Best Finance Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)

431 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Finance, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Finance graduate earns $55,341/yr across 431 schools.

What do Finance graduates do? See career paths and salaries →

Why BYU's Unique Culture Breeds Finance Success

Brigham Young University's #1 ranking isn't accidental; it's a direct result of its unique institutional culture. A large percentage of students complete two-year missions, returning with maturity, foreign language skills, and sales experience—all highly prized in global finance. This, combined with a strict honor code and a powerful, tight-knit alumni network, creates a pipeline of disciplined, trustworthy candidates that top investment banks and corporations actively recruit for their integrity and work ethic.

The Public Powerhouses: Elite Finance Training Without the Elite Price Tag

The most dominant pattern in our rankings is the near-total takeover by public universities, which claim 18 of the top 20 spots. Flagship institutions like The University of Texas at Austin (#2) and the University of Florida (#3) offer powerful corporate recruiting pipelines and massive alumni networks that rival private elites. This demonstrates that for finance, a high-prestige, high-cost degree isn't the only path to a high-paying career; state schools deliver exceptional value and a massive return on investment.

The ROI Kings: Why Low Tuition Can Beat a High Salary

The most surprising data points aren't the high earners, but the schools delivering massive returns on a modest investment. Brigham Young University-Idaho (#13) provides a staggering 56.5x ROI, the highest in our analysis. This isn't driven by a top-tier salary ($56,043/yr) but by an astonishingly low four-year tuition of $18,624. Similarly, Utah Valley University (#8) offers a 36.3x ROI. These schools prove that the smartest financial decision is often minimizing your initial cost, not just maximizing your potential income.

Finance in the AI Era: Your Brain, Not Your Fingers

Our data shows 100% of finance programs face high exposure to AI, with an average of 58.6% of tasks being automatable. This doesn't mean your job is disappearing; it means the grunt work is. AI will build the models and pull the data. Your value as a human will be in interpreting the output, managing complex client relationships, and making high-stakes judgment calls that a machine can't. Success in finance is no longer about being the best spreadsheet builder; it's about using the tools to become the sharpest thinker in the room.

Programs Ranked
431
Avg Earnings
$55,341/yr
Avg DW Score
72/100
AI Risk
Very High
59% task exposure

All Finance Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 Brigham Young University
Provo, UT · Private nonprofit
90
87–92
$83,876/yr 44.7x
2 The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public
89
86–91
$81,844/yr 23.9x
3 University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public
88
85–89
$70,663/yr 38.9x
4 University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public
88
86–90
$75,689/yr 24.3x
5 Binghamton University
Vestal, NY · Public
88
86–90
$73,598/yr 27.0x
6 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public
87
84–88
$68,681/yr 22.8x
7 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
86
84–88
$75,381/yr 17.5x
8 Utah Valley University
Orem, UT · Public
86
83–87
$60,947/yr 36.3x
9 University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · Public
86
84–88
$68,066/yr 24.9x
10 James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA · Public
86
84–87
$67,849/yr 19.9x
11 University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
85
83–86
$66,427/yr 18.5x
12 University of Georgia
Athens, GA · Public
85
83–87
$67,444/yr 20.3x
13 Brigham Young University-Idaho
Rexburg, ID · Private nonprofit
85
83–87
$56,043/yr 56.5x
14 Ohio University-Eastern Campus
Saint Clairsville, OH · Public
85
82–86
$59,305/yr 34.2x
15 Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus
Chillicothe, OH · Public
85
82–86
$59,305/yr 34.2x
16 Ohio University-Southern Campus
Ironton, OH · Public
85
82–86
$59,305/yr 34.2x
17 Ohio University-Lancaster Campus
Lancaster, OH · Public
85
82–86
$59,305/yr 34.2x
18 Ohio University-Zanesville Campus
Zanesville, OH · Public
85
82–86
$59,305/yr 34.2x
19 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public
85
82–86
$66,904/yr 21.8x
20 Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public
85
83–87
$71,409/yr 18.1x
21 University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
85
83–87
$63,500/yr 20.0x
22 University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA · Public
85
83–86
$63,500/yr 19.7x
23 Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · Public
84
82–86
$56,516/yr 38.3x
24 University of Maryland Global Campus
Adelphi, MD · Public
84
81–85
$61,003/yr 24.5x
25 Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public
84
81–85
$65,181/yr 17.2x
26 Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL · Public
84
81–85
$55,882/yr 33.8x
27 Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Public
83
81–85
$63,054/yr 17.8x
28 San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public
83
81–85
$62,778/yr 25.0x
29 University of Delaware
Newark, DE · Public
83
80–84
$66,889/yr 14.4x
30 University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA · Public
83
81–84
$59,965/yr 19.4x
31 Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public
83
81–84
$68,103/yr 14.5x
32 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public
83
81–85
$69,094/yr 14.6x
33 Rutgers University-Camden
Camden, NJ · Public
83
80–84
$68,338/yr 13.8x
34 Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public
83
80–84
$68,338/yr 13.7x
35 Rutgers University-Newark
Newark, NJ · Public
83
81–84
$68,338/yr 14.3x
36 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY · Public
83
80–84
$54,991/yr 27.6x
37 University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public
83
80–84
$62,231/yr 17.0x
38 Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX · Public
83
80–84
$58,535/yr 18.5x
39 Utah State University
Logan, UT · Public
83
81–85
$61,371/yr 21.9x
40 George Mason University
Fairfax, VA · Public
83
81–85
$62,989/yr 16.6x
41 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public
83
81–85
$66,601/yr 15.4x
42 California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA · Public
83
80–84
$54,408/yr 27.2x
43 University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT · Public
83
80–84
$67,009/yr 14.0x
44 University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT · Public
83
80–84
$67,009/yr 14.0x
45 University of Connecticut-Stamford
Stamford, CT · Public
83
80–84
$67,009/yr 14.0x
46 University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT · Public
83
80–84
$67,009/yr 14.0x
47 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · Public
82
80–84
$56,387/yr 21.2x
48 University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL · Public
82
80–84
$56,415/yr 29.2x
49 University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS · Public
82
80–84
$57,884/yr 18.4x
50 University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · Public
82
80–83
$68,920/yr 13.2x

Scores calculated using College Scorecard, BLS, and AI task-exposure data. See full methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Finance?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, Brigham Young University ranks #1 for Finance with a score of 90/100 and graduate earnings of $83,876/yr.
How much do Finance graduates earn?
Across 431 schools, Finance graduates earn an average of $55,341/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $122,698/yr.
Is Finance a good major for AI resistance?
Finance has an average AI task exposure of 59%, rated "Very High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.

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