Students returned in force after Harvard Kennedy School reopened its campus in 2021, with a record 681 graduates in the HKS Class of 2022. They entered a professional landscape worn and shifted in the wake of the COVID pandemic, but eager to put the talents of our graduates to work.
As you will see in this year’s report, these graduates went on to apply their skills and passions in a multitude of ways to help build communities that are safe, free, just, and sustainably prosperous. Opportunities for remote and hybrid work created new possibilities for what they would do, how they would work, and where they would live. Many graduates took positions in emerging areas of healthcare, economic development, climate adaptation, workforce development, and evolving technologies. They continue to serve in a range of sectors, industries, and geographies.
We are proud to share their story.
The Class of 2022 pursued public service careers across sectors, policy areas, and industries. They took on roles in a range of areas, including government, nonprofit work and nongovernmental organizations, strategy and economic consulting, education, and advocacy. And they reported the top factors in choosing their first post-HKS roles were the right fit for their skills and experience, contribution to the public good, and personal family considerations.
Continue reading to learn more about this talented class.
Graduates by Degree Program
Graduates' Post-HKS Employment by Sector
681 Graduates
| 286 | Master in Public Policy (MPP) |
| 88 | Master in Public Administration / International Development (MPA/ID) |
| 110 | Master in Public Administration (MPA) |
| 197 | Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) |
| Public and IGO | 28% |
| National / Federal Government | 18% |
| State / Provincial Government | 4% |
| City / Local / Regional Government | 2% |
| IGO | 4% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 22% |
| Private | 44% |
| Unspecified | 6% |
Note: 91 percent of graduates were employed and 6 percent were running for office, launching new ventures, or continuing their education by the end of October 2022.
The U.S. federal government continues to be the top employer of our graduates: 54 are working in the U.S. federal government in 21 departments and agencies.
Starting Salaries*
| Median | Range | Responses |
| $90,000 | $53,065 - $170,000 | 39 |
51 HKS graduates accepted roles in non-U.S. governments across the globe, including 19 national governments and 8 agencies, and 4 state/regional governments.
Starting Salaries*
| Median | Range | Responses |
| $60,000 | $20,000 - $135,000 | 31 |
124 graduates engaged in domestic and international nonprofit work, addressing topics including: education, racial equity, gun safety, climate change, clean energy, financial inclusion, human rights, technology, housing and homelessness, poverty alleviation, youth leadership development, women's economic empowerment, healthcare, misinformation, criminal justice, and infrastructure.
Starting Salaries*
| Median | Range | Responses |
| $85,000 | $30,000 - $360,000 | 85 |
129 graduates joined 50 consulting firms in 14 countries, advising on topics as wide-ranging as infrastructure, digital transformation, cyber security, behavioral insights, health equity, manufacturing, socioeconomic determinants of health, capital markets regulation, social impact, and sustainability/Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).
Starting Salaries*
| Median | Range | Responses |
| $150,000 | $50,000 - $240,000 | 101 |
*Salary data represents 256 degree recipients.
Note: It is an inexact exercise to give an accurate picture of the salaries our graduates earn after attending Harvard Kennedy School. Averages and medians cannot tell the full story.
Our graduates are incredibly diverse—from the skills, interests, and professional experiences they have, to where they live and work. In this data, the highest and lowest salaries in each area were omitted to better reflect the overall experience of the Class.
The two-year Master in Public Policy (MPP) Program prepares students to understand complex global and local policy problems and construct concrete solutions.
Through courses, exercises, and fieldwork, MPPs master a conceptual tool kit that draws on the social sciences but is adapted for action. They arrive at HKS committed to improving the world and equip themselves by developing broad-spectrum analytic competency. This translates into intellectual honesty, a hunger for evidence, and the capacity to extract answerable questions from the messy clutter of real-world public problems.
MPP Class of 2022 Post-HKS Employment by Sector
Unspecified employment sector is 4 percent. Numbers have been rounded up/down when necessary to help simplify reporting.
