Who makes Forbes' list of the world’s top consulting companies for finance, strategy, AI & more?

TL;DR

• Consulting is one of the most desirable and popular careers for business school graduates. Around half of applicants surveyed by GMAC in 2025 said that it was their goal
• Each year, Forbes partners with Statista to survey employees and compile a ranking of the top consulting companies for different sectors such as finance, strategy, AI and sustainability
• This article shares the companies which have been assigned a five-star rating, from boutique firms to the MBB—McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG)—and the Big Four of EY, PwC, Deloitte, and KPMG
  
  

There are a number of career paths that have enduring appeal among business school cohorts. Finance has long been of interest to students, likewise tech became a key post b-school pathway in recent decades. But it’s consulting that is consistently the most popular career choice. 

Consulting is one of the most sought-after career paths for prospective business school students, with 50% of respondents to the 2025 GMAC Prospective Students Survey revealing they were pursuing business education to launch a career in consulting. If you’re one of them, you may already have an idea of the types of firms you would consider applying to.

There are the MBB—McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG)—the Big Four of EY, PwC, Deloitte, and KPMG; and a number of elite boutique firms such as Oliver Wyman and Kearney. 

To help choose the firms that are most suitable, you can find various rankings available which offer information such as the top firms to work for according to employees, and the consultancies where staff earn the highest salaries. 

But what if you’re looking to work for the consulting firms with the best reputations among their peers? The firms that come most recommended by clients? 

Well, handily, Forbes has this covered. Each year, the media firm partners with data platform, Statista, to compile a ranking of the top consulting companies based on surveys of clients and consultants across the globe.

For its 2025 list, Forbes reviewed firms’ reputations within 13 different industries. For each industry it assigned a five-star rating to those that were in the top 10% of firms receiving recommendations. 

We’ve been through the list and picked the five-star firms within three of the key industries where business school graduates often go to work after graduation. So, here’s our breakdown of the top consulting companies for finance, strategy, AI, and more. 

Top consulting companies: Banking & Finance 

If you’re looking to combine a passion for finance with a career in consulting, there are a number of firms that come highly recommended as leaders within this field. In 2025, Forbes assigned five-star ratings to six firms for their consulting work in the banking and finance sector. 

Accenture, a multinational consultancy with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, has a reputation for excellence in tech-driven consulting work. It applies this approach when advising firms within the financial sector, focusing on cutting-edge technologies and data-driven solutions.

Boston Consulting Group is one of the world’s most prestigious consulting firms. Like all the Big Three, BCG operates in a wide range of industries. Its work in banking and finance focuses on helping clients prepare for the future, including through digital integration and a focus on ESG. 

Deloitte is headquartered in the UK and offers a wide range of services to clients. The firm's finance operation is largely focused within banking and capital markets, and its solutions typically center on regulatory reform, competitive dynamics, and technology. 

KPMG has offices across the globe, with headquarters in the Netherlands. It offers banking and finance consultancy services to clients in areas including banking and capital markets, insurance, asset management, and private equity. 

McKinsey & Company, arguably the most prestigious of the Big Three, operates across an array of areas and provides consulting services to clients that include Fortune 500 companies and governments. When it comes to banking and finance, McKinsey often focuses on analytics and data-driven solutions, as well as tackling client firms' climate readiness. 

Alongside Deloitte and KPMG, PwC is one of the Big Four accounting and professional services firms. It operates across a range of areas, with its banking and finance services noted by participants in the Forbes survey as worthy of five stars. PwC’s solutions focus on navigating regulatory change and providing technology-based solutions. 

Consulting Firms With The Best Reputation For Banking & Finance Services

Top consulting companies: Strategy 

There are few surprises in Forbes’ list of the top consulting companies when it comes to strategy services. All five of the firms that received five stars in the 2025 list also ranked among the best consulting firms for finance. 

Accenture’s strategy consulting practice focuses on reinvention, helping firms build strategies to adapt to a whole host of complex challenges including technology innovation and ESG. 

For Bain, the firm’s strategy consulting practice also focuses on helping firms navigate disruption. The firm prides itself on its tailored approach to strategic services, with a system comprising tactics including identifying the true definition of a client’s business and focusing heavily on relationships with customers. 

