Stanford GSB again notched the highest pay in marketing, with starting base rising from $142,033 to $148,273 in the past year alone. A trio of Ivy League programs -- Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, and Yale SOM -- held the next four highest spots in base earnings. Carnegie Mellon Tepper and Washington Foster also cracked the Top 10 in first-year marketing base pay as well. That said, a Yale SOM grad took home the biggest individual paycheck -- $312K -- edging out a Stanford GSB’s $300K base. However, the elite schools weren’t alone in cashing in. A Kenan-Flagler grad nabbed a $200K base, while grads from the University of Rochester Simon and UC Davis each boasted a $175K windfall. Over the past year, Yale SOM saw the biggest increase in base pay with a $14K improvement. Duke Fuqua and Rice Jones also enjoyed an $11K and $12K boost. Over the past five years, Columbia Business School marketing grads have seen their starting salaries rise by $30K, outpacing both Stanford GSB ($27K) and Chicago Booth ($25K).