Impact Report
Together with our higher education and employer partners, we’re proving what’s possible when you empower the next generation of leaders with the skills, networks, confidence, and experience necessary to launch a strong career.
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National Futures Association
What does this report cover?
Together with our dedicated partners, Braven is reigniting the promise of the American Dream.
By 2032, we aim to serve 80,000 to 100,000 students, equipping 25,000 new undergraduates each year with the career-readiness skills, networks, confidence, and experience to thrive through the Braven model.
So far we’ve helped to empower nearly 14,000 Fellows across the country and we’re just getting started. In this report, we shine a spotlight on the powerful journeys of these remarkable leaders as we explore five critical questions about Braven’s impact:
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Science in Computer
& Information Science,
Rutgers University-Newark
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McDonald’s
Why our work matters
Only about one quarter of the 1.4 million students who are the first in their family to go to college or who have limited financial resources will graduate and secure a strong first job or enter graduate school.1
That’s about one million students every single year who aren’t on the path to the American Dream.
Mission
In collaboration with our higher education and employer partners, Braven empowers promising college students with the skills, networks, confidence, and experience necessary to transition from college to strong economic opportunities, which lead to meaningful careers and lives of impact.
Vision
The next generation of leaders
will emerge from everywhere.
The Braven Equation
In combination with students earning a four-year degree, Braven seeks to support career readiness, thereby ensuring students graduate ready to secure a strong first opportunity.
Braven refers to the sum of these four career-readiness factors as the Braven Equation.
The Braven Experience
Braven empowers promising college students on their paths toward quality economic opportunities through a semester-long, cohort-based course—developed with input from our higher education partners and faculty—and support that extends beyond the course, continuing through six months after college graduation.
In our core higher education model, students take the course for credit. Students who come through BravenX via college success organizations receive a financial stipend in lieu of credit.
Are our Fellows securing quality career outcomes that put them on the path to the American Dream?
Braven 2024 Graduates
Secured Strong Roles Post-Graduation
Of the 158 Braven Fellows who graduated from Rutgers University-Newark in 2024, 93% are employed or enrolled in graduate school and 90% secured quality or pathway outcomes.2
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Rutgers School of Public Health
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Rutgers University-Newark myRUN
With RU-N and Braven’s help, Eboni Bugg built the foundation for her path to the American Dream.
Fellow Enrollment
in Graduate School
In 2024, 23% of our 980 graduates went on to graduate school within six months of graduation.
Enrollment in graduate school is one of the ways Braven defines a quality outcome.
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Essex County College - Educational Opportunity Fund Program
Internships Often Lead to Strong First Opportunities After College
For college students, internships serve as critical proof points of experience that open professional doors.
The influence of internships on post-graduate success is underscored by our data: Braven Fellows nationwide who have completed at least one internship in college are 18 percentage points more likely to secure a quality first opportunity than Fellows who have not (67% vs 49%).
Rise of AI Presents Opportunities and Concerns for New Graduates
AI is likely to automate tasks that are tedious and routine–those typically performed by entry-level talent.3
But in the rapid rise of AI, there is still tremendous value in a college degree.
With the advancement of AI, the human skills students practice while earning a college degree are more important than ever: problem solving, communication, collaboration, and real-world experience. Just as important is students’ AI literacy: the ability to leverage AI thoughtfully, strategically, and confidently to enhance their work and impact.
College helps early career
professionals develop:
While no one is certain of the true impact AI will have on the job market, research shows that economic opportunity will increasingly favor workers with higher levels of education and training.
According to The Future of Good Jobs report produced by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, while there will be good jobs in every educational pathway in 2031, only 15 percent will be available to workers on the high school pathway, compared to 66 percent on the bachelor’s degree pathway and 19 percent on the middle-skills pathway.7
Are we impacting more students and maintaining program quality?
~14,000 Braven Fellows Served Nationwide to Date
During the 2024-2025 school year, Braven supported 3,500+ Fellows nationwide.
2024-2025 RU-N Braven Fellow Class
507 Fellows completed the Braven course in the 2024-2025 school year at Rutgers University-Newark.
2024-2025 RU-N Braven Fellows are:
of RU-N Braven Fellows who take the
Braven Accelerator Course feel
Braven has improved their chances
of getting a job a great deal or quite a bit.
Net Promoter Score:
a widely used customer satisfaction metric on a scale of -100 to 100 that measures how likely a Fellow would recommend Braven to a friend. Above 0 is good, above 20 is favorable, and above 50 is excellent.
Top 5 Majors
Are we supporting Fellows to secure internships and complete college?
Pathways to Securing Internships for All Students
Securing an internship during college is challenging.
