Though this year might have been the most difficult in recent memory for graduates to begin careers, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management employment report for the Class of 2020 tells a story of fresh MBAs finding success even in these challenging times.
Kellogg’s employment report for this year’s two-year MBA program shows 95 percent of graduates received job offers and 93 percent of the class accepted job offers within three months of graduating in a year of record-high unemployment. The school also hit a record-high median base salary of $144,000.
Over a third of jobs for the Class of 2020, 34 percent, were found on the US West Coast—the highest in the school’s history. Twenty-nine percent went to work in the Midwest, while 18 percent headed to the East Coast.
The consulting industry has historically been the strongest for Kellogg, and this year 39% of grads accepted roles in this field. Liza Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of the Career Management Center for Full-Time Programs, wrote in the school’s announcement on their blog, “Amidst significant disruption and change in the world, the need for agile, collaborative leaders with creative problem-solving skills is stronger than ever—particularly in the consulting realm, which is focused on tackling challenges across all industries and functions.”
Kellogg’s MBA employment report also shows that the second-largest industry for graduates is technology, where 25 percent of the class found jobs. Another 14 percent went to work in finance, 8 percent in consumer products, and 5 percent in healthcare.
| Consulting | 39% |
| Technology | 25% |
| Finance | 14% |
| Consumer Products | 8% |
| Healthcare | 5% |
| West Coast | 34% |
| Midwest | 29% |
| East | 18% |
| South | 11% |
| International | 8% |
In anticipation of the difficulties that the pandemic and economic recession would bring to the graduating class, Kellogg’s Career Management Center launched an aggressive hiring campaign in March, HireKellogg, that tapped the 65,000-member alumni community network and resulted in 251 job opportunities. This represents a 42 percent year-over-year increase in alumni-sourced job opportunities, a key component of the school’s success in placing graduates in careers.
