An MBA in finance is invaluable for careers involving money management. And choosing the right school for the best MBA in finance can increase your lifetime earnings by millions of dollars by putting you in the right networks at the right time for the right position.
Finance balances managerial skills with mathematical rigor. Students who have a bright future in finance are those who have a solid understanding of economics, markets, financial theory, and mathematical tools.
Top 5 MBA Programs in Finance
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University – Graduate School of Business | Stanford, California |
| 2 | Harvard Business School | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 4 | MIT Sloan School of Management | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| 5 | University of Chicago – Booth School of Business | Chicago, Illinois |
If you meet the prerequisites, these MBA finance programs could give you both the quantitative chops for modern finance and opportunities for internships at major players in the world of finance.
14 Best MBA in Finance Programs
Stanford University – Graduate School of Business
Stanford University is at the heart of Silicon Valley, one of the best places in the world to become involved in venture capital. Stanford’s finance program is famous for its human touch. It takes more humanities majors than other business schools, and encourages emotional intelligence in its business classes.
School Overview
Harvard Business School
Strictly speaking, Harvard University isn’t a place where you go to get an MBA in finance. There are no majors in the MBA program at Harvard. But recent Harvard graduates who choose to go into finance usually do very well in finance positions immediately after graduation.
School Overview
University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School
Wharton has an internationally renowned for offering the best MBA programs for finance. The philosophy of the Wharton School is that they give their MBA students “Knowledge for Action.” Gaining knowledge and putting it to use are seamlessly integrated into the finance curriculum. Finance students are encouraged to develop leadership skills as well as world-class quantitative skills.
School Overview
MIT Sloan School of Management
Finance MBA students at MIT can graduate in as little as 12 months — provided they arrive with the requisite math skills. (Don’t even apply before you have them.) The finance curriculum at MIT is organized around the most advanced mathematical models and the latest financial theories intended to elevate industry practices.
School Overview
University of Chicago – Booth School of Business
The finance programs for MBAs at the University of Chicago is famous for its emphasis on decision science. There’s a heavy quantitative emphasis, but there are also many students who combine training in law with training in finance here. The University of Chicago is one of the best business schools for finance. Here you can gain expertise in the analysis of contracts as financial assets.
School Overview
INSEAD
INSEAD’s programs in France and China focus on advancing financial theory, but give MBA finance students opportunities to understand the cutting-edge of financial modeling while developing networks in Europe and Asia. It’s one of the best business schools if you are seeking career in international finance.
School Overview
Dartmouth College – Tuck School of Business
Dartmouth specializes in its “bridge to business,” equipping top liberal arts and STEM graduates with the knowledge, tools, and connections they need to succeed as business executives. Students at Dartmouth have a group capstone project rather than an individual thesis project. Being one of the best business schools for finance, It college attempts to instill confidence into its MBA students that they can carry into their careers.
School Overview
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
The finance MBA program at CEIBS has been designed to give students financial depth and managerial breadth. Students study financial theory at the London Business School and learn best financial practices from leading institutions around the world.
School Overview
Rice University – Jones School of Business
Rice offers an online MBA in finance. Students earn 54 credits in as little as two years. The GMAT is not required for students who have seven years of work experience and who demonstrate the quantitative skills needed for the program.
School Overview
Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Business
Northwestern trains MBA students for careers on the corporate side of finance (CFO, investment banker, private equity, venture capital), or the investment side of finance (private wealth management, investment banking, private equity), or the investment side of finance (family asset management, real estate, private wealth management).
Northwestern finance MBA graduates also work in consulting, in product management, and consulting. Northwestern specializes in giving students both quantitative skills and progressively more challenging exercises to develop financial intuition.
School Overview
UCLA Anderson School of Business
Professors at UCLA are world leaders in asset valuation and hedge fund management. It is a premier site for learning about derivatives, micro-structure, and corporate finance.
School Overview
University of Cambridge – Judge Business School
Like Harvard, Cambridge offers an MBA as a broad management degree, but graduates are successful in financial fields.
School Overview
Columbia Business School
Columbia is an unusually cosmopolitan business school in a city where New York University is also located. About half of students from outside the United States. The Columbia University advises students that the ability to learn content on your own is critical. Classes are for discussion of ideas.
School Overview
Yale School of Management
Yale challenges students to develop a deep understanding of financial theory while preparing for careers in public service and corporate leadership.
School Overview
Benefits of an Online MBA in Finance Degree
An online MBA in finance degree can open up new job opportunities in the finance industry. This degree can help you get highly paid jobs in the market. While studying online, you can easily manage your other obligations. However, the financial outcome of an MBA in finance relies on your professional goals.
Here are a few of the most prominent benefits of an online MBA degree in finance.
1. Career Growth
The online MBA in finance program prepares students for managing the financial aspect of a business. As a student, you specialize in finance and gain professional experience in this particular field. This makes you a perfect candidate for the top-ranking and highly paid jobs in the finance industry. You can find yourself eligible for a variety of roles including financial consultant, auditing manager, financial planner, and investment banker. Besides, you can also grab a top-tier position like ‘Chief Financial Officer.
