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# Best Finance Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

This page ranks the 413 Finance programs in the United States by the median earnings of Finance graduates four years after completing, highest first. [University of Pennsylvania](/school/university-of-pennsylvania/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $202,069 four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 398 graduates.

Across the listed programs, the median figure is $75,797, with a spread from $202,069 to $32,925.

Public institutions account for 57% of the programs on the list, with 235 public and 178 private nonprofit schools represented. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College posts the lowest average net price at $3,033, and ranks 2nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

Top 25 of 413 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA | $202,069 | $28,699 | \-$3,012\* | 5.4% |
|  | [University of Pennsylvania](/school/university-of-pennsylvania/majors/) reports [median earnings of $202,069](/school/university-of-pennsylvania/outcomes/) for its Finance graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | Washington University in St Louis · St. Louis, MO | $185,551 | $21,786 | $1,716 | 12.1% |
|  | [Washington University in St Louis](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/majors/) [admits 12% of applicants](/school/washington-university-in-st-louis/admissions/) and its Finance graduates earn a median of $185,551 four years after completing. |
| 3 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | $160,313 | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
|  | [University of Notre Dame](/school/university-of-notre-dame/majors/) ranks 3rd on this list, with [median federal debt of $19,000](/school/university-of-notre-dame/cost/) among Finance completers who borrowed. |
| 4 | Georgetown University · Washington, DC | $152,744 | $40,815 | $5,064 | 12.9% |
|  | [Georgetown University](/school/georgetown-university/majors/) has an [average net price of $40,815](/school/georgetown-university/cost/) and its Finance graduates earn a median of $152,744 four years after completing. |
| 5 | Boston College · Chestnut Hill, MA | $147,746 | $41,704 | $4,284 | 16.4% |
|  | [Boston College](/school/boston-college/majors/) [ranks 156th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/boston-college/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Finance graduates earn a median of $147,746 four years after completing. |
| 6 | Wake Forest University · Winston-Salem, NC | $145,996 | $28,719 | $6,525 | 21.7% |
|  | [Wake Forest University](/school/wake-forest-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $145,996](/school/wake-forest-university/outcomes/) for its Finance graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 22%. |
| 7 | Fordham University · Bronx, NY | $141,860 | $44,338 | $32,474 | 59.3% |
|  | [Fordham University](/school/fordham-university/majors/) ranks 7th on this list, with [median federal debt of $26,870](/school/fordham-university/cost/) among Finance completers who borrowed. |
| 8 | American University · Washington, DC | $134,332 | $41,943 | $23,233 | 62.0% |
|  | [American University](/school/american-university/majors/) has an [average net price of $41,943](/school/american-university/cost/) and its Finance graduates earn a median of $134,332 four years after completing. |
| 9 | Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX | $133,852 | $40,892 | $23,544 | 63.4% |
|  | [Southern Methodist University](/school/southern-methodist-university/majors/) [admits 63% of applicants](/school/southern-methodist-university/admissions/) and its Finance graduates earn a median of $133,852 four years after completing. |
| 10 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $132,075 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) [ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Finance graduates earn a median of $132,075 four years after completing. |
| 11 | Villanova University · Villanova, PA | $131,996 | $43,756 | $17,823 | 27.0% |
|  | [Villanova University](/school/villanova-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $131,996](/school/villanova-university/outcomes/) for its Finance graduates four years after completing, alongside median federal debt of $26,000 among Finance completers who borrowed. |
| 12 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $129,879 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
|  | [Brigham Young University](/school/brigham-young-university/majors/) has an [average net price of $15,564](/school/brigham-young-university/cost/) and its Finance graduates earn a median of $129,879 four years after completing. |
| 13 | Tulane University of Louisiana · New Orleans, LA | $129,850 | $39,949 | $16,126 | 14.0% |
|  | [Tulane University of Louisiana](/school/tulane-university-of-louisiana/majors/) reports [median earnings of $129,850](/school/tulane-university-of-louisiana/outcomes/) for its Finance graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $21,250 among Finance completers who borrowed. |
| 14 | Lehigh University · Bethlehem, PA | $127,210 | $36,931 | $16,917 | 25.9% |
|  | [Lehigh University](/school/lehigh-university/majors/) [admits 26% of applicants](/school/lehigh-university/admissions/) and posts median earnings of $127,210 for Finance graduates four years after completing. |
| 15 | George Washington University · Washington, DC | $126,638 | $36,586 | $17,440 | 47.1% |
|  | [George Washington University](/school/george-washington-university/majors/) ranks 15th on this list, with an [average net price of $17,440](/school/george-washington-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 16 | Belmont University · Nashville, TN | $124,270 | $33,147 | $22,950 | 95.3% |
|  | Belmont University shows a median federal debt of $20,500 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, while its Finance graduates earned a median of $124,270 four years after completing. |
| 17 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $120,274 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
|  | [Syracuse University](/school/syracuse-university/majors/) sits 17th on this page and reports [median earnings of $120,274](/school/syracuse-university/outcomes/) for its Finance graduates four years after completing. |
| 18 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $119,978 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
|  | A public university in Champaign, [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) posts an [average net price of $2,038](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $119,978 for Finance graduates four years after completing. |
| 19 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $118,737 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
|  | [Santa Clara University](/school/santa-clara-university/majors/) reports a [median federal debt of $14,490](/school/santa-clara-university/cost/) among Finance completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $118,737 four years after completing. |
| 20 | Binghamton University · Vestal, NY | $115,013 | $21,620 | $12,171 | 38.6% |
|  | [Binghamton University](/school/binghamton-university/majors/) [ranks 104th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/binghamton-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and lists median earnings of $115,013 for its Finance graduates four years after completing. |
| 21 | Bentley University · Waltham, MA | $113,795 | $37,930 | $21,196 | 45.1% |
|  | [Bentley University](/school/bentley-university/majors/) [admits 45% of applicants](/school/bentley-university/admissions/) and shows an average net price of $21,196 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 22 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $112,319 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) reports [median earnings of $112,319](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/outcomes/) for Finance graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $16,671 among Finance completers who borrowed. |
| 23 | Texas Christian University · Fort Worth, TX | $111,304 | $36,660 | $17,956 | 44.5% |
|  | With [median earnings of $111,304](/school/texas-christian-university/outcomes/) for its Finance graduates four years after completing, [Texas Christian University](/school/texas-christian-university/majors/) ranks 23rd on this list. |
| 24 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $110,648 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
|  | [University of Maryland-College Park](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/) posts an [average net price of $2,962](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 71st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 25 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $110,406 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
|  | [Miami University-Oxford](/school/miami-university-oxford/majors/) reports [median earnings of $110,406](/school/miami-university-oxford/outcomes/) for its Finance graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $28,384. |

\* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.

Continue by region[Best Finance Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-finance-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Best Finance Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-finance-programs-in-the-northeast/)[Best Finance Programs in the South](/rankings/best-finance-programs-in-the-south/)[Best Finance Programs in the West](/rankings/best-finance-programs-in-the-west/)

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Public Finance graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 27 of the 413 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked University of Pennsylvania and second-ranked Washington University in St Louis is $16,518.

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