The perceived performance of BCG’s strategic consulting services among clients earns it five stars and a place among Forbes' top consulting companies for strategy. BCG focuses on four key strategic areas: mission, vision, and ambition; corporate growth strategy; corporate portfolio strategy; and financial strategy. 

Deloitte provides strategy consulting services to a wide range of clients, helping them navigate the complex changes affecting all businesses. The firm’s specialist strategy areas range from advising on business model transformation, to financial strategies, and service operations. 

Finally, McKinsey earns five stars in strategy consulting to go alongside its reputation for excellence in finance. When it comes to strategy, McKinsey’s approach is similar to many of the firms on this list, with the firm’s consultants focusing on developing an understanding of their clients’ corporate performance and value creation, as well as the impact of wider business trends. 

Consulting Firms With The Best Reputation For Strategy Services

Top consulting companies: Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence was included in Forbes’ ranking of consulting firms for the first time this year, due to its growing importance across all sectors. Forbes awarded five-star ratings to four companies, all of which also rank highly among other sectors.

Accenture is just one of the top consulting firms to receive a five-star rating for AI, with more than $3 billion invested in AI capabilities and 27 generative AI studios across the globe. Accenture has also recently acquired the generative AI consulting firm NeuraFlash, to further boost its AI capabilities. 

Big Three firm BCG also ranks highly in AI, largely for its use of generative AI and AI agents, as well as its commitment to responsible use of the technology. BCG utilizes a unique 10-20-70 approach, consisting of 10% algorithms, 20% tech and data, and 70% people and processes, combining the capabilities of AI with a human-driven approach.

Deloitte, another consulting firm which tops the Forbes’ ranking across a range of sectors, has also ranked highly for its AI capabilities. The company has the Deloitte AI Institute, which aims to connect enterprises through its perspectives and analysis of the AI ecosystem.

Finally, McKinsey is another consulting firm to top Forbes’ AI ranking, rated five stars in the field. Its AI consulting service, Quantum Black, provides AI strategies and implantation services to clients. McKinsey’s approach to AI is hybrid intelligence—combining the power of technology and people to deliver consulting services.

Top consulting companies: Sustainability

Sustainability is another priority for both firms and employers. With over two-thirds (68%) of aspiring business school students agreeing that potential employers’ commitment to ethical and sustainable practices would affect their decision to accept a job offer, it’s no wonder so many consulting firms are offering sustainability services—with four firms rated five stars, according to the Forbes ranking.

Accenture receives five stars yet again for its sustainability services. From offering sustainable strategy advice to helping businesses measure their sustainability impact, the consulting firm helps clients develop their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) approach.

BCG’s climate and sustainability consulting team offers services including sustainability strategy and transformation, sustainable finance and investing, and nature-based solutions. BCG X, the tech build and design unit of BCG, provides sustainable measurement services which integrate AI, such as CO2 AI and the Energy Transition Optimizer.

Deloitte’s commitment to sustainable services means the firm tops Forbes’ ranking yet again, receiving another five-star rating. The firm provides sustainability consulting and climate-change services, helping clients transition to net-zero.

McKinsey is the final firm to achieve a five-star rating in terms of sustainability. Its services span from ESG and net-zero strategy to climate technology and sustainable investing. McKinsey’s tool Catalyst Zero aims to help businesses accelerate their decarbonization journey, while its software Planetrics provides client insights and explores climate scenarios.

Wondering how to launch your career with one of these renowned consulting firms? Enrolling at a top business school can offer you a tried and tested route into the industry. 

In the US, firms hire summer interns each year who then have a great chance of returning in a full-time role after graduating from their second year. Top European schools also have well-established connections with leading consulting firms which help students recruit for full-time positions. 

The generalist MBA curriculum is well suited to the career of a consultant, while if you aim to specialize in a particular area a specialized master's degree can also allow you to carve out a more technical career path. 

So, whether you desire to be a technology consultant at Infosys or a more generalist strategy consultant at Deloitte or McKinsey, enrolling at business school is a good place to start.