INSEAD Class of 2013: Where Are They Now?

INSEAD, considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious business schools, has released its employment statistics for its class of 2013. What does this very detailed document tell us about the career paths of the graduates of this elite business school? Here’s a quick overview of the findings.

Prior to enrolment, the class of 2013 at INSEAD had been in work for an average of five to six years, with nearly a quarter of the 1016-strong cohort having over seven years’ experience – although 6% managed to get in with no more than two. On average they were 29 years old, and two thirds were male. They largely came from Europe (40%) and the Asia Pacific (30%). Academically, 29% came from a business background, and 28% from engineering.

Finance jobs bounce back

So, what became of this cohort after their intensive 10 months at INSEAD? The school splits graduates into three categories – consulting, finance and corporate sectors. This year, fewer went into consulting jobs, with the proportion dropping from 41% to 34% - a lower percentage than in any of the past four cohorts, ascribed to a decline in company sponsorship. The proportion opting for finance jobs rose from a low of 14% for the class of 2012 to 17% this year – still markedly lower than the 23% who opted for finance jobs in the class of 2011.

Functionally speaking, 38% were in consulting roles within their industry, 15% in finance functions, 13% in business development and 11% in general management.

The top hirers make for familiar reading, with McKinsey taking on 108, the Boston Consulting Group 42 and Bain & Company 39, although in all cases some of these were returnees. Technology companies like Amazon (36), Microsoft (18) and Google (12) were also the destination for a fair proportion of graduates, while seven found themselves at Burger King.

MBA salary levels

Starting salaries stretched from €21,150 (primary industries in the Asia Pacific region) to €298,000 (venture capital in Western Europe). There was a drop in median MBA salary levels, from €89,000 for the class of 2012 to €85,700 with the average signing bonus of €16,200 remaining stable (at the time of writing €1 is roughly US$1.36). Those working in Singapore – location of one of INSEAD’s campuses and the most popular Asia Pacific destination for graduates – have been hit hard with median salaries dropping year-on-year from SG$147,500 for the class of 2010 to SG$120,000 (C. US$96k) for the class of 2013. Those working in other economies have fared better, with candidates choosing to work in the US earning US$130,000 – the highest MBA salary of any in a five year sample.

The median MBA salary level in corporate sectors remained relatively stable at €84,100, with the highest median MBA salary (€98,600) being reserved for those in the public sector (perhaps surprising for those not accustomed to the European paradigm). The highest salary of €202,600 was seen in Asia.

Both consulting jobs and finance jobs were very slightly less handsomely remunerated globally than they were for the class of 2012, although median salaries of €89,200 and €86,000 respectively will probably not be considered the end of the world for most. In terms of the consulting jobs, the lower end of the range for those who work in the US or Switzerland is six figures. India is an interesting example of an elite towering above the rest, with the median salary level for consulting jobs standing at €41,400 in a range of €33,600 to €109,000.

Though offset on a global scale, median salaries for finance jobs actually increased sharply in both Western Europe and the Asia Pacific to €94,400 and €88,700 from €87,500 and €76,300 respectively.

So, what does the report tell us? Well, nothing truly jaw dropping. Indeed the figures seem to simply embody the rather minor fluctuations that define any annual employment report from an elite business school. The school leads the report with the figure of 95% graduates receiving at least one job offer. Although from one of the world’s leading schools, this may be the least we might expect, it does still confirm that a big hitter’s cachet remains undiminished.