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Finance engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a finance engineer. Finance engineers usually study finance, economics, or mathematics. 56% of finance engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 37% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 288 real finance engineer resumes to see exactly what finance engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for finance engineers are the James Madison University and the James Madison University.

There are also many online finance engineer courses to help get the education required to be a finance engineer.

What education do you need to become a finance engineer?

What degree do you need to be a finance engineer?

The most common degree for finance engineers is bachelor's degree, with 56% of finance engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 37% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Master's, 37%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a finance engineer?

You should major in finance to become a finance engineer. 24% of finance engineers major in finance. Other common majors for a finance engineer include economics and mathematics.

Most common colleges for finance engineers

Finance engineers often get their degrees at James Madison University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University. Here are the most common colleges for finance engineers in the US based on their resumes.
Finance engineer common collegePercentages
James Madison University11.59%
Georgia Institute of Technology8.70%
Johns Hopkins University8.70%
DePaul University8.70%
University of Chicago7.25%

Best majors for finance engineers

RankMajorPercentages
1Finance24.4%
2Economics10.5%
3Mathematics10.5%
4Electrical Engineering9.1%
5Business7.7%

Best colleges for finance engineers

The best colleges for finance engineers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University.

A finance engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for finance engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become finance engineers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

7. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

20 best online courses for finance engineers

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7. Investment Banking and Finance: Private Equity Finance

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8. Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management - Core Finance

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20. Financial Statement Analysis - Ratio Analysis

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Top 10 most affordable universities for finance engineers

The most affordable schools for finance engineers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for finance engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for finance engineers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for finance engineers

The hardest universities for finance engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for finance engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for finance engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for finance engineers

The easiest schools for finance engineers to get into are Barry University, linfield college, and iona college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a finance engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for finance engineers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

3. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

7. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,073

8. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

9. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average finance engineer salary by education level

Finance engineers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $125,087 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, finance engineers earn a median annual income of $104,375 compared to $88,675 for finance engineers with an Associate degree.
Finance engineer education levelFinance engineer salary
Master's Degree$125,087
Bachelor's Degree$104,375
Some College/ Associate Degree$88,675

Finance engineer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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