The Consulting, Financial Services, and Technology trio emerged strongly at Darden with the post-MBA functional representation split between Finance and Consulting, while Marketing/Sales & General Management managed to secure more than 15% job offers each – earning Darden the unique title of the 'top MBA program with the most diverse offers'.
In this in-depth analysis of the Darden MBA Employment trends and Salary for the 2021 Graduating Class, we cover:
• Darden MBA Salary by Industry (2021)
• Darden MBA Salary by Function (2021)
• Darden MBA Placement & Salary by Location (2021)
• Darden MBA Top Employers (2021)
• Darden MBA Career Service Team - Effectiveness (2021)
Darden MBA Salary by Industry (2021)
Consulting offers at Darden saw a drop of 7% from last year, whereas Financial Services rose by 7% and Technology increased by 1%. Although no breakdown within financial services was provided, Darden MBAs entry into private equity/venture capital tripled while the school’s entry into healthcare doubled over the past five years.
Darden MBA matched the consulting offers ($165,000 base salary) provided at M7 schools. However, for the Healthcare industry, the remuneration was on the lower side despite attracting 6% offers, while for Technology – the $130,000 base salary was similar to the offers at Finance and Consulting schools, where Technology is the third favorite industry among MBAs.
| Darden MBA Salary by Industry | Percent Hired | Median Base Salary | Median Sign-On Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 32% | $165,000 | $30,000 |
| Financial Services | 26% | $155,000 | $30,000 |
| Technology | 19% | $130,000 | $30,000 |
| Healthcare | 6% | $122,500 | $30,000 |
| Consumer Packaged Goods | 5% | $107,000 | $30,000 |
Darden MBA Salary by Function (2021)
Consulting and Finance dominated at Darden, but the over 15% representation in General Management and Marketing/Sales evenly spreading out the functional representation is a testimony to the holistic approach the admissions team has followed to build the class.
34% of Darden’s MBAs were accepted into consulting functions with a standard $165,000 median base salary. In the absence of function level bonuses, we have used the overall median bonus for Darden MBAs at $30,000 across all functions to make it easy to compare the total salary with other programs.
The Finance/Accounting function (26%) had the second-highest representation, after Harvard (33%). However, Darden’s MBAs secured a median total salary of $180,000 - $15,000 lower than Haas and $10,000 lower than Harvard. By percentage of graduates hired in General Management, Darden leads across top tier schools at 16.2%, followed by Haas at 15.6%. However, Haas MBAs secured higher median base salaries in the function by $20,000 at $150,000 as compared to Darden MBAs.
Darden (16%) leads against Harvard and Haas (11%) in terms of the percentage of graduates hired in Marketing/Sales functions.
| Darden MBA Salary by Function | Percent Hired | Median Base Salary | Median Sign-On Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 34% | $165,000 | $30,000 |
| Finance/Accounting | 26% | $150,000 | $30,000 |
| General Management | 16% | $130,000 | $30,000 |
| Marketing/Sales | 16% | $120,000 | $30,000 |
| Information Technology | 4% | $143,000 | $30,000 |
Darden MBA Placement & Salary by Location (2021)
98.6% of all Darden graduates secured placement in North America, with 29% of graduates accepting offers in the Northeast. The mid-Atlantic was the second most chosen region (21%), followed by the West at 18%.
The highest median base salaries were secured by those who opted for the Northeast at $155,000, followed by the mid-Atlantic for $10,000 lower, and finally the West with the lowest median base salary of $135,000. Internationally, only 1% of graduates opted for opportunities in Asia for a median base salary of $120,000.
Darden MBA Top Employers (2021)
Consulting firms dominated the top employers' list at Darden, followed by tech firms like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. The other top employers include firms in Finance, Healthcare, and Consumer Packaged Goods.
| Darden MBA | Darden MBA Top 15 Employers | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Accenture | Amazon | Bain & Company |
| Barclays | BCG | Danaher |
| Davita Kidney Care | Deloitte | EY-Parthenon |
| Goldman Sachs | Hershey | |
| JP Morgan Chase & Co | McKinsey & Co | Microsoft |
Related Services
• F1GMAT’s Career Planning Service
• F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service
Related Books
• F1GMAT’s Darden MBA Essay Guide
• F1GMAT’s Winning MBA Essay Guide (Includes Darden MBA Essay Tips and Samples)
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