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How to Get a Job at McKinsey & Company

The benchmark of management consulting

  • Consulting
  • Management consulting
  • Typical MBA role: Associate

McKinsey & Company is the largest and most prestigious of the “MBB” strategy firms, advising the world’s leading corporations, governments, and institutions on their hardest problems. MBA graduates join as Associates, leading workstreams on strategy, operations, and transformation engagements across every industry. It is consistently among the top one or two recruiters at elite MBA programs.

What they screen for: Structured problem-solving, leadership, and the case-interview gauntlet. Pre-MBA Business Analyst experience is a common on-ramp.

See the ranking: Best MBA Programs to Get Hired Here →

Where Does McKinsey & Company Hire From? Feeder Schools & Pipelines

21
Feeder schools
127
Verified hires
Columbia
Top pipeline

McKinsey & Company appears in the employment reports of 21 schools CollegeRanker tracks. Where schools publish exact hire counts, 127 hires are recorded, led by Columbia University in the City of New York (62). Together the top 3 (Columbia University in the City of New York, University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania) account for about 87% of those counted hires: a concentrated pipeline that rewards applying from those programs directly.

Hiring Momentum · 2026-06

Growing

BLS-projected 7.5% 10-yr growth · MoM +0.47

12 mo agoNow

As of 2026-06, the occupations consulting employers like McKinsey & Company hire for carry a BLS-projected 10-year employment growth of 7.5%. We read that as growing. In practice, demand for this talent is expanding faster than the broader labor market. The fastest-rising roles include Actuary (23%) and Supply Chain Manager (18%). This estimate is grounded in BLS Employment Projections and refreshed monthly.

Schools that feed McKinsey & Company

Schools with verified graduate placement at McKinsey & Company, from each school’s own employment report.

  1. University of Chicago

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2024 · Booth Full-Time MBA Employment Report — Class of 2024

  2. Columbia University in the City of New York

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · Columbia University in the City of New York — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  3. University of Pennsylvania

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2024 · Wharton MBA Career Report — Class of 2024

  4. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA Career Report — Class of 2025

  5. Binghamton University

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · Binghamton University — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  6. Johns Hopkins University

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2024 · Johns Hopkins University — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2024)

  7. Cornell University

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2022 · Cornell University — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2022)

  8. Northwestern University

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2022 · Northwestern University — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2022)

  9. The University of Texas at Austin

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2023 · The University of Texas at Austin — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2023)

  10. Washington University in St Louis

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2023 · Washington University in St Louis — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2023)

  11. University of Notre Dame

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2024 · University of Notre Dame — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2024)

  12. Boston College

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · Boston College — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  13. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  14. University of Florida

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · University of Florida — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  15. University of Rochester

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2024 · University of Rochester — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2024)

  16. University of Virginia-Main Campus

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · University of Virginia-Main Campus — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  17. Rice University

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · Rice University — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  18. Duke University

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · Duke University — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  19. Yale University

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2024 · Yale University — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2024)

  20. Dartmouth College

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · Dartmouth College — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

  21. University of California-Berkeley

    ✓ Verified

    Class of 2025 · University of California-Berkeley — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

Roles McKinsey & Company hires for

McKinsey & Company hires across 3 core roles we track, from Management Consultant to Business Development Manager. The strongest pay sits with Management Consultant ($104,660 median). Demand is climbing fastest for Management Consultant, projected to grow 11% this decade per BLS. Each links to its full career profile, covering pay, daily work, and outlook.

Popular degrees that lead to McKinsey & Company

The academic on-ramps into those roles cluster around a handful of degrees: Business Administration, Business Administration (MBA), Economics and Marketing. Business Administration feeds the most roles above and carries a median salary of $76,850.

Employers Similar to McKinsey & Company

Employers that recruit from the same schools as McKinsey & Company make natural alternatives to weigh side by side. Ranked by shared feeder schools and field, the closest matches are Amazon, Deloitte, Bain & Company and Boston Consulting Group. If McKinsey & Company is on your list, look at these too.

How to get hired at McKinsey & Company

To get hired as an MBA graduate, candidates typically need a relevant degree from a top-tier business school. The recruiting process involves multiple rounds of interviews, including case and behavioral interviews that test analytical skills and cultural fit.

Applicants stand out by demonstrating strong problem-solving abilities, leadership experiences, and a history of impact in previous roles. The ability to articulate insights clearly and collaborate effectively is also crucial.

Target these rankings

Degrees Business Administration (MBA) All MBA programs →

Roles you'd work in

Frequently Asked Questions

What is McKinsey & Company?

McKinsey & Company is the largest and most prestigious of the “MBB” strategy firms, advising the world’s leading corporations, governments, and institutions on their hardest problems.

What schools does McKinsey & Company recruit from most?

Based on verified employment reports, McKinsey & Company's strongest pipelines are Columbia University in the City of New York (62), University of Chicago (33) and University of Pennsylvania (16). Numbers in parentheses are reported hires.

How many schools feed McKinsey & Company?

McKinsey & Company appears in the employment reports of 21 schools we track, with 127 hires recorded where exact counts are published.

How do you get a job at McKinsey & Company?

To get hired as an MBA graduate, candidates typically need a relevant degree from a top-tier business school.

What does McKinsey & Company look for in candidates?

Structured problem-solving, leadership, and the case-interview gauntlet. Pre-MBA Business Analyst experience is a common on-ramp.

What roles does McKinsey & Company hire for?

Common roles include Management Consultant, Management Analyst and Business Development Manager; the best-paid of these, Management Consultant, has a median around $104,660. Each links to a full career profile.

What degree do you need to work at McKinsey & Company?

There's no single path, but the degrees that most often feed these roles are Business Administration, Business Administration (MBA), Economics and Marketing. Business Administration is the most common on-ramp.

Is McKinsey & Company hiring more or fewer people right now?

As of 2026-06, hiring momentum for the roles McKinsey & Company fills is growing (demand is rising), based on a BLS-projected 10-year employment growth of 7.5% across those occupations. We refresh this estimate monthly.

What companies are similar to McKinsey & Company?

Measured by shared feeder schools and field, the employers with the closest recruiting profiles include Amazon, Deloitte, Bain & Company and Boston Consulting Group. Compare them directly if McKinsey & Company is on your shortlist.

Sources

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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