P&Q’s Must Reads: MBA Salaries, Bonuses & Job Success Rates At 30 Top U.S. B-Schools

Hello everyone  — Welcome back to Poets&Quants’ Must Reads, a quick, digestible recap of the top business school news, sponsored by CentreCourt, P&Q’s virtual admission events.

I’m your host, Kristy Bleizeffer, and I’ll be highlighting the most important P&Q stories you might have missed. So, let’s get to it. 

No. 1: MBA Salaries, Bonuses & Job Success Rates At 30 Top U.S. B-Schools 

The 2020s have been a topsy-turvy decade for MBAs on the job hunt. The decade opened with a pandemic. By 2022, things were beginning to feel normal again, but late in the year one of the top three industries for MBA employment began its long, slow implosion that continues to this day. Tech’s troubles were followed by temblors in consulting and finance, throughout 2023.

Now that (nearly) all of MBA employment reports have been published, we can officially make the call: In MBA job offers and acceptances three months after graduation, 2023 was the worst year in many years. In both measures, graduates of the top MBA programs reported declines nearly across the board.

You can see which schools fared the best, and which fared the worst in our comparison of all the data, now in our trending tab.

No. 2: 10 Business Schools To Watch In 2024

A new year is an extension of potential, especially in education. Schools start chasing big goals, always testing new ideas to better connect with learners. In the moment – when data is sparse and fears are stoked – educators don’t always fully grasp what matters and what works. Sometimes, that means stepping back before looking ahead.

Our annual feature of the 10 Business Schools to watch compiles the MBA programs we think are in for big things in 2024. You can read why in this story, now on our homepage.

No. 3: Nominate Your Favorite Under-40 MBA Professor For 2024’s List

It’s time again to tell us about the most impactful, most inspiring MBA professors under the age of 40. 

We’re collecting nominations for the best MBA professors in the business to compile our annual Best 40 Under 40 MBA Professors list. Deadline for nominations is March 22, 2024. 

We’re looking for MBA professors under the age of 40 who are masters in the classrooms, who influence business and policy, who are prolific researchers, and who have demonstrated meaningful impact on their fields. We need you to tell us who they are.

You’ll find the rules and nomination form in our news tab.

No. 4: Our Weekly Round Up of  News You Can Use

No matter where you are in your MBA journey, we bring several helpful stories for you this week.

First up: GMAT Score: Understanding The New GMAT Focus Edition. This story from Fortuna Admissions answers the most common questions about the new B-school entrance exam. You can find it on our homepage.

Next: Traits Business Schools Seek In Applicants. This story, in our admissions hub, also tells you how to prepare for Wharton’s team-based discussion interview. 

Finally: Common Admissions Consultant Questions. This column from North Star Admissions, answers questions MBA consultants hear the most. It’s up now in our admissions hub. 

And, that’s it for this week’s Must Reads recap. 

I also want to alert school seekers to our events tab from our main menu. There, you’ll find all the upcoming admissions events for a range of degrees and programs including full-time and online MBAs, specialized masters, entrepreneurship and more. Registration is free.

Again, I’m Kristy Bleizeffer, and you can join me next week, right here, for a recap of what’s important in the world of business education. Thanks for listening.