Warwick Business School delivers the insights you need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Full-time MBA Employment Report .
Graduating Class of 2026
Contents.
Our Full-time MBA rankings
9th in Europe for Return on Investment QS Global MBA Rankings 2027
CareersPlus & Employer Relations.
page 6.
Meet our CareersPlus & Employer Relations team.
page 8.
Our Full-time MBA Graduating Class of 2026
page 10.
98.5% Return on Investment Score QS Global MBA Rankings 2027
Where are our graduates now?
page 12.
Where are our graduates working?
page 14.
Deep dive: Post-MBA salaries.
page 16.
Deep dive: Career Change Makers.
page 18.
7th in the UK Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2026
What next?
page 22.
15th in Europe QS Global MBA Rankings 2027
CSEA reporting compliance This Employment Report was created in compliance with the current Careers Services & Employer Alliance (CSEA) reporting standards. The report showcases outcomes of our graduates six months after graduation (January 2026).
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Creating Leaders for a Changing World
The world of work is changing fast. New technologies are reshaping industries, organisations are adapting to increasing uncertainty, and employers are looking for leaders who can think strategically, embrace change, and bring people with them. That's why we've worked closely with our employer community to place leadership development at the heart of the Full-time MBA experience. Together, we've designed a Leadership Skills Framework that reflects what organisations around the world are looking for today and what they'll need tomorrow. From strategic thinking and AI literacy to resilience, collaboration, influence, and innovation, we focus on developing the capabilities that help our graduates stand out and succeed. Of course, leadership isn't developed in a classroom alone. It grows through experience, challenge, reflection, and real-world application. Through employer projects, internships, leadership coaching, career development, and opportunities to work alongside talented peers from across the globe, our students build the confidence to navigate complexity and lead with impact.
The Class of 2026 demonstrated just that. Despite graduating into one of the most competitive job markets in recent years, 81% of graduates seeking employment secured a role within six months of completing the programme. Many used their MBA to make significant career moves, changing either sector, function or country, while others chose the entrepreneurial path and launched their own ventures. Graduates joined organisations including Amazon, JP Morgan, NewDay and the NHS, reflecting both the quality of our talent and the strength of our employer relationships. For us, these outcomes are about more than statistics. They represent personal ambition realised, careers transformed, and futures reimagined. Above all, they demonstrate what can happen when talented individuals are given the knowledge, support, network, and confidence to achieve their potential. We don't just prepare students for their next role, we help them become the leaders the world needs next. Kate Friend Director of CareersPlus & Employer Relations
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CareersPlus & Employer Relations.
Your Full-time MBA is an investment in yourself, and our careers, leadership, and development services have been designed to help you push that investment to its limits. Career management focus
Explore your leadership style. A key focus for your MBA will be on developing your own leadership style; we want you to leave with the ability to lead, manage, and influence other people successfully in today’s complex, global, multicultural business environment. Through a series of experiential workshops, lectures, and case studies, you’ll get the chance to practice and hone your leadership skills. Our bespoke LeadershipPlus module will kickstart a personal change journey that underpins the rest of your MBA, ensuring you continue to develop confidence and the ability to achieve your career ambitions whilst driving positive change as a leader. You’ll dig into your own values, the ability to manage yourself, and others, and then translate that into how you operate as a leader.
You'll receive career support tailored to your individual needs to ensure an excellent return on your investment. Our careers management platform, Empower, provides access to personal development and career planning with our specialist team, meaning career management is
fully integrated throughout your MBA. You’ll access sector insights and career
management workshops, Spotlight personality profiling, professional skills workshops, and much more. You’ll also participate in a Development Centre day, challenging you to go through a series of typical senior management assessment activities, in a similar environment.
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Coaching and career development support We’re here to listen to your career goals and help you shape your path to taking your career to the next level. You’ll have unlimited access to WBS Careers Coaches and one-to-one coaching sessions with external sector specialists. Alongside this, you’ll be supported in building a diverse network of lifelong contacts through attendance at events held at the Warwick campus and WBS London, The Shard. You’ll gain access to the WBS Special Interest Groups, sector specific careers activities events, recruiters, and Global Networks.
