McKinsey vs BCG vs Bain: How the Firms and Interviews Differ

How do McKinsey, BCG and Bain differ?

McKinsey, BCG and Bain (together MBB) differ most in size and in how they interview. McKinsey is the oldest and, by reported figures, the largest. BCG is close behind and the only one of the three that publishes current revenue and headcount. Bain is a little over half BCG's size by headcount. On the candidate side, McKinsey's interviewer-led cases and Solve test contrast with the candidate-led cases and office-specific tests at BCG and Bain.

Each fact below is labelled. Official means the firm's own careers, office or press page; reported means a named media outlet, data provider or prep site. Sources were checked on 19 October 2026.

Size, revenue and footprint

StrategyU, which compiled the reported figures, notes that Bain's GRI headcount sits below the 19,000 in its press boilerplate. Treat every McKinsey and Bain number as an estimate until the firms publish new data.

How the interviews differ

The practical consequence: at McKinsey you answer a sequence of precise questions, at BCG and Bain you propose the structure and steer. Each format is covered in its own guide: the McKinsey case interview, the BCG case interview and the Bain case interview. The three online tests are compared in our consulting assessment guide.

One prompt, two formats

Take one original prompt: a Dutch dairy cooperative's cheese exports to Germany fell 12% in two years, and the board wants to know why.

Interviewer-led (McKinsey style). The interviewer asks three set questions in order. First: "What would you look at?" You give a structure (market volume, the cooperative's share, price and mix). Second, an exhibit shows German cheese consumption flat and the cooperative's share down from 8% to 7%. You note that a one-point drop on a share of 8% is a loss of about 12%, which explains the whole decline. Third: "What could cause the share loss?" You brainstorm in buckets (product, price, channel, competitors). Each answer is judged on its own, and the interviewer moves you on.

Candidate-led (BCG or Bain style). The same prompt arrives with no follow-up questions. You state a hypothesis ("the market is stable and we lost share"), ask for market data to test it, request share by retail channel once the hypothesis holds, and find the loss concentrated in German discounters. You then propose next steps and close. The interviewer judges where you chose to go as much as what you found.

The math and the business sense are identical. What changes is who decides the next step, which is why candidate-led practice matters if you apply to BCG or Bain.

Culture and staffing: what the evidence supports

Culture claims about MBB fill forums, but little of it can be verified. Three sources are solid.

First, each firm publishes what it screens for. BCG lists integrity, intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, a collaborative mindset and drive. Bain looks for curiosity, ambition and entrepreneurial drive, and asks candidates to explain why Bain in particular. McKinsey assesses connection, drive, leadership and growth through its personal experience interview, plus problem solving through the case.

Second, employee surveys exist for North America. In Vault's 2026 Consulting 50, Bain ranked first and BCG second as places to work. McKinsey declined to take part for the third straight year, so it has no score, though it led Vault's separate prestige rankings.

Third, revenue mix is partly public. StrategyU reports that BCG put AI-related work at over 40% of 2025 revenue. Claims about staffing models, internal competition or partner access at any of the three firms rest on anecdote, so weigh them lightly.

Pay and exits: closer than most candidates think

Reported 2025 US base pay for undergraduate hires sits at about USD 110,000-112,000 at all three firms, and about USD 190,000-192,000 for MBA hires. Differences show up in bonuses and in European offices, where no firm publishes pay. Our consulting salary guide has the full breakdown.

Exit data is even thinner. McKinsey's site cites an alumni network of over 50,000 people in nearly 140 countries; BCG and Bain publish no comparable figure on the pages we checked. Picking a firm for its exit options means relying on anecdote.

Which firm fits which candidate

The last row comes from our guide to consulting jobs in the Netherlands, where Dutch language rules are set out firm by firm.

Should you apply to all three?

Yes, for most candidates. The firms recruit independently, test the same core skills and draw from the same applicant pool, so one preparation plan covers all three. The extra work is format-specific: Solve for McKinsey, the right office test for BCG and Bain, and practice leading a case for the two candidate-led firms.

Plan the order with care. Prep providers report that a rejection usually means a waiting period before you can reapply to that firm, so do not use your first-choice office as a practice run. Start with the test you find hardest and schedule your strongest-fit interviews last.

Stephan's note: From both sides of the table, the lesson I give every candidate is the same: the firms reward the same core skills, so prepare once, thoroughly, and adapt the format in the final week. The Prep Pack bundles Cracking the Case with both written-case practice tests at about a 40% discount, which covers the live case, the fit interview and the exhibit math behind all three screens.