Labor‑market analysis shows entry‑level hiring at its weakest in 37 years, concentrating job growth in health‑care and social‑services while traditional on‑ramps for recent college graduates—finance and information services—shed roles. Separately, research and surveys show parents increasingly prioritize funding home down payments over college savings as graduates face underemployment and mounting costs. Higher education leaders and career offices are confronting the fallout: weaker placement outcomes, longer recruitment cycles, and growing student anxiety about return on investment. Colleges say they must bolster career advising, diversify employer networks, and expand credentials and apprenticeships to offset a shallow entry‑level market for new graduates.