2026 Strategy Consulting Firms Tier List (United States, Undergrad Recruiting)
Tier 1 (MBB)
1. Bain – strongest culture, externship program, and strongest exits to private equity, with similar placement into corporate strategy, MBA programs, and other top paths compared to the other MBB firms. Networking tends to feel the most personal / the only MBB firm where people don’t seem miserable.
2. McKinsey – unmatched global alumni network and brand recognition
3. BCG
Tier 2A
4. Oliver Wyman
5. Strategy& – currently hiring more aggressively relative to other Tier 2 firms.
6. EY-Parthenon
7. L.E.K.
Tier 2B
8. Deloitte Strategy
9. Kearney
10. OC&C
11. Alvarez & Marsal (CPI)
12. Accenture Strategy
Tier 2.5
13. Altman Solon
14. ClearView Healthcare Partners
15. Simon-Kucher
Honorable Mentions
Roland Berger / Arthur D. Little (smaller U.S. presence)
ZS Associates (more data-focused, but very strong firm)
Teneo (CEO advisory, not exactly strategy consulting)
KPMG Strategy (growing practice)
Congrats on Bain
Kinda weird list, ngl.
Lets be honest, you can argue and argue... all else equal (Personal fit, comp, location, etc.), we would all take M.
When I was a B partner I won cross offers against M all the time. M keeps sending partners to prison. There’s lots and lots of people who don’t want to be part of that culture.
A&M PEPI/CPI & OC&C>>>>>>>>LEK & EY.
This isn’t 2015.
ey parthenon is genuinely the awful. i've yet to meet a person there who isn't a douchebag. their instability has made it a place for toxic assholes.
ey on the other hand is good. but pay is peanuts lol.
ranking MBB is crazy
ranking Bain as #1 is even crazier
putting S& and EYP so high is just as crazy
I don't think Altman Solomon / ClearView are comparable to the rest of your list since they're very industry specific.
I work in HC consulting and would personally much prefer those boutique type of shops over Big 4s, some of the Tier 2s (to me, MBB is at a whole different level and are the only clear Tier 1 strategy firms out there - largely due to their reputation and exit opps).
What a great and accurate list!
Signed, Bainie
ranking mbb is kinda boring, but having Bain at 1 over McKinsey is crazy. If anything, Bain is still below bcg. People on this website overrate Bain because of culture and PE practice. Culture wise they all suck for the wrong people and are fine for the right people. PE wise, Bain generally has better results because more of their class does a 9 month PE rotation and finds interest that way -> more ppl apply. FWIW, some PE firms only hire Mck if they do hire consultants (generally less consultant friendly funds, asked a hh)
One should just go to the mbb they get an offer from, and otherwise just pick the firm you see the most opportunity for mentorship and someone to take u under their wing
No point in ranking 2.5. They just are not comparable because they only do 1 thing.
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