If you want to study a master’s in finance, and you’re trying to decide on a university in the US or Canada, the new QS Masters in Finance Rankings is a good place to start, currently featuring 131 universities and business schools, including 49 in the US and four in Canada. The ranking is based on a methodology that assesses each institution’s reputation amongst academics and employers, alumni outcomes, student & faculty diversity and other factors.
Read on for an overview of the top 10 universities for master’s in finance degrees in the US and Canada.
1. MIT Sloan School of Management
Ranked second in the QS Masters in Finance Rankings (after London Business School), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Sloan School of Management is featured for its Master of Finance degree and receives a perfect score for the ‘thought leadership’ indicator, demonstrating its huge academic standing and history of revolutionary ideas in management and finance, such as Theory X and Theory Y and the Solow–Swan model. Sloan’s motto, mens et manus (mind and hand) reflects the school’s emphasis on finding practical solutions to real problems.
2. UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business is ranked fifth for its Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) degree, with full marks in the ‘value for money’ and ‘thought leadership indicators’. The course includes a 10-week internship, with students getting placements at companies such as Barclays, Morgan Stanley, the Bank of America and Uber. Students of Haas are therefore highly employable, and earn an average starting salary of US$155,514.
3. UCLA Anderson School of Management
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)’s Anderson School of Management is ranked seventh in the masters in finance ranking, with its Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) degree allowing students to learn from world-renowned faculty and prominent guest lecturers, and applying what they’ve learnt through a a summer internship and a hands-on Applied Finance Project (AFP), in which students can expand their professional networks and gain valuable exposure to possible employers.
4. University of Toronto Rotman School of Management
Heading to Canada, the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is ranked 14th for its Master of Financial Risk Management degree, earning a very high score for the ‘thought leadership’ category, which takes into account staff with a PhD, research impact, and a global survey of academics. Rotman’s master’s degree offers strong connections to the finance industry and a two-month applied Risk Management Project, giving students the chance to with risk management professionals.
5. NYU Stern School of Business - MS in Global Finance
New York University (NYU)’s School of Business is ranked 23rd in the QS Masters in Finance rankings, earning very high scores for its alumni outcomes and thought leadership. Offered in collaboration with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), its MS in Global Finance degree is a one-year program with classes held in Hong Kong, New York and Shanghai. Students take 12 courses and one Integrative Group Project, in which they form small groups to work on real-world finance challenges.
6. USC Marshall School of Business - MSc in Finance
The University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business is ranked just one place behind NYU at 24th, and achieves a very strong score for the alumni outcomes category. Its MSc in Finance degree includes a range of elective courses on topics such as real estate and mergers and acquisitions. No minimum years of work experience required to apply, and the program is open to those who didn’t study business for their undergraduate degree.
7. Texas McCombs School of Business
Next in our look at the best places in the US and Canada to study a masters in finance, the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business is ranked 30th, again earning an impressive score for its alumni outcomes. Its Master of Science in Finance degree gives students a fast-paced introduction to finance theory combined with excel modeling and a range of other quantitative skills. The class size is only 50 students, which enables good quality student-professor interaction.
8. Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business - Quantitative & Computational Finance
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)’s Scheller College of Business is ranked 32nd in the masters in finance ranking, receiving a very high score for the ‘value for money’ indicator. Its Master of Science degree in Quantitative and Computational Finance (QCF) is interdisciplinary, taught between the university’s schools of engineering, business and mathematics. The course provides students with a strong foundation of quantitative and computational skills to use in complex mathematical modeling, as well as solid, practical knowledge of finance theory.
9. Ohio State Fisher College of Business - Master in Finance
Ranked 34th for its Master in Finance degree, Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business also achieves a very strong score for ‘value for money’, which takes into account students’ 10-year investment into their master’s degree. The course includes 15 hours of elective coursework, allowing students to tailor their degree and meet students from other courses within the college. Students can also broaden their knowledge and connections through co-curricular field trips and other activities with the university’s partner institutes, such as the Columbus CFA Society.
10. Boston Questrom School of Business - Master of Science in Mathematical Finance
Concluding our list is Boston University’s Questrom School of Business is ranked 38th for its Master of Science in Mathematical Finance (MSMF), a 17-month program in which students gain an indispensable knowledge of the complex relations between the numerous components of the modern financial system, specializing in Asset Management, Quantitative Analytics or Risk Management. The school achieves a very high score for its ‘alumni outcomes’, with the Class of 2016 earning an average salary of US$84,000.
Other top universities in Canada for Master’s in Finance degrees
In addition to the University of Toronto, three more top Canadian universities are ranked among the world’s best for master’s in finance degrees. These are HEC Montreal, ranked joint 52nd for its MSc in Finance degree, the Alberta School of Business, ranked 85th for its Master of Financial Management degree, and Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, ranked in the 101+ range, which achieves the highest score among Canadian universities for its class & faculty diversity.
