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Investment banker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an investment banker. Investment bankers usually study business, finance, or accounting. 69% of investment bankers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 618 real investment banker resumes to see exactly what investment banker education sections show.
The most common colleges for investment bankers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online investment banker courses to help get the education required to be an investment banker.
What education do you need to become an investment banker?
What degree do you need to be an investment banker?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an investment banker?
- Business, 27%
- Finance, 25%
- Accounting, 9%
- Economics, 9%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for investment bankers
| Investment banker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.20% |
| Bryant University | 6.90% |
| Florida International University | 5.75% |
| Southern Methodist University | 5.75% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.75% |
Best majors for investment bankers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 26.8% |
| 2 | Finance | 24.7% |
| 3 | Accounting | 9.2% |
| 4 | Economics | 8.9% |
| 5 | Political Science | 3.7% |
Best colleges for investment bankers
The best colleges for investment bankers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
An investment banker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for investment bankers. 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 investment bankers.
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. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for investment bankers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for investment bankers
The most affordable schools for investment bankers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for investment bankers 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 investment bankers.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for investment bankers
The hardest universities for investment bankers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for investment bankers 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 investment bankers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for investment bankers
The easiest schools for investment bankers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an investment banker 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 investment bankers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
7. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
8. Cleary University
Howell, MI • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,039
9. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
Average investment banker salary by education level
| Investment banker education level | Investment banker salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $205,309 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $162,588 |
| Doctorate Degree | $186,081 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025