Post-MBA Salary and Placements Tends - Cornell vs. Ross MBA
Ross MBA's placements have followed the familiar Consulting, Financial Services, and Technology routes seen among top schools. The school has retained its reputation as a Consulting school. Both the schools maintained diversity by representing Consumer Packaged Goods, Manufacturing, and the Healthcare industries, with Manufacturing strangely finding an upper hand at Cornell despite Ross' Michigan association.
Salary By Industry
Ross leads the consulting industry with 35.1% (ahead of Cornell by 8%) and the Technology industry with 24.9% (ahead of Cornell by 8%). Similarly, Cornell leads the Financial Services industry with 36% (ahead of Ross by 21%), maintaining the New York advantage. On annual base salary, Ross MBAs in consulting industries receive the highest salary of $165,000 ($5000 more than that offered to the Cornell Consulting MBAs).
| Salary by Industry | Ross (Hired Percentage) | Cornell (Hired Percentage) | Ross (Annual Median Base Salary) | Cornell (Annual Median Base Salary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 35.1% | 27% | $165,000 | $155,000 |
| Financial Services | 15.5% | 36% | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Technology | 24.9% | 17% | $130,000 | $130,000 |
| Consumer Packaged Goods | 7.9% | 6% | $113,000 | $110,000 |
| Manufacturing | 2.9% | 5% | $132,500 | $125,000 |
| Healthcare | 5.6% | 4% | $130,000 | $122,250 |
Salary By Function
Ross and Cornell have huge differences in placements by MBA function.
Ross MBA program leads in Consulting and Marketing, whereas Cornell MBA program leads in Finance and General Management. Ross was 42.1 % (ahead of Cornell by 13%) and 21.3 % (ahead of Cornell by 13%) for Consulting and Marketing/Sales Functions, respectively.
Ross MBA is clearly a Consulting and Sales/Marketing powerhouse.
On the contrary, Cornell has placed 37% (ahead of Ross by 23%) and 19% (ahead of Ross by 9%) students in Finance and General Management functions, respectively.
The highest-paid function is Consulting at Ross ($5000 more than that of Cornell Consulting). After consulting, Finance is the highest-paid function in both schools with the same annual base salary, i.e., $150,000.
| Salary by Function | Ross (Hired Percentage) | Cornell (Hired Percentage) | Ross (Annual Median Base Salary) | Cornell (Annual Median Base Salary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 42.1% | 29% | $160,000 | $155,000 |
| Finance | 14% | 37% | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| General Management | 10.8% | 19% | $130,000 | $125,000 |
| Marketing/Sales | 21.3% | 8% | $130,000 | $115,000 |
| Operations/ Logistics | 7.6% | 2% | $130,000 | $130,000 |
Salary By Location
Since Cornell is situated in the Northeast part of the US, most candidates are placed in the same region due to the availability of job opportunities and the presence of the Financial hub.
51% of the Cornell MBAs seeking jobs were placed in the Northeast, with the highest salary of $150,000 compared to other regions.
For Ross MBAs, Midwest, Northeast, and West bring similar opportunities with 29.2%, 20.8%, and 29.2% of students in each region, respectively. The highest-paid region for Ross was the South and Mid-Atlantic, with $160,000 and $155,000 annual base salary. Despite having the highest salary, these regions had the least hiring rate.
| Regions | Ross (Hired Percentage) | Cornell (Hired Percentage) | Ross (Annual Median Base Salary) | Cornell (Annual Median Base Salary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Atlantic | 6.1% | 4% | $155,000 | $145,000 |
| Midwest | 29.2% | 9% | $150,000 | $130,000 |
| Northeast | 20.8% | 51% | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| South | 2.6% | 3% | $160,000 | $132,000 |
| Southwest | 8.5% | 7% | $130,000 | $150,000 |
| West | 29.2% | 13% | $140,000 | $131,250 |
| International | 3.5% | -- | $109,051 | -- |
Career Service Team
Ross Career Service Team: As per the employment report for graduating class of 2021, 98% of the job seekers in the Ross MBA program received job offers within three months of graduation. 80% of the positions offered to the students were facilitated by the school or sourced on campus. 94% of the graduates were career switchers, and 60% went into the Consulting and tech sectors.
With over 55,000 Ross alumni in 104 countries, Michigan Ross' career service helps students match their career paths to the right employers. Some of the resources and programs for students' career development include Career Action Days, Recruiting Prep Course, Coaching on Search Strategy, Career Self-Assessment, Interest-Specific Career Treks, FACT Groups, and Summer Business Experience.
Students in the Recruiting Prep course meet with a career coach before classes begin to narrow their interests. Students can also work with experienced Career Development Office staff and/or second-year MBA peer career coaches in the respective field to create a personalized job-search plan.
Throughout the year, the Career Development Office leads treks with student clubs across the country. These treks assist students in meeting with companies and recruiters in that industry.
Students can also participate in one of the Functional Accountability Career Teams (FACT). The weekly guidance session involve peers and second-year MBA coaches who guide students step by step with the recruitment process.
Similarly, the Summer Business Experience assists and coaches students in obtaining traditional internships while providing information on non-traditional options available through Ross centers, institutes, and initiatives.
Cornell Career Service Team: Out of the total students seeking jobs in the Cornell MBA program, 95% received the job offer within three months of graduation. As per the 2021 employment report, 97% of job seekers received the offers three months after graduation. Along with that, the average base salary for the graduating Class of 2021 was $139,121.
Cornell MBA Career Management Team (CMC) held 352 corporate events, 50 FT interview schedules, and 147 intern interview schedules for the graduating class of the 2021 recruitment session. The recruitments were open to 117 companies on campus.
During the academic year, the CMC Advising Team hosted 81 workshops for students on topics ranging from interview preparation to industry-specific recruiting to visas and work authorization.
Cornell's Ivy League network of 325,000+ alumni, including 19,000+ Johnson alumni, are a valuable network. Most MBA candidates have gained immense value from the professors on the Professional Advising Staff, Operational Staff, Alumni Advising Staff, and Cornell Tech Career Management.
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