Northwestern’s Kellogg School reported median total compensation for its Class of 2025 returned to a record $200,500, driven by a rebound in median base salary to $175,000 and steady signing bonuses. Despite the pay recovery, early hiring metrics softened: offers by three months fell to 88% and acceptances to 86%, underscoring uneven recruiting timelines across elite business schools. Poets&Quants’ 2025 MBA class profiles and employment reports, which examined 20 programs, contextualize Kellogg’s numbers within broader program-level variation. The data show consulting remains dominant for placements, but slower early-cycle hiring could affect yield strategies, employer relations, and career-center operations. Admissions and career-services leaders will be watching whether later-cycle hiring normalizes or forces curricular and recruiting adjustments.