The Big 4 companies are renowned worldwide for their reputation and prestige. Each consistently rank among the best companies to work for in the world. Future employers see Big 4 experience as a major stamp of approval that you have gone through a rigorous selection process and training.
PwC and Deloitte are the most prestigious
If you ask most people about prestige, they'll probably rank PwC/Deloitte > EY > KPMG. This is reflected in pricing, for example. Big 4 will compete with each other on pricing.
The Big 4 consulting firms require applicants to have a high GPA, relevant work experience, strong communication and problem-solving skills, and excellent references. The interview process is also very rigorous, and involves multiple rounds of interviews, including technical and case interviews.
PwC is widely considered to be the world's most prestigious and progressive accounting firm. It offers extensive career development opportunities, including formal coaching and mentoring, informal mentoring, excellent trainings, and clear promotion paths. It's also heavily focused on CSR initiatives and improving DE&I.
PwC and EY are at a similar level of prestige. Both PwC and EY offer strategy and operations consulting services, with the firms using acquisitions to bolster their strategy offerings. Specifically, PwC acquired Booz & Company (now “Strategy&”) and EY acquired Parthenon Group (“EY-Parthenon”).
PwC plays a vital role in providing audit, tax, and consulting services to clients across various industries. Highlighting your experience with financial analysis, project management, and client relations on your resume will make a strong impression.
Management Consulted's figures suggest that, in 2024, an MBB consultant is paid between $135k and $140k in the USA, compared to between $90k and $108k for a Big Four consultant. That's a more substantial difference (25% to 56%) that it was in 2020 (when it was 15% to 34% more).
The most prestigious firms are McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. Next most prestigious are "Tier 2" firms such as Kearney, Accenture, and LEK. This tier also includes the strategy consulting arms of the Big 4 firms, including Deloitte Monitor, EY Parthenon, and PwC's Strategy&.
Sometimes that information reaches the public, however. PwC, for example, was mentioned in a Times article last year as having an acceptance rate of around 2.5% in 2022, presumably in the UK. That was based on 304,000 applications to 7,400 open positions, more or less on par with what a big investment bank receives.
McKinsey & Company is a company that needs no introduction. The company is consistently ranked as the #1 most valued brand in the consulting industry, making it the most prestigious company on the list.
Answer: Though the smallest of the Big 4 firms, KPMG is known to have the best work-life balance amongst its employees.
Recent partners have reported buy-ins averaging between $150k at the low-end, to upwards of $750k in high-end groups. There are a few reasons that this is so expensive, the most obvious is that it creates a barrier to exit for the newly promoted partners to ensure they stay with the firm.
We would, however, say that the minimum GPA required is 3.0. But if you find that yours is a bit lower than that, just work on your GPA for grad school, gain work experience, or take on leadership roles during your academic career. These are called compensating factors.
You're Tired of Working Late. The Big Four are notorious for their late nights. When it comes to work-life balance, they typically score low on employee satisfaction surveys. This is because their hours are long, and they tend to demand a lot.
The four are often grouped because they are comparable in size relative to the rest of the market, both in terms of revenue and workforce; they are considered equal in their ability to provide a wide scope of professional services to their clients; and, among those looking to start a career in professional services, ...
PwC is considered the most prestigious due to its position as the largest professional services firm in the world by revenue. Some key facts about PwC: Generates over $43 billion in annual revenue. Employs over 295,000 people across 157 countries.
"Big 4" used to refer to accounting firms. Accenture used to be a part of the "Big 5" with Andersen, but they had to re-brand because of the Enron scandal. They no longer do accounting.
Based on Vault's list of 50 most prestigious consulting firms as of end-2023, these are the top ten most prestigious consulting firms and their average ratings: McKinsey & Company, 9.021. Boston Consulting Group (BCG), 8.984. Bain & Company, 8.951.
Becoming a Big 4 consultant requires a strong educational background. A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as business, accounting, finance, economics, or engineering is typically required. A Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) or related field can also be helpful.
To apply for a PwC internship, students must meet certain requirements. For example, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and recommended to be pursuing a degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field.
PwC has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 66,990 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The PwC employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Financial Services industry (3.7 stars).
PwC scored higher in 9 areas: Overall Rating, Culture & Values, Diversity & Inclusion, Senior Management, Compensation & Benefits, Career Opportunities, CEO Approval, Recommend to a friend and Positive Business Outlook. Both tied in 1 area: Work-life balance.