You can download a copy of the latest employment report here. A summary of the results is below.
Results at a Glance
- 94% (LY: 93%) of seeking students had full-time offers within three months of graduation
- Growth in the technology sector and in entrepreneurship led to new industry sub-categories
- 339 organizations hired MBA students; 94% of organizations hired one or two students
- Median annual base compensation for full-time offers was unchanged at $125,000
- Median signing bonus for full-time offers increased to $25,000 (+$5,000), a record high.
- Median ‘Other Guaranteed Compensation’ for full-time offers increased to $30,000 (+$5,000)
- 100% of seeking students accepted summer internships
- Median monthly compensation for internships was unchanged at $7,000
The results reflect and validate our emphasis on alignment of career and life goals, known informally as career-life vision. The CMC helps MBA students to understand themselves and to develop a personal definition of a meaningful life – and to build a portfolio of personal and professional pursuits to support that vision. In this light, the specific industries, organizations, and roles chosen represent many individual student decisions.
Full-Time Job Trends
- 45% of Stanford MBAs pursued roles in the finance (26%) or consulting (19%) industries
- The overall decline in finance (-6%) masks shifts within that industry. Employment in hedge funds/private equity increased to 15% (+1%), while venture capital fell to 4% (-4%) as more students pursued operating paths.
- Student interest in consulting remains strong; historically it fluctuates.
- Technology was the top industry, attracting 32% (+8%) of students
- Other notable areas of student interest were nonprofit, particularly education, at 5% (+3%) and healthcare at 5% (+1%).
Summer Job Trends
Industry trends for summer internships are similar in nature to those seen for full-time jobs. Median monthly base compensation ($7,000) was unchanged from last year. In addition, 100% of job-seeking students accepted summer internships.
MBA students continued to participate in the GSB’s summer internship programs below. Only students in the paid programs are included in our employment report.
- 44 students were funded for an Entrepreneurial Summer Program (ESP) internship with an early-stage company
- 23 students received a Stanford Management Internship Fund (SMIF) fellowship to work with a public, nonprofit, or social-purpose for-profit organization.
- Our employment report does not include the 94 students who participated in Global Management Experience (GMIX) projects. In a GMIX project, students work with a corporate, government, or nonprofit organization located in a non-U.S. country new to them. These unpaid projects last four weeks.
Technology
The increase in technology is consistent with trends in the economy and with job growth. In contrast to just a year or two ago, cash compensation in technology is now comparable to other fields – often with the possibility of growth equity.
Technology has become a diversified category. It comprises organizations that impact both new and traditional industries. In fact, “tech” has become an industry suffix – clean-tech, ed-tech, fin-tech, health-tech, etc. – and serves as a proxy for innovation and growth in nearly every sector. Accordingly, with this employment report we are changing the way that we report technology sub-categories. We hope that you will find this year’s new tech sub-categories more helpful.
- Agriculture
- Consumer electronics
- E-Commerce
- Education
- Finance
- Human resources
- Internet services
- Manufacturing
- Marketing
- Media & entertainment
- Natural resources
- Retail
- Software
- Transportation
Entrepreneurship
Per the MBA Career Services and Employer Alliance (CSEA) standards that Stanford follows in reporting MBA employment statistics, entrepreneurs are excluded from our reporting. The only exception is to explain that entrepreneurship was the path chosen by 18% of the graduating class (+5%).
“Entrepreneurship” is a simple word that doesn’t capture the breadth of student ventures. So this year, we are including a supplemental table that breaks down our student ventures by industry. In 2013, students launched ventures in 18 different industries. Finance was the most popular industry for entrepreneurs. The top industries, in order, are:
- Finance
- Internet services
- Media & entertainment
- Human resources
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Consumer products
- Education
- Energy/cleantech
- Software
Recruiter Diversity
Our leading employers span a wide variety of industries: consulting, finance, technology, healthcare, consumer products, and nonprofit. What they have in common is work environments that offer the ability to make an impact, a focus on career development, and diverse challenges and responsibilities.
Stanford is grateful to the 339 organizations that hired Stanford MBAs and to all organizations that recruited at Stanford over the last year. The CMC’s recruiting relations team works closely with each recruiter to recommend the best approach for hiring students. We believe this produces the best outcomes for employers and students.