As a portion of the student body looks forward to graduating in four weeks and moving on to life after their undergraduate years, a new study shows that their transition into the working world may not be easy.

The analytical study of government data conducted for The Associated Press found that half of new college graduates are either unemployed or underemployed.

Last year, about 1.5 million, or 54 percent of bachelor’s degree holders under the age of 25 were jobless or held positions falling below their qualifications, according to the study based on an analysis of 2011 Current Population Survey data.

Professor and former University of Wisconsin Chancellor John Wiley said given the state of the economy, there are not many jobs for anyone but he is optimistic things will get better. This new data reflects the economy and trends in the workforce as well as rising tuition, he said.

“The job mix is changing and the jobs in high demand are ones that require a bachelors or masters degree or more,” he said. “Things have changed, and more and more people have to stay in school longer.”

Although this may be true, he said it does not mean that graduate school is necessary by any means.

He said it rather means that many of the higher paying jobs, which will more effectively pay off student loans, require more years of training.

“We’re transitioning from a blue collar economy to a knowledge-based economy where your work involves special expertise, and that requirement means training … and the payoff for that special education is getting higher,” Wiley said.

UW professor Sara Goldrick-Rab said in an email to The Badger Herald that unemployment rates among college graduates remain lower than those for high school graduates.

She said that in light of the current recession and its aftermath, it is always the case that white collar industries like those employing college graduates are the last effected by economic downturns.

Wiley added that with this payoff, it is nearly impossible to invest so much money in secondary education that is not worth it. The problem, he said, is people have to have the money in the first place.

He said currently the national tuition situation is “awful,” and that this is changing the mix of what undergraduates are majoring in. He said, for example, that few people in the School of Education choose to major in elementary education because that is not where the money is, and that often students come out of their undergraduate years with $20,000 in loan debt to pay off.

Ultimately, Wiley said he sees all of this as fitting into the larger picture of a trend in higher education. He said right now, tuition, including UW’s, is not low and that over the last 10 to 15 years states have been pulling financial support for higher education. He said although he foresees an impending crisis, it will come with a resolution in the next 15 years.

“I think the country is really at a tipping point,” he said. “Democracies are very good at solving crises but they are not very good at planning ahead. … We’re hitting a crisis point.”

Wiley said another factor influencing the state of employment after undergraduate years is a shifting workforce and job market. He said about 20 years ago, students would more often try to graduate and go straight to a large company where they would stay and move up the ladder.

He said recruiters at the time told him this would not be the case in the future, and they were right. He said more and more graduates are finding or starting their own ventures locally and that staying with one company is less common.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.