According to a recent survey of corporate recruiters noted in the New York Times , MBA graduates are under greater demand these days, especially in emerging countries. This trend seems ironic considering the recent decrease in overall business school applications, as we noted earlier today. However, MBA grads have seen a 24 percent increase in job opportunities from 2009 to 2010, with consulting and financial services jobs seeing the greatest rise in demand. According to this report, the pharmaceutical industry is now the highest-paying field immediately after graduation, followed by financial services. Also notable in this survey is that MBA graduates from HBS, Wharton, INSEAD and LBS are deemed to be among the most valuable by recruiters, even if they are not the highest paid. According to the survey, Ashridge, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Fuqua all have higher average starting salaries than these well-known programs. With applications falling and demand for MBAs rising, now just might be the time to take the plunge.