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Ranked: The Best Employers for New Graduates in America

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The Best Employers for New Graduates in America

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The first job after graduation is an essential stepping stone that can often define one’s future career path and opportunities. While today’s new grads are entering one of the strongest job markets in decades, the U.S. labor market has become increasingly competitive in the past couple of years post-pandemic.

While the pandemic boom led the unemployment rate to fall as low as 3.4%, it now stands at 4.3% as of July, which is still low by historical standards. Additionally, the ratio of job openings to unemployed individuals has dropped to 1.2, down from a peak of more than two in 2022.

With U.S. college graduates hunting for their first foray into America’s workforce, the above graphic shows the best companies to work for according to new grads using data from Forbes.

Methodology of the Best Employers for New U.S. Grads

For the rankings, companies were assessed based on three years of survey results from more than 100,000 young professionals with under 10 years of work experience.

Organizations with 1,000 or more employees were rated based on the following criteria. In addition, respondents were asked if they would recommend working for their employer.

  • Compensation
  • Benefits
  • Flexibility
  • Working conditions
  • Company image
  • Inclusion
  • Opportunities for advancement

The Best Companies for New Grads in 2024

Below, we show the best employers for new grads across 400 organizations analyzed:

2024 Ranking Company Industry Number ofEmployees
1 Delta Air Lines Transportation and Logistics 100,000
2 In-N-Out Burger Restaurants 27,000
3 American Express Banking and Financial Services 26,000
4 Dutch Bros. Coffee Restaurants 24,000
5 UCLA Health Healthcare & Social Services 32,000
6 Ally Financial Banking and Financial Services 11,600
7 TakedaPharmaceutical Drugs & Biotechnology 49,095
8 Google IT Software & Services 190,711
9 Businesssolver IT Software & Services 1,256
10 Garmin Semiconductors, Electronics,Electrical Engineering 19,000
11 Principal Financial Group Banking and Financial Services 19,800
12 Microsoft IT Software & Services 122,000
13 Kimberly-Clark Packaged Goods 14,349
14 University of Tennessee, Knoxville Education 1,700
15 Bridgestone Automotive(Automotive and Suppliers) 129,260
16 University of Michigan Education 56,476
17 World Wide Technology IT Software & Services 10,000
18 Bristol Myers Squibb Drugs & Biotechnology 20,119
19 Houston Methodist Healthcare & Social Services 32,058
20 Chevron Construction, Chemicals,Raw Materials 19,975

Ranking first overall is Delta Air Lines, rated highly for its inclusion practices and corporate reputation.

As America’s most reliable airline, Delta provides a number of employee benefits such as 401(k) matching, family care benefits, flight discounts, and professional development initiatives. In addition, the company distributed $1.4 billion through profit sharing in early 2024, where employees are paid up to $1,200 per year by reaching operational goals.

In-N-Out Burger takes second spot, driven largely by its competitive compensation and career growth opportunities. On average, store managers at the iconic California chain make $180,000 in salary, roughly three times the industry average. Like Delta, the company offers profit-sharing plans.

American Express, ranked third, received high ratings in opportunities for advancement. The company is known for an enterprise career growth model that encourages employees to take ownership of their professional development. As part of this model, the company offers a wide range of training programs designed to strengthen leadership skills.

Ranking in eighth is Google, the top-ranking tech firm on the list. From cloud technical residencies to digital marketing programs, the company offers a number of initiatives for recent university graduates. Microsoft ranks in 12th, providing a two-year career development experience for new grads across roles ranging from technical sales to operations management.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about the best companies to work for in the U.S., check out this graphic ranking America’s best places to work at from 2020 to 2024.

The post Ranked: The Best Employers for New Graduates in America appeared first on Visual Capitalist.