Consulting Target Schools: Where MBB Firms Recruit From?

The Big Three/MBB consulting firms mostly target top tier business schools in the major regions. Although there are no official statements from any firms regarding this, we can obtain this data from other relevant individuals in the field.

Coming from target schools gives you many opportunities to enter MBB; nevertheless, you can still make it to consulting with extensive learning and preparation.

Learn more: Top Consulting Firms

Consulting target schools (for McKinsey, Bain, and BCG)

MBB consulting firms have their favorite recruiting grounds, mostly top tier business schools in the US/Canada, UK and major regions. Candidates from these schools have a much higher chance of networking and getting selected for an interview.

Attending business school certainly offers valuable advantages, despite that, the field of study may not hold as much weight when it comes to being hired by McKinsey, BCG, or Bain. 

Although the majority of pre-experience students in these firms come from economics/finance and engineering field. Regardless, this does not mean that students from other disciplines are excluded. 

In fact, a diverse range of disciplines is represented among the remaining students. demonstrating the diversity in recruitment of MBB firms.

Top target schools of MBB firms 2024

There is no official statement from any firm about their target schools. However, there are a number of parties that have conducted surveys to assess the universities that have produced a significant number of consultants for MBB firms. 

Below is a list based on data from Wall Street Oasis (WSO) users in 2022, has compiled a list of top schools that contribute substantial percentages of consultants to MBB firms. 

The percentages are derived from the responses of 1,577 WSO employees who attended the leading feeder schools associated with each MBB consulting firm. 

Nevertheless, it is important to note that this list is not exhaustive and solely based on WSO user data. Consequently, there may be some schools in certain regions that are targeted by MBB firms but are not included in the list. 

Top universities with the highest proportion of employees in MBB 

McKinsey & Company

University/College	Percentage
University of Toronto	4.2%
University of Michigan	3.0%
Northwestern University	3.0%
Harvard University	3.0%
Dartmouth College	3.0%
Georgia Institute of Technology	3.0%
University of Pennsylvania	2.4%
Duke University	2.4%
Brigham Young University	2.4%
Rice University	2.4%
The University of Sydney	2.4%
University of Chicago	1.8%
Stanford University	1.8%
Cornell University	1.8%

Bain & Company

University/College	Percentage
The University of Texas at Austin	5.5%
University of Virginia UVA	4.8%
Harvard University	4.1%
University of Michigan	3.4%
Duke University	3.4%
Vanderbilt University	3.4%
Dartmouth College	2.8%
Brown University	2.8%
University of Western Ontario - Richard Ivey School of Business	2.8%
Columbia University	2.1%
Southern Methodist University (SMU)	2.1%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	2.1%
University of Hong Kong	2.1%

Boston Consulting Group

University/College	%
University of Pennsylvania	10.0%
Yale University	5.0%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	4.2%
London School of Economics (LSE)	4.2%
Southern Methodist University (SMU)	3.3%
The University of Texas at Austin	2.5%
University of Virginia UVA	2.5%
Harvard University	2.5%
Columbia University	2.5%
Northwestern University	2.5%

While those lists provided gives insights into the target schools for MBB firms, it is important to note that it is not comprehensive and may not cover all regions and schools worldwide. The lack of online information about the target schools in many regions adds to the challenge. 

However, there are still some ways to check if your school is within the recruitment scope of MBB firms. 

How to know if one is a target school or not?

As stated before, there is no official document that explicitly states the target schools of MBB consulting firms. This type of information is typically obtained through surveys, reports, or word of mouth from individuals with industry insights. 

However, there are still some ways to determine if your school is considered a target by MBB firms. 

Searching directly on MBB firms’s website 

One approach is to visit the MBB websites and navigate to the "careers" section. There, you can use the search function on the "on campus" pages and enter your university name. This will direct you to a page displaying all the upcoming events specifically tailored for your school. 

If your school is not a target, the firm will not have a specific page dedicated to your school, and you will be directed straight to their application page. 

Relevant activities from MMB firms toward you school

Another indication for incoming students at target business schools is the presence of various activities organized by MBB firms, such as workshops or introduction events, which provide opportunities to learn more about the company. 

Additionally, there are numerous events specifically designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students to apply, focusing on those from the identified target universities. 

Explore similar firms

If your school lacks direct activities related to MBB firms, you can still explore other companies that share similar applicant requirements. For instance, you can research rival consulting firms such as the Big Four or large organizations with stringent recruitment criteria like Unilever.

If these other prominent firms have a significant presence and engage in various activities at your school, it is likely that your school is already a favored recruitment ground for MBB firms as well. 

By assessing the involvement of related companies in your school's activities, you can gain insights into its potential appeal to MBB and similar firms.

The reputation of your school in certain fields

In addition, MBB firms often target schools that have a strong academic or business research reputation. 

To verify this, you can look into the quantity of school reports, publications, or research projects. Another indicator is whether your school has a significant number of highly qualified instructors in the relevant fields. 

By understanding these aspects, you can gain a clearer confirmation of whether MBB firms have an interest in recruiting from your school/university.

There may be many other subtle indications, but these are the most reliable ways for assessing if your school is on the favorite recruiting grounds of MBB firms.

Approach for non-target schools applicants

Whether you are a student from a target school or a non-target school, the application process for MBB firms typically involves four rounds. These rounds include networking, screening resume/cover letter, screening tests, and case interviews. 

The main differences between candidates from non-target and target schools are often seen in the networking and resume stages. 

If you come from a non-target school, it is essential to focus on expanding your professional network and crafting an outstanding resume. 

These two factors play a critical role as they determine whether you pass the initial resume screening phase of the consulting recruitment process. 

After that, regardless of your educational background, succeeding in the other  rounds requires dedication and strategic thinking to ultimately secure the job offer.

Networking – Utilizing the consulting clubs

Although coming from a non-target school may limit your networking opportunities and chances of advancing to the next rounds, there are still ways to enhance your prospects. 

One effective approach is to join consulting clubs or communities at your school and actively participate in consulting events. These clubs offer two significant benefits: INFORMATIONS and CONNECTIONS. 

• Firstly, club members share a common interest in management consulting and can provide you with valuable insights and advice to support your consulting preparation. 
• Secondly, these members may have their own connections within the consulting field, granting you opportunities to connect with current or former consultants from top firms. 

Building a network of consultants before your recruitment process increases the likelihood of obtaining referrals, making it easier for you to progress to the subsequent rounds.

Consulting resume – write the perfect bullets

Along with the networks, candidates from non-target schools can increase their chances by making their resume perfect to every bullet point to help them stand out from the pool of applicants.

Since other candidates also have the luxury to show off in their CVs, you must make every bullet in your resume perfect. A perfect bullet point for a consulting resume must explicitly but objectively show off your consulting skills and qualifications by being structured, result-oriented, and fact-based.

Typically, a great bullet needs 3 parts with certain standards:

1. The work: Use strong yet simple verbs in the present or past tense, depending on the time of course.

2. Explanation of work: This is NOT the place for results. It’s just an elaboration of the above part. But 3 things you can do to show off your consulting traits here:

• Be very specific, as specific as possible
• Highlight the difficult nature of the work
• Create a “consulting feel” by using consulting wordings and terminology

3. The output: This can be either qualitative or quantitative.

For other resume tips, please refer to these articles: Consulting Resume/ Consulting Cover Letter