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Finance

Students study financial analysis, investment management, corporate finance, banking, financial planning, and the capital markets that drive economic growth. Graduates typically pursue careers as financial analysts, investment bankers, portfolio managers, financial planners, and corporate finance professionals at banks, investment firms, and Fortune 500 companies. Finance is consistently one of the highest-paying business majors, particularly for graduates who enter investment banking or asset management.

Career outlook: See BLS salary ($101,350 median), 10-year growth & AI exposure for Financial & Investment Analysts →
Schools
431
Programs analyzed
Earnings
$55,341
Avg 1-yr grad earnings
Range $33,932–$122,698
AI Risk
Very High
59% task exposure
Field Overview

What Finance graduates do

Your finance degree places you at the decision-making core of the economy. In your first role as a financial analyst, you’ll likely spend your days building spreadsheet models to forecast company earnings or researching industry trends for investment reports. Alternatively, you might pursue a client-facing path as a personal financial advisor, helping individuals create budgets and invest for retirement. With experience, many analysts advance to become financial managers, where they oversee a department’s budget, direct investment strategy, and present critical financial reports to senior leadership.

While opportunities for financial managers and advisors are growing quickly, some traditional roles like bank tellers face steep declines. AI exposure across the field is moderate; you can expect technology to automate significant portions of routine data work and report generation. For sales-focused careers with higher exposure, AI is fundamentally reshaping the job by handling tasks once done by junior staff. Your career success will depend less on manual calculation and more on your ability to interpret AI-driven insights, manage complex client relationships, and make high-stakes judgment calls.

Students weighing Finance often also consider Accounting, Insurance, and International Business — compare earnings, ROI, and AI outlook side by side.

Career Trajectories

Where Finance graduates work

Common career paths for Finance graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 608,700 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role Median Pay Annual Openings 10-yr Growth AI Exposure
Chief executives
$206,420
22,200 +4.3% High · 56%
Financial managers
$161,700
$118K–$214K
74,600 +14.8% High · 50%
General and operations managers
$102,950
$67K–$164K
308,700 +4.4% Moderate · 48%
Personal financial advisors
$102,140
$71K–$173K
24,100 +9.6% High · 50%
Financial and investment analysts
$101,350
$78K–$132K
25,100 +5.7% Moderate · 46%
Business teachers, postsecondary
$97,270
$63K–$140K
8,100 +5.7% Moderate · 49%
Credit analysts
$80,970
$64K–$114K
3,700 -4.4% High · 56%
Financial specialists, all other
$80,190
$60K–$109K
10,300 +3.1% Moderate · 48%
Insurance underwriters
$79,880
$63K–$105K
8,200 -2.6% High · 57%
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
$78,140
$52K–$129K
38,100 +3.3% High · 61%
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
$77,020
$60K–$99K
8,500 +5.3% Moderate · 47%
Loan officers
$74,180
$50K–$102K
20,300 +1.7% High · 59%
Loan interviewers and clerks
$48,950
$43K–$60K
13,300 -2.3% High · 59%
Bill and account collectors
$46,040
$38K–$55K
13,700 -10.5% Very High · 70%
Tellers
$39,340
$36K–$46K
29,800 -12.9% High · 54%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Top Institutions

Best schools for Finance

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 431.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 90
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT · Private nonprofit
$83,876 1-yr earnings
44.7x ROI multiple
Very High AI risk
# School DW Score 1-yr Earnings ROI
5 University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public
88 $70,663 38.9x
6 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public
87 $68,681 22.8x
7 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
86 $75,381 17.5x
8 University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · Public
86 $68,066 24.9x
9 James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA · Public
86 $67,849 19.9x
10 Utah Valley University
Orem, UT · Public
86 $60,947 36.3x
11 Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public
85 $71,409 18.1x
12 University of Georgia
Athens, GA · Public
85 $67,444 20.3x
13 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public
85 $66,904 21.8x
14 University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
85 $66,427 18.5x
15 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
85 $63,500 20.0x
16 University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA · Public
85 $63,500 19.7x
17 Ohio University-Eastern Campus
Saint Clairsville, OH · Public
85 $59,305 34.2x
18 Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus
Chillicothe, OH · Public
85 $59,305 34.2x
19 Ohio University-Southern Campus
Ironton, OH · Public
85 $59,305 34.2x
20 Ohio University-Lancaster Campus
Lancaster, OH · Public
85 $59,305 34.2x
Explore our Finance rankings across 431 schools nationwide →

Highest Earnings Top 5

University of Pennsylvania
PA
$122,698
Georgetown University
DC
$106,218
Washington University in St Louis
MO
$102,814
University of Notre Dame
IN
$99,222
Wake Forest University
NC
$85,944

Finance vs Other Majors

See how Finance compares to similar fields on earnings, AI risk, and career paths.

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Finance.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Finance offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Finance trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Finance

What do Finance graduates make in their first year?

Across 431 schools, Finance graduates earn an average of $55,341 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $33,932 to $122,698 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Finance?

Our analysis classifies Finance as "Very High" for AI risk — approximately 59% of typical job tasks overlap with current AI capabilities. That puts most of the daily work in the automation-sensitive category.

What's the top-ranked school for Finance?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Brigham Young University ranks #1 for Finance with a score of 90/100 and graduate earnings of $83,876/yr.

What's the ROI on a Finance degree?

The average 10-year earnings multiple is 12.5x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.