Duke MBA Placements — Consulting vs Tech?

Question

How strong is Duke Fuqua MBA for placements in consulting compared to tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google? Do international students face any disadvantage in landing these roles?

V Gupta · Accepted Answer

Duke Fuqua MBA placements in consulting are among the school&rsquo;s strongest outcomes, with firms like McKinsey, Bain, and BCG consistently hiring graduates each year. Around 30&ndash;35% of the class goes into consulting, and average salaries are in the $165K&ndash;$170K range, which matches other top U.S. schools. The career services team and peer prep culture make consulting interviews very structured, which helps international students stay competitive.
Tech is also a major recruiter, especially Amazon, Microsoft, Dell, and Google. These companies value Fuqua&rsquo;s mix of leadership and analytical training. However, consulting placements have a slightly smoother path for international students since MBB firms are more familiar with visa processes. In tech, some roles can be limited to U.S. citizens or green card holders, so international applicants may need to target functions like product management or operations where sponsorship is common.

B.K Sharma · Answer

Duke Fuqua MBA placements in consulting are among the school&rsquo;s strongest outcomes, with firms like McKinsey, Bain, and BCG consistently hiring graduates each year. Around 30&ndash;35% of the class goes into consulting, and average salaries are in the $165K&ndash;$170K range, which matches other top U.S. schools. The career services team and peer prep culture make consulting interviews very structured, which helps international students stay competitive.
Tech is also a major recruiter, especially Amazon, Microsoft, Dell, and Google. These companies value Fuqua&rsquo;s mix of leadership and analytical training. However, consulting placements have a slightly smoother path for international students since MBB firms are more familiar with visa processes. In tech, some roles can be limited to U.S. citizens or green card holders, so international applicants may need to target functions like product management or operations where sponsorship is common.
For more details you can read this blog on "Duke MBA Salary"

Shruti T · Answer

Consulting is Fuqua&rsquo;s biggest strength. Around 35&ndash;40% of the class typically goes into consulting, with MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) plus Deloitte, EY-Parthenon, and PwC hiring large numbers directly from campus. The school&rsquo;s case prep groups and alumni network make consulting a very visible path.
Tech recruiting is also solid, but on a smaller scale. Firms like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google do hire from Fuqua, mostly for product management, operations, or strategy roles. The difference is volume &mdash; consulting firms hire dozens every year, while tech spots are fewer and more competitive.
International students do get into both tracks, though visa sponsorship can narrow the list of tech companies. Consulting firms generally sponsor visas more consistently, which makes that route slightly easier for internationals compared to big tech.

S Raghav · Answer

Think of Fuqua&rsquo;s recruiting like this: consulting dominates, tech is growing but smaller.

Consulting: About 40% of grads head here. MBB, Deloitte, and EY-Parthenon are the biggest recruiters. Packages are around $165k&ndash;$170k base plus bonuses.
Tech: Around 20% go into tech roles. Amazon is the top recruiter, while Microsoft and Google hire in smaller numbers. Roles are usually product management, business strategy, or operations, not core engineering. Salaries are competitive, ~$135k&ndash;$140k base with signing bonuses.
International students: No major disadvantage for consulting &mdash; firms sponsor consistently. Tech is trickier, as some roles are U.S. work-authorized only. Amazon is more open to internationals, but certain Google/Microsoft roles filter out without a U.S. work visa.

So if consulting is the main target, Fuqua is very strong. If tech is the goal, options exist but are narrower.