The best investment banking institutions are those that consistently place numerous students into top investment banks, boast impressive student-to-bank ratios, and offer specialized programs or student groups that assist you in preparing for a career in finance. Cornell, MIT and Columbia all meet this requirement in addition to having prominent alumni in the industry and extracurricular activities like Booth’s finance society, and Stern’s famous finance program that provide the opportunity to learn about the real-world problems of investment banking.
These schools also typically have a high alumni network in the industry, which is helpful to network, and they are often located near the financial hub of small or regional investment banks. They also have top-ranked accounting and finance programs.
When choosing a school, you must also think about your personal interests, the kind of career you’d like to pursue and what positions you’re interested in with an investment banking company. Investment banking hiring is heavily influenced by the school’s reputation and the number of top-performing students that the school produces each year.
For students who are just beginning their studies, look into universities such as NYU and UMich, which have strong reputations in the field of business and are well-known for their alumni networks and high rate of placement. In Europe you should think about HEC Paris and Oxford Said Business School. In Asia, look at HKUST, CUHK and Chinese universities like Peking University, Tsinghua, and Fudan.