By: Amani Teshome, Student, Boston College
Many colleges are renowned for their impressive undergraduate business schools and programs. Within these schools, arguably the most popular major is Finance. Whether driven by a passion for numbers and an understanding of the market or motivated by the idea of being the next Gordon Gecko (minus the whole going to jail/insider trading part) many undergrads are declaring Finance as their major. Although it is possible to learn a lot about Finance at any university, some stand out as better than others. A combination of a strong career center, notable alumni who look out for graduates from their alma mater, campus recruiters from large companies, experienced professors and a high starting salary set these schools apart.
Many business schools are also doing a better job of stressing the importance of studying other business concentrations. So, although you may aspire to be the next CFO of a Fortune 500 company, you will fare far better if you have learned the basics of, say, accounting, or operations, or marketing. These are all important facets of the business world and will help you better understand the ins and outs of the company you work for.
Recently, business schools have been requiring students take these types of classes under the umbrella term “core classes” to broaden their business knowledge. This is, again, what sets good undergraduate programs apart from others; the ones that allow you to learn all there is to learn about Finance while teaching you the other sides of the business.
This combination is a sure fire way to succeed, just ask any of the recent graduates from the list of the top 10 undergrad business schools. They may not all be making six-figures right out of the gate (trust me, not many do), but they definitely feel comfortable dealing with other areas of business besides Finance.
Here’s a look at some of the best programs in the country:
University of Notre Dame (Mendoza)
Annual Tuition: $42,464
Full-Time Enrollment: 1,926
Average Class Size: 33
Job Placement: 90%
Top Industry: Financial services (34%), Accounting (16%), Consulting (12%)
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
Annual Tuition: $39,088
Full-Time Enrollment: 2,545
Average Class Size: 36
Job Placement: 94.5%
Top Industry: Financial Services (59%), Consulting (23%), Consumer Products/Retail (7%)
University of Virginia (McIntire)
Annual Tuition: $9,622
Full-Time Enrollment: 685
Average Class Size: 41
Job Placement: 97%
Top Industry: Financial Services (46%), Consulting (25%), Accounting (9%)
MIT (Sloan)
Annual Tuition: $41,770
Full-Time Enrollment: 123
Average Class Size: 35
Job Placement: 97%
Top Industry: Financial Services (55%), Consulting (13%), Technology/Science (13%)
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ross)
Annual Tuition: $13,040
Full-Time Enrollment: 1,328
Average Class Size: 62.5
Job Placement: 91%
Top Industry: Consulting (27%), Financial Services (16%),
Manufacturing (8%)
Boston College (Carroll)
Annual Tuition: $43,140
Full-Time Enrollment: 1,956
Average Class Size: 37
Job Placement: 92%
Top Industry: Accounting, Finance, and Management Information Systems
University of Texas- Austin (McCombs)
Annual Tuition: $10,738
Full-Time Enrollment: 4,093
Average Class Size: 50
Job Placement: 99%
Top Industry: Financial Services (21%), Consulting (16%), Consumer Products/Retail (13%)
University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)
Annual Tuition: $5,823
Full-Time Enrollment: 678
Average Class Size: 41
Job Placement: 97%
Top Industry: Financial Services (43%), Consumer Products/Retail (21%), Consulting (13%)
Emory University (Goizueta)
Annual Tuition: $42,400
Full-Time Enrollment: 698
Average Class Size: 43.1
Job Placement: 91%
Top Industry: Financial Services (42%), Accounting (15%), Consulting (14%)
Washington University (Olin)
Annual Tuition: $44,100
Full-Time Enrollment: 761
Average Class Size: 49
Job Placement: 98%
Top Industry: Financial Services (37%), Consumer Products/Retail (21%), Consulting (10%)
