How Recruiters Rank Business Schools By Industry & Skill Set

SURPRISE: STANFORD IS #1 IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Most students would associate the Stanford Graduate School of Business with technology, entrepreneurship, finance, and even consulting. Luring just 7% of 2015 graduates, the consumer goods industry is seemingly an afterthought at Stanford. But it isn’t to recruiters. With a 4.23 average, Stanford earned the highest score of any school in any of the four major categories (consulting, finance, consumer products, and technology) that garnered five or more evaluations. In fact, 21 of the 26 recruiters gave Stanford a grade of four or better in this sector (including 11 perfect scores).

Even though Stanford is nearly 0.5 of a point better than its nearest competitors, more recruiters in the consumer products space are flocking to programs like Ross (3.75 on 125 responses), Harvard Business School (3.73 on 85 responses), Kellogg (3.72 off 115 responses, Fuqua (3.65 on 78 responses), and Wharton (3.57 on 67 responses). Overall, median starting base salaries for these schools range from $102,000-$109,000, with Fuqua topping out near the latter.

STANFORD RULES TECH SECTOR TOO

Stanford was also the clear winner in the technology arena, boasting a 3.78 mean score from recruiters off 135 responses. That’s not surprising, considering Stanford operates in the shadow of Silicon Valley. The same could be said for the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, just a 20 minute Drive from the famed Research Triangle Park. In fact, UNC actually produced a higher average than Stanford at 3.88. However, it did so with 100 fewer recruiter responses.

In tech, 2015 Stanford grads tied with Harvard grads in starting salary at $125,000. However, their $29,000 sign on bonuses lagged behind Tuck ($40,000) and Yale ($32,000). Still, Stanford’s recruiter score left nearly every other program behind in this category, including established and emerging tech powerhouses like Harvard (3.33 on 171 responses), MIT Sloan (3.38 on 137 responses), Kellogg (3.45 on 134 responses), Columbia (3.35 on 134 responses), Booth (3.51 on 127 responses), Berkeley Haas (3.66 on 119 responses), Fuqua (3.44 on 112 responses), Wharton (3.46 on 105 responses), Ross (3.41 on 99 responses), and UCLA Anderson (3.51 on 98 responses).

TO SEE 2015 GRADUATE PLACEMENT AND SALARIES: WHERE TECH FIRMS ARE FINDING THEIR MBA TALENT

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