The best job sites for new grad software engineers are the ones that show where a listing came from and whether it's still open. Use two or three: the Simplify New-Grad-Positions list, HiringCafe or Jobright for search, and Handshake if your school uses it. We ranked six on that test and put our own Job Search first, though it's far smaller than HiringCafe or Jobright.
Which job sites are worth a new grad's time in 2026?
Entry-level roles were 4.5% of software development postings in Q1 2026, according to Indeed Hiring Lab, against 69.3% for senior roles. You have fewer real targets than a senior engineer, so each dead or duplicate listing costs you a bigger share of your search. That's why the ranking is about trust in the listing, not size.
The test: does the role come from the employer's own careers page, appear once, disappear when it closes, and can you track it where you found it.
| Site | Tests its own pages confirm | Best for | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| HighCircl Job Search | Employer boards only, one listing per role, closed roles removed | One list you can trust | Not built for new grads, much smaller |
| Simplify New-Grad-Positions | Daily upkeep, lock icon on closed roles | A free new grad list | A repo, no search or tracker |
| HiringCafe | Company-website sourcing, agencies filtered out | Deep filters | Ads and sponsored listings |
| Jobright | Career-site sourcing, built-in tracker | Applying fast | Some roles come via aggregators |
| Handshake | Jobs and internships for early-career users | Students on a covered campus | Source not stated |
| newgrad-jobs.com | Entry-level scope, about 0-2 years | Skimming for ideas | Last Updated date is September 2024 |
For ideas on where each fits in a wider search, see our tech job search guides.
The six sites, ranked
Details checked in November 2026.
1. HighCircl Job Search
Job Search is our product. It pulls roles only from employers' own applicant tracking system boards, shows each role once with its cities inside, and closes a role when the company removes it. Closed roles never show up in search. It also has a pipeline (Saved, Applied, Interviewing, Offer, Closed) in the same place, so the role you found is the role you track.
Pick it if you're tired of seeing the same posting five times and want one list you can act on. The catch is real. It isn't a new-grad board, and HiringCafe and Jobright are far larger. It doesn't autofill applications either.
2. Simplify New-Grad-Positions (GitHub list)
This is a free list of full-time new grad roles in software engineering, quant and product, maintained daily by Coder Quad and Simplify. It's the best free new grad list we've found.
Two markers answer the eligibility question early. A passport icon means no sponsorship, and a US flag means US citizenship is required. A lock icon marks a closed role, so you can skip it. If you want the product behind it, Job Search compared with Simplify covers the autofill and tracking side.
The catch: it's a repo, not a search. You scroll and filter by eye, there's no tracker, and the list includes UK, Canadian and other non-US roles, so check the location on each.
3. HiringCafe
HiringCafe says it holds over 5 million jobs collected from company websites, with outside recruiting agencies filtered out. It's free and has deep filters.
Its tracker is free too, but it holds jobs found on HiringCafe. The catch is ads. It shows Google AdSense ads and labeled "Sponsored" listings in results. It also describes stale and duplicate detection as ongoing work and gives no rule for how fast a closed role disappears. Choose it for reach, then check each role on the employer's page.
4. Jobright
Jobright lists 8,000,000+ jobs, has an autofill extension and an auto-apply agent, and gives free users daily credits. It says it screens new postings and removes fake listings. A tracker with stages from Applied to Offer is built in, and you can upload jobs found elsewhere.
It suits you if you want to apply fast and don't mind a big pool. Its listings come from career sites and from aggregating major job platforms, so some roles aren't straight from the employer.
5. Handshake
Handshake is a career network for people starting their careers, covering jobs and internships. If you're still in school or recently out, your campus may already be on it, which makes it a natural second source. A user testimonial on its student page mentions a filter for visa-status restrictions.
Its student page doesn't say where listings come from or how employers are verified, so treat a listing as a lead and confirm it on the company's own site.
6. newgrad-jobs.com
A list of entry-level roles (about 0-2 years) in the US and Canada, run by Jobright. It's quick to skim, and the scope matches what you need.
The catch is freshness. The page says "updated hourly" but shows a "Last Updated" date of September 13, 2024. It draws on career pages and also on LinkedIn, Indeed and Glassdoor, and doesn't explain how closed or duplicate postings are handled. Use it for ideas, and verify before you apply. For what to look for, read about spotting a ghost job posting.
How many of these do you need?
Two or three in total. Our take: one list, one search site, and the employer's own graduate page for companies you care about. Then stop. More tabs mostly turn up the same roles under different names.
Here's a Monday. You open the Simplify list, skip anything with a lock, and read the passport and flag markers before clicking. You search "software engineer" on HiringCafe and use its filters. For any role you want, you open the company's own page to confirm it's live. Each role you apply to gets saved once, in one pipeline with the applied date, wherever you found it. Then you're done for the day.
If you're also going after summer roles, tracking an internship season works the same way.
What to do with your applications this week
Stick to the sources above and log what you've already sent. If a posting disappears, move it to Closed and let it go; that's the posting ending, not a verdict on you. If you haven't heard back from something that's still open, applications that get no reply covers what silence usually means and what to try next.
A spreadsheet is enough for this. What matters is that the place you track is the place you save.
Job Search in open beta
If you've sent a lot of applications, heard back from few, and can't tell which of those roles are still open, HighCircl Job Search is built for that gap. It's free during the open beta.
FAQ
Where do I find new grad software engineer roles?
Start with the Simplify New-Grad-Positions list, add one search site such as HiringCafe or Job Search, and check Handshake if your school uses it. Then look at the graduate or early-careers page of any company you want.
Is the Simplify New-Grad-Positions list still worth using?
Yes. It's free, maintained daily, marks closed roles with a lock icon and flags no-sponsorship and US-citizenship-required roles. It also includes non-US locations, so read the location before you apply.
Is HiringCafe free?
Yes. It also shows Google AdSense ads and "Sponsored" listings, so check that a role is on the employer's page before applying.
Do these sites list roles that sponsor visas?
Simplify marks roles that offer no sponsorship and roles needing US citizenship. A testimonial on Handshake's student page mentions a filter for visa-status restrictions. Neither is a guarantee, so confirm with the employer.
How do I know if a new grad posting is still open?
Check the employer's own careers page first. Job Search only lists roles from there, and Simplify marks closed ones with a lock. For spotting stale postings elsewhere, see the ghost job guide above.
Can I use more than one of these?
Yes, and you should. Use one place to find roles and one pipeline to track them, so each application is logged once.