Stanford GSB Releases 2018 Employment Report

Stanford Graduate School of Business MBA graduates are now earning a median base salary of $142,000, higher than ever before. That’s according to Stanford GSB’s latest employment report.

The report also shows that 55 percent of Stanford’s MBA Class of 2018 reported receiving signing bonuses, with the median signing bonus coming in at $25,000.

Despite these respectable salaries, Stanford GSB insists that their alums “chose careers where they could make a difference,” not ones that were motivated by “chasing the money.” 

So what were those careers?

Disproportionately, they were in tech – unsurprising, perhaps, given Stanford’s location in Silicon Valley. Thirty-three percent of alums took jobs in technology, followed by 31 percent in finance. Consulting was the industry of choice for a more modest 18 percent of grads.

Companies specializing in software, software as a service (SaaS), and mobile apps were the most common employers in the tech industry, accounting for 11 percent of the class overall. In finance, private equity accounted for 13 percent of the class.

In terms of the job roles that alums took on, finance (30 percent), marketing and sales (28 percent), and consulting (24 percent) dominated. General management was also common, at 13 percent.

By and large, Stanford GSB’s MBA Class of 2018 had no problem finding jobs. By graduation, 81 percent had received job offers and 69 percent had accepted jobs. Within three months of graduation, those figures rose to 95 percent and 88 percent respectively.

No doubt the prestige conferred by a Stanford MBA was a factor in the Class of 2018’s success. But Stanford GSB played a more direct role in helping graduating MBA students find jobs: forty-two percent of alums say the job they accepted was found using a school-related resource.

These resources include on-campus interviews (14 percent), alumni referrals (9 percent), the school’s job board (7 percent), and summer employment opportunities facilitated by Stanford GSB (5 percent).

Altogether, the figures in Stanford GSB’s employment report confirm that a Stanford MBA leads to strong career possibilities, and that the school is an especially good step on the way to a career in tech.

If you’re wondering whether Stanford GSB is a good fit for you as an applicant, we can help you see your application through the eyes of the adcom and give feedback on how to sharpen your personal brand to stand out at highly competitive schools like Stanford. Just contact us to ask for a free MBA assessment!