Welcome to the chaos, Class of 2025

Forget corner offices, the class of 2025 just wants "a calm nervous system."

The Class of 2025 is graduating into a perfect storm of chaos. In a Reality Check with college graduates, more than 70% of respondents say they feel their job prospects are worse than when their parents entered the workforce. They’re facing economic headwinds, a global trade war, geopolitical tension, and the rise of AI – all while the job market slows and rent is unaffordable in cities big and small.

Graduation’s meant to be a launching pad for the rest of their lives, but young adults in the class of 2025 are commiserating around a shared sense of uncertainty. It's reminiscent of the classes of 2009 and 2010, who graduated into the Great Recession. But this time, the economic anxiety comes with additional layers of technological disruption and political instability.

The data below comes from my listening sessions with seniors who graduated college and high school this year, and a ‘Reality Check’ survey of more than 50 college and high school graduates.

The backdrop: This cohort of college grads had their junior and senior years of high school cut short by Covid and navigated college admissions during global turmoil. Some graduated high school during the pandemic and took a gap year to avoid spending their freshman year of college online. They were on the oldest cusp of Gen Z 2.0 – those who graduated high school during or just after the pandemic. They only know post-Covid campus life, where hybrid learning turned tradition upside down and made Zooming into class normal.

While on campus, higher ed transformed around them. Uncertainty after the fall of Roe v. Wade and fear of ongoing gun violence have played into where students decide to go to college. Prestigious universities faced historic student-led protests, funding crises, and faculty tension, while soaring costs call their value into question.

Now, the Class of 2025 is entering a world where the leader of the free world is publicly fighting with the wealthiest man in the world. This administration has imposed tariffs that sent the stock market spiraling. And spending cuts, especially in the world of government jobs, have changed the calculus around what students plan to do post-grad. To top it off, jobs that once required humans are increasingly automated.

It’s all quite messy.

Timeline for the college class of 2025.

In my Reality Check and listening sessions, here’s what the college grads told me:

By the Numbers

• 70% of respondents told me they feel their job/financial prospects are worse than when their parents entered the job market

• More than 25% carry student debt

• Less than half have jobs lined up (with some of the unemployed grads continuing their education)

Themes

1. Economic anxiety

2. Dismal job prospects

3. Craving real connection

4. Activism has shifted

5. AI is changing everything

6. Following affordable rent, not dreams

7. An American Dream redefined

Economic anxiety

From “terrified,” to “anxious,” “scared,” and “trash,” grads feel the odds are stacked against them as question marks about the U.S. economy swirl.

An American University grad told me she “couldn’t imagine graduating at a worse time.” And a University of Houston graduate said when it comes to the economy, everything is “rapidly changing.”

“I'm extremely worried about the disappearance of the middle class and the choices of the current administration,” said a grad from Bowling Green State University.

“I have to have 4 roommates in order to have rent under $700,” said a University of North Carolina graduate.

Dismal job prospects

Even the most prepared grads are struggling to find footing. Many feel they’re doing everything “right” and still coming up short. All of that has led to a sense of disillusionment, lack of trust, and a question of whether the effort has been worth it.

“The cost of living is ridiculous and so is the job market,” said a Northeastern graduate.

A University of Virginia graduate slated to become a consultant told me he’s “worried” that his “job is going to get nixed by DOGE.”

One Cornell grad has been recruiting for jobs for more than a year.

Despite having held five internships while in under-grad and a great GPA, they told me: “I keep getting rejected with minimal feedback, I don’t feel like employers respect my time, and I don’t think most people truly understand how soul crushing it is to be doing everything right and still be in this position.”

Craving real connection

Rebounding from the pandemic, the class of 2025 is longing for in-person community and places where they feel connected by a shared ideology, identity, or common goal. This is even more true for students who attended online classes, at commuter schools, and community colleges.

Asked if there was a community in college where he felt at home, a grad from University of Illinois Chicago said that as “a COVID college kid,” the experience was different. “There weren’t a lot of communities for me to be a part of and combined with going to an online/commuter school it was tough to make many long term social connections.”

Asked the place that gave them community in college, other 2025 graduates listed their fraternity or sorority, student journalism staff/team, political groups, their ROTC program, affinity, or religious groups.

Activism has shifted

The majority of respondents – 61% – did not participate in a demonstration/protest during their time in college, while just 39% did.

And yet, those who were involved in activism or politics said it was the community that meant the most to them during their time in college.

“I participated in the Black Lives Matter protests and the protests against the overturning of Roe V. Wade and all of these were important to me,” said a University of Nebraska grad.

Young people continue to demonstrate, but they are a vocal minority. And in the Trump 2.0, resistance looks quite different than it had during his first term in office.

AI is changing everything

The invention of ChatGPT changed higher ed for good, and the class of 2025 was one of the first to experience college with AI. “I remember ChatGPT being released while I was studying abroad and coming back to campus and feeling like I was in a whole different world,” a University of Scranton grad told me.

“It definitely changed the culture in college,” said a Northeastern grad.

For many, tools like ChatGPT come with relief and anxiety. The chatbot helps students work faster and more efficiently, but raises concerns about academic integrity and information retention.

“AI made college easier and harder at the same time. As someone who is very driven and likes to load up their plate it felt like AI would free up more time for me but at the same time I saw the detriment its use had on my education,” said an American University grad.

