According to new data from Handshake, the college and recent grad career site, New York is the No. 1 place where new college grads are applying for jobs.
Remote Work made it easier to work from anywhere, and data shows people want to work from New York. The City received the most applications from recent grads prior to the pandemic, and it’s only gotten more competitive.
NYC saw almost seven times more job applications between 2022-2023 compared with the same period in 2018-2019. It also saw twice as many applications than the second city on the list, Chicago.
It was chosen the best work and life destination for new grads, even though New York’s Manhattan borough is the most expensive place to live in the U.S. by a wide margin.
Living costs there are more than double the national average, and median rent remains at record high of nearly $4,400 a month.
The study also found recent grads are more willing than ever to make a major move for a new job. A majority, 83%, of applications submitted via Handshake in the last year were to jobs out of state from where the student lived.
That’s nearly double the share of people willing to move for a job pre-pandemic, when 44% applications were submitted out of state.
While 41% of students said they’re more likely to apply to a hybrid job, it seems they’re putting more thought in where they want their new life to be.
72% of applications on Handshake in the last year were to roles with a specific job location, rather than a remote or work-from-anywhere listing.
This is the full list of the top 15 cities where today’s college grads are applying for jobs most:
- New York
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- Atlanta
- Boston
- San Francisco
- Austin
- Washington D.C.
- Houston
- Seattle
- Denver
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- Miami