Common reasons students cite for not interning include prioritizing paid work over unpaid internships due to financial need and the difficulty of finding and securing an internship due to a lack of social networks, managing heavy course loads, and a lack of awareness about how to find internships.10
In 2023, approximately 8.2 million students wanted an internship, but only 3.6 million had the opportunity.8 This means only about four in ten college students secured an internship during their undergraduate experience.
Even in light of these barriers, internships remain an important means for organizations to recruit college-level talent for entry-level roles.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) 2024 Internship & Co-op Survey, 53% of eligible interns on average were converted into full-time, entry-level hires by their employers in the 2023-2024 academic year.9
Wakefern Food Corp.
RU-N Braven Fellows Outpace Graduates Nationally in Internship Attainment
Compared with graduates nationally, Rutgers University-Newark Braven 2024 graduates were 18 percentage points more likelyto have at least one internship during their college experience.
At RU-N, the Braven Experience Drives Meaningful Increases
in Internship Attainment
Internships are a key step toward strong career outcomes.
In the 2024-2025 school year, 27% of RU-N Fellows who had 0 internships at the start of the Accelerator reported one or more by the end of the Accelerator, speaking to an important element of the immediate impact of the Braven experience.
Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship
Braven Doubles
Size of Capitol Hill
Policy Fellowship
Originally launched in 2024 in partnership with Rutgers University-Newark, the Capitol Hill Policy Fellowship has expanded nationally in its second year.
The program now includes eight undergraduate Braven Fellows from Rutgers–Newark, San José State University, and The City College of New York, all placed in paid internships in Congressional offices in Washington, D.C.
The program is designed to support students who are first in their families to go to college and/or face financial constraints to access public service careers through a comprehensive nine-week Fellowship experience.
Fellows receive fully covered housing, transportation, a professional wardrobe stipend, and a generous living allowance. They also receive personalized coaching, mentorship, and career development support from Braven and higher education partners.
Representative LaMonica McIver (NJ-10)
Representative Herb Conaway (NJ-13)
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee-- Minority Staff
Representative Lois Frankel (FL-21)
Representative Nydia Velazquez (NY-7)
Representative LaMonica McIver (NJ-10)
Senator Tim Kaine (VA)
Public Affairs & Administration
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
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Rutgers Future Scholars
Encouraging Levels of
College Completion
RU-N Fellows have achieved a 91% six-year graduation rate.13
Nationally, only about 7 in 10 students graduate within six years of college enrollment.14 RU-N Braven Fellows, who typically join us during their sophomore or junior year, are persisting and graduating at an encouraging rate.
Are our Fellows developing the career readiness skills, networks, and confidence needed for success?
RU-N Fellow Growth in
Career-Readiness Skills
The Braven experience focuses on the following six career-readiness skills: career navigation, problem-solving, teamwork, communication, organization, and leadership.
Why these career-readiness skills?
These career-readiness skills are:
In 2024-2025, Braven Fellows achieved an average Accelerator course pass rate of 96% and average final grade of 85%, showcasing strong career-readiness skill mastery.
- Reflects on strength, values, and interests
- Explores multiple career options
- Takes career actions such as making plans, creating a portfolio, and building networks
- Presents ideas clearly and purposefully
- Listens actively to understand and asks questions
- Demonstrates empathy and respect
- Leads from values
- Grounds in purpose and assets
- Learns continuously from feedback and reflection
- Works effectively towards shared goals
- Navigates differences
- Holds self and others accountable for deliverables
- Plans and prioritizes tasks
- Monitors progress and adjusts
when faced with challenges - Gets things done
- Defines the problem and identifies root causes
- Designs potential solutions
- Tests and implements solutions
Network Strength
Extensive research has illustrated the importance of networks or social capital in career navigation and success.22
Braven supports students to build professional networks consisting of strong relationships and to build the skills necessary to mobilize those networks to advance their career goals.
To measure students’ Network Strength, we leverage resources from the Search Institute. We capture a critical component of a student’s network strength.
In 2024-2025, RU-N Braven Fellows scored
a 4.06 out of 5.0 in Network Strength.
To put these results into context, on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), Braven Fellows report that by the end of the Accelerator, their networks encompass trusted strong ties and valuable weak ties that they can rely on for professional support.
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Langan
RU-N Fellows’ Growth in Confidence: Self-Efficacy Measures
Each semester, Braven measures growth in self-efficacies from the start to the end of the Braven Accelerator.
Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in various situations and is associated with academic and lifetime success. It is not typically measured through traditional assessments like standardized tests, but plays a large role in explaining job search, career search behaviors, and career outcomes.
