What is the starting salary at Wharton School?
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1 Answer
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The Wharton School Placement report of 2024 has been released, according to which out of 688 MBA graduates who were seeking employment, 669 sought placements, and 635 students accepted the offer from companies, within three months of completion of the MBA programme which makes it a whopping placement rate of 93.1%. The average median salary for a Wharton MBA graduate can be USD 178,000 (INR 1.59 Cr) in industries such as Consulting, Finance, Technology, Real estate etc.
Here are the highlights of placements of the Wharton MBA graduates class of 2024:
Wharton School MBA Class Particulars (2024)
Data (2024)
Average Median Base Salary
USD 175,000 (INR 1.47 Cr)
Average Sign on bonus
USD 30,000 (INR 32 L)
Average Guaranteed Sign on bonus
USD 30,000 (INR 32 L)
Top Employers
· Ab Bernstein
· Activision Blizzard
· Adobe Inc.
· Alixpartners
· Alpine Investors
· Alvarez & Marsal
· Amazon
· Apple
· Arctos Sports Partners
· Bain & Company
Students not seeking employment after graduation
17.1%
Students wishing to start their own Business
4.25%
(USD 1 = INR 87.53)
Similar Questions for you
Interviews are conducted at the Wharton School as a part of the Wharton MBA application process. Although these interviews are conducted via an interview only. They are one-on-one interviews focusing on the professional experience, career goals, candidate's leadership skills, and the fundamental answer to question of 'why Wharton'?
The interview is also equipped to test one's fit for the programme by checking aptitude, by posing behavioral and situational questions.
Interviewees are advised to prepare specific examples of leadership, challenges, failures, and teamwork.
While the business schools like Harvard, Stanford GSB, and Wharton are among the top schools to pursue Business and Management, Wharton is the least selective of all three.
Wharton's larger class size (866 in MBA Class 2026) is the main reason for its accessibility. Wharton seeks students with strong quantitative and diverse professional backgrounds, which makes it more accessible than Harvard and Stanford.
Mentioned below are the offer rates to the most prestigious b schools in the world:
| School | MBA Acceptance Rate (2025) | Class Size (Approx.) | Number of Applicants (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wharton | 20.5% - 24.8% | 866 | 7,300 |
| Harvard Business School (HBS) | 9.1% - 13.2% | 930 | 9,000 |
| Stanford GSB | 7.0% - 8.4% | 420 | 5,000 |
Both of these Business schools are considered exceptional in terms of rankings acceptance and graduates' average salaries, commonly ROI.
The table compares these three best Business schools in depth:
| Criteria | Wharton | Harvard Business School |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Philadelphia, PA | Boston, MA |
| Average Starting Salary (2024) | USD 178,193 | USD 184,073 |
| Average Signing Bonus (2024) | Up to USD 30,000 | Up to USD 30,000 |
| Acceptance Rate (Class 2026) | 22.7% | 9.1% |
| Tuition (MBA 1st Year, 2025) | USD 87,970 | USD 77,800 |
| ROI (Salary/Tuition) | 2.0x | 2.4x |
| QS World MBA Ranking (2025) | 2nd | 3rd |
| Top Companies Hiring | McKinsey, BCG, Goldman Sachs, Google | McKinsey, Bain, Goldman Sachs, Google |
| Alumni Network Size | 107,000+ global alumni (largest MBA alumni network) | 90,662 alumni in 173 countries |
| International Student Percentage | 31% | 39% |
| Entrepreneurship Support | Extensive courses & global startup resources | Rock Center, Innovation Labs, and large startup competitions |
| Faculty-to-Student Ratio | 6:1 | 10:1 |
| Class Profile Diversity | 50% Female, 31% International | 39% International, increasing gender & ethnic diversity |
| Average Age at Admission | 27 years | 27 years |
(USD 1 = INR 88.63)
The Yale Business School is among the most selective higher educational institutions in the US, with an acceptance rate of only 4.6%. This means it only accepts, on average 4 to 5 applications for every 100 it receives. Look at the pointers given below for the same -
- Wharton has an acceptance rate that is almost 3 times that of Yale, & stands at 11.8%.
- So, Wharton gives students a much better chance of admission than Yale.
The Columbia Business School ranks #8, and The Wharton School ranks at #2 according to the rankings released by the QS World ranking body for the year 2025. If the point to consider is employability, according to the Employment report 2023 published by Wharton, 97.2% of the students who were seeking employment received an offer letter within three months, while it stands at 84% for Columbia Business School.
The table compares these two best Business schools in depth:
Criteria | Columbia Business School | Wharton School |
|---|---|---|
Location | New York | Philadelphia, USA |
Average Starting Salary | USD 175,000 (INR 1.47 Cr) | USD 175,000 (1.47 Cr) |
Sign-On Bonus | USD 30,000 (INR 25 L) | USD 30,000 (INR 25 L) |
Acceptance Rate (Class 2026) | 8.07% | 11.8% |
First-Year Tuition (MBA) | USD 88,300 (INR 74.6 L) | USD 84,830 (INR 71.6 L) |
Return on Investment (ROI) Based on the Data of first year tuition fee and the average median salary | 198.8% | 206.2% |
Top Companies Hiring | · McKinsey & Company · Boston Consulting Group · Bain & Company · Amazon · Morgan Stanley · Deloitte · PwC Strategy& · JPMorgan Chase & | · Ab Bernstein · Activision Blizzard · Adobe Inc. · Alixpartners · Alpine Investors
|
Ranking (QS World 2025) | #8 | #2 |
Average GPA | 3.5 | 3.6 |
Average GMAT Score (MBA Class 2026) | 732 | 732 |
Average GRE Quant Score (Class 2026) | 162 | 163 |
Average GRE Verbal Score (Class 2026) | 162 | 162 |
Placement Rate (2023) within three months of commencement | 84% | 97.2% |
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