Recruiting Information by Program
MFin (12mo/18mo)
2025-2026 Dates
MBA/LGO (2-Year Program)
2025-2026 Dates
MSMS, SFMBA, EMBA
2025-2026 Dates
Annual programs: Bain ADvantage, BCG Non-MBA Masters, McKinsey Advanced Degree
Consulting Career Guide
Welcome to your guide to careers in Consulting. We’ve gathered resources and connections to support your career journey. Choose what you want to learn about below:
I Want to…
Consulting attracts students from many academic disciplines who are eager to gain broad exposure to the business world and develop specialized expertise in one or more industries. Large firms attract many candidates. Their strong campus presence and structured recruiting process makes them appealing and highly competitive. The recruiting process for these firms is among the most demanding and time-intensive. Those strongly committed to consulting as their career path should consider the full range of opportunities in this industry, to give themselves the most options.
Students typically enter the industry through one of the five paths below:
Big 3 Consulting Firms:
McKinsey, BCG, Bain
Big 4 Consulting Firms:
Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PWC
Learn More:
Firms are called the Big 4 because they are the largest 4 accounting firms.
What makes the Big 4 different from MBB?
Mid-sized and Large Consulting Firms:
Examples – Accenture, Kearney, L.E.K., Oliver Wyman
Learn More:
Top firms in this space are well-respected providers of strategic advisory services and industry-specific expertise.
Boutique Consulting Firms:
Bridgespan Group, Putnam, OC&C Strategy Consultants, Putnam Associates
Learn More:
Best Boutique Consulting Firms (Vault)
Highest Paying Boutique Consulting Firms (BusinessBecause)
Internal Consulting
BNP Paribas, Cisco, Dell, EMC, GE, Google, Ford, Pfizer, Samsung, Siemens
Learn More:
Companies have internal consulting teams that provide business advisory services to internal business units, identifying areas for improvement and solutions to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
More Recommended Resources:
Enterprise Management Certificate
Learn holistic approaches to solving the most pressing challenges in business.
Management Consulting Club
Industry events, interview preparation, and peer coaching.
More Opportunities
Management Consulting Club
Industry events, interview preparation, and peer coaching.
MIT Sloan Industry Advisors
View MIT Sloan Industry Advisors with a specialty in Consulting
Search Your Network
Find Sloanies through directories of student, alumni, and company contacts.
From Our Career Advisors
Consulting: Recruiting Pathways and 5 Key Things to Know
Prepared by MBA Career Advisors for first- and second-year candidates in the 2-year MBA program.
Stories from Sloanies
Sean George, MBA ’25
Building a Mindset to Navigate Uncertainty in Consulting Recruiting
Elshan Gahramanov, MFin 25
Navigating the Consulting Interview Process with Limited Time
2025 Jobs Outlook
- Highly competitive; qualified applicants exceed supply of jobs
- Apply early and meet the first deadline
- Good outlook for specialty masters graduates
- Good outlook for internships, a key path to full-time opportunities
Market instability often drives demand for consulting work, but in the current market firms will be cautious in hiring. The best path to a full-time offer is through an internship. In addition to MBB, consider boutique firms, mid-sized firms, and internal strategy practices. For mid-career candidates, spring just-in-time hiring will be competitive.
Through the MBA/LGO Employment Surveys, we gather robust data on career outcomes that we share with the community. Below is targeted information for Consulting from that survey. Follow this link to view the complete Consulting Industry Hiring Trends.
Percent of MBA Class Accepting Opportunities in Consulting
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| 31.2% | 28.3% | 31.2% | 33.7% | 32.1% |
Consulting Offers Accepted by Years of Experience
| Less than 3 Years | 3-5 Years | 5+ Years |
| 5.5% | 40% | 54.4% |
Top Locations*
- Boston Metro
- New York City Metro
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Chicago Metro
- Houston Metro
- Miami Metro
| Mean Base Salary | Median Base Salary | 25th-75th Percentile | |
| Class of 2024 | $179,172 | $190,000 | $175,000-$190,000 |
| Class of 2023 | $180,036 | $190,000 | $175,000-$190,000 |
| Class of 2022 | $175,068 | $175,000 | $175,000-$190,000 |
| 3-Year Average | $178,139 | $186,500 | $175,000-$190,000 |
*Job seekers should apply to roles and offices strategically: consider industry focus of each office and potential for opportunities based on the market.
Job Boards
Career Central (CDO)
Search jobs posted for candidates in MIT Sloan’s portfolio of programs.
MBA Exchange Job Board
Search by industry or keyword.
Handshake (CAPD)
View jobs posted for all MIT students – undergraduate, masters, and PhD-level roles.
Job + Internship Sites
Job boards across MIT, including targeted industry and internship job boards.
Where Sloanies Have Accepted Opportunities
Click on the links below to explore career opportunities with top consulting firms.
Specialized + Boutique Firms
AlixPartners
Analysis Group
The Brattle Group
L.E.K. Consulting
RISE Corporate Innovation
Case Coach
Video training course and a library of practice cases.
RocketBlocks
Offers targeted Interview Preparation for Consulting
Big Interview
Practice your interviewing skills and get AI feedback to improve your score.
Fastmath
Learn techniques for quick mental math. See the free course offered to Sloanies.
Top Research Resources
Top databases for company and industry research.
Featured Consulting Industry Insights
New at McKinsey’ Blog
Bain’s Market Insights
BCG’s Industry Insights
Deloitte Industry Insights
CDO Career Advisors + Coaches
Click your program:
MBA/LGO/MSMS | MFin
MBAn | SFMBA | EMBA
MIT Sloan Industry Advisors
View MIT Sloan Industry Advisors with a specialty in Consulting
