Best Investment Banking Schools

Investment banking is a career that requires more than an undergraduate degree. You must have a certain amount of GPA, specialized capabilities, and a robust network to enter the field. Many aspiring financial professionals are wondering which colleges will benefit them most in pursuing their career they want to pursue.

Bulge bracket investment banks generally employ analysts and associate positions from a small group of universities. These are known as “target schools.” If you’re looking to get an executive position at a top investment bank, it’s imperative that you attend one of these schools.

The top investment banking school is one which consistently sends a significant number of graduates to largest investment banks and has impressive placement rates for students in the undergrad level. Some of these schools offer extracurricular activities and student groups which expose students to the business. Examples include the Stern Finance Society or Booth’s renowned Finance Curriculum.

This year, Cornell tops the list of the top investment banking institutions followed by MIT and Columbia. All three schools are Ivy League and have a history of sending graduates to Wall Street. The University of Texas at Austin also made the list. Its McCombs School of Business has a finance major, and also an Investment Banking track.

While you can still get into a top investment bank even when you don’t attend a target school however, it’s much more difficult. The most realistic path for non-target students is to sign with a middle market regional firm and then slowly virtual data room lateral to the bulge bracket.