INCLUSION RANKINGS (NORTH AMERICA)
Last year was Aminad Consulting’s time. It reigned as the top firm for LGBTQ+, Disabilities, and Overall Diversity. With the firm’s absence from the 2026 Vault Consulting 50 in North America, it was time for new firms to fill the void.
Sure enough, several stepped up.
To measure Diversity and Inclusion across six dimensions, Vault asked survey respondents to evaluate their firms based on the same 1-10 scale as the Quality of Work and Life dimensions. In particular, Vault asked survey respondents to factor in “hiring, promoting, mentoring, and other programs” in their scores. To create an Overall Inclusion score, Vault averaged the five scores given to firms in the Disabilities, LGBTQ+, Military Veterans, Race and Ethnicity, and Women categories.
BAIN RANKS HIGH IN EVERY DIMENSION
Overall, Bain & Company performed the best across the categories, earning the highest marks in LGBTQ+ and Military Veterans, while placing 2nd in Race & Ethnicity, 3rd for Disabilities, and 5th for Women. In fact, Bain was the only firm to rank in the top 5 across each category, which resulted in the firm landing the #1 spot in Overall Inclusion.
One reason: Bain takes great pains to make sure everyone feels included, says one Bain consultant surveyed by Vault. “We have affinity groups that are dedicated to creating programs and initiatives of inclusion, including Pride at Bain, Women at Bain, First at Bain. They are always given a spotlight within our culture and a place of importance in the calendar of events, initiatives for retention, and budget allocation.”
More than that, says another Bain consultant, the firm walks the walk. ““Most inclusive environment I’ve ever seen including all the clients we work with. Our clients often use us as an example of inclusion and how to model their own programs.”
The Ignyte Group also made strides, climbing to #1 in both the Women and Race and Ethnicity categories. For Disabilities, Inizio Ignite Putnam achieved the highest average, while BCG placed either 2nd or 3rd in every category except Women.
“The firm has made noticeable strides in inclusion as the team has grown, particularly in hiring women,” writes one Ignyte consultant surveyed. “Many of our leaders are women, which sets a strong example and reinforces the message that advancement is based on merit.”
Here are the 5 highest-ranked firms in each of the Inclusion categories in North America:
Disabilities
1) Inizio Ignite Putnam
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) Bain & Company
4) Level5 Strategy
5) Clarkston Consulting
5) Kaiser Associates
LGBTQ+
1) Bain & Company
2) Inizio Ignite, Putnam
3) Boston Consulting Group
4) Kepler Cannon
5) DeciBio Consulting
Military Veterans
1) Bain & Company
2) ScottMadden Management Consultants
3) Boston Consulting Group
4) ghSMART
5) Inizio Ignite, Putnam
Race and Ethnicity
1) Ignyte Group
2) Bain & Company
3) ghSMART & Company
4) Boston Consulting Group
5) Inizio Ignite, Putnam
Women
1) Ignyte Group
2) ghSMART
3) Health Advances
4) Bridgespan Group
5) Bain & Consulting
Overall Inclusion
1) Bain & Company
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) Inizio Ignite, Putnam
4) Ignyte Group
5) ghSMART
Next Page: Historical Vault Consulting 50 Scores