Employers Give New College Grads a Passing Grade on Job Readiness

BETHLEHEM, PA—Overall, employers feel that new college graduates are reasonably well prepared for the jobs they will enter after graduation, according to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

More than 70% of employers responding to NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update survey deem college graduates somewhat well prepared as they step into their professional careers, while slightly more than 20% feel that college grads are very well prepared for this next step.

“These students not only honed the key skills that employers have identified as necessary for successful transition to the workforce, but they were able to connect these skills to the jobs and industries they are entering during the recruiting process,” says Shawn VanDerziel, NACE president and chief executive officer.

The survey also found that the skills new grads have developed in college track with employer needs. More than 40% of employers taking part in the survey said new grads’ skills are very closely aligned to their hiring needs, and 56% say they are partially aligned.

In terms of career readiness skills, employers see communication, teamwork, professionalism, and critical thinking skills as most important for new graduates, and most give new grads high marks for their teamwork abilities. (See Figure 1.)

However, there is room for improvement as employers are less impressed with new grads’ communication, professionalism, and critical thinking skills.

“The results suggest that students need help articulating and demonstrating their skills to employers. The overwhelming majority of employers said they want potential candidates not to just list their skills but to provide examples,” VanDerziel explains.

Fortunately, there are ways for students to gain experience and learn about workplace skills and expectations throughout their college careers.

“Coursework, internships and other experiential opportunities, and co-curricular activities all help students develop workplace skills that employers are looking for and can support their workforce preparation,” VanDerziel says.

College career services offices can assist by integrating career readiness skills across the student experience. They can also work with students to help them translate their classroom learning and experiences into skills language that is meaningful to employers and identify examples that illustrate career readiness and job-specific skills.

Employers, too, can help develop a pool of career-ready candidates by expanding internship opportunities and building skills-development into their internships, sponsoring skills-focused activities (such as hackathons), and communicating their skill requirements clearly in job postings and job descriptions.

About the Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update: The Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update survey, sponsored by Jobscan, was conducted from February 12 – March 17, 2026. Of the 185 total respondents, 142 were NACE employer members, representing 19.9% of eligible member respondents. The Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update survey was also distributed to nonmember companies; this group provided an additional 43 responses. The survey updates hiring projections for the Class of 2026 that was published in November 2025.

About the National Association of Colleges and Employers: Established in 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is the only professional association in the United States that connects more than 14,500 college career services professionals, nearly 2,900 early career talent acquisition professionals, and more than 400 business solution providers that serve this community.

NACE is the premier source of market research on career readiness, the employment of recent college graduates, and the college-to-career transition. NACE forecasts hiring and trends in the job market; tracks salaries, recruiting and hiring practices, and student attitudes and outcomes; and identifies best practices and benchmarks.

NACE offers its members unparalleled research, networking and professional development opportunities, guidance on standards and ethics, and advocacy on key issues. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org.