Prepare for future hiring environments. You’ll participate in a day-long, recruitment- style assessment that mirrors professional hiring environments. You’ll engage in a variety of activities, including in-depth interviews, persuasive case study presentations, and collaborative role-playing exercises in a boardroom setting. Following these simulations, you’ll receive individual, comprehensive, evidence-based feedback that highlights your professional strengths and areas for growth.
Supporting you through your MBA and beyond. Our career services don't stop when you complete your programme. Your access to our careers management system, Empower, will remain in place for 3 years. You'll also have free access to our Alumni Empowered programme, a year-round programme of masterclasses, webinars, online resources, and unlimited careers consultations, as well as lifelong access to our Alumni Special Interest Groups and Global Networks. Your MBA with Warwick Business School is just the start of your journey with us - we're invested in your development and learning throughout your career.
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Meet our CareersPlus & Employer Relations team
My role is to maximise exposure to a wide range of industries and career pathways, including leadership or entrepreneurial routes. In Employer Relations, we create unique opportunities to attend sector-focused events with our alumni and employer partners, where our MBAs gain valuable perspectives on market developments, strategic challenges, and leadership expectations. We cultivate long-term partnerships with global organisations, hosting employers on campus to discuss specific opportunities, and organising company visits. In addition, we source a broad portfolio of cross-sector projects. These experiential opportunities enable our MBAs to apply their learning to real-world business challenges, strengthen their commercial acumen, and demonstrate their value to potential employers.
"At our core, we believe in empowering students to achieve their full career potential. Our dedicated team goes beyond traditional career services by bridging the gap between academic theory and the demands of the professional world. We understand that every student’s journey is unique, and we tailor our support accordingly. Our focus on experiential learning ensures that students gain practical skills and real-world experience. By actively engaging in projects, simulations, and industry collaborations, students translate their academic knowledge into tangible achievements and build a strong foundation for their future careers. We are committed to helping our students not just find jobs, but build fulfilling and impactful careers."
Giorgia McDonald, Careers Manager.
"From personalised career coaching, even years after graduation, to guidance in navigating career transitions and exploring new opportunities, and running networking events and workshops, my role is to provide lifelong careers support to MBA alumni. My favourite thing about working with the Full- time MBA alumni is to guide those who underplay their accomplishments, helping them articulate and fully apapreciate their own value. While the immediate impact of career coaching isn’t always visible, there’s nothing quite as touching as receiving a note months later, expressing gratitude for the support and encouragement provided. Being a cheerleader for these talented professionals is not just a job for me.” Konstantina Dee Alumni Careers Manager
Kate Bronserud Relationship Manager.
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Our Full-time MBA Graduating Class of 2026. Joining us from across the globe, and from a wide range of industries and roles, our Class of 2026 was truly diverse. This melting pot of experiences gave our participants the chance to uncover fresh perspectives, challenge existing beliefs, and widen their world view.
I was able to successfully transition into the tech sector. The programme gave me the confidence to pivot into a different industry while building on my existing strengths. More importantly, it helped me develop a broader understanding of how different sectors operate and gave me a clearer perspective on the different paths available for long-term career growth. Sharon Michael Senior Program Manager, Amazon
Professional experience.
Female/Male split.
Class nationality.
American
3 6 2
British
2-5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years 16+ years
54%. 28%. 12%. 5%.
Female 46%.
Canadian
Chinese 9 Chinese (Taiwan) 1 Colombian 1 Georgian 1 Ghanaian 1 Greek 1 Haitian 1 Hong Kong 1 Indian 30 Indonesian 3 Iranian 1 Italian 1 Mexican 3 Mongolian 1 Nigerian 3 Pakistani 1 Peruvian 2 South Korean 1 Sri Lankan 2 Thai 3 Turkish 2 Ugandan 1
Male
54%.
27 Nationalities.
81 Cohort size
25-54 Age range 32 Average age.
93% International students 7% British Students.
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Where are our graduates now?
Sectors our graduates work in.
Our Class of 2026 graduates have put their ambition into action. They've moved across the globe, changing industry sector, job function, and geographical location, and put the new skills and perspectives gained on their MBA into practice on the next step of their career journey.
