Nearly all members of the Class of 2026 have finalized their post-graduation plans, according to Career Advancement, with 98 percent of graduating fourth-years securing full-time employment or admission to graduate school despite facing one of the most unpredictable job markets in years.

According to Meredith Daw, the executive director of Career Advancement, 70 percent of students with post-graduate plans have obtained full-time employment, while 30 percent are pursuing graduate or professional degrees.

Additionally, more students secured full-time positions earlier in the academic year than in previous years, which Daw attributed to “an external trend” based on changes in consulting and finance recruitment processes.

“Most students are getting offers from their junior year internships,” Daw said, “A high percentage of the class has received an offer before their senior year even begins.

Ninety percent of students who applied to law or medical school were accepted into at least one program, a 5 percent increase from last year. According to Daw, that rate is expected to rise as more decisions are released.

“Students [who] come to Chicago love to learn and are really excited to continue their education,” she said. “Even if they don’t go straight through to graduate or professional school, many students will go back within five years.”

For the first time, Career Advancement published the percentage of students accepted into master of business administration (M.B.A.) programs, amid an increase in overall enrollment in M.B.A. programs after graduation. Ninety-five percent of students who applied during the 2025 cycle were accepted into an M.B.A. program, according to Career Advancement.

Daw noted that more students applied to deferred M.B.A. programs like Harvard’s 2+2 program, which allows applicants to spend two to four years working professionally before enrolling. “We’ve also supported a lot of students [who] are a few years out of getting their UChicago degree to help them to apply to M.B.A. programs, and nearly 100 percent of them gained admissions to the top M.B.A. programs.”

Chicago remains the most popular destination for graduates, with 37 percent of students planning to remain in the city. New York City is the second-most popular destination, followed closely by cities elsewhere on the East Coast and in California.

Daw said Career Advancement programming, which includes career treks and industry-focused immersion programs, helps students prepare for the accelerated recruitment process and gain professional and academic experience. These programs provide short-term experience with real-world employers in industries such as AI, finance, research, healthcare, or national security. Applications have already opened for the Class of 2030 for industry-specific career cohorts, which guarantee students summer internship opportunities or funding.

“We’re just trying to help students to take advantage of the accelerated timeline for hiring. We really want them to feel prepared and ready,” Daw said.
Finance remains the most popular career path for students entering the job market, with more than 38 percent of employed students entering the field, the highest of any UChicago graduating class.

Consulting is the second most popular industry, with about 17 percent of graduating students entering the field. Daw noted that, with an increase of AI integration into business services, many students pursuing careers in technology are now included in Career Advancement’s count of students entering finance or consulting instead of science and technology, as they have been previously.

Science and technology professions remain popular, with about 13 percent of students pursuing research in the public or private sectors, a decrease from 15 percent last year.