Nearly three-quarters of recent U.S. public high school graduates pursued some form of education or training after graduation. Yet only 48 percent of those who pursued a four-year degree completed it, while just 39 percent of those who started a two-year degree finished, according to national research conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by Agency, Inc. The survey also found that 24 percent of employed graduates worked in service and customer-facing roles, compared with 12 percent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
These figures raise a central question: are we preparing young people to build financially independent lives? A high school diploma remains an important achievement, but it is not a guarantee of economic security. Young adults face a changing labor market and growing demand for further education and specialized skills.
Many lack clear information about opportunities, qualifications, and the support needed to complete their chosen pathways. Much of this challenge begins before students leave high school. In the national survey, fewer than half of respondents said their high schools had adequately prepared them for postsecondary coursework.
Students may enter college seeking a well-paying career but encounter academic, financial, or personal barriers. Enrollment alone does not guarantee a qualification or sustainable career. Artificial intelligence adds another dimension.
A September 2026 working paper from the U.S. Census Bureau found that graduates from the most AI-exposed college majors experienced a five-percentage-point decline in their likelihood of initial employment and a 13 percent decline in initial earnings following the emergence of generative AI. The findings do not mean an entire generation will lose jobs to AI, but they show how quickly career pathways can change.
Schools must prepare students to adapt and develop transferable skills. The issue is not a lack of ambition among young people. Many pursue education, training, and employment, but the challenge is turning those efforts into qualifications and stable earnings.
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