Trends & Predictions

Using AI-driven gamified learning tools can help students think critically and gain skills, but it requires a human touch to develop and refine throughout the development process.

For generations, the transition from college to career followed a relatively stable script, and entry-level jobs were not just jobs; they were training grounds. Now we’re seeing a shift away from that traditional path. So, whose responsibility is it to prepare students for work?

Results from NACE’s 2026 Career Services Benchmarking Poll on AI show a big shift in just a few years in how AI is integrating into the work of career centers. Eighty-six percent of career centers are using AI as an assistive tool when working with individual students—up sharply from just 20% in 2023 and 76% in 2025.

The irreplaceable value of career staff is found in their judgment, personal relationships, and the human capacity to help a student understand who they are becoming, not just where they are applying.

NACE’s 2026 Environmental Scan synthesizes proprietary research from Job Outlook and Student Survey, national labor market data, and federal policy analysis to help you anticipate change and plan strategically.

For decades, the story we told students was linear: pick a major, graduate, land a job, climb the ladder. That story has changed; higher ed needs a non-linear approach to career services to evolve from transactional offices to adaptive talent ecosystems.

The use of AI in career centers to help students in their employment journey has grown substantially in recent years, according to results of NACE’s recent Quick Poll on Career Services Benchmarks.

Despite all the information on hiring, it can be difficult to determine why some of our students are hired quickly and others are not. When interacting with students across majors and with different industry interests, career educators and recruiters often sum up behaviors expected on the job as professionalism, a tricky umbrella term that ignores the way that behavioral expectations may change from industry to industry—and can impact hiring decisions and new employee retention.

In spring 2025, NACE conducted a follow-up poll to a 2023 survey to better understand the current mental health concerns of NACE members. In the latest poll, more than half of participants self-reported that their mental health was worse at the time of the poll than it was last year at the same time.

Career center budgets for the 2024-25 academic year have increased across the board since 2022-23, according to results of NACE’s 2024-25 Career Services Benchmarks survey.

Attendance numbers reflect the preferences employers and students have for the format of career fairs, results of NACE’s 2024-25 Career Services Benchmarks survey reveal.

More than 200 senior career services leaders took part in a March 5 virtual meet up hosted by NACE to discuss effects of the Trump administration’s recent executive orders and “Dear Colleague” letter on the profession.

As students of color, including Hispanic students, are eager to attend higher education institutions and advance their economic wealth, many barriers hinder their academic success.

While some of the experiences of nontraditional-aged students mirror those of their traditional-aged peers, there are important areas where they diverge. This information can help career service professionals and recruiters better serve this growing group of college students.

Because faculty are frequently asked by their current and former students for career advice, there is an opportunity to increase awareness among faculty of the resources available to them.

One important question for career services staff who hope to support racial equity in their work: How does race and racism show up in the student experience?

The NACE Liberal Arts Affinity Group reflects on its many accomplishments since last year's conference and looks ahead to next year.

Results of a NACE quick poll identify barriers and accelerators affecting the career paths of career services and university recruiting professionals.

Belonging at work—feeling that one is valued, accepted, and supported—helps to ensure a healthy, productive, and positive work environment. NACE surveyed its membership to better understand their experiences with belonging in the profession.

A study found that mentorship, community, biculturalism, and resilience are crucial resources and skills that Black women can use to advance their careers.

A joint research project by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and Break Through Tech uncovered the positive impact career services has on outcomes for women in general and for women pursuing tech careers in particular. The research is detailed in “The Impact of Career Services on Women Pursuing Tech Careers,” which is free to the public.

In an ever-evolving landscape, career services needs to adapt and innovate. Here, Hassan Akmal discusses how career services can reimagine itself to meet the needs of students and alumni.

In this op ed piece, Chris Miciek discusses problems with jumping into AI without considering the consequences and urges we take the middle ground.

This study, a collaboration between NACE and Break Through Tech, provides evidence that career services can help level the playing field for women pursuing STEM careers.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) polled its career services members in spring 2023 about their use of AI in their work and in their work with students.