This is what the average Columbia Business School graduate makes when they graduate

New York City’s Columbia University houses one of the most sought-after business school programs in the country — not just because of its world-renowned faculty, excellent courses, and diverse setting, staff, and student body, but because those who are accepted are basically guaranteed a great starting salary once they get their MBAs.

Media salary and bonuses

In 2020, the median base salary for new graduates was $150,000, up from Columbia’s 2018 $130,000 median and much, much higher than the average starting salaries for business school graduates across the U.S., which comes to around $115,000. According to Columbia Business School, the median signing bonus for 2020 graduates was an astounding $30,300.

It’s all the more noteworthy when you consider that 90% of Columbia Business School students get a job offer within three months of graduation. Columbia is known for placing its graduates in incredible, lucrative careers at some of the top financial services companies in the world.

According to Business Because, McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain — otherwise known as the Big Three consulting firms — were the biggest recruiters of Columbia students, taking on 99 graduates between them (out of 756 students who graduated that year). Amazon, Google, and Apple are also known to favor Columbia business grads. Out of the 2020 class, 34% went into consulting, 33.2% found work in financial services, 19.8% went into media and technology, and 4% are now employed by manufacturing companies.

Connections and famous alumni

The average salary for graduates is enough to attract students from all over the globe, but there is more to this graduate program that could really help you earn a solid footing in your industry. Connections are key in business, and Columbia’s known for its powerhouse networking. Graduates know they’ll have a good opportunity to land an international dream job.

Of the 2020 graduates who accepted positions outside of the United States, 35.4% found work in Asia, 28.1% are in Europe, 17.7% work for Middle Eastern companies, and 11.5% are employed in Central or South America.

Business school graduates include:

• Warren Buffett
• Robert F. Smith (chairman of Vista Equity Partners)
• Sallie Krawcheck (CEO and co-Founder of women-oriented finance company Ellevest)
• Retired NASA astronaut Col. Timothy Kopra
• Real-estate mogul Peter Woo
• Ogilvy & Mather chairman emeritus and former CEO Rochelle Lazarus
• Morgan Stanley chairman and CEO James P. Gorman
• Jordan Roth, president of Jujamcyn Theaters

Columbia Business School now has over 48,000 alumni working in over 100 countries, and they also focus on bringing diverse talent into the classroom. In 2020, 44% of the total 782 incoming students entered the program from outside the United States, 20% of the students from Asia, 9% from Central American or South America, 8% from Europe, 4% from Africa or the Middle East, and 3% from Canada.

Like other colleges in the U.S., Columbia is also focusing on gender equality in the classroom. Specifically, 38% of the graduating class of 2020 were women. Columbia Women in Business is one of the largest student organizations on campus.

They’re super picky; the reported admission rate is around 18%. Columbia Business School only admitted 782 students out of 6,971 applicants, with an average GMAT of 730 (the test scores from 200 to 800, and the national average is 565). Many students are in their 30s with an average of five years of work experience.