Employment Sector 10-Year Comparison: 2014 – 2022
| Public and IGO | 32% |
| National / Federal Government | 21% |
| State / Provincial Government | 4% |
| City / Local / Regional Government | 4% |
| IGO | 3% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 26% |
| Private | 38% |
| Unspecified | 4% |
| 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public and IGO | 36% | 28% | 28% | 30% | 32% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 30% | 22% | 30% | 28% | 26% |
| Private | 32% | 47% | 38% | 39% | 38% |
| Unspecified | 2% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 4% |
| City of Amarillo, TX |
| City of Boston, MA |
| City of Chicago, IL |
| City of Columbus, OH |
| City of Detroit, MI |
| City of New York, NY |
| City of Somerville, MA |
| Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) |
| European Commission |
| Federal Reserve Bank of New York |
| Florida Supreme Court |
| Government of Iceland |
| Government of India |
| Government of Japan |
| Government of Republic of South Korea |
| Government of Slovakia |
| Government of the Czech Republic |
| Government of the Republic of Korea |
| Government of the United Kingdom |
| Ravenswood City School District |
| Regional Government of North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Southern District Court of New York |
| State of Colorado |
| State of Oregon |
| State of Texas, Harris County |
| United Nations |
| United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Jamaica |
| U.S. Agency for International Development |
| U.S. Air Force |
| U.S. Army |
| U.S. Coast Guard |
| U.S. Department of Agriculture |
| U.S. Department of Defense |
| U.S. Department of Energy |
| U.S. Department of Justice |
| U.S. Department of State |
| U.S. Department of the Treasury |
| U.S. Digital Service at the White House |
| U.S. Federal Emergency Management Administration |
| U.S. Federal Judiciary |
| U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) |
| U.S. House of Representatives |
| U.S. Navy |
| U.S. Space Force |
| World Bank |
| World Food Programme |
| (RED) |
| 2Life Communities |
| Aspen Institute |
| Athleten Deutschland e.V. |
| Atlantic Council |
| Bellwether Education Partners, DC |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Black and Pink Massachusetts |
| Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative |
| Blue Meridian Partners |
| Boston Children’s Hospital |
| Bridgespan Group |
| Brookings Institution |
| Campaign for Our Shared Future |
| Care For the Homeless |
| Center on Rural Innovation |
| Citizen Action |
| Community Economic Defense Project* |
| Cordial Credit / Communicaide* |
| Education Resource Strategies |
| Eno Center for Transportation |
| Everytown for Gun Safety |
| Ford Foundation |
| GiveDirectly |
| Government Performance Lab |
| Graduate Employee's Organization, AFT Local 3550 |
| Lincoln Network |
| McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University |
| National Democratic Institute |
| Oregon Health & Science University |
| Pathfinders |
| Related Affordable Foundation |
| Resources for the Future |
| Stand Up America |
| TechCongress |
| The Asia Foundation |
| The Global Fund |
| The Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation |
| The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) |
| Voting Rights Lab |
| Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital |
| Western Governors Association |
| WeUnlearn* |
*new venture
| Harvard Kennedy School |
| Harvard University |
| Johns Hopkins University |
| University of Michigan |
| University of Pennsylvania |
| Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
| Amazon |
| Arabella Advisors |
| Bain & Company |
| Bain Capital |
| Berkshire Partners |
| Booz Allen Hamilton |
| Boston Consulting Group |
| Cadmus Group |
| Camber Collective |
| Claim* |
| Client Strategy |
| Cultivo |
| Dalberg Global Development Advisors |
| Davis Polk & Wardwell |
| Daylight |
| Delivery Associates |
| Deloitte Consulting |
| EdSolutions |
| EQT Partners |
| Equal Opportunity Ventures |
| EY Infrastructure Advisory |
| First Bridge Ventures* |
| Give Legacy, Inc. |
| Goldman Sachs |
| Good Harbor |
| Guidehouse |
| HWG, LLC |
| Katie Couric Media |
| La Huerta de Elisa |
| Latham & Watkins |
| Lemon Energy |
| Mastercard |
| McKinsey & Company |
| Nava |
| Omidyar Network |
| Permodalan Nasional Berhad |
| Point72 LP |
| Radical Ventures |
| REI Systems Inc |
| Richard Attias & Associates |
| Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc./Center on Rural Innovation |
| Samsung Electronics |
| Shield AI |
| Shield Capital |
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates |
| Sofina Network, Inc* |
| Strategy&, part of PwC |
| Summa Equity |
| Syzygy Plasmonics |
| Teneo |
| The Art of Applying |
| The Cohen Group |
| Thumbtack |
| TikTok |
| Two Sigma |
| Wachsman |
| Watershed |
| YPP |
*new venture
The two-year Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) Program trains the next generation of leaders in international development.
