and 43% of grads aged 22-27 are underemployed.
AI Concerns
About half of 2025 grads say AI has impacted hiring in their field. Those most concerned are in communications and media, computer science/IT/data science, and finance/accounting/economics. Only 29% of rising grads and 23% of recent grads received extensive AI training from their schools. A gender gap exists: women were less likely to receive AI training and more likely to focus on risks rather than practical skills.
Positive Signs
Internship postings on ZipRecruiter are up 32% year-over-year, and employers plan to hire 4% more interns and 5.6% more new grads in 2026, per NACE data. Booming sectors include information, engineering services, wholesale trade, construction, and professional services.
Expert Insight
"There needs to be some sort of avenue or pipeline to train up early talent," says ZipRecruiter labor economist Nicole Bachaud. "If there's a complete lack of focus on entry-level talent, 20 years from now, there's going to be nobody available to do any of those jobs."
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