In 2024-2025, Braven RU-N Fellows showed growth across all three self-efficacy measures.
2023 FELLOW
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield
of New Jersey
Are we building employer and higher education partnerships with true shared value?
Employer Spotlight:
This year, Atlassian is one of Braven’s partners investing $250,000 and providing crucial programmatic support.
Braven’s collaboration with Atlassian helps open doors to the American Dream.
Braven has 14 projects in
Jira Service Management across all departments at Braven.
Atlassian provided $75,000+ in product support, fueling Braven’s ability to scale impact.
Braven’s transition to the Atlassian suite enables our teams to:
Atlassian
“Our partnership with Braven shows what’s possible when we go all-in: our funding fuels their growth, our technology amplifies their reach, and our volunteers become champions after meeting Braven Fellows who just need that first door opened. If you believe talent is everywhere but opportunity isn’t, Braven is proving we can change that and they’re inviting all of us to be part of the solution.”
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Assistant Intern,
RED Lab
Higher Education Spotlight: San Francisco State University
In Fall 2024, Braven launched a partnership with San Francisco State University, expanding our footprint in the Bay Area to equip even more students with the skills, networks, confidence, and experience they need to launch strong first jobs.
San Francisco State University
"Partnering with Braven reflects SF State’s deep commitment to student success. Together, we’re ensuring that more of our students—many of whom are first in their families to attend college—graduate not only with a degree but also with the confidence, networks, and career readiness to thrive in the workforce."
Braven National
Faculty Council
The Braven National Faculty Council is a distinguished collective of faculty leaders from Braven’s partner institutions.
Faculty have deeply informed our model from the start. This past year we formalized their engagement through our Inaugural Faculty Council. These trailblazers serve as strategic advisors in shaping the evolution of our curriculum. They’ve discussed topics ranging from Braven’s approach to generative AI in the curriculum to strengthening alignment between the Capstone Challenge and AAC&U’s high-impact practices.
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor,
Northern Illinois University
Assistant Teaching Professor
Africana Studies and Political Science Internship and Study Abroad Director,
Rutgers University-Newark
Associate Director of Field Education & Teaching Instructor,
Rutgers University-Newark
Associate Professor,
Sociology and Criminal Justice; Interim Assistant Dean of the College of Humanities, Education & Social Sciences,
Delaware State University
Director for Liberal, Integrated & Leadership Studies,
Delaware State University
Professor of Rhetoric & Writing and Director of First-Year Writing,
San José State University
We couldn’t do it without you!
Higher Education Partners & Employer Partners
Chicago State University (BravenX)
The City College of New York
Delaware State University
National Louis University
Northern Illinois University
Rutgers University - Newark
San Francisco State University (launched Fall 2024)
San José State University
Spelman College
5 Strong Scholars Foundation
Achieve Atlanta
Arkansas Commitment
Ascend Public Schools
Associated Colleges of Illinois
Augustana College
Breakthrough Kent Denver
Carmen Schools of Science & Technology
Chicago Scholars
Chicago State University
City Year Chicago
Coney Island Prep Public Schools
Cooperman College Scholars
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas
Cristo Rey Network
DREAM Charter School
DSST Public Schools
Evanston Scholars
Excel Academy Charter School
Excellence Community Schools
Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools
IDEA Public Schools
Judson University
KIPP Metro Atlanta
KIPP Forward
KIPP NJ
Lehman College
LISA Academy
National Association for Urban Debate Leagues
Newark Youth Career Pathways Program
North Central College
Noble Schools
Rivet School
SEEDS
The Academy Charter School
The Wight Foundation
Uncommon Schools
Uplift Education
UtmostU
Adobe
Apollo Opportunity Foundation
Barclays
Blackstone Charitable Foundation
Deloitte
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
LinkedIn
NBA Foundation
Prudential Financial
Cognizant US Foundation
Salesforce
The College Board
UBS
Audible
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Blackbaud
CBRE
nvp
Panasonic North America
Silver Lake
Taco Bell Foundation
United Airlines
Devils Youth Foundation
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
J&L Companies
Rakuten International
1Huddle
AEA Investors
Choose New Jersey
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
IQVIA
Jacobs Levy Equity Management
Philadelphia 76ers
Synchrony
Vanguard
Philanthropic Supporters ($10k+)
Anonymous
Arbor Rising
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Deloitte Foundation
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
Impact100 Essex
John & Wendy Cozzi
Leon and Toby Cooperman Family Foundation
Linda & Brian Sterling
Lisa & Joseph Amato
Lynn Selassie
M&T Weiner Foundation
Schultz Family Foundation
Susan & Thomas Dunn
The MCJ Amelior Foundation
The Support New Jersey Fund
Victoria Foundation
Lisa Amato
Rina Desai
Susan Dunn
Ryan Hill
Matthew Iversen
Harry Li
Jacklyn Rider
Lynn Selassie
Solomon Steplight
Endnotes
- Statistics are drawn from data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, including figures from its Digest of Education Statistics (January 2024 table) and a report on Pell Grant recipients (February 2018). Further data is from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s “Transfer and Progress” report (February 2024) and the IPEDS Trend Generator (data as of Winter 2020–21).
