Fordham vs. Villanova vs. URichmond vs. IU Kelley

Hello everyone, 

I know that school choice questions like this are asked all the time, especially from starry-eyed high school seniors. However, like many, I am looking to break into investment banking out of undergrad. I am currently deciding between Fordham, Villanova, and the University of Richmond. I also got direct admission into the Kelley School of Business; however, I don't think I would like such a big school, and it doesn't seem that great for investment banking if you aren't able to get into the IBW. Obviously, none of these schools are targets, but if you had to choose, which one would give me the best chance of breaking into IB out of undergrad?

4 Comments
 

IU Kelly has the best placement out of all the schools you mentioned by a good margin and Villanova is runner-up. Largely because the alumni base is huge, so lots of ppl on Wall St to coffee chat. That said, don't go to a large school if you think you'll be miserable there. There are plenty of kids from non-targets who land at great banks because they networked well. The school matters less than you might think. 

 

Is it worth considering that the number of people in IB from Kelley is also influenced by the sheer amount of kids compared to the size of VSB, Gabelli, Robins, etc? 

Also, I'm definitely not dismissing Kelly, as it is the most affordable of the four schools and undoubtedly places well; however, I'm not sure if I want to place the entirety of my prospects of getting into IB just on getting into the IBW.

 

I would choose Fordham (NYC is an advantage if you use it effectively) or Nova (ok mm ib placement typically) get a 4.0 and then transfer into a target school or high semi target with a large alumni network. Many of these schools have higher transfer acceptances than their undergrad rate (Cornell, UVA, Columbia, ND, Northwestern, Gtown, Vanderbilt, or schools like UNC)

Doing this will get you a lot more chances at bat during sophomore recruiting and gets prestige behind your brand

 

Recusandae ex consequatur perspiciatis. Odio rerum id itaque error quam vitae qui. Temporibus enim numquam nesciunt sunt.

Veritatis quia quos qui a. Velit labore dolores consequatur rem corrupti. Cum velit provident sunt repudiandae assumenda temporibus sunt. Necessitatibus repellat est quidem dolor distinctio. Minima et nulla eum.

Sed rerum quisquam rerum et praesentium hic sint. Non magnam non maxime delectus voluptates et vel illum. Aut ut et sit voluptates odit aut. Ad rerum dolore voluptas et placeat. Fugiat quibusdam recusandae ut doloribus consequuntur eveniet sapiente eius. Qui molestiae nisi aut in labore. Ex accusamus molestiae et consequuntur quaerat soluta velit autem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”