Finance internship education requirements

Q: Why should I major in finance?

You should major in finance because it opens you up to jobs in the finance industry, some of the highest-paying jobs one can obtain with a college degree. A degree in finance not only gives you high-paying job opportunities but also enables you to delve into many interesting career paths within finance.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a finance internship. Finance interns usually study finance, business, or accounting. 79% of finance interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 31,249 real finance internship resumes to see exactly what finance internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for finance interns are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.

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

There are certain finance internship certifications that you should consider. These finance internship certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI).

What education do you need to become a finance internship?

What degree do you need to be a finance internship?

The most common degree for finance interns is bachelor's degree, with 79% of finance interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 79%

Master's, 12%

Associate, 6%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a finance internship?

You should major in finance to become a finance internship. 29% of finance interns major in finance. Other common majors for a finance internship include business and accounting.

Finance, 29%

Business, 26%

Accounting, 16%

Economics, 9%

Other Majors, 20%

Most common colleges for finance interns

Finance interns often get their degrees at University of California - Davis, Ohio State University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for finance interns in the US based on their resumes.

Finance internship common college	Percentages
University of California - Davis	7.55%
Ohio State University	6.87%
New York University	6.58%
University of California, Santa Barbara	6.38%
University of Iowa	5.65%

Show more common finance internship colleges

Best majors for finance interns

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Finance	29.0%
2	Business	25.6%
3	Accounting	16.1%
4	Economics	9.4%
5	Political Science	2.8%

Show more common finance internship majors

Best colleges for finance interns

The best colleges for finance interns are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

A finance internship 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 interns. 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 interns.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for finance interns

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17. Corporate Finance #1 Introduction & Financial Statements

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19. Financial Statement Analysis

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20. Finance & Accounting for Management Consultants and Analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for finance interns

The most affordable schools for finance interns are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for finance interns 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 interns.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for finance interns

The hardest universities for finance interns to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for finance interns 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 interns 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

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

The easiest schools for finance interns to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a finance internship 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 interns.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

5. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average finance internship salary by education level

According to our data, finance interns with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $45,099 annually. Finance interns with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $38,981.

Finance internship education level	Finance internship salary
Master's Degree	$45,099
Bachelor's Degree	$38,981
Some College/ Associate Degree	$34,581

Finance internship education FAQs

Is a degree in finance worth it?

Why should I major in finance?

What is the best college for Finance Interns?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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