INSEAD leads the ranking of top MBA programs with the most consulting placements, with a hiring rate of 55%. In this in-depth placement and salary analysis, we cover:
- INSEAD
- Darden, Tuck, LBS & Duke Fuqua
- Booth
- Ross, Kellogg & Yale SOM
- Consulting Placements - By Function
- Tuck – the Clear Winner
- Yale at 2nd & Darden, Duke Fuqua at 3rd and 4th
- Kellogg and Ross – Equal But Kellogg Better Base Salary
- Booth – Consistent Base Salary and Sign-on Bonus
- New York – Lower Median Base Salary in Consulting
INSEAD Leads
A big reason for INSEAD's consistent performance as a top consulting school is its 2-campus structure in Asia and Europe, international representation, and a concentrated one-year format that appeals to older candidates with diverse professional experience.
The school's deep ties to MBB firms in Europe and Asia contribute to this placement strength, where graduates reported a median base salary of €119,500 (~$168,310) and a generous sign-on bonus of €29,900 (~$42,113).
Darden, Tuck, and LBS are competing for the 2nd spot
Darden (42.5%), Tuck (44%), LBS (42%), and Duke Fuqua (39%) show strong consulting pipelines, with Tuck and LBS closely matching INSEAD in hiring rates.
Tuck, known for its close-knit alumni network and consulting-focused First-Year Project (FYP), offers a median base salary of $190,000 with a $30,000 sign-on bonus.
Darden and Duke Fuqua also report the standard $190,000 median base, though bonus data is not available.
Booth – Below 35% But the Best Salary
Booth tops the salary chart with a median base of $192,000, signaling the strength of its data-driven curriculum and Chicago-based corporate partnerships despite a more modest consulting hiring rate of 33.8%.
Ross, Kellogg & Yale SOM - Above 30% placements
Ross (36%), Kellogg (35%), and Yale SOM (31.9%) remain competitive, offering $185,000–$190,000 base salaries with consistent $30,000 sign-on bonuses. Meanwhile, Cornell (31%) and NYU Stern (37%) report slightly lower base salaries ($175,000), though Stern includes an average sign-on of around $28,765.
| School (Consulting Industry) | Hiring Rate (2024) | Median Base Salary (2024) | Sign-On Bonus (2024) |
| INSEAD | 55% | € 119,500 ($168,310) | € 29,900 ($42,113) |
| Darden | 42.5% | $190,000 | NA |
| Tuck | 44% | $190,000 | $30,000 |
| LBS | 42% | $190,531 | NA |
| Ross | 36% | $185,000 | $30,000 |
| Yale | 31.9% | $190,000 | $30,000 |
| Duke Fuqua | 39% | $190,000 | NA |
| Kellogg | 34.81% | $190,000 | $30,000 |
| Cornell | 31% | $175,000 | NA |
| NYU Stern | 37% | $175,000 | $28,765 (average) |
| Booth | 33.8% | $192,000 | $30,000 |
Consulting Placements - By Function
When examining consulting placements by function, the data highlights similar but not identical trends to consulting placements by industry. While the two often overlap, differences arise due to students entering strategy or internal consulting roles in non-consulting industries, such as tech, healthcare, or finance. This explains why functional consulting hiring rates may, at times, exceed industry-specific consulting placements.
Tuck – the Clear Winner
Among U.S. schools, Tuck records the highest consulting function hiring rate at 47%, with a consistent median base salary of $190,000 and a $30,000 sign-on bonus.
Yale at 2nd & Darden, Duke Fuqua at 3rd and 4th
Darden (43.9%), Yale SOM (45.4%), and Duke Fuqua (42%) follow closely, showing effective placement in consulting roles, even in companies outside traditional consulting firms.
Yale’s slightly lower median salary of $180,000 reflects the inclusion of more varied roles under the consulting function umbrella.
Kellogg and Ross – Equal But Kellogg Better Base Salary
Kellogg (38%) and Ross (37.9%) maintain strong consulting outcomes, with Ross graduates earning a slightly lower median base of $182,500 compared to Kellogg's $190,000.
Both offer consistent $30,000 bonuses.
Booth – Consistent Base Salary and Sign-on Bonus
Booth remains competitive with a 35.2% hiring rate and a $190,000 median base, supported by its analytical curriculum and proximity to top consulting firms in Chicago.
New York – Lower Median Base Salary in Consulting
NYU Stern (42.4%) and Cornell (33%) report median base salaries of $175,000, with Stern noting an average sign-on bonus of $27,946. These slightly lower figures likely reflect broader industry placements in internal consulting roles, particularly in New York-based corporations.
| School (Consulting Function) | Hiring Rate (2024) | Median Base Salary (2024) | Sign-On Bonus (2024) |
| Darden | 43.9% | $190,000 | NA |
| Tuck | 47% | $190,000 | $30,000 |
| LBS | NA | NA | NA |
| Ross | 37.9% | $182,500 | $30,000 |
| Yale | 45.4% | $180,000 | $30,000 |
| Duke Fuqua | 42% | $190,000 | NA |
| Kellogg | 38.04% | $190,000 | $30,000 |
| Cornell | 33% | $175,000 | NA |
| NYU Stern | 42.4% | $175,000 | $27,946 (Average) |
| Booth | 35.2% | $190,000 | $30,000 |
