Which MBA is good for Consulting companies?

Hi Younho,

All of the schools you listed are respectable, but when it comes to consulting outcomes right after MBA, some have stronger track records and pipelines into MBB and T2 than others. Here’s a practical hierarchy based on typical consulting placement:

Very strong for consulting
• INSEAD – One of the top feeders into consulting globally, especially MBB and T2, with strong European and Middle East recruiting
• London Business School (LBS) – Excellent consulting placement, particularly into UK and EMEA
• HEC Paris – Strong consulting brand with solid MBB and T2 hires

Good consulting brands with decent pipelines
• IESE – Good consulting placements and a strong alumni network
• Oxford and Cambridge – Short programs but still respectable for consulting with focused prep
• St Gallen – Good regional consulting placement, especially in DACH

Moderate but possible with strong networking
• ESADE and IE Business School – Good reputations, but slightly weaker consulting conversion relative to the very top
• Bocconi, Rotterdam, IMD – Strengths vary by region and industry, with more regional or leadership focused outcomes

For consulting straight after MBA, your strongest options are typically INSEAD, LBS, and HEC, as these schools have the most structured recruiting relationships and alumni pipelines.

Happy to help you on your journey to secure a role if useful.

Best,
Evelina

That's a very ambitious and comprehensive list of applications. It shows you understand that the school network is the primary entry point for consulting firms in Europe.

Here's the reality of how MBB views those programs, particularly when recruiting a non-EU candidate: They operate on efficiency and scale. When considering placement power for a global career, you need to look at schools that have massive recruiting density and global brand recognition that simplifies visa sponsorship in multiple countries.

For a non-EU candidate aiming for global consulting, you must prioritize INSEAD and LBS first. These two are the unrivaled feeder programs in Europe; they have huge cohorts, dedicated pipelines to all global firms, and the brands travel best, which is critical if you need to pivot to a non-EU office (like Dubai, Singapore, or New York) for visa reasons. Following closely are IESE, HEC, and IMD—these are stellar schools that recruit heavily for their regional hubs (Spain, France, Switzerland) but offer slightly less automatic global mobility than the top two.

The second tier (IE, ESADE, Bocconi, St Gallen) are excellent regional schools, but their recruiting success is often highly dependent on local language skills and targeted office placement (e.g., Bocconi places very well into Milan offices). As a non-EU applicant, your time and money are best invested in the schools that offer the highest possible saturation of recruiters and the most flexible global platforms. Focus your energy and interview prep primarily on the top 4–5 schools that maximize your global optionality.

All the best with your applications.

Hello Younho, 

All of the schools you listed are strong and well-recognized consulting feeders and there isn’t a single “best” MBA for consulting, but there are differences in how structured and global the recruiting pipelines are.

1) INSEAD and LBS offer the most standardized, global consulting pipelines.
If your goal is consulting immediately after the MBA with maximum geographic flexibility (especially as a non-EU candidate), INSEAD and LBS are hard to beat.

2) Many other European schools place very well in a more targeted way.
Schools like HEC, IESE, Oxford, Cambridge, Bocconi, ESADE, St. Gallen, IMD, and IE consistently place candidates into MBB and Tier-2 firms. Outcomes tend to be more region- and language-dependent and require more intentional networking.

3) The school name alone is never the full story.
As a personal example, I studied at ESADE Business School and joined McKinsey in Germany with a non-traditional MSc in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Being at a target school helped, but strong academics, international exposure, relevant experience, and extracurricular drive mattered just as much.

4) A top MBA does not buy you an MBB offer.
Even at LBS or INSEAD, many candidates don’t end up in consulting. These programs provide access, not guarantees - preparation and performance still decide.

5) Practical considerations matter too.
Tuition fees and cost of living vary significantly between these business schools, and choosing a program that fits both your career goals and personal constraints is entirely reasonable and it does not limit your chances in consulting.

Hope this helps :)

Younho,

Honestly, out of that list, all of them. 

In the sense that all of them give you a great platform. What is likely to happen beyond that you cannot know because it will depend a lot on the individual opportunities you'll come across at these schools and the extent of your involvement. 

However, I would challenge you on the assumption of whether the business school is even necessary. If your plan is to be in consulting, you might be able to start without an MBA. 

You might want to have a read through this:

• • Expert Guide: Are MBAs worth it?

Best,
Cristian