Stanford GSB Graduated The Highest-Paid MBAs Of All Time In 2021

Like their peers from other elite B-schools, Stanford graduates pursue roles in industries around the world. The industries attracting the highest percentages of MBA Class of 2021 graduates were finance (33%), technology (29%), consulting (18%), which were barely changed from last year, as well as healthcare (5%), and media/entertainment (4%).

“We’re always the law of small numbers, where a few students changing course can make our numbers look like they vary, but it’s pretty darn steady,” Schein says.

Strategy and business operations roles were a big draw for members of the Class of 2021. Twenty percent of graduates accepted consulting jobs by function, while 26% went into business operations and management positions.

Finance MBAs unsurprisingly reported the highest median salaries, at $175K, led by those in venture capital ($177,500). Consulting MBAs reported median salaries of $165K, and tech MBAs, $150K.

FELLOWSHIPS BOOST ENTREPRENEURS IN TIME OF NEED

Shortly after the pandemic hit in March 2020, a pair of GSB alumni Roelof Botha and Huifen Chan created the Botha-Chan Innovation Fellowship to support student entrepreneurs through the difficult summer of 2020. The fellowship has been extended for the next three summers; it and others, such as the Social Innovation Fellowship, helped Stanford maintain its level of entrepreneurship in both pandemic classes at the highest rates in school history.

In total, 18% of the Class of 2021 graduates started a new venture — same as last year — and are pursuing it full-time post-graduation; that's the highest level of startup creators in the MBA ranks that the school has yet reached. Nearly half, 49%, started their venture in the U.S. West, with another 27% starting up elsewhere in the U.S. and 24% outside the country. Of those starting a new venture:

• 7% were in the energy sector;
• 17% were in the finance sector;
• 37% were in the technology sector; and
• 8% were in healthcare.

'GRIT & RESILIENCE'

Another huge difference in 2021: the return of in-person internships.

“The pandemic has made the MBA experiences for the classes of 2021 and 2022 very different from what they imagined when they arrived at Stanford. I am thrilled that the rebounding economy has provided them with opportunities in traditional MBA roles as well as in new and disruptive organizations,” says Professor Paul Oyer, senior associate dean for academic affairs, in a statement accompanying the new employment report. “Our 2021 graduates are well-positioned to make an impact in their post-GSB careers.”

In a way, the dearth of in-person internships in 2020 benefited the Class of 2021, Schein says.

“The Class of 2021 weathered the initial shock of the global pandemic as they pursued their summer internships in 2020, demonstrating grit and resilience,” she says. “Those students then graduated into a robust job market where they found opportunities aligned with their values and where they could make an impact. Outcomes for the class are in line with previous years, and show a return to pre-pandemic offer timing with strong salaries.”