The Class of 2017 is graduating—but how ready are they for the next step? We asked the college grads and high schoolers tossing up their caps about their feelings and their future plans…

It’s graduation season, and the Class of 2017 is about to start the next stage of their lives. But while they might have succeeded in decorating their flat caps and picking up their diplomas, how confident are they that those degrees will lead them to success?

Some research indicates that the future is rockier than they might expect. A Job Applicator Center study found over nine in ten Millennials say the post-grad job hunt was difficult. The insight reflects employers’ tendency to hire skilled workers for entry-level positions while overlooking recent graduates. Another study showed a divide between what employers want and what the newest class of graduates can offer in terms of background, interviewing skills, and salary expectations. But rather than asking employers and older Millennials about what graduates’ futures hold, we decided to go to the source. In our most recent monthly survey of 1,000 13-34-year-olds (part of our ongoing Millennial and Gen Z research) we asked both high school and college students graduating right now to tell us their feelings about what their degrees will get them, and what their plans are for the immediate future. Here’s what we found: 

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