College graduates believe they'll earn $103,880 at their first job — about twice the average starting salary

• CNBC reported that 2022 college students think their starting salary will be double a projected figure.
• The outlet used a 2020 estimate from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

College graduates have high expectations, according to a survey from Real Estate Witch, CNBC reported last week.

Real Estate Witch found that college students in bachelor's degree programs expected starting salaries to be $103,880 in their first job, per data collected online in late March.

CNBC and Real Estate Witch compared the $103,880 figure to an average starting salary for the class of 2020 for a person with a bachelor's degree, from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (apparently the most recent year an average for an entire class was released rather than just ones by major).

That average starting salary number is $55,260.

The research firm wrote that "the strength of the economy has likely inspired unrealistic salary expectations that will leave students disappointed."

However, according to more recent data from NACE, and as CNBC noted, employers plan to hire 31.6% more class of 2022 graduates than 2021.

Still, for the class of 2022, the salary news was a "a bit of a mixed bag," NACE wrote in its annual winter Salary Survey released in January.

The organization found an uptick in salary projections for math, science, natural resource, and agricultural majors (5.4%) and a downward slope for those in the humanities of 14.8%, for example.

NACE added computer science majors took top spot for projected pay at $75,900.

Real Estate Witch polled 1,000 college students going after a bachelor's degree.

It also found that women with the same degree as men were thought they would make 0.5% less after graduating and 4.3% less within 10 years of finishing school.

In March, the Wall Street Journal reported that people in high-pay industries like banking or big tech are getting six-figure salary offers right after college, to the irritation of people who came up in those industries before wages rose to meet inflation and a tough labor market.

Besides salary expectations, the class of 2022 likely has other economic headwinds to contend with.

Almost 17% of people over the age of 25 owe student loans, and even though jobs are definitely available, broadly speaking, wages are likely not keeping up with inflation, Insider has reported.