Is a College Degree Still Worth It for Jobs in 2026?

A college degree still helps on average, but the first job is harder to land than it used to be: in the second quarter of 2026, recent graduates aged 22 to 27 had an unemployment rate of about 5.6% and an underemployment rate of about 42%, according to the New York Fed. Underemployment means working in a job that typically does not require a bachelor's degree. If you have a degree and a quiet inbox, the data says it is not just you, and it says the fix is how you show your skills, not a different diploma.

(An earlier version of this post, and a companion post claiming high school graduates were finding jobs faster than college graduates, quoted numbers we could not verify. We replaced them with the sourced figures below and merged the two posts.)

What the data says

• Recent graduates. The New York Fed's labor market for recent college graduates tracker showed about 5.6% unemployment and about 42% underemployment in 2026 Q2, and described conditions as challenging. It updates quarterly and lets you compare against all workers and other groups. It does not attribute the numbers to a single cause.
• The long-run picture. The BLS Education Pays tables show unemployment and median weekly earnings by education level. Historically a bachelor's degree has meant higher median earnings and lower unemployment than a high school diploma, so check the current table before assuming the premium has disappeared. BLS notes that its figures do not include apprenticeships and other on-the-job training, which also affect earnings.
• AI and early-career work. Stanford research on ADP payroll data found weaker employment growth for workers aged 22 to 25 in AI-exposed occupations. The authors call the evidence descriptive. We summarize it in is AI taking entry-level jobs.
• Where openings are. Health care has the most job openings of any industry in BLS data, and the fastest-growing occupations for 2025 to 2035 include nurse practitioners, solar installers, data scientists and wind turbine technicians. See which industries are hiring.

Why the first job is harder

There are several plausible reasons, and researchers disagree on how much each matters:

1. Fewer entry-level openings in some fields, including office roles where AI speeds up junior tasks.
2. More competition per opening, because applying is easy and graduates compete with laid-off experienced workers and career changers.
3. Degree requirements without matching jobs. Postings ask for a degree by habit, and employers are slowly moving to skills-based screening. See skills-based hiring and your resume.
4. A cooling hiring market overall. Entry-level hiring tends to fall first and recover last.

High school diploma or college: what to weigh

The comparison is not "degree or no degree." It is cost, pay, demand and fit for you.

Skilled trades such as electrician, plumber and HVAC technician are often entered through apprenticeships that pay while you train. Pay and demand vary by region, so check local postings and the licensing rules in your state instead of relying on national averages. Our trades resume guide shows how to present hands-on experience. Healthcare support, IT support and sales are other routes where skills and certifications often carry more weight than the degree itself.

Hybrid paths are common: trades experience plus a management credential, or a degree plus a certification. Plan the first job, not your whole life.

If you have a degree and the search is stuck

Lead with skills and proof, education last

When every applicant has a degree, it does not distinguish you. Move the education section down once you have proof of work.

Before:

Education B.A. Marketing, State University, 2025, GPA 3.7

Experience Marketing Intern, Local Company, Summer 2024

After (example, use your own facts):

Skills Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, Meta Ads Manager, A/B testing, SQL basics

Experience Marketing Intern, Local Company, Summer 2024

• Ran email campaigns and tracked open rates in a weekly report for three department leads
• Tested two subject-line styles over six sends and reported the winner

Education B.A. Marketing, State University, 2025

Build proof, not only credentials

• Writing: link to published pieces or a portfolio.
• Data: share a project with your method documented.
• Marketing: document a campaign you ran, even for a student organization.
• Design: keep a portfolio with real work.

See how to write a new graduate resume and the projects section guide.

Aim at employers who read resumes as people

Large employers use the most automated screening. Smaller companies and agencies often decide from a conversation and a sample of your work. A short, specific message to a hiring manager there is often worth more than another application into a large pile. The informational interview guide has scripts.

Do not wait for the perfect first job

Contract work, internships and adjacent roles all count as experience. See internship to full-time resume if you are converting one.

A one-week plan

1. Skills audit. List every tool you can actually use, specifically ("pivot tables, VLOOKUP," not "Excel").
2. One proof point. Build one thing you can link: an analysis, an audit or a writing sample.
3. Five conversations. Message five people in roles you want and ask what the job is really like.
4. Wider search. Add smaller companies and adjacent roles.
5. Interview stories. Prepare examples of problems you solved, from class, work or personal projects.

Then check how the search is going with how long a job search takes and the wider job search strategy guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the unemployment rate for recent college graduates?+

The New York Fed reported about 5.6% unemployment and about 42% underemployment for graduates aged 22 to 27 in the second quarter of 2026. The tracker updates quarterly.

Is a college degree still worth it?+

On average, historically yes: BLS Education Pays data has shown higher median earnings and lower unemployment for bachelor's degree holders than for those with only a high school diploma. But the first job is harder to land, and the right answer depends on the field, the cost and your alternatives.

Are high school graduates getting hired faster than college graduates?+

We could not verify that claim and removed it. Compare current unemployment and earnings by education in BLS Education Pays, and remember it excludes apprenticeships and other training.

What should I put on my resume instead of my degree?+

Lead with a skills section and results from projects, internships or freelance work, then list education below. Use only facts and numbers you can back up.

Turn your degree into a resume that shows skills

Build it in the ResumeFast builder and check it with the free ATS checker. Building and editing are free, and your first PDF or Word download is free (once per account). After that, PDF and Word need Pro at $6.95 a month, billed monthly, cancel anytime. Plain text (.txt) downloads are always free.