As AI reshapes the job market, college grads are calling out a painful truth: their diplomas didn’t keep up. A growing number of recent college graduates are sounding the alarm on what they didn't learn.

From debt to doubt, many say their degree left them underprepared for a rapidly shifting economy, and they're now scrambling to catch up. In a national survey of 597 recent grads, respondents opened up about the emotional and professional cost of higher education that didn't anticipate the AI revolution.

Key Takeaways

• 21% of recent college grads believe their degree is already outdated in today's job market.
• 22% of recent college grads would have picked a different major if AI's future impact had been clearer when they were in college.
• Nearly 1 in 4 recent college grads (24%) feel their lack of AI-related skills limits their earnings potential.

Is AI Outpacing Higher Ed?

• 21% of recent college grads believe their degree is already outdated in today's job market. Communications majors (35%) were most likely to say so.
• Outside of engineering and math majors, law/pre-law majors (22%), education (19%), and those in trade or technical programs (20%) were most likely to receive full courses or modules on AI.
• Outside of engineering, Law students (22%) were most likely to say they received a few courses on AI, followed by business students (10%) and those in trade or technical programs (10%).
• Humanities and social sciences majors were most likely to say they received no coursework on AI (73%).
• 22% of recent college grads would have picked a different major if AI's future impact had been clearer when they were in college, with math majors being the likely to say this at 44%.

Confidence Crash: The Emotional Cost of Falling Behind

• 30% of recent college grads say the rise of AI has made them feel like they're "starting from zero" professionally.
  
  
• Nearly 1 in 4 recent college grads (23%) feel their lack of AI-related skills limits their earnings potential. Mathematics majors were most likely to say this at 56%.
  
  
• 37% of recent grads say they're not confident applying for jobs that mention AI or automation-related skills.
  
  
• 1 in 4 college grads have avoided applying for a job because the description required AI or automation-related skills.

Methodology

We surveyed 597 Americans ages 19–59 who graduated from college within the last five years. Forty-two percent identified as men, 2% as non-binary, and 56% as women. 

Respondents' fields of study included:

• Business (23%)
• Computer science (14%)
• Health professions (11%)
• Natural sciences (10%)
• Psychology (9%)
• Fine arts (7%)
• Social sciences (6%)
• Education and engineering (5%)
• Humanities (4%)
• Communications (3%)
• Technical programs (2%)
• Mathematics (2%)
• And pre-law (2%)

Percentages in this study may not total 100 exactly due to rounding.

About Nexford University

Nexford University is a modern online school built to get you career-ready fast. Our affordable, flexible degrees, like our accelerated bachelor's programs and online AI degree, are designed around real employer needs.

That means you'll build practical, in-demand skills you can use right away. Learn on your schedule, from anywhere in the world, with 24/7 support when you need it. If you're aiming for a future-proof career, Nexford gives you the edge.

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