Studying a Bachelor’s Degree in finance can give you many opportunities to end up working as a financial analyst, financial advisor or stockbroker. There are also alternatives, however, this usually has a high employability rate. The other alternatives can be the study of statistics, mathematics or business intelligence.
List of the best universities for the financial industry.
Some of the best universities to study this degree are the following.
University of Pennsylvania (USA)
It is located in Philadelphia, and the admissions to enter this university are quite demanding. You have to pass rigorous academic-level tests to study at this university. This university has an employment rate of over 90% according to various studies. Financial studies at this university are offered by the Wharton School, which is also part of the University of Pennsylvania.
In the Bachelor’s Degree in Finance at this university, you will study subjects that are very useful for stockbrokers or financial analysts, such as Investment Management, Data Science for Finance or International Banking.
- Approximate price: $75,000 – $115,000
- Student Capacity of Wharton School: 2,600 students for undergraduate, 1780 students for MBA and 199 students for Ph.D. The number of applications is much higher than the number of admissions.
University of London School of Economics (England)
This university has a great reputation in Europe. In addition to the typical training, it also offers online certificates that can be obtained in several weeks, such as Data Analytics for Management or MBA Essentials, among many others. One of the major advantages of this university is that is very focused on international training.
Some of the undergraduate programs they offer have an employability rate higher than 95%. For example, the BSc Mathematics with Economics. Being a business-focused university, there are not only two training programs in the financial sector, but they are divided into different specific areas such as account management studies, financial studies, economics studies, MBA and several variants of the previous categories.
- Approximate price: $10,000 – $25,000 per year.
- Student Capacity: approximately 11,000 students.
University of Massachusetts (USA)
According to QS World University Ranking, it is the best university in the world. This prestigious university has a separate school for this type of studies. The school is called “MIT Management Sloan School“. Some of the undergraduate studies that can be highlighted in the area of business are: Business Analytics, Management and Finance. In this university it is necessary to pass an admission process and they reject more than 60% of applications. It is also interesting to know that they offer Boot Camp training and executive programs.
- Approximate price: $55,000 per year (MIT Management Sloan School).
- Student Capacity: approximately 11,200 students.
Some importante people that studied in MIT University: Benjamin Netanyahu the current minister of Israel or John W Thompson, the chairman of Microsoft.
HEC Paris (France)
It’s a famous business school From France that offers Bachelor’s Programs for Finance, MBA programs, School Summer, Ph.D. programs and executive courses. It is one of the best business schools in Europe (It is ranked 3). Some of the companies in which the students of this school end up working are BNP PARIBAS, Pwc, Capgemini, Louis Vuitton, etc. HEC Paris has exclusive partners and agreements with these companies and some others. Salaries in France are quite decent and it is worth studying in a prestigious school. They also have exclusive departments for pitching student business ideas and special events.
- Approximate price: $22,000 per year (Bachelor’s in Financial market and Technologies)
- Student Capacity: approximately 4,500 students for degree programs.
University of Oxford (England)
This university has a multitude of programs related to economics and finance. It has approximately 10-15 different training programs. Some are very specific such as Mathematic and Computational Finance, and others more general, such as the “Degree in Finance” with a three-year duration. It is generally to pass various admission tests to study at this university. It is currently ranked third in the QS World University Rankings.
- Approximate price of an undergraduate programs: $11,000 for UK students and higher prices for international students.
- Student Capacity: more than 20,000 approx.
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
Nanyang Technological University, located in Singapore, will seem strange to many that I have put it on this list. However, this country is one of the fastest growing in the financial sector and is probably one of the universities where some of the highest-paid financial analysts in the world are enrolled.
They have a master’s degree in Blockchain so we can consider it a fairly modern university. Some of the subjects of the master are cybersecurity for smart contracts, token economics or application development with blockchain technology.
- Approximate price: from $8,000 for local people and over $30,000 for international students.
- Student Capacity: more than 30,000 students approx.
The University of Sydney (Australia)
It is not a university that is only focused on finance, as there are also educational programs on law, engineering, science, arts and other things. However, it is a good university to study business and economics. One of the most demanded studies in the area of finance is the Bachelor’s of Economics, which lasts 3 years and with which you can aspire to jobs related to banking or financial management. Australia is still a very powerful country economically, so we do not forget that here there are also job opportunities in all types of industries and with very competitive salaries.
