A stark disconnect exists between the career ambitions of college students in California and the support they receive to achieve them. While the overwhelming majority enroll in higher education to secure a better job, a new report reveals that the career guidance provided is often too little, too late.
High Ambitions, Low Satisfaction with Career Support
The findings, from the nonpartisan research organization California Competes, are based on a survey of over 5,000 students and recent graduates. The data, drawn from the 2023 Strada–College Pulse survey, shows a clear picture: more than 80% of first-year students cite getting a better job as a very important reason for attending college.
However, the path to that goal is poorly lit. Only one in five students (20%) reported being fully satisfied with the career guidance they received during their college years. This is despite the fact that around 60% had access to some form of career advice, and half were given information about potential earnings linked to their course by the end of their first year.
Most students rely on college faculty and staff for direction, while a significant number also turn to family and friends. This gap in formal, effective guidance disproportionately impacts first-generation students, those from low-income households, and students of colour, who often lack professional networks to fall back on.
The Critical Role of Work-Based Learning
The report identifies work-based learning, such as internships, as a decisive factor for post-graduation success. About 40% of students nearing degree completion participated in such opportunities. Those who did were more likely to report better early job outcomes, higher education satisfaction, and a stronger belief that college was worth the cost.
Yet, access to these experiences is uneven. Heavy academic loads and uncertainty about finding opportunities are major barriers. Consequently, internships often remain optional extras rather than integral components of academic programs.
Some institutions, like Compton College, El Camino College, and West Los Angeles College, are leading a change. They are embedding work-based learning into the core of their programs and coordinating directly with employers, reducing the burden on students to find placements alone.
Consequences Extend Beyond Graduation
The repercussions of inadequate guidance do not end at commencement. Fewer than half of recent graduates expressed high satisfaction with their first job or early career progress. The report argues that colleges must consider these early employment outcomes as a core part of their educational responsibility.
At a policy level, the state has established the California Education Interagency Council to better align higher education with workforce needs. While this is a step towards reducing fragmentation, the core tension remains: students enter college with clear ambition but too often leave without clear direction. Until career guidance and work-based learning are treated as fundamental, not supplementary, this cycle of uncertainty is set to continue.
