BREAKING: The inflation-adjusted average starting salary for college graduates is down -8% YoY, to ~$54,500, the lowest in at least 6 years. This marks the 4th consecutive annual decline. Salaries have plummeted -24% in real terms since the ~$71,000 peak seen in 2021. This comes as graduates are being pushed into lower-paying roles that often have little to do with their degree. The % of recent graduates whose first job aligns with their field of study has fallen from 26% for the 2022 cohort to 20% for the 2025 cohort. Young Americans are unable to find jobs.

Down 24% in real terms since 2021. And student loan balances haven't dropped at all. So grads are making way less but owing the same or more. This is why you're seeing so many young people pile into crypto and meme stocks. Traditional paths aren't delivering anymore and they know it.