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.

Looking at the school's employment statistics, LBS is truly one of the best MBAs for consulting: Forty percent of LBS’ 2019 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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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, about one-third of Columbia’s 2019 cohort went into the strategy consulting industry after the MBA.
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The percentage of INSEAD MBAs going into the consulting sector generally ranges from between 30 to 40 percent. In 2019, it was whopping 52 percent—the highest rate of all schools surveyed by FIND MBA. INSEAD remains a major feeder school for large consulting firms in Europe, with hundreds of the Insead 2019 cohort going into firms like McKinsey, Boston Consulting, Bain, and others.
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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 2019, the top three hiring companies of Kellogg MBAs were consulting firms McKinsey, Bain, and the Boston Consulting Group, who, combined, recruited over 100 Kellogg MBA graduates.
View School ProfileThirty-six percent of 2019 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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Almost 31 percent of Sloan’s 2019 MBA cohort went into the consulting industry, with many getting hired by either McKinsey (12 grads), Boston Consulting (36), or Bain (19). Over 38 percent of all MBAs got jobs with a consulting or strategic planning function.
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Over 37 percent of 2019 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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Forty-two percent of 2019 Ivey MBAs went into the consulting industry - the highest rate of all Canadian business schools surveyed by FIND MBA. Many of the school’s 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.
View School ProfileIESE’s MBA provides a proven record for transitioning students into the consulting sector. Some 33 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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Although the school does not offer an MBA concentration in Consulting, it does offer one in Organization & Management. Fifty-two percent of the school’s class of 2019 went into consulting services, one of the highest percentages of all US business schools that FIND MBA surveyed. Consulting-minded MBA grads go into firms like Bain, Deloitte, and McKinsey.
View School ProfileRelated MBA News
FIND MBA Updates Top 10 Lists by Specialization for 2020
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