Ithaca, US · 21 months · class of 276
Cornell Johnson MBA: cost, salary and payback
The largest share of graduates going into finance of any American school on this site, from a campus in upstate New York.
Paid back after graduation in
4.5 years
Total cost $410,556 · 10-year NPV $220,137
| Tuition and fees, whole program | $180,768 |
| Living budget | $72,288 |
| Salary given up, 21 months | $157,500 |
| Total cost | $410,556 |
| Salary after: median base salary | $175,000 |
| 10-year net present value | $220,137 |
| Return on the cost (present values) | 54% |
US dollars at the ECB rate of the last update. Raises of 5% a year with the MBA and 3% without, discounted at 5%, before tax. How this is calculated.
Fees and budget read on October 13, 2026 · employment: Class of 2025 (Two-Year MBA) (school standard) · Built by Radif Partners · Method
- Tuition and fees
- $180,768
- Total cost, salary given up included
- $410,556
- median base salary
- $175,000
- Payback, reference person
- 4.5 years
The two-year MBA at Cornell's Johnson School costs $253,056 in tuition, fees and the school's budget for living in Ithaca, all at the AY 2026-27 rate because the second-year rate is not yet out. For a person earning $90,000 today, the 21 months away add $157,500 and the total reaches $410,556. The class of 2025 reported a median base salary of $175,000, with an average signing bonus of $39,795. That repays the total 4.5 years after graduation, with a ten-year net present value of $220,137. What sets Johnson apart is how far the class leans toward finance: 41% of graduates went into financial services, more than at any other American school in our data, and 28% into consulting, both at the same median. Technology is small and pays less, which matters if that is your goal.
A finance pipeline from upstate New York
41% of the class of 2025 took jobs in financial services at a median of $175,000, the share that ranks number 2 of the 56 schools that publish it. By function the picture is the same: finance and investment banking roles took the largest group. In our finance ranking, Johnson is number 4 of 39. The employer list mixes strategy firms, the big accounting networks and banks known for advisory work, which fits a class that splits between banking and consulting.
Consulting took 28%, also at $175,000, number 23 of 38 in our consulting ranking. That two industries share one median suggests that many offers at banks and large consulting firms land on the same standard figure.
Cornell Johnson: where the class went
Share of the class
28%
| Salary reported | $175,000 |
| Graduates, about | 77 |
| Payback with that salary | 4.5 years |
Reference person earning $90,000 before the MBA.
Median and mean tell different stories
The school also publishes an average base salary, and it sits below the median. When most offers cluster at the standard bank and consulting figure and a tail of lower offers sits in other industries, the median lands on the cluster and the mean is pulled down. Technology is the clearest case: 11% of the class at $133,700, which puts Johnson number 35 of 40 in our tech list. For the reference person, aiming at technology stretches the payback to 7.7 years, against 4.5 years for finance.
Offers also differ by work authorization. The school reports that graduates authorized to work in the United States received offers more often than those who were not, a gap worth knowing for the 42% of the class who are international. Graduates who went to Asia, 4% of the class, reported a median of $128,000.
What two years in Ithaca cost
Living in Ithaca comes to $72,288 on the school's budget for two years, with fees of $2,900 on top of tuition. 83% of job seekers accepted an offer within three months. Compare with Columbia or NYU Stern if you would rather recruit for banking from inside New York City.
Cornell Johnson: when the MBA pays back, for your salary
Payback after graduation
4.5 years
| Total cost with the salary given up | $410,556 |
| Salary after (median base salary) | $175,000 |
| 10-year NPV | $220,137 |
Same assumptions as the main calculator; US dollars.
Where Cornell Johnson stands in our rankings
- #13 of 40 · Any industry (whole class)
- #23 of 38 · Consulting
- #4 of 39 · Finance, all segments
- #35 of 40 · Technology
- #20 of 39 · Working in the United States
Our fit score, reference person earning $90,000 before the MBA (method). Third-party rankings play no part in it. For reference, Cornell Johnson was ranked 15 in the FT Global MBA 2026.
What the Cornell Johnson MBA costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, whole program | $177,868 |
| Mandatory fees | $2,900 |
| Living budget, whole program | $72,288 |
| Salary given up: $90,000 a year for 21 months | $157,500 |
| Total cost, reference person | $410,556 |
Cornell Johnson employment report: Class of 2025 (Two-Year MBA)
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median base salary | $175,000 |
| Signing bonus (mean) | $39,795 |
| Graduates who accepted an offer within three months | 83% |
Cornell Johnson graduates by industry
| Industry, as the school names it | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Financial services | 41% | $175,000 |
| Consulting | 28% | $175,000 |
| Technology & Telecommunications | 11% | $133,700 |
| Other (education, government, hospitality, legal, real estate, retail) | 8% | not published |
| Consumer Packaged Goods | 5% | $126,000 |
| Healthcare/Medical Services/Pharmaceuticals | 4% | $137,000 |
| Manufacturing | 4% | $135,000 |
| Energy/Utilities | 2% | $150,000 |
Where Cornell Johnson graduates went to work
| Region | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| US (US Mid-Atlantic + US Midwest + US Northeast + US South + US Southwest + US West) | 94%* | not published |
| Europe | 1% | not published |
| Asia | 4% | $128,000 |
| Latin America | 1% | not published |
Cornell Johnson graduates by job function
| Function | Share | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Finance & Investment Banking | 43% | $175,000 |
| Consulting | 29% | $175,000 |
| Marketing | 12% | $132,000 |
| Management | 9% | $140,000 |
| Human Resources | 3% | $120,000 |
| Operations/Logistics | 3% | $102,500 |
| Other | 2% | $182,500 |
Employers named by Cornell Johnson
Accenture · Amazon · Bain & Company · Boston Consulting Group (BCG) · Citi · Deloitte Consulting LLP · EY · EY-Parthenon · Guggenheim Partners · Jefferies · JP Morgan Chase & Co. · McKinsey & Company · Microsoft · Moelis & Company · Morgan Stanley · Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) · Wells Fargo & Company
Names only: the school gives no hire counts.
The Cornell Johnson class
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| International students | 42% |
| Women | 38% |
| GMAT median | 710 |
| Class size | 276 |