2024 WSO Undergraduate Ranking
It’s time. Undergrad rankings in this forum are always interesting, and with the new year, it’s time to roll out the newest one.
How would you rank the targets based on the opportunities available? This would be based on the industry prestige/recognition, OCR, alumni network, quality of programs, etc…
We should also acknowledge factors like inside competition, self selection and buy side opportunities that are not reflected in a pure IB placement volume ranking.
Here is a baseline tier list based on the different WSO rankings. I’m not an expert in this field at all - this is purely meant to be a starting point from where I’ll revise the list based on comments and note each change.
The order within levels shows very slight differences between schools but isn’t significant.
Very low targets not included
- Harvard, Wharton, Yale, Princeton, Stanford
- MIT, Columbia, UChicago, Dartmouth, Duke
- Cornell Dyson, UPenn CAS, Brown, Northwestern
- Georgetown, NYU Stern, UMichigan Ross, Non-Dyson Cornell
- UC Berkeley, UVA, UTA, Emory
- UND, UNC, BC, IU IB workshop
i’ll take the bait:
1. Harvard, Wharton, Princeton, Yale,
2. Stanford, MIT (strong schools that will get looks but don’t have lots of alumni like the above)
2. Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, UChicago
3. Cornell Dyson, UPenn CAS, Brown, Northwestern
4. Georgetown, NYU Stern, UMichigan Ross, Non-
Dyson Cornell
Not too sure beyond that
Based on the most helpful WSO content, the tier list you've provided is a solid starting point for discussing undergraduate institutions that are known for their strong placement in finance roles, particularly in investment banking. Here's a bit more detail on the factors you've mentioned:
Industry Prestige/Recognition: The schools listed in your first tier, such as Harvard, Wharton, and Stanford, are often seen as the gold standard due to their historical reputation and strong presence in the finance industry.
On-Campus Recruiting (OCR): Top-tier schools typically have robust on-campus recruiting programs that attract a wide range of prestigious firms. This is a critical factor because it provides students with direct access to employers.
Alumni Network: A strong, active alumni network can be invaluable for new graduates seeking to enter competitive fields like investment banking. Schools like Yale and Princeton are known for their loyal and supportive alumni.
Quality of Programs: Academic rigor and the relevance of the curriculum to finance roles are important. For instance, Wharton's finance program is highly regarded for its depth and breadth.
Inside Competition: At some schools, the competition for top roles can be intense due to the high concentration of ambitious students vying for a limited number of positions.
Self-Selection: Some schools may have a culture that encourages careers in finance, while others may have students who self-select into a diverse range of industries.
Buy-Side Opportunities: While many rankings focus on investment banking placement, it's also worth considering the access to buy-side roles, such as private equity and hedge funds, which are often sought after by finance students.
The baseline you've provided reflects a general consensus on the hierarchy of target schools for finance roles. However, it's important to note that individual experiences may vary, and a motivated student from a lower-tier school can still break into high finance with the right strategy and effort. Additionally, the landscape is always changing, and schools can move up or down in the rankings based on how their programs evolve and how well their students perform in the industry.
Sources: US Undergraduate University Tier Rankings 2023 - Backed by Data, US Undergraduate University Tier Rankings 2023 - Backed by Data
Are you able to create a new tier list based on your points?
Which undergraduate majors are most suitable? Econ? Business?
If the university has a business school, finance.
If not, economics.
Anything STEM is usually good too but your classes really won’t help your technical knowledge/on the job proficiency
Switch UTA with Notre Dame, then add Vandy to 6 then it's correct.
I go to Cornell, so I might be biased. I don't know why Cornell is so underrated in this forum and in these WSO rankings. While Cornell has a larger student body size, that does not mean everyone there wants to do IB. By looking at the statistics, the median salary for Cornell students in the class of 2022 entering finance is 100,000 - this is the typical base salary for front office finance roles.
Cornell is a strong STEM school, and many people go for engineering and CS career opportunities rather than finance. People interested in STEM areas career By just looking at sheer volume, Cornell has much more tradition in finance roles than Dartmouth, Duke, UChicago, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale, on par with Columbia and lower than Harvard and Wharton. The proportion of people interested in STEM is much higher than that of Brown, UChicago, Yale, Duke, etc. That said it is unfair to Cornell's inside competition and self selection is much more extreme.
There is also rarely any difference between Cornell Dyson and non-Dyson Cornell. Cornell does not give a superior status to its business school, like Upenn. The salaries of students entering finance at the two schools are essentially the same. In addition, non-dyson Cornell have access to majors like ORIE, CS, Math that prepare them for quantitative finance.
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