College grads expect to earn $60,000 in their first job—here's how much they actually make
Each year, enthusiastic university commencement speakers tell students that the hard work they did in college will pay off if they simply continue to persevere. LendEdu analyzed a College Pulse survey of 7,000 college students from nearly 1,000 colleges and universities and found that students, on average, expect to earn $60,000 in their first job out of college. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) calculates that the preliminary average starting salary for graduates from the class of 2018 is about $50,004.