“I’m hesitant to use AI for assignments because it feels like I’m cheating myself out of the knowledge I’m here to obtain,” said a Cornell grad.

“Halfway through college tasks like outlining a paper, researching for a project, or synthesizing large amounts of information became a lot easier,” said a University of Virginia grad.

There’s fear of using it incorrectly and some feel like they’re cheating, or becoming lazy, just by using it at all. “It made me slack off,” said a University of North Carolina grad.

And yet, there’s a pressure to use it – creating a complicated and nuanced dynamic. On top of that, students are increasingly worried about what tools like ChatGPT mean for the future of the very jobs they studied for.

“It made assignments easier. However, it took away future jobs I wanted,” said a Norfolk State University grad.

Following affordable rent, not dreams

The class of 2025 is looking for affordable living options. But beyond a payable rent, they’re looking for something deeper: a strong and vibrant community where they can foster genuine friendships.

Asked what determined where they’ll live post grad, here’s what some in the class of 2025 had to say:

Earning money to be honest, I chose a city where I had a job offer, I’m moving home for a bit, We asked ChatGPT lol not really but kind of. My family lives an hour from Charlotte and it kind of has everything we were looking for. I’m most excited to meet new people and try new hobbies, It wasn't my original plan to move home but I feel called to make a difference here. I am excited to bring the skills and knowledge I have obtained over the past four years back here and make my mark, Job opportunity and quality of life, Financially I had to move back home with family, I was looking for a place that prioritized community and that’s exactly what I found in my neighborhood, College location, have more friends here than my hometown, I was going to move to DC and apply for a government internship, but that no longer exists and now I’m not sure what to do, My parents house cause it was cheapest.

An American Dream redefined

The shifting American Dream is less about symbols and more about emotions. The class of 2025 is looking for security as well as satisfaction. They’re focused more on the here and now for themselves and less on their legacy.

To them, success would look like:

A calm nervous system, Having my own apartment, being financially stable, being done with my student loans, Gaining a career that’s fulfilling in all aspects, A well-paying job in a fulfilling career, Having a vibrant social life, a living space I can call my own, Being financially independent and finding purpose in the work that I’m doing while feeling fulfilled in my life, Financial freedom and stability. Having my own business and being my own boss. Building my dream home from scratch. Traveling around the world trying as many different cuisines as I possibly can. True happiness oozing out of me, Making an impact is huge for me, Stable income, Freedom to travel, Be happy and healthy and my family also happy and healthy, Living my best life with my dream job, car, and apartment with no student debt, Financial stability and security + a loving and supportive community around me (friends and family) + a healthy and happy relationship (+a beach house!!!!), Having enough money that I don’t have to worry about paying my bills. Loving my job., Hopefully graduating grad/law school with the least amount of debt + securing a job after law school.

Takeaway

The Class of 2025 is facing an unprecedented reality. The traditional path of college to career to homeownership has fundamentally broken down, forcing this generation to create new rules for the start of adulthood.

Their response is practical. They aren’t chasing prestige or impressive-sounding jobs that pay poorly. When they define success, it's "having enough money that I don't have to worry about paying my bills" and "a calm nervous system." This might be considered lowering expectations to some, but to those going through it, it’s realistic.

The class of 2025 is witnessing real-time economic instability and AI reshaping industries, and has experienced isolation that’s clarified what genuinely matters to them. Now they're building something different: lives centered on stability and connection over status.

There are several contradictions among this cohort that reveal deeper truths. The most digitally native generation craves in-person community. The first class to study alongside AI worries about their career prospects as a result. The group that witnessed historic campus unrest largely chose personal security over activism.

Their housing decisions are particularly telling. They're not following dreams to expensive coastal cities, they're following affordable rent and existing support networks. Moving home represents strategy, not failure: build savings, maintain family connections, plan the next move carefully.

This generation isn't abandoning the American Dream, but they're definitely redefining it from previous generations. A consistent paycheck and meaningful work trumps corner offices and titles. Mental health takes priority over grinding toward burnout.

The Class of 2025 isn't failing to launch. They’re launching differently, with unprecedented clarity about economic realities and what constitutes success. They're not giving up, but they're being honest about what's actually sustainable.

And for the high school grads…

Priorities for the high school class of 2025 aren’t too different from those finishing college. While most of the high school graduates I spoke to are planning to go to college, the admissions process was defined more by affordability, scholarship programs, and eventual job prospects than prestige.

When it comes to AI, the high school grads are split in how much they use it – ranging from everyday to not at all. On the whole, while many shared fear or anxiety about tools like ChatGPT, they’re well aware of the role AI will play in their future and are hungry for opportunities to learn how to use it best.

Across the board, high school grads crave more of a social life, parties, and relationships. They’ve watched the gender gap develop in real time, especially when it comes to how young men and women think differently about their futures.

“Young men are generally turning to nihilism or some sort of system to cope with their despair. Maybe I’m wrong, I think many young women are more optimistic or are at least more willing to share their feelings with a therapist or confidant,” said a teen in Texas.

“Gen Z tends to hold more conservative views and maintain gender roles established centuries ago,” said a teen in Arizona.

Asked the one thing they wished they had experienced more of during high school, this reply from an Oregon teen sums it up best: “honestly being a kid more.”