A new survey from Clever Real Estate reveals a stark disconnect between what college students expect to earn after graduation and the actual salaries waiting for them. Undergraduates pursuing a bachelor's degree anticipate pulling in roughly $80,000 one year out of school—about $24,000 more than the average starting salary of $56,153.
The findings, based on responses from 769 undergraduates, show that inflated expectations cut across every major. But students in fields like education and nursing are among the most out of step with reality. Education majors expect to start at $75,186, a figure 62% higher than the $46,526 they are likely to receive, according to the report. Nursing majors anticipate $83,219—32% above the realistic $63,000 for nurses with one year of experience.
Even those in higher-paying disciplines overestimate their earning power. Engineering majors expect a starting salary of $92,452, roughly 17% higher than the $78,731 they can actually expect one year after graduation, the survey found.
The gap isn’t limited to entry-level pay. Students surveyed believe they will earn around $145,000 a decade into their careers, but the average mid-career salary is just $95,521. This mismatch comes as millions of high school graduates weigh their college decisions against a backdrop of rising student debt and growing skepticism about the value of higher education. A recent poll shows that an overwhelming majority demands AI education in colleges amid workforce transformation, adding pressure on students to choose majors that promise stable returns.
While college graduates still tend to earn more and face lower unemployment than those without a degree, the perceived value of a diploma has eroded as student loan balances climb. The rise of artificial intelligence has further complicated the picture, prompting some students to reconsider majors like computer science, once seen as a ticket to high earnings, as the field faces new uncertainty.
Starting salaries also vary significantly by location and specialization. A joint analysis by Redfin and Glassdoor found that college graduates in Washington, D.C., earn about $80,000 early in their careers, compared with roughly $65,000 in Houston and $57,000 in New Orleans. Meanwhile, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that computer engineering graduates start at about $90,000, while general engineering majors earn roughly $75,000.
The survey underscores a broader challenge for policymakers and educators: aligning student expectations with labor market realities. As debates over free speech on campus and the cost of college intensify, the gap between hope and reality may shape not just individual career paths but the national conversation about the future of work and education.
