Jenny Mirriam Atedo2026-09-062026-09-062026-06-10https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12311/3643UndergraduateGraduate unemployment remains a persistent challenge in Uganda, where universities produce approximately 700,000 graduates annually yet only about 90,000 secure formal employment. In Lira City West, limited industrial activity and a narrow formal private sector have pushed many graduates into entrepreneurship as a survival strategy. This study examined entrepreneurship as a coping strategy for graduate unemployment in Lira City West, focusing on the extent of engagement, the factors influencing participation, the economic outcomes realized, and the challenges encountered. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted, with data collected from 35 unemployed graduates using a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and chi-square tests at a significance level of α = 0.05. Four null hypotheses were tested. The study concluded that entrepreneurship is the dominant livelihood coping strategy for unemployed graduates in Lira City West, generating modest but meaningful economic improvements under challenging structural conditions. The study recommended targeted financial product innovation by lending institutions, restructuring of government youth entrepreneurship programs, and curriculum reform in higher education to prioritize practical entrepreneurship training.enDissertation