Top Business Schools for Consulting 2023

A job in management consulting is one of the most popular—if not the most popular—career step for recent MBA grads. Sometimes people already working in consulting get an MBA as a way to advance their careers in the industry; others use the MBA as a gateway into the sector.

For many consulting-minded MBAs, top firm destinations including the "Big Three" consulting firms, which are the three largest consulting firms by revenue—McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company—otherwise known collectively as the “MBB firms,” However, there are also many jobs available in other firms like A.T Kearney and Accenture, as well as smaller niche-oriented and regional consulting companies. Consulting-minded MBAs might note that the larger firms often break their offerings down into functional areas; for example, a consulting company might offer services in operations consulting or technology consulting. Above all, the best MBAs for consulting will most likely have recruiting relationships with—and a strong alumni presence in—consulting firms.

An MBA in Consulting can also lead to a job as an internal consultant, who advises firms on strategy and development, from the inside.

Business schools rarely offer MBA specializations in Consulting—or even specialized MBAs in Consulting—however, some offer specializations in Strategy or Strategic Management. Most MBA programs also feature relevant classes in their core offerings. Some MBA programs offer students the opportunity to do a consulting project as part of the program. 

The best MBAs for consulting will offer a range of curriculum important to the field, such as classes in strategy and business development. Strong business schools for consulting will also have good connections with management consulting firms, and may even hold on-campus recruiting sessions with the firms.

Below is a list of the top ten business schools to land a career in management consulting. Relatedly, you can see the Top 10 MBA Programs for Strategy or Business Development here. 

London, United Kingdom 168 Followers 475 Discussions
London Business School (LBS)

Looking at the school's employment statistics, LBS is truly one of the best MBAs for consulting: Thirty-eight percent of LBS’ 2021 MBA grads got jobs in the consulting sector, many of them landing jobs with large consultancies like Boston Consulting, McKinsey, Bain, and Strategy&. The school’s MBA offers various options for students to improve their consulting chops, including a summer consulting project.

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New York City, New York 158 Followers 259 Discussions
Columbia CBS

The Big Three love Columbia MBAs. Each year, each of the ‘MBB’ firms—McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting— typically hire dozens of Columbia graduates. In all, over one-third of Columbia’s 2021 cohort went into the strategy consulting industry after the MBA.

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Fontainebleau, France 71 Followers 309 Discussions
INSEAD - Europe Campus

The percentage of INSEAD MBAs going into the consulting sector generally ranges from between 30 to 40 percent. INSEAD remains a major feeder school for large consulting firms in Europe, with hundreds of the Insead 2021 MBA cohort going into firms like McKinsey, Boston Consulting, Bain, and others.

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Evanston, Illinois 71 Followers 204 Discussions
Northwestern - Kellogg

Although the school does not offer an MBA concentration in Consulting, it does offer a major in Managing Organizations. Generally, over thirty percent of any given Kellogg MBA cohort goes into the consulting industry. In 2021, three of the top hiring companies of Kellogg MBAs were consulting firms McKinsey, Bain, and the Boston Consulting Group, who, combined, recruited over 100 Kellogg MBA graduates. 

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Charlottesville, Virginia 27 Followers 62 Discussions

Over 32 percent of 2021 Darden MBA grads went into the consulting field, working for firms like A.T. Kearney, Deloitte Consulting, and Bain & Company. Darden offers an MBA concentration in Strategy Consulting.

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Cambridge, Massachusetts 52 Followers 175 Discussions
MIT - Sloan

Over 28 percent of Sloan’s 2021 MBA cohort went into the consulting industry, with many getting hired by either McKinsey (20 grads), Boston Consulting (36), or Bain (13). Almost 40 percent of all MBAs got jobs with a consulting or strategic planning function.

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New Haven, Connecticut 42 Followers 62 Discussions
Yale

Over 34 percent of 2021 Yale MBAs went into functional roles in consulting—either internal consulting or external. Yale grads are regularly snapped up by McKinsey, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Boston Consulting Group.

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London, Canada 38 Followers 77 Discussions
Western Ontario - Ivey

Many of the school’s MBA graduates end up in the Toronto area, where there are headquarters for many management consulting firms. The school’s MBA offers a range of consulting-oriented electives in the Corporate Strategy & Leadership area.

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Madrid, Spain 3 Followers 107 Discussions

IESE’s MBA provides a proven record for transitioning students into the consulting sector. Some 34 percent of last year’s IESE MBA class ended up in consulting firms (even though only 12 percent of the class had any previous experience in the field.) Grads have gone into consulting firms such as AT Kearney, Roland Berger, the Boston Consulting Group, and others.

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London, United Kingdom 59 Followers 414 Discussions
City, London - Bayes

Location-wise, Cass’ London footprint can’t be beat, in terms of access to the top consulting firms. The school’s most recent employment part suggests that a good chunk of the MBA class went into the consulting sector. The school’s MBAs have gone into top consulting firms like McKinsey and Bain & Company. 

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