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Our mission

Building pathways to opportunity for every graduate.

Where our alumni work today
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The challenge

Infographic with statistics about students: Every year 1 million first-generation, low-income students graduate college; after one year 667,000 are unemployed or underemployed; four years later, 500,000 are still stuck.

*Baccalaureate and Beyond, National Center for Education Statistics NBER; Strada & Burning Glass; LinkedIn’s network gap

Underemployment is endemic. One year after college, more than half of graduates work in jobs that do not require a degree. On average, they earn $20,000 less than peers in college-level roles. (Strada) This is not a new challenge. The underemployment rate today is virtually identical to the rate in 1990, when the government first published the metric. (NY Fed)

Underemployment is hard to escape. Among graduates who are underemployed one year after college, only 27% secure college-level employment over the next decade. Conversely, 79% of grads who start in college-level roles remain so ten years later. (Strada) To a large degree, the economic value of college depends on what happens in the year or two after graduation.

Underemployment thwarts upward mobility, and public policy. Pell Grant recipients are 31% more likely than non-Pell grads to be underemployed four years after college. (NCES) In other words, graduates with the most at stake economically also face the toughest odds. This hurts low-income families, as well as America’s return on public student aid.

Our solution

Building a stable career after college can be challenging, but graduates don’t have to navigate the journey alone.

Our mission is to equip first-generation and low-income college graduates with the skills, community, and connections to launch upwardly mobile careers.

At COOP, we understand that the 12 months immediately following college graduation are critical. Over the last decade, we have developed an effective antidote to underemployment among first-gen and Pell-eligible college grads, rooted in social capital and specialized skills. Both assets will be more critical in an economy with heightened competition for fewer early-career on-ramps.

Flow chart with four steps: Focus on full-time jobs, Peer community, Alumni coaches, and the central Google logo.

All of our fellows are public financial aid recipients or the first in their family to graduate, and most are both. They live within two hours of New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago: cities home to significant opportunity and substantial inequality. (EPI)

Our fellowship is an intensive 16-week program led by alumni coaches and currently offered in three career tracks: Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, and Financial Services. Cohorts of 16–20 peers spend 150–200 hours learning technical skills, building community, and pursuing competitive open positions. 

The fellowship is hybrid, synchronous, and intimate.

Fellows can opt into structured job search support after the 16-week program if they are having difficulty securing employment. This additional support runs for up to eight months, helping new alumni translate the skills and connections they've cultivated into callbacks, successful interviews, and offers.

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The impact we create

When one career changes, communities grow stronger.

Every fellow who launches a meaningful career creates opportunities that extend beyond themselves—to their families, workplaces, and communities.

COOP Careers believes career success creates a ripple effect that inspires future generations and strengthens the workforce for everyone.

3.5X

salary increase post fellowship

96%

of fellows identify as a person of color

100%

of fellows are first-gen or low-income college grads

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Our community

A network that grows with every fellow.

COOP Careers is more than a fellowship. It is a lifelong community of graduates, alumni, employer partners, volunteers, and supporters working together to expand opportunity.

Whether you're applying to become a fellow, hiring emerging talent, mentoring future leaders, or investing in our mission, you're helping build a stronger and more inclusive workforce.

We envision a future where every college graduate has the opportunity to build a meaningful career, regardless of background.