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Investment banking associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an investment banking associate. Investment banking associates usually study finance, business, or economics. 66% of investment banking associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,496 real investment banking associate resumes to see exactly what investment banking associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for investment banking associates are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online investment banking associate courses to help get the education required to be an investment banking associate.
What education do you need to become an investment banking associate?
What degree do you need to be an investment banking associate?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 31%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Associate, 0%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an investment banking associate?
- Finance, 33%
- Business, 20%
- Economics, 15%
- Accounting, 8%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for investment banking associates
| Investment banking associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 13.98% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 9.23% |
| University of Southern California | 8.18% |
| University of Chicago | 6.86% |
| Georgetown University | 6.33% |
Best majors for investment banking associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | 33.2% |
| 2 | Business | 20.3% |
| 3 | Economics | 14.5% |
| 4 | Accounting | 8.4% |
| 5 | Political Science | 3.2% |
Best colleges for investment banking associates
The best colleges for investment banking associates are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
An investment banking associate 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 banking associates. 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 banking associates.
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 investment banking associates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for investment banking associates
The most affordable schools for investment banking associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for investment banking associates 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 banking associates.
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 investment banking associates
The hardest universities for investment banking associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for investment banking associates 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 banking associates 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. 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for investment banking associates
The easiest schools for investment banking associates 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 an investment banking associate 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 banking associates.
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 investment banking associate salary by education level
| Investment banking associate education level | Investment banking associate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $139,592 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $118,696 |
| Doctorate Degree | $167,014 |
Investment banking associate education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025