The University of Virginia (UVA) Darden School of Business 2021 MBA employment report is out. UVA Darden’s MBA Class of 2021 navigated a challenging job market with record success, continuing a streak of record-breaking salary numbers, and increasing its presence in key industries.
A school record was set with 91% of the class employed at graduation. At three months post-graduation, 97% had received a job offer, and 95% had accepted. Three times as many students as the five-year average entered venture capital and private equity careers, and twice as many students than the five-year average entered healthcare. Graduates reported that 76% of positions were school-facilitated.
Quoted in the report, Jeff McNish, Assistant Dean of the Career Center, stated, “The Career Center team has been fortunate to partner with these bright and forward-thinking professionals as they launch their post-MBA careers. We are eager to witness their ongoing triumphs in the face of great challenge, great successes, and all else they may encounter throughout their personal and professional journeys.”
Top Industries and Regional Placement for Darden MBAs
The consulting industry has been the top destination for Darden grads by a solid margin for five years running. This year, 32.1% of MBAs entered the field. Financial services recruited 25.7% of the class, followed by technology at 18.9%. The healthcare industry took in 6.1% of UVA Darden MBAs, and consumer packaged goods rounded out the top five industries with 4.7%.
| Consulting | 32.1% |
| Financial Services | 25.7% |
| Technology | 18.9% |
| Healthcare | 6.1% |
| Consumer Packaged Goods | 4.7% |
The largest portion of the class—28.7%—moved to the Northeast for work. Meanwhile, 20.9% found jobs in the Mid-Atlantic region, and 18.2% went West. The South and Midwest saw the same number of graduates begin careers there, each getting 11.1% of the class. And, 8.1% of the UVA MBA Class of 2021 moved to the Southwest.
| Northeast | 28.7% |
| Mid-Atlantic | 20.9% |
| West | 18.2% |
| Midwest | 11.1% |
| South | 11.1% |
| Southwest | 8.1% |
The median salary for the MBA Class of 2021 was $144,500. The average base salary of $144,933 is the highest in the school’s history for the third year in a row. The highest median salary by region was the Southwest at $165,000. The average signing bonus is also the highest reported in school history at $35,488, with the median at $30,000.
