Babson Class of 2021 Impresses with Historic Career Outcomes

Graduate pose for a photo behind a giant 2021 sign
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Babson College’s entrepreneurial students are taught to overcome challenges and succeed even during uncertain times. The Class of 2021 proved yet again how Babson graduates thrive after completing their degrees.

Within six months of graduation, 99.5% of members of the undergraduate Class of 2021 were either employed or continuing their education. Graduates accepted positions at 348 companies across a variety of industry sectors.

The average starting salary for Babson’s undergraduate Class of 2021 was $62,525—the highest in school history. Babson is consistently recognized as the top undergraduate business school for salary potential, and Class of 2021 starting salaries are 6% higher than the projected starting salaries for business majors overall.

The initial outcomes of the Class of 2021 mirror the successes of the previous class of undergraduates, which also thrived amid the challenges and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Class of 2021 embodies the best of a Babson education,” said Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD. “Their entrepreneurial leadership skills enabled them to pivot, adapt, and act on a variety of contexts and opportunities, and their career outcomes reflect that. Employers know when they hire a Babson student, they’re hiring someone with core competencies and real-world experience who can have an immediate impact on their ability to innovate and add value from day one.”

Power of Experiential Learning

Babson’s immersive curriculum emphasizes experiential learning through innovative coursework and hands-on business opportunities.

“Experiential and project-based learning is an essential part of our curriculum,” said Wendy Murphy, associate dean of the undergraduate school at Babson. “In their first year, our students learn from the experience of working as a team to get a startup off the ground and later use that knowledge and perspective to offer solutions to real companies. They graduate with competencies in teamwork, critical thinking, and global fluencies—all top skills sought by employers.”

Though not a requirement, the vast majority of the undergraduate Class of 2021 (87%) held at least one internship, resulting in 79% of those students receiving full-time offers of employment, with 50% accepting their offers.


“(Babson students) graduate with competencies in teamwork, critical thinking, and global fluencies—all top skills sought by employers.”
Wendy Murphy, associate dean of the undergraduate school at Babson

Partnering for Success

Babson students have a strong partner in the Hoffman Family Undergraduate Center for Career Development (CCD), which operated in a fully virtual format for the entire 2020–2021 academic year. Online advising appointments, recruiting events, and career-related programs provided on-the-spot training for the future of work, where hybrid and remote environments are quickly becoming the norm.

“The CCD team was able to adapt and leverage our career platforms to meet the needs of students and employers as we all experienced a fully remote world together,” said Jaime Doherty, CCD interim director. “With these tools in place, our students continued to leverage an entrepreneurial mindset, charting their individual career goals and journeys.

“The end result was outstanding career outcomes across an increasingly diverse range of hiring companies.”

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