An article from Class of 2025 grads are experiencing disconnect between job expectations and reality, study finds

Soon-to-be graduates believe they’ll secure a job sooner than recent graduates have experienced, ZipRecruiter said.

Published May 8, 2025 By Carolyn Crist

• post
• share
• post
• print
• email
• license

Cal State Los Angeles graduates sit at their commencement ceremony on July 27, 2021, in Los Angeles, Calif. Some recent graduates have found that the job search is taking longer than they expected, per a ZipRecruiter report. Mario Tama via Getty Images

First published on

Listen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.

Class of 2025 graduates’ expectations seem to be clashing with reality during their job search, especially when it comes to pay, job preferences and beliefs about the job market, according to an April report from ZipRecruiter. 

For instance, some graduates have found that the job search is taking longer than they expected. About 82% of those about to graduate expect to start work within three months of graduation, but only 77% of recent graduates accomplished that, and 5% said they’re still searching for a job.

waitToLoadAds.push(function() ); waitToLoadAds.push(function() );

“Navigating the transition from campus to career can be a challenge for new grads, especially given the unpredictable market this class is stepping into,” Ian Siegel, co-founder and CEO of ZipRecruiter, said in a statement.

In a survey, additional disconnects surfaced. About 42% of recent graduates reported they didn’t secure the pay they wanted. Although soon-to-be graduates said they expected to make six figures — $101,500 on average — the average starting salary for recent graduates was $68,400.

Those about to graduate also said they want flexibility, but recent graduates said that’s harder to achieve than they hoped. About 90% of recent graduates said schedule flexibility is important to them, yet only 29% said they had flexible jobs.

Amid shifting job market conditions, college graduates feel both confident yet cautious about their job prospects and the economy, according to a Monster report. Employers that offer flexibility, purpose and growth opportunities will attract and retain the next generation of top talent, a CareerBuilder + Monster executive said.

Compensation conversations could remain a challenge in 2025, especially as pay transparency feels contentious, according to a report from Payscale. To combat this, employers can listen to employees and lead with fairness through pay transparency, a Payscale executive said. 

Despite the challenges, job seekers entered 2025 with optimism, according to an Indeed report. Job seekers’ interest will likely remain steady but face more competition since job availability has remained stagnant in recent months, an Indeed economist said.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• purchase licensing rights

Filed Under: Students Higher Ed Dive news delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts

Email:

• Select user consent: By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Sign up A valid email address is required. Please select at least one newsletter. Editors' picks

• Maddie Meyer via Getty Images What types of colleges offer the best ROI?

  The financial value of 4,600 colleges has been updated in a database from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.

  By Lilah Burke • March 25, 2025
• Rob Carr / Staff via Getty Images Johns Hopkins to lay off 2,200 workers as it reels from Trump’s USAID cuts

  The university said previously it faced an $800 million funding shortfall from the hollowed-out aid agency and would have to wind down programs.

  By Ben Unglesbee • March 14, 2025