- We have jobs data for 87% of FY24 RU-N Braven graduates. Numbers may add up to or be greater than 100% due to rounding.
- Thompson, Derek. “The Job Market Is Worse Than It Looks—Especially for Young People.” The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2025, https://www.theatlantic.com/economy/archive/2025/04/job-market-youth/682641/.
- McKendrick, John and Andrew Thurai. “AI Isn’t Ready to Make Unsupervised Decisions.” Harvard Business Review, 16 Sept. 2022, hbr.org/2022/09/ai-isnt-ready…supervised-decisions.
- Sanders, Nada R. and John D. Wood. “The Skills Your Employees Need to Work Effectively with AI.” Harvard Business Review, 3 Nov. 2023, https://hbr.org/2023/11/the-skills-your-employees-need-to-work-effectively-with-ai.
- Caddy, Becca. “How Does ChatGPT Know So Much about Everything? Here’s Where AI Gets Its Knowledge from.” TechRadar, 7 June 2025, www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/how-does-chatgpt-know-so-much-about-everything-heres-where-ai-gets-its-knowledge-from.
- Strohl, Jeff, et al. The Future of Good Jobs: Projections through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2024, https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/goodjobsprojections2031/.
- Williams, Candace, et al. Expanding Internships: Harnessing Employer Insights to Boost Opportunity and Enhance Learning. Business-Higher Education Forum, 2024. https://www.bhef.com/publications/expanding-internships-harnessing-employer-insights-to-boost-opportunity-and-enhance.
- Marken, Stephanie, and Tyisha Curtis. “Four in 10 College Students Have Had Internship Experience.” Gallup, 2023, https://www.gallup.com/education/509468/four-college-students-internship-experience.aspx.
- Marken & Curtis, 2023; Strada, 2024.
- Jackson, Johnny. “Intern Hiring Is Stable for 2024: NACE Survey.” Diverse: Issues In
Higher Education, 25 Apr. 2024, https://www.diverseeducation.com/students/article/15669496/intern-hiring-is-stable-for-2024-nace-survey. - Strada Education Foundation. “From College to Career: Students’ Internship Expectations and Experiences.” Strada Education Foundation, 17 May 2023.
- Six-year graduation rate of Braven Fellows includes students who enrolled as first-time freshmen at RU-N, not including those who took Braven as seniors, transfer students, or international students.
- National comparison is the implied six-year graduation rate for Pell Grant recipients who were full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students in the 2017 starting cohort (adjusted) at four-year public Title IV institutions, after accounting for those who persisted from freshman to sophomore year and from sophomore to junior year. Sources for data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS, Winter 2023–24, Graduation Rates component (provisional data); Pitcher, McCall, and Parson, Kelle. “More to the Retention Story: Exploring Second- to Third-Year Retention at 4-Year Colleges and Universities.” American Institutes for Research. July 2023.
- National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). (2022). Career Readiness: Development and Validation of NACE Career Readiness Competencies.
- Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2009). Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE). Author. https://www.aacu.org/initiatives/value.
- Finley, A.P. (2023) The Career-Ready Graduate: What Employers Say About the Difference College Makes. AAC&U. https://dgmg81phhvh63.cloudfront.net/content/user-photos/Research/PDFs/AACU-2023-Employer-Report.pdf.
- NACE. (November 2023). Job Outlook 2024. https://www.naceweb.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2023/publication/research-report/2024-nace-job-outlook.pdf.
- Joseph B. Fuller, Kerry McKittrick, et al. (Fall 2023). Unlocking Economic Prosperity: Career Navigation in a Time of Rapid Change. Published by the Harvard Kennedy School.
- Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Workplace Basics: The Competencies Employers Want, 2020. (cited above as: Carnevale, Fasules, and Campbell, 2020). https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/competencies/.
- Rios, J.A., Ling, G., Pugh, R., Becker, D., & Bacall, A. (2020) Identifying Critical 21st-Century Skills for Workplace Success: A Content Analysis of Job Advertisements. Educational Researcher. 49(2) 80-89. https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/doi/epub/10.3102/0013189X19890600.
- Fuller, 2023; Scales et al., 2020.