This economics-centered multidisciplinary program provides meticulous training in analytic and quantitative methods with an emphasis on policy and practice. MPA/IDs demonstrate talent in economics and quantitative analysis as well as leadership potential in international development. Most have at least three years of development-related work experience before coming to HKS, typically in developing or transitional economy countries.
MPA/ID Class of 2022 Post-HKS Employment by Sector
Unspecified employment sector is 4 percent. Numbers have been rounded up/down when necessary to help simplify reporting.
Employment Sector 10-Year Comparison: 2014 – 2022
| Public and IGO | 20% |
| National / Federal Government | 13% |
| State / Provincial Government | 1% |
| City / Local / Regional Government | 0% |
| IGO | 6% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 30% |
| Private | 46% |
| Unspecified | 4% |
| 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public and IGO | 30% | 42% | 33% | 48% | 21% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 26% | 21% | 31% | 16% | 30% |
| Private | 40% | 37% | 34% | 34% | 46% |
| Unspecified | 5% | 0% | 2% | 2% | 4% |
| Bank of Japan |
| Bank of Mongolia |
| Central Bank of Chile |
| Government of France |
| Government of India |
| Government of India |
| Government of Peru |
| Government of Republic of South Korea |
| Government of Telangana, India |
| Inter-American Development Bank |
| Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
| The Export-Import Bank of Korea |
| United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) |
| World Bank |
| World Health Organization |
| Accion / Center for Financial Inclusion |
| Afya Pamoja* |
| Center for Global Development |
| CRI Foundation |
| GiveDirectly |
| Global Fund to Fight TB, HIV and Malaria |
| Government Performance Lab |
| IDinsight |
| IMAGO Global Grassroots |
| J-PAL (Jameel Poverty Action Lab) |
| Research, Learning and Evidence Advisor |
| Save the Children Action Network |
| Silicon Zanzibar |
*new venture
| Harvard Kennedy School |
| Harvard University |
| Actis |
| AIME |
| Appian Education Ventures |
| Asia Group |
| Boston Consulting Group |
| Bridgewater Associates |
| Causal Design |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton |
| Dalberg Global Development Advisors |
| EY Infrastructure Advisory |
| FINICS* |
| Guidehouse |
| Health Advances |
| Hive Health* |
| Iterative Scopes |
| McKinsey & Company |
| Morgan Stanley |
| NERA Economic Consulting |
| TCW Group |
| Tyme |
| Via Transportation |
| Visa |
| Vista Equity Partners |
| Walmart Global Tech |
*new venture
The two-year Master in Public Administration (MPA) Program equips professionals for positions of significant responsibility in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.
Before coming to HKS, students demonstrate academic distinction, professional accomplishment and promise, graduate-level training, and at least three years of work experience. MPAs have significant latitude in designing their academic experience and take courses in a range of disciplines. Many pursue concurrent degrees in business, law, medicine, design, or another field with our partner institutions, including other schools at Harvard.
MPA Class of 2022 Post-HKS Employment by Sector
Unspecified employment sector is 3 percent. Numbers have been rounded up/down when necessary to help simplify reporting.
Employment Sector 10-Year Comparison: 2014 – 2022
| Public and IGO | 6% |
| National / Federal Government | 2% |
| State / Provincial Government | 2% |
| City / Local / Regional Government | 0% |
| IGO | 2% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 7% |
| Private | 84% |
| Unspecified | 3% |
| 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public and IGO | 27% | 15% | 16% | 9% | 6% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 14% | 11% | 12% | 11% | 7% |
| Private | 54% | 69% | 72% | 75% | 84% |
| Unspecified | 5% | 5% | 0% | 5% | 3% |
| Internal Revenue Service |
| National Bank of Kazakhstan |
| New York Army National Guard |
| State of Montana Supreme Court |
| United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) |
| World Bank |
| AmaliTech gGmbH |
| Berghof Foundation |
| Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative |
| Green & Healthy Homes Initiative |
| Teach For All |
| Tony Blair Institute for Global Change |
| Harvard Kennedy School |
| 3i Group |
| Accenture |
| AlleyCorp |
| Almond Fintech |
| Alyeska Investment group (Hedge fund) |
| Amazon |
| Anusarn Chiang Mai Company |
| Arcadia |
| Bain & Company |
| Banyan Global |
| BASE |
| Beacon Fund |
| Biobot Analytics |
| Boston Consulting Group |
| Candelytics* |
| Charles |
| Civil Tech Sudan* |
| CMA CGM |
| Comity |
| EQT Ventures |
| Fathom Health |
| Goldman Sachs |
| Insight Partners |
| Jonathan Rose Companies |
| Just Climate |
| K. Ventures* |
| McKinsey & Company |
| Mineral Forecast* |
| Multitude Insights* |
| NextEra Mobility |
| Nouri* |
| Oliver Wyman |
| PwC |
| Qatalyst |
| Quantum Black Labs |
| Resource Environmental Solutions |
| Riva Health |
| Rothschild |
| Savage x fenty |
| Showtime |
| Strategic Data Project |
| Strategy&, part of PwC |
| Systemiq Capital |
| SYSTEMIQ Ltd |
| The Cleveland Orchestra |
| Uber |
| Vivid Economics (McKinsey & Co) |
| Wood Mackenzie |
*new venture
The one-year Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) Program trains highly accomplished mid-career professionals to learn how to tackle the world’s most complex public challenges.
