2025 Jobs Report
Together with our higher education and employer partners, we’re proving what’s possible when you empower the next generation of leaders with the skills, networks, experiences, and confidence necessary to launch a strong career.
Together with our higher education and employer partners, we’re proving what’s possible when you empower the next generation of leaders with the skills, networks, experiences, and confidence necessary to launch a strong career.
By 2032, our ambition is to work with 80,000-100,000 students, empowering 25,000 new students through the course each year.
To date, we’ve worked with 12,000 Fellows in many communities across the country.
Nationally, only about 30% of 1.4 million low-income or first-generation college students who enroll in college each year will graduate and secure a strong first job or enter graduate school.1
Braven empowers promising college students on their paths toward quality economic opportunities through a semester-long, cohort-based course—developed with input from our higher education partners and faculty—and support that extends beyond the course, continuing through six months after college graduation.
In our core higher education model, students take the course for credit. Students who come through BravenX via college success organizations receive a financial stipend in lieu of credit.
The percentage of students enrolled in at least one distance education course doubled.2
In March 2022, job openings
rebounded to the highest level recorded since 2000:
12 million openings.3
2024 graduating seniors had the highest rate of internship attainment out of the past 6 graduating classes largely due to increases in internship opportunities post-pandemic.4
The youngest job seekers, those aged 20 to 24, saw a 1.2 percentage point increase in their unemployment rate -- 4x the growth in the unemployment rate across all workers.5, 6
The percentage of students enrolled in at least one distance education course doubled.2
In March 2022, job openings
rebounded to the highest level recorded since 2000: 12 million openings.3
The Braven Class of 2024 had the highest rate of internship attainment out of the past 6 graduating classes largely due to increases in internship opportunities post-pandemic.4
The newest job seekers, those aged 20 to 24, saw a 1.2 percentage point increase in their unemployment rate -- 4x the growth in the unemployment rate across all workers.5, 6
This new class is outpacing their peers nationally in quality outcome attainment by 18 percentage points (61% vs 40%) within six months of graduation.7,8
Eighty-four percent of the Class of 2024 of Braven graduates were employed overall or enrolled in graduate school within six months of college graduation.
This year across our core model higher education partner sites, quality opportunity attainment ranges from 45% to 70%. As we scale, we will continue to address these differences to ensure that Fellows remain on the path to economic mobility.
We are proud of the achievements of our graduates who hail from a diverse set of institutions and are launching their careers into local labor markets that vary in industry composition and stages of economic recovery.
a full-time role that requires a bachelor’s degree and includes some combination of promotion pathways, employee benefits, and a market-competitive starting salary, or enrollment in graduate school
a role that does not require a bachelor’s degree but helps students’ financial sustainability, is aligned with career interests, and will likely lead to more career-accelerating possibilities through skill development
a role that does not require a bachelor’s degree, offers limited runway to additional career-accelerating opportunities, and is not aligned with students’ career interests
International Schools
/ Denotes schools in Washington D.C. area (8)
* Denotes schools in New York City area (9)
+ Denotes schools in Chicago area (8)
International Schools
/ Denotes schools in Washington D.C. area (8)
* Denotes schools in New York City area (9)
+ Denotes schools in Chicago area (8)
74% of our graduates nationally are already out earning their parents at the same age in their first job out of college.10
By comparison, by age 30, Americans have a 50-50 shot of out-earning their parents.11
Most popular industries for Braven Fellows10
Braven defines a strong first job as one that requires a bachelor’s degree and is full-time, and also includes some combination of promotion pathways, employee benefits, and a market-competitive starting salary.
Six months post-graduation, Braven Fellows in the Class of 2024 are earning above the national average salary of all early career college graduates.
Compared to a national average of $42,537 of recent college graduates aged 23-24 who were employed in 202312
Compared to a national average of $49,630 of recent college graduates aged 23-24 who worked full-time in 202312
ARE IN ROLES ALIGNED WITH THEIR LONG-TERM CAREER INTERESTS10
HAVE A JOB WITH EMPLOYER PROVIDED BENEFITS10
Paired with Leadership Coach Adrienne Petrino, Founder of You Make the World Better Coaching, who provided Eboni with 60 hours of mentorship.
The Braven experience
equipped Eboni with
5 key career competencies:
Self-driven leadership • Working in teams • Problem solving • Networking and communicating • Operating and managing
After the Braven course,
Eboni secured a high-quality internship:
Keyboarding Clerk 1,
County of Passaic Board of Commissioners
“The Braven course at Rutgers University-Newark played a key role in helping me develop my professional identity and brand. It provided me with the tools to clearly articulate my strengths, values, and career goals, which allowed me to confidently present myself in interviews and networking opportunities. Overall, it gave me the confidence to define my professional path and how I want to be seen in the workforce.”
Internships prepare students to launch strong careers by helping them:13
Signal to employers their acquired knowledge and skills14
Paid internships result in better career outcomes.15
The highest quality internships share these characteristics:13, 16
Acquiring an internship in Congress can be especially hard for students from humble beginnings, whether that be tied to financial constraint or networks. Braven’s Capitol Hill Fellowship lowers these barriers by supporting Fellows with applying to internships at Congressional offices, providing Capitol Hill Fellows with eight weeks of housing, professional development, a clothing stipend, and a monthly living stipend. Four Fellows participated in the inaugural year of the Fellowship.
Higher Education Partners
BravenX Partners
Employer Partners
LEAD
(250K+ and programmatic support)
($100K+ and programmatic support)
KEYSTONE
($25K+ and programmatic support)
INNOVATION
($10K+ and programmatic support
IMPACT
($5K and/or programmatic support)
This program is fully virtual and identical in length, content, and cohort structure as our university-for-credit model. However, it is made possible through partnerships with college access and success organizations.
Braven helps empower their alumni to build the foundation for their careers. BravenX Fellows earn a financial stipend upon completion of the program in lieu of academic credit. In some cases, BravenX is added as a scholarship requirement.
"The Braven course at Delaware State University helped me build my professional identity and brand. Through activities like crafting a mission statement and refining my resume, I gained clarity on my career goals in Hospitality and Tourism. The program taught me the importance of communication and networking, giving me the confidence to showcase my skills and strengths. With guidance from my leadership coaches, I learned how to position myself effectively in the job market and stand out to employers."
- Celine Trombi
Delaware State University
"My leadership coach and peers made my Braven experience both memorable and enjoyable. My coach was especially helpful in guiding our team to success. I also appreciated the moments when we shared what was going well—or not so well—in our lives. Those check-ins felt like mini therapy sessions and brought us closer as a group."
-Olayimika Adeyemi
Delaware State University
"What I enjoyed most about my Braven experience at Delaware State University were the resources and connections. The career opportunities organizer was especially helpful—it let me track Graduate Programs, Internships, and Fellowships all in one place with their deadlines. This tool has made it so much easier to stay organized and prepared. Plus, the connections I made through Braven introduced me to my current mentor, who helps keep me on track and motivated."."
- Bryanna Dawson
Delaware State University
