More than a quarter of those surveyed by Wall Street training firm Training the Street said they were looking to join large banks upon receiving their MBAs, followed by 17 percent who chose consulting firms. Only 7 percent of business school graduates chose start-ups as their top employment destination.
The results come as Wall Street banks are taking more active steps to both retain employees and attract new types of candidates.
Barclays PLC (>> Barclays PLC) said earlier this month it was launching an internship programme in New York to target people who had taken a career break from the finance industry. The British bank also said it is letting U.S. staff take more time off after having a baby.
In the last several months, Credit Suisse AG
Although the majority of MBAs said they were positive on their job prospects after school, a smaller percentage are earning an annual base salary of $125,000 (£85,180) or more compared to last year.
Forty percent of respondents will make $125,000 or more, down from 43 percent last year, the survey found. Training the Street said it conducted the survey by email in the spring with 300 respondents.
(Reporting by Olivia Oran in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
By Olivia Oran