MC/MPAs hone their skills, redefine their career goals, and pursue specialized interests through a flexible curriculum either at HKS, other Harvard graduate schools, or schools in the Boston area. They come from professions in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, and many become heads of state, cabinet ministers, military officers, diplomats, journalists, chief executives, and nongovernmental organization directors.
MC/MPA Class of 2022 Post-HKS Employment by Sector
Unspecified employment sector is 12 percent. Numbers have been rounded up/down when necessary to help simplify reporting.
Employment Sector 10-Year Comparison: 2014 – 2022
| Public and IGO | 41% |
| National / Federal Government | 28% |
| State / Provincial Government | 6% |
| City / Local / Regional Government | 3% |
| IGO | 4% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 22% |
| Private | 25% |
| Unspecified | 12% |
| 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public and IGO | 57% | 55% | 50% | 47% | 41% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 22% | 18% | 23% | 24% | 22% |
| Private | 16% | 25% | 26% | 18% | 25% |
| Unspecified | 4% | 2% | 1% | 10% | 12% |
| Bank of Israel |
| Chickasaw Nation |
| City of New York Police Department |
| City of New York, NY |
| City of Oakland, CA Police Commission |
| Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| County of Rockdale, GA |
| Government of Australia |
| Government of Barbados |
| Government of Brazil |
| Government of Egypt |
| Government of Himachal Pradesh |
| Government of India |
| Government of Israel |
| Government of Japan |
| Government of Karnataka, India |
| Government of Latvia |
| Government of Lebanon |
| Government of Peru |
| Government of Philippines |
| Government of Saudi Arabia |
| Government of Singapore |
| National Bank of Cambodia |
| North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) |
| State of California |
| U.S. Air Force |
| U.S. Air Force Academy |
| U.S. Army |
| U.S. Army, National Guard Bureau |
| U.S. Coast Guard |
| U.S. Department of Defense |
| U.S. Department of State |
| U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| U.S. Navy |
| United Nations |
| United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) |
| United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process |
| World Bank |
| Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) |
| Bridge Forward Fund* |
| Center for a New American Security |
| Conservation International |
| Foundation DEDO/ Nadacia DEDO |
| Freedom Cups* |
| Inter-American Dialogue |
| International Rescue Committee |
| LIFT-DC |
| Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) |
| Mothers at Risk |
| Mount Auburn Hospital |
| Rockefeller Foundation |
| Rodaina |
| The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund |
| The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington |
| The Nature Conservancy |
| Tony Blair Institute for Global Change |
* new venture
| Boston University |
| Harvard Kennedy School |
| Harvard Law School |
| Harvard University |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
| Singapore Management University |
| University of California San Diego |
| Yale University |
| 4S Bay Partners |
| Airbnb |
| Amazon |
| Associate Director International & Policy |
| CashEx Inc* |
| Dataminr |
| Dream Variation Ventures* |
| Even Cargo |
| Exame |
| Fatoora (Tech Start-up)* |
| FGS Global |
| Fifty Plus One* |
| GeoPark |
| Goldman Sachs |
| Healthy.io |
| InKind |
| Iora Ecological Solutions* |
| Irys |
| KiaKia Health and She Votes Nigeria* |
| KPMG |
| LeapFrog Investments |
| McKinsey & Company |
| New Energy Solar |
| Orsted |
| Richhills Capital, LLC |
| Sambodhi Research and Communications, India |
| Splunk, Inc. |
| Tell Group |
| Thulium |
| unico Idtech |
| Upswing Strategies |
| VCAN Group of Companies* |
| Women Empowerment Circle |
| WSP |
|
X, The Moonshot Factory (Formerly Google[X] |
* new venture
| Antecedent* |
| PIT |
* new venture
The two-year MPP, MPA/ID, and MPA programs allow a combined (joint or concurrent) degree track for students to earn a second graduate degree—an MBA, MD, or JD, for example—from a professional school either at Harvard or at a partner academic institution.
