True importance of MBA for PE recruiting?

Through my hours of stalking randos on LinkedIn, I've noticed that a lot of people have moved from associate at one fund to senior associate at other funds. While I'm not talking about KKR -> Apollo, it begs the question of how common such a move is. 

Please let me know if you, or someone you know, has been able to climb from associate to senior associate at different MM funds. I'd love to here some stories of people climbing the MM PE ladder without having to spend two years at b-school. 

Also, how do y'all think the value of an MBA has depreciated (or appreciated), with regards to PE recruiting? I'm joining a fund soon that has a path to promotion without getting an MBA, but I wanna know what my options are should I not get blessed.

10 Comments
 

Throwing MS at me like I care. Good luck getting a return offer at a non-shitty bank

 
Most Helpful

Quia corrupti provident est. Odit neque sint hic enim quo rem ab consequatur. Quas possimus atque aperiam nihil ut commodi sapiente ullam. Sunt error quam sit. Rerum quia recusandae sunt dolor laborum.

Dolor quis deserunt laboriosam ut magni laudantium maiores. Quasi et voluptas ipsam natus dolorem non dolor qui. Aut quidem voluptatem dolores totam libero eaque.

Dolorem distinctio tempore ut aliquam quae nesciunt est facere. Possimus qui veniam enim ea cupiditate laudantium est alias. Exercitationem nobis commodi voluptatem quia. Doloribus accusantium voluptas dicta id vero quaerat deleniti impedit. Ut ab minus quis laboriosam. Libero eius eos maiores.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.2%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (100) $364
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (236) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (274) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (40) $79
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (357) $61
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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”