The top management consulting firms in the US

Sometimes you need a little assistance when making a big business decision. Fortunately, the best consulting firms in the country are here to help.

Business Insider teamed up with Plant-A Insights, a leading insights and technology company that publishes business rankings in cooperation with world-class media brands, to find the 300 top management consulting firms in America. The list includes giants of the industry as well as a slew of more specialized and boutique firms.

The list is based on a large-scale survey of around 25,000 professionals who have worked with consulting firms, who evaluated them on factors like industry and practice area expertise, as well as client satisfaction. Other reputational measures, like the firms' placement in other industry rankings, were also factored in. The full methodology can be found at the bottom of this article.

Methodology

America's Top Management Consulting Firms 2026, a collaboration between Business Insider and Plant-A Insights Group, recognizes the best management consultancies in the United States. The ranking highlights companies that excel in providing their expertise across multiple industries and practice areas. The results are based on a comprehensive study combining extensive desk research with a large-scale survey of over 25,000 U.S. working professionals with direct experience working with management consulting firms.

To be eligible for consideration, a firm had to provide consulting and advisory services to companies located within the United States. An initial list of over 15,000 firms was screened and validated, resulting in a final list of 2,200 firms for evaluation, categorized across 15 industries and 14 practice areas. This list was further validated with support from data analytics company Aniline.

Eligible firms were evaluated in a nationwide survey of over 25,000 respondents that took place between August 2025 and October 2025. This included more than 18,000 respondents who recently worked with the firms on a project and over 7,000 individuals who were a part of the selection committees that hired them.

Client Experience

Respondents evaluated their experience working with consulting firms across three areas: Industry Expertise, Practice Area Expertise, and Client Satisfaction

• Industry Expertise: Management consulting firms were evaluated based on their expertise across 15 different industries.
• Practice Area Expertise: Management consulting firms were evaluated based on their expertise across 14 different practice areas.
• Client Satisfaction: Firms were evaluated across six key drivers of client satisfaction, including Strategic Insight & Innovation, Adaptability & Customization, and Value for Investment.

Overall Score

An overall score for each consultancy was calculated by combining the Industry Score, Practice Area Score, and the Client Satisfaction Score using a proprietary scoring model. Firms also received bonus points for being featured in other credible industry rankings, serving as a proxy for sustained industry recognition. The 300 highest-scoring management consulting firms were recognized by Business Insider and Plant-A Insights Group as America's Top Management Consulting Firms 2026.

The exclusion of a company from this ranking is not a reflection on its quality or performance and is not disputed.

Media Monitoring

Critical Mention media monitoring platform Onclusive was utilized to investigate whether management consulting firms were implicated in a wide range of significant issues within the past two years (Dec 1, 2023 — Dec 1, 2025). This included a review of financial misconduct (such as fraud, accounting scandals), legal and regulatory actions (like major lawsuits, settlements, or investigations by the SEC or DOJ), and workplace and labor violations (including discrimination or harassment lawsuits). Any management consultancy found engaging in such practices was subsequently excluded from the final ranking list. Plant-A Insights conducted multiple iterations of the media monitoring process to validate exclusions and ensure the accuracy of the results.

Disclaimer

Rankings Placement

Placement in the Rankings (defined below) is a positive recognition based on research of publicly available data sources from the time period in question.

Intellectual Property Rights

All list content within the rankings ("Rankings") is the exclusive property of Plant-A Insights Group LLC ("Plant-A"). This work, including all data, analyses, and derived rankings, is copyrighted under United States and international copyright laws. Unauthorized use, including but not limited to the publication, reproduction, modification, distribution, transmission, or display of any material without the prior written consent of Plant-A, is strictly prohibited. Introductory editorial article is the property of Insider, Inc.

Nature of the Rankings

The Rankings are prepared by Plant-A and reflect an editorial content piece, based on both primary and secondary market research. This includes publicly available data and specific data provided directly to Plant-A. These Rankings are published in conjunction with Business Insider and should be viewed as an editorial work, not as definitive financial or business guidance.

Data Accuracy and Periodicity

The Rankings are generated by Plant-A from data sources deemed reliable and are formed based on a methodological analysis of such data spanning the last 24 months. They are inherently a reflection of historical data and may not include subsequent developments, unforeseen events, or additional data not covered during the research period.

Revenue Sharing

Companies on the list can pay a licensing fee for a badge to promote their business; Business Insider receives revenue from that through its partnership with Plant-A. Those sales have no effect on any company's placement or appearance on the list.

No Endorsement or Quality Assurance

Plant-A and Business Insider do not endorse or validate the business practices or the standing of the ranked companies. The inclusion or exclusion of any company in the Rankings should not be used as a basis for investment, business, or other decisions. All decisions based on any information presented in the Rankings should be made in conjunction with other available information and independent advice.

Disclaimer of Liability

Plant-A and Business Insider, and each of their subsidiaries, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively, the "Plant-A Parties") disclaim all liability and responsibility for any errors or omissions in the Rankings or for any actions taken based on the contents of this publication. Neither Plant-A nor Business Insider guarantees the completeness or accuracy of the information contained in the Rankings.

By accessing, using, or relying upon the Rankings, you waive all claims and have no recourse against Plant-A Parties for any alleged or actual infringements of any rights of any party, including privacy rights, proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, rights of publicity, rights of credit for material or ideas, or any other rights, including the right to approval of uses such as copy that may be deemed to be distorted, derogatory, or offensive.

This disclaimer is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted under the law. If any portion hereof is held invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of the disclaimer shall nonetheless remain in full force and effect. This disclaimer constitutes the entire agreement between you and Plant-A and/or Business Insider regarding the use of the Rankings.

Rankings List and Methodology: Copyright © 2026 Plant-A Insights Group LLC.

Business Insider Editorial Article: Copyright © 2026 Insider, Inc. All rights reserved.