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2023 Finance & Financial Management Degree Guide

The backbone behind any company is its financial team. They budget and manage the capital that firms have acquired and invested. As opposed to accounting, finance is the study of managing and manipulating money, in order to fit into the company's budget and prepare for future success.

A major in Finance & Financial Management teaches students how to make logical financial decisions for organizations. They will learn how to plan, manage, and analyze the financial and economic aspect of business. There are a few concentrations within this major; they include Banking and Financial Support Services, Financial Planning and Services, International Finance, Investments and Securities, Public Finance, and Credit Management. While pursuing this major, you will be taking courses in investments, financial management, international finance, accounting and statistics, and financial markets and institutions.

#14 Most Popular Major
57.8k Degrees Awarded
-0.2% Increase in Graduates

Finance & Financial Management was the 14th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 57,778 degrees in this year alone. This is approximately the same as the 57,893 graduates the prior year.

This year's Best Finance & Financial Management Schools ranking compares 649 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of finance programs later in this article.

2023 Best Colleges for Finance & Financial Management
2023 Overall Best Finance & Financial Management Colleges >

Best Finance & Financial Management Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Finance & Financial Management
Bachelor's Degrees in Finance & Financial Management
Master's Degrees in Finance & Financial Management
Doctorate Degrees in Finance & Financial Management

 

Finance & Financial Management Degree Requirements

Students should enjoy working with numbers and have an interest in learning about money, as well as stock, bonds, forecasting and budgeting. Interest in financial markets would be ideal. Students will flex their creative skills finding solutions to budgets and finance problems.

To prepare for this major, it is advised to take prior courses in Statistics, Economics, Business, Computer applications, and Calculus. This program is not only offered as a Bachelor's Degree, but students can continue onto higher education and receive a Master's or Doctorate.

Prior Education for a Finance Program

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most finance degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific finance careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.

Finance & Financial Management Degree Types

There are various different levels of finance degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in finance and financial management to something that takes less time like a . Depending on the finance and financial management degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.

Degree Credit Requirements Typical Program Length
Associate Degree 60-70 credits 2 years
Bachelor’s Degree 120 credits 4 years
Master’s Degree 50-70 credits 1-3 years
Doctorate Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to finance, with approximately 38.9% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to finance tend obtained the following education levels.

Level of Education Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree 38.6%
High School Diploma 20.1%
Master’s Degree 10.3%
Some College Courses 8.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 6.7%

Most workers in finance have at least a bachelor's degree. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in finance and financial management careers have.

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The education level required is different depending on the finance career you are seeking.

Career Opportunities for Finance Majors

Above Average Number of Jobs
$53.5k Average Starting Salary
8% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

Graduates with a degree in Finance and Financial Management will typically enter into careers as Financial Managers and Analysts. These professionals work in various firms and oversee their financial activates and plan for their present and future success.

Another path that is possible for graduates is to become Personal Financial Advisors. These professionals work with people to manage their money, both for short and long term. There is a large demand for these Advisors, due to the recent financial crisis and amount of baby boomers retiring.

Growth Projected for Finance Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your finance degree? Finance & Financial Management careers are expected to grow 7.6% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to finance and financial management.

Occupation Name Projected Jobs Expected Growth
General and Operations Managers 2,468,300 9.1%
Financial Managers 689,000 18.7%
Tellers 460,900 -8.3%
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents 398,900 6.2%
Loan Officers 354,900 11.4%

Finance Degree Salary Potential

Recently graduated finance and financial management students earned an average of $53,520 in 2019-2020. Earnings can range from as low as $15,421 to as high as $189,905. As you might expect, salaries for finance graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

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Highest Paid Finance Careers

Salaries for finance and financial management graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers finance grads often go into.

Occupation Name Median Average Salary
Chief Executives $200,140
Financial Managers $146,830
General and Operations Managers $123,880
Personal Financial Advisors $121,770
Business Professors $103,330

Getting Your Finance & Financial Management Degree

With over 1,905 different finance degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased finance school rankings to help you with this.

One of 21 majors within the Business, Management & Marketing area of study, Finance & Financial Management has other similar majors worth exploring.

Finance Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Finance 51,779
Financial Planning & Services 4,087
Banking and Financial Support Services 1,022
Other Finance and Financial Management Services 362
Investments and Securities 346

View All Finance Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 416,590
Accounting 99,265
General Business/Commerce 56,042
Marketing 52,916
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 43,382

View All Finance Related Majors >

References

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