2. Cost Effectiveness
Among other benefits of an online MBA in finance, affordability is worthy to note. This is so, as the tuition fee charged by an on-campus business school does range from $40,000 to $70,000 annually. On the contrary, the tuition fees of the top online accredited MBA programs is fairly affordable. On average, an online MBA in finance program could cost $38,000 annually. So, enrolling in this program won’t be a substantial burden in terms of your financial circumstances.
3. Flexibility to Access Online Lectures
You can access your study materials anywhere and at any time. This factor improves your chances of success in getting an MBA degree in finance. For instance, you can choose a location of your choice where you are comfortable and could concentrate better. Also, there won’t be any trouble working full time while doing your studies.
What Courses Will I Take in an Online MBA in Finance Program?
The courses for online finance MBA programs vary depending on the criteria of a particular business school. However, most common programs include a combination of business management and finance-related courses i.e. Budgeting, Financial Compliance, and Financial Forecasting.
1. Budgeting
This course covers risk analysis, financial data analysis, and cost analysis. Students learn to calculate expenses and revenue generation and use such data to make operating budgets.
2. Financial Compliance
Financial compliance is a specially designed course, which helps students to get familiarized with prevailing compliance regulations and relevant laws. Some of the subtopics include ethics, security, fraud, and risk management.
3. Financial Forecasting
By studying this course, students can improve their financial analysis skills. Besides, financial forecasting also helps students to learn variance analysis, planning, and the ways to use financial statements.
What Can I Do With an Online MBA in Finance Degree?
Most finance MBA programs aim for jobs managing funds. This degree is a useful tool for seeking jobs such as high-level tax positions, certified management accountants, and certified public accountants. A few of these job roles are mentioned below.
1. Certified Public Accountant
Accountants prepare, organize, and review financial records. They also check these documents for tax compliance regulations. In some cases, CPAs also assist their employers with bookkeeping and other financial processes.
2. Finance Director
This job role is created for keeping an eye on the finance department. A finance director monitors financial teams while they are making and implementing their financial strategies. Finance directors are expert in skills like financial analysis, projection, and accounting.
3. Financial Manager
A financial manager is responsible for creating financial strategies and goals for a company. This job role also helps to ensure the better financial health of the organization or company. The prerequisites for this job include leadership and analytical skills.
4. Financial Controller
The job duties of this role involve monitoring financial departments including auditing, accounting, and budgeting. Financial controllers regularly create financial plans, analyses, and projections.
5. Financial Analyst
Financial analysts help private and public companies in terms of making financial investments in different areas. These professionals evaluate the financial aspects of the investing company or individual and perform risk analysis.
What is the Average Salary for Online MBA in Finance Graduates?
The initial salaries for MBA in finance are generous. After gaining some experience, a person holding MBA in finance can easily earn $54,000 annually (approx). Once the degree holder seeks 10 years of experience, the salary could easily reach or even cross the $110,000 benchmark. The salary of a top-tier job role such as ‘Chief Financial Officer’ can reach up to $150,000 annually.
How Long Does it Take to Earn an Online MBA in Finance Degree?
Generally, a full-time on-campus MBA degree in finance could take two years to complete. The overall time required to earn this degree does depend on the course or curriculum. If a student holds an undergraduate business degree or considerable experience, he/she can earn MBA in Finance in just one year. However, an online MBA in finance degree can take somewhere between eighteen months to 3 years to complete.
How Much Does an Online MBA in Finance Degree Cost?
The tuition fee for an online MBA in finance degree is almost similar to what is charged for an on-campus program. But the online MBA degree proves to be cost-effective in a variety of ways. For instance, there are no transportation or residential costs. On average, the tuition fee for an online MBA in finance starts from $38,000 annually.
How we ranked the 14 best MBA finance programs in the world
The graduates of the best MBA finance programs in the world have one thing in common: They earn lots of money. We took the QS Quacquarelli list of 240 world-class business schools offering an MBA in finance and then looked up the average salaries of their graduates three years after graduation in a data set from the Financial Times. We started with the business school that has the highest-paid graduates and worked our way down the list — because any of these schools can provide you with the opportunity for a great business education, but not every school provides you with the connections to earn the highest salaries.est salaries.
But what if I can’t Imagine Attending any of these business schools?
If this is the case, you can attend one of the best business schools listed below. All of these schools offer accredited online MBA finance programs. However, none of them is as prestigious as the 14 business schools on our list, but each of them can help you get a job in finance industry.
- Texas A&M International University offers an online MBA in finance with tuition of just $10,000.
- Southeastern Oklahoma State University has a 100%-online MBA program in finance that you can finish in two years.
- The University of Texas at Dallas also offers a 100%-online MBA in finance.
- Northeastern University‘s online MBA in finance requires 50 semester hours, making it longer than many other programs, but it can be done online.
- The finance MBA program at the University of Arizona is pricey, at $50,000 for 45 semester hours, but it can be completed in 14 months.
Would you like to learn more about earning your MBA in finance?
Please contact us with your questions about earning an MBA in finance. And if you have graduated from any of the programs we listed here, we invite you to share your experiences.
