Wednesday, 19 August 2026

Graduate survey: Desire to start a business grows with experience

Five young adults are standing in broad daylight in front of a historic building with tall white columns and wooden doors; in the centre of the picture, a person in a black dress is smiling as she holds a folder and a black certificate aloft, whilst the others around her are clapping and raising their arms in celebration. ©Uni Graz/Kanizaj
©Uni Graz/Kanizaj

Once they have completed their studies, most graduates have clear career goals. The prospect of becoming self-employed only becomes appealing after a few years’ professional experience. Photo: University of Graz/Kanizaj

A study by the University of Graz shows that the majority of graduates have clear career plans. The desire for self-employment grows with professional experience and affects all disciplines equally.

Graduating is an important milestone and, for many graduates, marks the start of their professional lives beyond student jobs. The University of Graz prepares its students for a wide variety of career paths and ensures that companies and organisations can find well-trained specialists. The Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey (GUESSS), which is conducted in Austria by the University of Graz, examines how young people plan their professional futures. The results from 2025 show that seven out of ten graduates already know which direction their career should take upon graduation.

The GUESSS report is based on an international survey across 66 countries with more than 196,000 complete responses from students, and examines how students view self-employment and starting a business. It reveals that, for the vast majority of graduates, taking the step into self-employment immediately after graduation seems too early. Many would like to gain practical experience, build a network and get to know their industry.

Experience fosters an entrepreneurial spirit

However, as their professional experience grows, many university graduates become more willing to start their own business. Five years after graduation, 21.6 per cent of the approximately 2,000 survey participants felt ready to take the step towards self-employment. This figure rises to as much as 29 per cent for those who attended courses on starting a business whilst at university.

The GUESSS Report refutes the widespread assumption that starting a business is primarily of interest to those studying technical or scientific subjects. Start-up ideas can emerge even without a laboratory or workshop. 23 per cent of graduates in the humanities wish to become self-employed. This means there are just as many people with start-up ideas in these disciplines as there are in STEM fields.

“The GUESSS findings clearly show that universities do far more than simply prepare students for immediate entry into the workforce,” says Julia Taferner, co-author of the study at the University of Graz. “Entrepreneurial know-how is therefore not only relevant for those who wish to set up a business straight after graduation, but also strengthens skills that are valuable in almost all professional contexts.”

To provide all students with the necessary knowledge and practical tips on self-employment, the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Graz offers the elective programme “TIMEGATE” alongside the start-up grant and office hours. Here, students from all disciplines learn basic business knowledge combined with real-world examples. There are still a few places left for the winter semester. And the start-up centre UniCorn helps bring start-up ideas to life.

Read the report: GUESSS NATIONAL REPORT AUSTRIA 2025

Translated from German with DeepL

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