26 percent of the Class of 2022 graduates in a two-year program earned a combined degree.
Class of 2022 Post-HKS Employment Sector Comparison
Sole HKS Degree Graduates
| Public and IGO | 30% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 26% |
| Private | 39% |
| Unspecified or Campaign | 5% |
Combined Degree Graduates
| Public and IGO | 7% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 11% |
| Private | 80% |
| Unspecified or Campaign | 2% |
Public Sector and International Governmental Organizations
| City of Somerville, MA |
| Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Florida Supreme Court |
| Southern District Court of New York |
| U.S. Digital Service at the White House |
Nonprofit Sector and Nongovernmental Organizations
| Boston Children’s Hospital |
| Bridgespan Group |
| Community Economic Defense Project |
| Everytown for Gun Safety |
| Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital |
Colleges and Universities
| Johns Hopkins University |
| McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University |
| Oregon Health & Science University |
| University of Pennsylvania |
Private Sector
| Bain & Company |
| Berkshire Partners |
| Boston Consulting Group |
| Claim |
| Cultivo |
| Davis Polk & Wardwell |
| EQT Partners |
| EY Infrastructure Advisory |
| Give Legacy, Inc. |
| HWG, LLC |
| La Huerta de Elisa |
| Latham & Watkins |
| McKinsey & Company |
| Radical Ventures |
| Shield AI |
| Shield Capital |
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates |
| Sofina Network, Inc |
| Syzygy Plasmonics |
| Two Sigma |
Public Sector and International Governmental Organizations
N/A
Nonprofit Sector and Nongovernmental Organizations
| Afya Pamoja |
Private Sector
| Boston Consulting Group |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton |
| EY Infrastructure Advisory |
| Hive Health |
| McKinsey & Company |
| Vista Equity Partners |
Other
N/A
Public Sector and International Governmental Organizations
| Internal Revenue Service |
| New York Army National Guard |
| State of Montana Supreme Court |
Nonprofit Sector and Nongovernmental Organizations
| Green & Healthy Homes Initiative |
| Tony Blair Institute for Global Change |
Private Sector
| 3i Group |
| Accenture |
| AlleyCorp |
| Almond Fintech |
| Alyeska Investment group (Hedge fund) |
| Amazon |
| Anusarn Chiang Mai Company |
| Arcadia |
| Bain & Company |
| Banyan Global |
| BASE |
| Beacon Fund |
| Biobot Analytics |
| Boston Consulting Group |
| Candelytics |
| Comity |
| EQT Ventures |
| Fathom Health |
| Goldman Sachs |
| Insight Partners |
| Jonathan Rose Companies |
| Just Climate |
| K. Ventures |
| McKinsey & Company |
| Multitude Insights |
| NextEra Mobility |
| Nouri |
| Oliver Wyman |
| PwC |
| Qatalyst |
| Quantum Black Labs |
| Resource Environmental Solutions |
| Riva Health |
| Savage x fenty |
| Strategy&, part of PwC |
| Systemiq Capital |
| The Cleveland Orchestra |
| Wood Mackenzie |
Employment Sector 10-Year Comparison: 2014 – 2022
| 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public and IGO | 41% | 37% | 33% | 34% | 28% |
| Nonprofit and NGO | 24% | 19% | 25% | 22% | 22% |
| Private | 31% | 41% | 40% | 39% | 44% |
| Unspecified | 4% | 3% | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents | 36% | 35% | 27% | 30% | 29% |
| International Residents | 47% | 41% | 41% | 39% | 27% |
| Total | 41% | 37% | 33% | 34% | 28% |
Note: Unspecified makes up <7%
| 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents | 30% | 19% | 27% | 26% | 24% |
| International Residents | 17% | 19% | 22% | 16% | 21% |
| Total | 24% | 19% | 25% | 22% | 22% |
Note: Unspecified makes up <7%
| 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents | 31% | 43% | 43% | 40% | 42% |
| International Residents | 31% | 39% | 36% | 38% | 46% |
| Total | 31% | 41% | 40% | 39% | 44% |
Note: Unspecified makes up <7%