A Look Back at University Recruiting in 2025

2025 became one of the most complex operating environments University Recruiting has ever faced. What began as a push for efficiency quickly expanded into a year defined by shifting expectations, rapid technological change, and extreme pressure to demonstrate measurable outcomes.

Executive orders demanded the restructuring of DEI initiatives. Surging application volume elevated the need for clearer signal detection and strategic workflow discipline. AI reshaped student behavior and employer processes, challenging long-held practices in the recruiting funnel. Winning top talent and mitigating reneges required intentionality and deeper partnerships across organizations. And even when requisitions were steady, Heads of University Recruiting still needed to continuously gain buy-in and provide a strong case for intern conversion and long-term workforce planning. These pressures did not fall evenly—some teams operated on offense, others on defense—creating a notable divide across the industry. 

Above all, the pace of change defined the year. Few periods have shifted so broadly or so quickly. Leaders were asked to manage macro conditions, internal priorities, emerging technologies, and evolving student expectations in real time. It made 2025 one of the most challenging years Early Careers has seen in recent memory.

Throughout it all, our mission stayed constant: to bring clarity where the environment offered little. We partnered with members to identify the questions that mattered most and mobilized our research and service agenda around answering them. Whether helping teams understand peer practices, surfacing what students valued, clarifying emerging skill needs, or offering immediate guidance on program decisions, our goal remained the same—to provide direction when uncertainty was highest. We also created space for leaders to learn from each other through ongoing connection and facilitated conversations across industries, a community that proved especially meaningful in a year like this one.

• 120+ Research Deliveries
• 5,700+ Students Surveyed Nationwide 
• 120+ Colleges & Universities Represented
• 320+ Employers Surveyed 
• 52 New University Recruiting Council Members Onboarded
• 180+ Events Hosted 

 

As we look to 2026, this same commitment will guide us again: to anchor our work in the challenges that matter most and to serve with the urgency and focus the moment requires. 

We remain privileged to study this work with you and to serve in the moments when clarity and confidence matter most.

 

Wishing you all a happy holiday season, 

Carter Bradley
CEO & Co-Founder