Business school is an exciting prospect for ambitious professionals or aspiring entrepreneurs looking to level up their careers — and salaries.
For the class of 2021, students from the top business schools in the world graduated making solid six-figure salaries. Financial services, consulting, investment banking, and technology were top industries for business-school grads. In a competitive year for top talent, many students also received lucrative signing bonuses.
After a surge at the start of the pandemic, applications held steady or decreased at top business schools for 2021, according to The Wall Street Journal. For example, Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management reported a 20% drop in applications to its MBA program for the incoming fall 2021 class. Columbia Business School reported a 6% decline, though the volume of applications was still higher than it was in 2019, when interest in many schools languished during a white-hot job market.
For those considering attending business school or who are currently enrolled, here are six top programs and a profile of what their graduates are up to today.