12 Comments
 
Best Response

In IBD, I would say most BB associates have an MBA. The ratio is probably 4:1 based on my experience (curious what others have observed). This is largely because most analysts are either good at it, and get an attractive opportunity to leave, or hate it, and leave anyway (sometimes both). From what I've seen, if you're a decent banking analyst today, the firm tries to keep you but struggles to do so. This is a reversal from an era not long ago (maybe ten years?) when an associate promotion offer was coveted and somewhat rare.

In sales and trading it's quite a bit different. The analyst programs tend to be shorter (two years vs. three), and the majority of S&T analysts seek the associate promotion and try to stay. Unlike in banking, not everyone who wants the promotion will get it. However, the proportion of non-MBAs ends up being much higher in S&T--I want to say it's more like a 1:1 ratio?

 

MD explained it to me this way once, and I find his rough approximation to be fairly accurate. He divided each analyst class into quarters.

One fourth will want/get the A2A promote and take the third analyst year placing them on track for promotion on the sell side. Another will be highly rated, successful, and competent and therefore be snapped up before their analyst stint ends or leave it with an offer already in hand for awhile. Another fourth will be sick of the industry and have decided finance is not for them (or already anticipated it going in) and have no intention of sticking around after the two year mark. The last are the few who either aim for the MBA right away or who just aren't successful enough to warrant an offer from the firm and essentially get cut.

Hope this breakdown helps.

I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 
APAE One fourth will want/get the A2A promote and take the third analyst year placing them on track for promotion on the sell side. Another will be highly rated, successful, and competent and therefore be snapped up before their analyst stint ends or leave it with an offer already in hand for awhile. Another fourth will be sick of the industry and have decided finance is not for them (or already anticipated it going in) and have no intention of sticking around after the two year mark. The last are the few who either aim for the MBA right away or who just aren't successful enough to warrant an offer from the firm and essentially get cut.

This is amazingly accurate. Depending on the firm, a few more might leave with offers in hand...but overall the breakdown is spot on. Most people that go into banking do not stay around for long.

 
West Coast rainmaker
APAE One fourth will want/get the A2A promote and take the third analyst year placing them on track for promotion on the sell side. Another will be highly rated, successful, and competent and therefore be snapped up before their analyst stint ends or leave it with an offer already in hand for awhile. Another fourth will be sick of the industry and have decided finance is not for them (or already anticipated it going in) and have no intention of sticking around after the two year mark. The last are the few who either aim for the MBA right away or who just aren't successful enough to warrant an offer from the firm and essentially get cut.

This is amazingly accurate. Depending on the firm, a few more might leave with offers in hand...but overall the breakdown is spot on. Most people that go into banking do not stay around for long.

i agree. that is the BEST answer you are going to get

 
drexelalum11From the European perspective, MBAs are rare. In fact, we've stopped hiring MBAs entirely - they're not as good as direct promotes, and they're more expensive. Before that change, I'd say the ratio was about 5:1 of A2As:MBAs. It's assumed you'll get the Associate promotion if you stick around.
Yeah, but the flip side is everyone has a masters, usually not an MBA but something businessy.
 
cibo
drexelalum11From the European perspective, MBAs are rare. In fact, we've stopped hiring MBAs entirely - they're not as good as direct promotes, and they're more expensive. Before that change, I'd say the ratio was about 5:1 of A2As:MBAs. It's assumed you'll get the Associate promotion if you stick around.
Yeah, but the flip side is everyone has a masters, usually not an MBA but something businessy.

More masters, certainly, but that's coming in at analyst level. Probably half the analysts have masters of some sort.

 

Repellendus aut laborum deleniti praesentium rerum autem sint tenetur. Officia debitis fugiat laudantium saepe quo qui dolor. Debitis aliquam laborum ipsam et sed voluptas aut.

Maiores fuga in facilis quis. Corporis omnis aut nihil perferendis qui. Facere hic repellendus nemo voluptas eos in.

Nobis est consequatur nihil iusto sit quasi. Voluptas odit qui eum molestiae suscipit.

Minus architecto qui rerum nihil qui numquam. Esse sunt tempora aut corrupti similique. Quam sapiente dignissimos eum quis laboriosam fuga.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (77) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (71) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”