UVA Darden Class of 2018 Reports Higher Salaries; Amazon, McKinsey Among Top Employers
By Mary Shea Watson
Graduates of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business continue to experience success in the job market, with the Class of 2018 reporting strong increases in jobs accepted, salary and signing bonus.
According to data released by Darden’s Career Development Center (CDC), the Class of 2018 reported an average base salary of $127,767 and an average signing bonus of $35,430, while 94 percent of graduates received a job offer and 92 percent accepted jobs within three months of graduation. These figures all represent rises from numbers reported by the Classes of 2017 and 2016.
Darden graduates entered new careers around the country and world. In the United States, 31 percent of 2018 graduates now call the Northeast home, while the west and mid-Atlantic tied for second most popular U.S. region at 18 percent of graduates each. Internationally, 7 percent of graduates accepted jobs outside the U.S.
The top five employers were McKinsey & Co. (18), Amazon (17), Boston Consulting Group (15), Bain & Co. (14) and JP Morgan Chase (13). Darden graduates entered diverse roles in 15 industries and in 25 different job functions. Consulting, financial services and technology collectively drew 76 percent of this year’s Darden graduates.
Consulting positions were the most popular, attracting 31 percent of the Class of 2018 with an average salary of $140,189 and average signing bonus of $31,940. McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Co. and Accenture represented the top four consulting employers with PwC and Deloitte tied for fifth.
Compared to the Class of 2017, higher percentages of graduates entered careers in technology and financial services. Technology positions attracted 18 percent of the graduating class with an average salary of $122,615 and average signing bonus of $40,313. Amazon, Microsoft, Danaher, Google and IBM employed the most Darden graduates entering tech roles.
The financial services industry drew 26 percent of the Class of 2018, offering an average salary of $126,477 and average signing bonus of $39,418. The top five financial services employers were JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Barclays, Citi and Deutsche Bank.
Strategy consulting, product management, investment banking and leadership development/rotational roles were the most popular jobs by function among the Class of 2018.
“We are thrilled to see our students and employer partners experience such success this year,” said Assistant Dean of Career Development Jeff McNish. With recent restructuring of its career advising team, the CDC now offers increased one-on-one support for students seeking careers in a wide variety of popular sectors for business graduates.
“The Darden experience — combined with the CDC’s commitment to offering personalized support to our ambitious, career-driven students — is always a recipe for success,” said McNish.
Read the full Darden Full-Time MBA Employment Report for the classes of 2018 and 2019.
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Darden’s graduate degree programs (MBA, MSBA and Ph.D.) and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact. Darden’s top-ranked faculty, renowned for teaching excellence, inspires and shapes modern business leadership worldwide through research, thought leadership and business publishing. Darden has Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., area and a global community that includes 18,000 alumni in 90 countries. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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