According to Chapman University’s 2025 Survey of American Fears, more than half of Americans fear economic collapse.
For college seniors preparing to graduate, those fears aren’t abstract. They’re practical.
“I’m most worried about finding a job, but I do feel solid overall,” screenwriting senior Ethan Schwesinger told The Panther “I feel like sometimes I get anxious about (post-graduation), but then I think about how at the end of the day, I can only control what I can control.”
Nearly one in five students say affording post-graduate life is a top stressor, with many questioning whether entry-level salaries can keep pace with rent, healthcare and inflation.
But what happens after the diploma is handed over?
For recent Chapman graduates, economic anxiety doesn’t disappear — it shifts.
Some alumni secured jobs immediately after graduation, while others took time off or moved back home to reduce expenses.
Schwesinger says he is currently trying to put himself in the best position so that after graduation, he will be able to be where he wants to be, noting that the job market can be concerning, but sure he’ll figure it out.
Angelique Ramirez, a 2025 Chapman graduate, is currently unemployed and living at home, financially supported by her parents. Without student loans and minimal expenses beyond her car and gas, Ramirez acknowledges she is in a privileged position compared to many of her peers.
“I don’t really have struggles with (the) cost of living as I’m lucky enough to have a really good support system, but that also pushes me to work harder towards finding employment,” she told The Panther.
For alumnus Ben Moscoso, stability came gradually. He continued freelance broadcasting work while securing a full-time position with Chapman’s Information Systems and Technology (IS&T).
Like Ramirez, Moscoso does not have student loans, a factor both said relieves significant financial pressure compared to peers carrying debt. Still, both describe a lingering sense that they should be doing more, earning more, advancing faster or finding work that aligns with the degrees they pursued.
Moscoso described his first year after graduation as a transition from “struggling” to “somewhat comfortable,” saying that although he is paying his family back for their support, he is spared full rent.
“All these new bills at once are definitely adding new challenges and stresses in my life,” said Moscoso. “But compared to the challenges and stresses of struggling monthly doing solely freelance work? A trade-off I am ecstatic to be making.”
His experience reflects a broader reality young adults face: financial independence that often comes at the cost of trade-offs between security and autonomy.
The tension is not limited to recent graduates. According to the state of the U.S. consumer from McKinsey & Company, Americans across different income levels report growing concerns about inflation and the cost of living.
The report finds younger consumers, especially Gen Z, experiencing higher levels of financial strain than older generations.
For Chapman alumni like Moscoso and Ramirez, these national trends translate into personal dilemmas: when to move out, how much to contribute at home and what kind of job provides not just income, but stability.