The University of Virginia Darden School of Business MBA Class of 2024 have achieved impressive career outcomes in the face of rapid global change. The drive and resilience of the graduating class are evident in the recently released employment report, which shows MBA graduates from UVA Darden maintained a four-year high median salary of $175,000. The average starting salary for the whole class is $163,710, representing an increase in average salaries of 17 percent since 2020. The average signing bonus this year landed at $34,562.
326 of the 341 graduates of the Class of 2024 were seeking full-time employment. By three months post-graduation, 93 percent of students had received at least one job offer, and 90 percent had accepted a job offer. Nearly 60 percent of students secured their post-graduation role through internships, and overall 79 percent of graduates secured jobs through Darden resources.
“Every year, the Career Center provides one-on-one career coaching to over 900 Darden students, travels internationally to meet employers seeking the next generation of business leaders and analyzes thousands of data points to facilitate the best career and recruiting decisions,” said Jeff McNish, Senior Assistant Dean for the Career Center, in the school’s employment report announcement. “We love our jobs. We make sure our students can say the same.”
Industry and Regional Job Placement
The top five industries for UVA Darden graduates remain unchanged from last year. Consulting reigns at the top, with 42.5 percent of the class taking positions in the industry; their mean base salary landed at $181,322. Financial services followed at 26.5 percent. Darden MBAs who entered the field reported a mean base salary of $161,836. Nearly nine percent of graduates chose the tech industry and reported an average salary of $146,948. Just over five percent of the class chose healthcare careers and reported an average base salary of $140,357, while the retail industry, with a slightly higher average salary of $143,333, was the destination for 3.7 percent of the class.
| Consulting | 42.5% | $181,322 |
| Financial Services | 26.5% | $161,836 |
| Technology | 8.8% | $146,948 |
| Healthcare | 5.1% | $140,357 |
| Retail | 3.7% | $143,333 |
Ninety-six percent of the UVA Darden MBA Class of 2024 took on roles in the United States. The Northeast region boasted the highest average base salary at $170,600, attracting 28.6 percent of the class. The Mid-Atlantic region drew nearly 27 percent of graduates who reported a $161,566 average salary. Roughly 13 percent of the latest Darden class moved to the South U.S. for work, where the average salary was $164,084. For the 13 percent who chose post-MBA work in the Southwest, the average salary was $163,322. In the Western U.S., where 8.2 percent of the graduates found work, the average salary reached $166,391. Finally, in the Midwest, 6.5 percent of the Darden MBA graduates reported an average salary of $164,789.
| Northeast | 28.6% | $170,600 |
| Mid-Atlantic | 26.9% | $161,566 |
| South | 13.3% | $164,084 |
| Southwest | 12.9% | $163,322 |
| West | 8.2.% | $166,391 |
| Midwest | 6.5% | $164,789 |
