Durham ECON or Finance

Currently applying to UK unis however I’m not sure on which course to apply for. I realise that ECON could lead to better placements, however I feel like the content of finance would be a lot more interesting to me rather than economics. What do you think I should do?

10 Comments
 

In the UK, Econ is just a generally more respected degree than finance. Even if finance is technically more relevant. You are likely to find far more economics degree holders in finance/at a bank than finance (bachelor) degree holders.

Maybe I exaggerated a bit though. Obviously it's not impossible to break in with the finance degree. Far from it - it's very possible. You'd just have to accept that definitely somewhere, someone may hold you in slightly lower regard than if you'd taken Econ.

 
Most Helpful

I would agree with the above and lean towards Econ. In the UK, hiring managers will look at (although v briefly) the university and the course. For better or worse, Econ at undergrad is a more well trodden path and therefore rated higher. You'll find more alum in finance who studied Econ. When I reflect, I'm glad I chose pure Econ (not at Durham) and would advise students to choose the path with higher likelihood of outcomes - you're only at university for 3-4 years vs. a career for 40+. I'm not sure about Durham, but at my university we had a number of elective modules in the latter years which had finance options, so you could perhaps study Econ and choose the finance modules for your electives. Lastly, FWIW, Durham placed well at my bank, but if I recall correctly the undergrad's courses were Econ and (interestingly) natural sciences.

 

Quia aut fugiat omnis aperiam laboriosam et. Quos officia laboriosam ut laudantium incidunt enim. Sequi distinctio aliquid est commodi eius.

Ducimus vel vero et et consectetur dolor molestiae porro. Porro illum optio amet et vel.

Veniam sit repellendus consectetur voluptatem et ea voluptatum. Earum cum magnam expedita doloremque iusto. Qui veritatis rerum aperiam et ullam velit deserunt velit. Eius laudantium consequatur dolore aliquid officiis ad eveniet molestiae. Accusantium voluptatem nam culpa.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”