The most reputable investment banking schools will be those that send a high number of students to the top investment banks. They should also have an excellent percentage of students being accepted into their programs and provide students groups or programs that are designed to help you get ready for an employment in finance. Cornell, MIT and Columbia all meet this criteria, as well as having prominent alumni in the business and extracurricular activities such as Stern’s finance society and Booth’s famous finance program, which offer opportunities to gain exposure to real-world investment banking challenges.
These schools also tend to have a strong alumni network within the field which is beneficial to network, and they are often located near the financial hub of smaller or regional investment banks. They also have top-rated accounting and finance programs.
When choosing a college, you should also consider your particular interests, the type of career you’d like to pursue and the types of jobs you’re interested in at an investment banking firm. In contrast to other industries, where hiring is more competitive through technical interviews, recruitment for investment banking is heavily dependent on school reputation and the quantity of top performing students that the university can produce every year.
Look into universities like NYU or UMich for undergrads. They have a strong reputation in the business world and are known for their high placement rates and alumni networks. In Europe consider HEC Paris and Oxford’s Said Business School. In Asia you should think about HKUST and CUHK as well as Chinese universities such as Peking University, Tsinghua and Fudan.
