Columbia MBA stands out for its highest median sign-on bonus among M7 Schools at $57,500, against peers’ $50,000 benchmark. At the same time, the school also attracted the second-highest total salary in Investment Banking at $207,500. The school is among the handful of top schools where Investment Banking is reinforcing its position among MBA graduates while Management Consulting remains the most popular industry and function.
In this in-depth analysis of the Columbia MBA Employment trends and Salary for the 2021 Graduating Class, we cover:
- Columbia MBA Salary by Industry (2021)
- Columbia MBA Salary by Function (2021)
- Columbia MBA Salary by Location (2021)
- Columbia MBA Top 14 Employers (2021)
- Columbia MBA Career Service Team - Effectiveness (2021)
Columbia MBA Salary by Industry (2021)
Columbia’s MBA graduates secured the highest median base salary of $165,000 in consulting (same across all M7 schools except for MIT Sloan, which was $15,000 lower), followed by investment banking at $150,000 (same across M7, except for Chicago Booth, which was $25,000 higher).
Investment Management secured the highest total median salary of $250,000. However, since the percentage of graduates represented in the industry was less than 5%, we cannot confidently correlate the school’s brand to have an influence on the outcome. We could clearly see the balancing act Technology recruiters were playing. Columbia MBA graduates earned the highest median sign-on bonus in the industry at $54,875 while earning the lowest base salary ($130,000) among M7 schools.
With the Pandemic, Healthcare found representation among the top 5 industries, other than the Technology, Consulting, and Finance trio. However, at Columbia, true to the school’s history of leveraging New York’s strength - Real Estate makes an entry among the top 5 with a total median salary of $165,000.
| Columbia MBA Salary By Industry | Percent Hired | Median Base Salary | Median Sign-On Bonus | Total Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment Banking/Brokerage | 16% | $150,000 | $57,500 | $207,500 |
| Strategic/Management Consulting | 32% | $165,000 | $30,000 | $195,000 |
| Other Investment Management | 6% | $135,000 | $55,000 | $190,000 |
| Internet Services / E-Commerce | 11% | $130,000 | $54,875 | $184,875 |
| Real Estate | 5% | $142,500 | $22,500 | $165,000 |
Columbia MBA Salary by Function (2021)
Consulting was the most popular function at Columbia, with the highest median base salary of $165,000 coupled with the lowest median sign-on bonus of $30,000. Investment banking was at second place in representation, offering the highest total salary of $207,500, second to Chicago Booth ($225,000) but ahead of MIT Sloan ($202,000) and Wharton ($200,000). Columbia, with a $200,000 total median salary, was second to Stanford in Private Equity.
| Columbia MBA Salary By Function | Percent Hired | Median Base Salary | Median Sign-On Bonus | Total Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Consulting | 32% | $165,000 | $30,000 | $195,000 |
| Investment Banking/M&A | 16% | $150,000 | $57,500 | $207,500 |
| Brand/Product Management | 7% | $130,000 | $30,000 | $160,000 |
| Private Equity/LBO's | 5% | $150,000 | $50,000 | $200,000 |
| Leadership Development/ Rotational Program | 5% | $126,000 | $33,350 | $159,350 |
Columbia MBA Salary by Location (2021)
Columbia MBA did not offer details of post-MBA placement location despite having the second-highest international student representation of 48% in the US (tied with UC Davis Graduate School of Business).
41% of all international placements were in Asia, followed by Europe (26%), Middle East (11%), and the balance in Central & South America.
Columbia MBA Top 14 Employers (2021)
7% of all full-time hires, including returnees but excluding interns, were absorbed by McKinsey – topping the chart of the Top employer list. BCG followed in second place, while Bain and Deloitte were at 4th and 5th.
Amazon, Google, and Apple represented the technology industry in third, seventh, and fourteenth places. Goldman Sachs, with 13 hires, was the only Finance firm that found double-digit representation in the top recruiter list.
| Rank | Columbia MBA Top 14 Employers | No. of Hires (Returnees) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McKinsey & Company | 55 (22) |
| 2 | Boston Consulting Group | 35 (12) |
| 3 | Amazon | 26 |
| 4 | Bain & Company | 23 (12) |
| 5 | Deloitte Consulting | 16 (6) |
| 6 | Goldman Sachs | 13 |
| 7 | 11 | |
| 8 | Credit Suisse | 9 |
| 9 | Bank of America | 8 |
| 9 | Citi | 8 |
| 9 | JP Morgan Chase & Co. | 8 |
| 10 | Morgan Stanley | 7 |
| 11 | American Express | 6 |
| 11 | Evercore Partners | 6 |
| 11 | EY-Parthenon | 6 |
| 12 | Deutsche Bank | 5 |
| 12 | PwC Strategy& | 5 |
| 12 | T. Rowe Price | 5 |
| 13 | AB Bernstein | 4 |
| 13 | Alvarez & Marsa | 4 |
| 13 | L.E.K. Consulting | 4 |
| 13 | Lazard | 4 |
| 14 | Apple, Inc. | 3 |
| 14 | Estee Lauder Companies | 3 |
| 14 | Kearney | 3 (1) |
| 14 | Moelis & Company | 3 |
| 14 | PJT Partners | 3 |
Columbia MBA Career Service Team - Effectiveness (2021)
74% of all job offers were school-facilitated. Of the school-facilitated job offers, 56% originated from school-facilitated internships. 12% of jobs were sourced through on-campus interviews and COIN, the online job board.
Networking contributed to sourcing 2% of all school-facilitated job offers and 8% of all graduate-facilitated job offers. Only 4% of graduates sought opportunities from their previous employers.
Related Services
• F1GMAT’s Career Planning Service
• F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service
Related Books
• F1GMAT’s Columbia MBA Essay Guide
• F1GMAT’s Winning MBA Essay Guide (Includes Columbia MBA Essay Tips and Samples)
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