- Approximate price: $43,500 – $58,500 per year.
- Student Capacity: more than 70,000 approx.
The salary range for a financial advisor in Australia is $56,000 to $82,000 with an average of approximately $71,000 per year.
University of St. Gallen (Switzerland)
As most of us know, Switzerland is a country with a very good reputation for finance and security of its entities. In this country it is the order of the day to study a combination of economics and law, however, it is also possible to study a Bachelor’s degree in economics. As far as MBA studies are concerned, more than 92% of the students of these programs manage to enter the labor market. Something very interesting about this university is that they also have training in Real Estate for executives. It is also in the ranking of the best universities in Europe.
- Approximate price: $7.000 per year (Bachelor’s in economics)
- Student Capacity: more than 9,000 students approx.
- Financial Advisor Salary in Switzerland: $115,589.40 – $216,197.40.
As you can see, the salary of a financial advisor in Switzerland is much higher than in other countries and a high standard of living can be aspired to.
Berkeley Univesity (USA)
It is one of the most famous universities in the world and is one of the most recommended options for future Business Managers. It is also the cradle of many successful entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. As far as business and economics studies are concerned, they have a specific school called Haas School of Business with a large number of very specific programs with a worldwide reputation. Having studied at this university gives more status to a person’s educational record.
- Approximate price: $45,000-$57,000 per year (BS. Business Administration)
- Student Capacity: more than 45,000 students approx.
ESADE Business School (Spain)
ESADE is the most prestigious business school in Spain. International students who wish to experience the pleasant Spanish climate and immerse themselves in the lively culture of Barcelona often choose this business school as one of their preferred destinations. Despite being in Spain, the university offers programs taught entirely in English, enabling students to connect with individuals from all over the world. For students looking to make new friends and enjoy the vibrant social scene, it’s one of the top choices.
- Approximate price: $20,000 per year.
- Student Capacity: more than 7,000 students approx.
Financial Analyst Salaries by Country (Chart)
¿Can I work in the Stock Markets without a Bachelor’s Degree?
Working in the stock markets without a university education is more difficult. However, this does not mean that it is impossible, as there are some alternatives.
- Start in software: by studying a Boot Camp in e.g. Data Science or technical studies in software development, there is a chance to end up working in finance companies and work your way up in the future.
- Prop trading firms: some private equity firms and large investors look for profitable traders to manage certain amounts of money for them and take a commission for it.
- Working as a salesperson: It is possible to start in this sector as a salesperson to attract clients who want to diversify their savings or start investing in the stock market. Some of these salespeople start by convincing friends and family, but others also set up physical offices, blogs, YouTube channels or buy advertising in various ways.
- Working as a teacher or publishing books: thanks to the internet, many people without a university education can give classes related to the financial markets, for example from training platforms, telegram or Youtube channels. Publishing books about the industry is also another option to start making a name for yourself in the industry.
What are the best Bachelor’s Degrees to work in the stock markets?
- Bachelor’s in Economics: these generally offer a very broad education in economics in general and are a good way to get an introduction to working in companies related to investment funds or banking.
- Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Computational Finance: many investments are automated or take into account various algorithms and analyses, so this Bachelor’s is a very good idea if you want to work in the financial markets.
- Some Bachelor’s degrees in mathematics or statistics: these are also valid in certain departments of companies that deal with the stock market and are also very useful for working as an investor.
- Bachelor’s degrees in business administration or accounting: these provide a basis in having sufficient knowledge to value companies and know their finances in depth. It is also a good way to enter a company in the sector as an intern.
- Bachelor’s in Data Science: you learn about many technologies and subjects in different categories that are often very effective when it comes to investing in the stock market. You learn mathematics, statistics and software development, which gives you a well-rounded profile for working in the financial industry.
- Bachelor’s in Business Intelligence: business analytics and the use of various Big Data tools can also be very useful when working as a financial analyst or in companies in the stock markets.
My personal opinion.
I think that choosing a good university or business school is very important to feel fulfilled and to really learn. Some schools have very outdated content and can cause students to be disappointed, so it is important to seek real opinions. I think internship work is very relevant to a person’s future and sometimes it depends more on luck than anything else. That is why it is better to look for schools that have partnerships with big companies.
Regarding working in the financial sector, I believe it is a highly profitable industry with significant potential for further evolution. It appears poised to create numerous job opportunities in the future.