2024-25 Employment Report Shows Strong Career Outcomes

The Class of 2024 of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business achieved strong career outcomes according to data from the School’s forthcoming 2024–25 Employment Report.

“These outcomes are a testament to the hard work and passion our Darden students put forward each day in pursuit of ambitious career goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the two-year MBA program. They reflect the well-earned success of our graduates and the enduring value of the Darden MBA in an unpredictable employment market,” said Senior Assistant Dean of the Career Center Jeff McNish. “Our tremendous career center staff, dedicated alumni network and supportive faculty and staff all come together to ensure that Darden graduates access desirable employment opportunities and achieve positive outcomes year over year.”

The report tracks employment outcomes for full-time MBA students in the Class of 2024 and internship placements for the Class of 2025. Noted below are key highlights from the report.

Consistently High Median Starting Salary

Darden’s full-time MBA Class of 2024 maintained a high median compensation of $175,000 base salary and $30,000 signing bonus for the fourth year in a row.

The mean starting salary and signing bonus decreased by 2.5 percent and 7.9 percent respectively. This drop reflects an increased diversity of industry and functional representation in students’ post-MBA career choices. Graduates entered general management and marketing roles at a higher level than in past years, and are also expanding their influence in the energy, retail and healthcare industries.

Continued Success in Offers Accepted

In the three months following graduation, 90.2 percent of graduates seeking employment accepted a full-time job offer. 92.9 percent of the students received at least one job offer within that same time frame.

During the summer of 2024, 100 percent of the Full-Time MBA Class of 2025 completed an internship.

Leaders in Top Industries and Global Companies

This year’s graduating class secured positions in top industries with 42.5 percent of graduates entering consulting, 26.5 percent entering financial services and 8.8 percent entering the technology industry.

More students accepted roles with the primary function of finance/accounting than last year (28.9 percent compared to 26.3 percent), and 19.4 percent pursued roles in general management or marketing/sales.

Darden’s most recent alumni can be found across the U.S. in the Northeast (28.6 percent), Mid-Atlantic (26.9 percent), South (13.3 percent), Southwest (12.9 percent), West (8.2 percent), and Midwest (6.5 percent).

They will be joining leading global companies, including Amazon, Bank of America, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey, JP Morgan Chase, Dell Technologies, Bain, Walmart and more.

View the Full-Time MBA Class of 2024 Employment Report here.