24% Technology.
12% Finance
81% accepted a job within 6 months of graduating.
10% started their own venture post-MBA
7% Energy
7% Healthcare
66% changed sector post-MBA.
90% changed sector, location, or function post-MBA.
7% Manufacturing
2% Unknown 2% HR and Recruitment 2% Government 2% Fintech 2% Consulting 5% Sales and Marketing 5% Real Estate 5% Media 5% Hospitality and Tourism 5% Consumer packaged goods 7% Retail
63% changed location post-MBA.
59% changed function post-MBA.
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Where are our graduates working?
Our Full-time MBAs take their new skills, perspectives, and big picture vision into a range of industries and businesses.
Post-MBA job roles include: ■ AI Generalist Expert ■ AI Strategy Consultant ■ Analytics Team Lead ■ Business Development Manager ■ Business Head ■ CFO ■ Communication Consultant ■ Digital and Strategy Manager ■ Enterprise Sales Representative ■ Enterprise Transformation and Commercial Manager ■ Founding GTM lead ■ Growth and Operations ID lead ■ Growth and Revenue Strategy Manager ■ IT Technical Analyst
■ M&A Analyst ■ M&A Renewables Manager ■ Marketing Manager ■ Marketing Transformation Analyst ■ Medical Manager Oncology ■ Operations Manager ■ Partner ■ Planning Manager ■ Product Manager ■ Senior Analyst ■ Senior Program Manager ■ Solutions Manager ■ Strategy and Business Delivery Manager ■ Strategy Associate ■ Technical Project Manager
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Deep dive: Post-MBA salaries.
Overall average salary six months post-MBA graduation.
Working with CGI gave me real, hands-on experience applying product strategy thinking to a live industry problem — which translated directly into how I positioned myself for product and project roles post-MBA. Shailza Dubey Project Manager, Riverlane
$141,181 * Average salary
63% Average increase
$260,532 * Maximum salary
Average salary post-MBA ($PPP). $190,572$
Max salary post-MBA ($PPP). $211,642$
Top sectors.
Energy Technology Retail/Ecommerce Finance
$167,211 $141,401 $142,857
$260,532 $201,544 $195,489
*Purchasing Power Parity ($PPP). Average salary is a mean based on all salaries provided within six months of graduation. Figures shown below are for average salary post-MBA ($PPP)/Max salary post-MBA ($PPP)
Salary figures are self-reported by graduates. Pre- and post- MBA averages are based on respondents to each respective survey. The percentage increase reflects overall cohort averages, not guaranteed individual salary growth. Please note that our MBA participants joined a range of other industries, however this information is not featured due to incomplete data on post-MBA salary.
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Deep dive: Career Change Makers.
Many of the cohort used their MBA as a catalyst for career transformation, moving to an entirely new sector or location. The below diagrams show pre-MBA versus post-MBA sectors and regions.
Sectors pre-MBA .
Sectors post-MBA .
Countries pre-MBA .
Countries post-MBA .
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The strongest part of the MBA for me was the intellectual stretch. The strategy and corporate finance modules genuinely changed how I analyse businesses. Before the MBA, I approached decisions largely from a financial and operational lens. The programme forced me to think more structurally about competitive advantage, capital allocation, uncertainty, and long term positioning. That shift has been valuable.
Athur Tedo Basundara Finance Business Partner PT Pertamina Patra Niaga
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What next? Visit our website for the latest information on our courses, as well as news, events, and to hear from former and current students about what life is really like at WBS.
Join our conversation. wbs.ac.uk/go/wbslinkedin. @warwickbschool. @warwickbschool.
Get in touch. We are always happy to help you with any queries you might have. T +44 (0)24 7652 4100. E warwickmba@wbs.ac.uk. W wbs.ac.uk/go/FTMBA.
facebook.com/warwickbschool.
warwickbschool. @warwickbschool.
MBA Careers, Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL UK.
WBS believe this document (510097 10/2026) is accurate, but accepts no liability for errors or later changes. See our website for the latest information.
First UK business school to be triple accredited and to receive the Athena SWAN Gold Award for improving gender equality.
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