The Yale School of Management employment report for the MBA Class of 2020 reveals consistent industry draws, but regional shifts for career destinations. More graduates remained in the U.S. to work, but also saw higher salaries.
While the number of graduates receiving offers within three months of graduation (90.2 percent) and those accepting offers (85.9 percent) represents a decline from 2019, this year 6.1 percent of graduates opted to start their own business, an increase of 1.7 percent over last year.
| Consulting | 36.9% |
| Finance | 23.3% |
| Technology | 12.7% |
| Retail | 8.9% |
| Healthcare | 4.2% |
| Northeast | 47% |
| West | 29.2% |
| Mid-Atlantic | 7.4% |
| Southwest | 6.9% |
| Midwest | 5.9% |
| South | 3.5% |
Consulting & Finance Top Industry Placement
Yale SOM’s top industries did not significantly change year over year. Nearly 37 percent of graduates entered the consulting industry. Financial services were the second most popular choice, as 23.3 percent entered the field. Investment banking was the most popular choice in finance with 10.6 percent choosing it. Roughly four percent took positions in investment management and 3.4 percent joined venture capital. Another three percent pursued private equity and about two percent chose diversified financial services.
Technology took in 12.7 percent of Yale SOM grads. Nearly nine percent went into retail and 4.2 percent into healthcare to round out the top five industries.
Shifts in Regional Placement & Salaries
Just over 87 percent of graduates started careers in the U.S., an increase of 7 percent over last year. Forty-seven percent of those jobs were in the Northeast, down from 50.5 percent in 2019. The number of jobs that went to the South increased to 3.5 percent. The West saw 29.2 percent of grads find jobs, while 7.4 percent went to the Mid-Atlantic states, 6.9 percent went to the Southwest, and 5.9 percent to the Midwest.
The median base salary for U.S. jobs reached $145,000: a $10,000 increase over last year. The median salary for the class overall (including international jobs) also increased by $10,000 to $140,000.
