College internships could be the key to helping new graduates secure their first full-time job after graduation.
A June 16 report from the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) indicates that 55 percent of students who participated in a paid internship prior to graduation received at least one employment offer. Additionally, those students were offered higher starting salaries, with an average of $69,521 compared with $61,747 overall.
Overall, the study found that about 44 percent of graduates had at least one job offer before graduation, and that Class of 2026 bachelor’s degree graduates averaged 0.79 job offers. While that figure is consistent with the Class of 2025, it remains well below the hiring pace seen among graduates in 2022 and 2023, the report notes….