Located in Ithaca, New York—around three hours' drive from the Big Apple—Cornell’s campus is on the shores of Cayuga Lake and holds many attractions including the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, which was designed by the renowned architect of the Louvre Pyramid, I.M. Pei.
Cornell Johnson brings a diverse set of nationalities and demographics into the red-bricked walls of Sage Hall, offering programs from Executive MBAs to specialized, and dual master’s degrees, along with an intensive one-year MBA.
One major advantage of Cornell Johnson is access to New York City, and the opportunities for students to immerse themselves in the global business hub. Two-year MBA students have NYC-based course options, and one-year Tech specialization MBA students benefit from living and studying in the city throughout the entire program.
In 2024, the Cornell Johnson MBA ranked among the top 10 MBA programs worldwide by the Financial Times, and was third for alumni services.
So where do these Cornell Johnson alumni end up? What types of industries and jobs do they enter? And how much do they typically earn?
Here’s our breakdown of the school’s graduate career prospects.
Cornell Johnson MBA: popular industries
The industries that the Cornell Johnson two-year MBA Class of 2024 entered exemplify the varying interests that business school degrees cover.
With sky-high salaries, a varied catalogue of roles, and enviable growth opportunities, finance consistently ranks as one of the three most popular industries for MBA students across the globe.
These advantages are clearly a draw for Cornell Johnson’s alumni, with 42% of the Two-Year MBA Class of 2024 entering the financial sector.
Graduates went into various areas within the sector, with investment banking (75%) the most popular by far, followed by corporate finance (8%) and private equity (4%).
Each year, consulting has been historically the most desired industry for MBA students globally and top consulting firms often hire from several target b-schools. Luckily, Cornell Johnson is one of these. In total, almost a third of the Class of 2024—31%—landed roles within the sector.
Technology was the third most popular industry, with 11% of grads entering roles within tech companies. Consumer packaged goods, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing were also popular choices for the Class of 2024.
Cornell Johnson MBA employment by industry
Companies Hiring Cornell Johnson MBAs
Cornell Johnson’s two-year MBA is a rigorous program that combines detailed theoretical concepts with demanding experiential opportunities. Graduating from such a prestigious program is a significant academic achievement and demonstrates students' capabilities to employers.
For this reason, Cornell boasts prestigious companies among the key recruiters from the MBA cohort. That includes the Big Three consultancies, McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as well as other top consulting firms such as EY-Parthenon and Deloitte Consulting.
Numerous financial firms were top recruiters of Cornell Johnson’s Class of 2024, including Citi, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and JP Morgan Chase. Technology companies did not feature as prominently as finance and consulting firms; however Amazon was among the top employers this year.
Companies Hiring Cornell Johnson Two-Year MBA grads
Cornell Johnson MBA: popular destinations
As one of the US’s most prestigious institutions, almost all Cornell Johnson MBA graduates landed roles that kept them in North America. Of those employed in US-based roles, the Northeast was the most popular region (65%) followed by the West (14%).
Only 3% of the Class of 2024 were employed in regions outside North America with 2% going to Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa (MENA), and 1% moving to Central America, the Caribbean, and South America to take up their graduating roles.
Average Cornell Johnson MBA salaries
Finance and consulting’s popularity with grads is largely down to the top salaries they can earn in these industries.
The average base salary among MBAs who went into financial services in 2024 was $165,829 with a median base salary of $175,000. Cornell Johnson grads who went into consulting saw slightly higher average base salaries of $178,046, with the same median base salary as those who entered roles in finance.
Those employed in the tech and telecommunications had a median base salary of $142,800; those in consumer packaged goods landed a median base salary of $127,000; and those who launched a career in the healthcare industry received a median base salary of $142,500.
Cornell Johnson grads who landed jobs in investment banking secured average salaries of $176,442, rotational/ development recruits earned around $136,481, and brand/ product management hires took home approximately $129,333.
Some students graduating from the Cornell Johnson two-year MBA secured signing bonuses when landing their jobs.
The average signing bonus was $38,438 on top of their average base salary. US work authorized graduates received a slightly higher than average signing bonus at $38,504 and non-US work authorized graduates received a slightly lower than average signing bonus at $38,313.
Cornell Johnson average MBA salaries by industry
When you look into the Cornell Johnson MBA employment report, it’s clear that the program is a strong choice for those looking to build a career in finance. At the same time, leading firms actively recruit graduates across consulting and tech, offering a wealth of opportunities regardless of your chosen path.
Cornell Johnson MBAs secure competitive salaries post-graduation, with some receiving bonuses that elevated their total compensation beyond $200,000. While the majority of the Class of 2024 found employment in North America, the school’s extensive alumni network spans the globe, with graduates in Australia, China, Turkey, and the UAE.
For professionals seeking a distinguished and historically significant institution to advance their careers, Cornell Johnson remains a compelling option.
*The data sourced in this article is based on the 2024 Cornell Johnson Two-Year MBA Employment Report.
