Google topped this year's list of 100 Top MBA Employers for the fifth year in a row, according to research firm Universum.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Where do B-school students most want to work? Google of course! The search star topped this year's list of 100 Top MBA Employers for the fifth year in a row, according to research firm Universum.
Overall, the most desirable employers this year are ones that offer a challenging work environment, said Karl-Johan Hasselström, Universum's regional manager -- but are also further removed from the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
Tech and engineering firms, in particular, have climbed in the rankings this year as MBA grads vie for the most sought after career opportunities there, while financial institutions slid.
On Google's (GOOG, Fortune 500) heels, Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) climbed two spots to No. 3 this year and one notable newcomer made a grand entrance in the ranking's top 10 (Hint: It's now accepting friend requests).
"Facebook placed at No. 7 which is fairly high for a new company on the ranking, because there are very strong associations with challenging work and prestige," which students find particularly important, Hasselström said.
Being competitively or intellectually challenged is the No. 1 career goal among new MBAs this year, Hasselström said. That tops having work/life balance -- last year's top priority.
After weathering the recession, job security and opportunity are also of paramount importance to recent grads. Traditional consulting firms like McKinsey (at No. 2) are increasingly sought after because of the extensive training possibilities as a steppingstone to a long and lucrative career in business.
On the downside, "it has been a bumpy road for the banks and financial institutions," Hasselström noted of the banking sector's overall decline in the rankings in the wake of the recession and global financial crisis. "A vast majority of these firms have decreased in attractiveness."
Although banks have taken a hit on this year's list, stalwarts like Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500), J.P. Morgan (JPM, Fortune 500) and Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500) still hung on to spots in the top 15. 
