State of
Mentorship

Insights and data from MentorCruise in 2025. We analyze why people start mentorships, how they collaborate, and what outcomes they achieve.

Based on anonymized data from 50,000+ mentees, 4,000+ mentors and 12,800 hours of mentorship per month in 171 countries (September 2024 - October 2025).

How we do things at MentorCruise

Here's why we are the go-to place to learn about the impact of mentorship in 2025

  • 50,000
    Mentees trusting us
  • 12,800
    Hours of mentorship / month
  • 21k
    Mentorship matches / month
  • 171
    Countries served

Mentorship is a global super-tool

In the age of online mentorship, coaching is accessible to more people than ever before. As a global community, we can learn from each other and grow together.

Our data:
  • Mentees in 171 countries
  • Covering 4,000+ topics and skills
  • 21,000+ mentorships matched this month

Who is mentorship really for?

A quick look at who joins mentorships and what they’re trying to accomplish.

Career changers

31%

Career changers seek structure and accountability to transition into a new field.

Skill enhancers

23%

Professionals upskill to level up at work, ship projects faster, or earn promotions.

Business / product

19%

Founders and operators refine strategy, GTM, and product quality with expert feedback.

Recent graduates

7%

Recent grads look for confidence, interview prep, and a faster path into their first role.

Personal projects

5%

Independents get targeted feedback to ship personal or open‑source projects.

Students

5%

Students use mentorship to complement coursework with practical guidance and career direction.

Why do people use mentorship?

What mentees are trying to achieve, how fast, and how they like to meet.

What mentees aim to achieve

Mentorship starts with a clear objective. Some mentees are here to change careers, others to sharpen a specific skill, and students complement their coursework with hands‑on guidance. Regardless of the path, mentorship makes the next step concrete with a plan, accountability and immediate feedback.

How quickly mentees want to reach their goals

Not every journey needs the same pace. Shorter timelines reflect targeted sprints – landing a role, shipping a portfolio, unblocking a project – while longer timelines suit broader growth like leadership, systems design or career pivots. Mentorship adapts to both styles with cadence and scope that match the mentee.

Where mentees focus their learning

Topics mirror the real work people want to excel at. The leading focus right now is building technical skills. Categories tie directly to mentor expertise – from engineering and data to design, product, management and beyond – so mentees get practical guidance from operators who’ve done the thing before.

How often mentees meet their mentors

Most mentorships include 2 calls per month, paired with async chat and review in between. Live sessions create momentum and alignment; messaging keeps progress unblocked. The cadence evolves as the mentee’s goals – and wins – grow.

State of Mentorship in 2026 - MentorCruise Data

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The State of Mentorship in 2026 - MentorCruise Data infographic

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The results speak for themselves

How long it usually takes to hit a milestone – and how mentorship helps.

2 mo
Median time to reach a milestone
2.4×
faster to reach a milestone vs. self-study (estimate)
97%
Satisfaction rate
73%
Reach goal "faster than expected"

What do mentees seek to learn?

Popular areas where mentees focus their learning and growth.

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