by our College Data Analytics TeamThe 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The education level required is different depending on the finance career you are seeking.
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.
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% |
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.
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 |
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.
Learn about other programs related to Finance & Financial Management that might interest you.
Prepare to advance your current career in finance with Southern New Hampshire University's online Master's in Finance degree program.
Managing and quantifying money is at the heart of the online bachelor's degree in finance at SNHU. You'll learn the fundamentals of investments, address key managerial issues, examine ethics from every angle and build the skillset to be a player in the multidimensional business marketplace.
One of 21 majors within the Business, Management & Marketing area of study, Finance & Financial Management has other similar majors worth exploring.
| 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 |
| 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 |
Image Credit: By Dave Dugdale under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
