College Students Lean In to Startups

Forget the old script: “Go to college and get a job.” That’s yesterday’s plan.

Today the numbers now tell a very different story:

• Nearly 19% of adults in America are currently launching or running new businesses. Babson Thought & Action
• Among 18- to 24-year-olds: about 24% are already entrepreneurs, and 21% intend to be in the next three years. Babson Thought & Action+1
• Rather than dreaming in a vacuum, many are driven by necessity: job scarcity is a major factor pushing people to start their own. Babson Thought & Action
• And among Gen Z, over 50% say entrepreneurship is part of their future ambitions. Inside Higher Ed

So yes, students and recent grads are inventing their own opportunities. Some do it as side hustles. Others do it straight out of school. Many are doing both.

My son came home from college and said pretty much the same thing: the traditional path feels riskier than ever, so if you can build something now — why wait?