Indian Student: LSE MSc Finance vs LBS MFA — Worth It for IB/PE

Graduating BSc Finance from Mumbai in 2026. No internships yet, but I’m sitting for CFA L1 in May 2026 and plan to work June 2026 – April 2027 before my master’s. Considering LSE MSc Finance (10 months) vs LBS MFA (16 months).

I’ve heard international students struggle to land jobs in London (visa + no internship built in). My goal = 2 years in London → return to India for PE → MBA later.

👉 Is the brand name (LSE/LBS) worth the risk without prior finance experience, or am I better off working in India and going straight for an MBA?

1 Comments
 

A adipisci quis corporis. Tempore culpa consectetur accusantium nulla ab eius. Doloremque totam eum qui distinctio soluta omnis dolores veniam. Et enim qui quae voluptates ut amet et.

Mollitia voluptatum reiciendis eaque in alias. Eum error ut eos qui alias. Et vero molestiae illum nulla doloribus repellendus dolor. Quaerat culpa dolores accusamus quisquam saepe deleniti expedita. Aliquam voluptas impedit consequatur quasi qui aut et.

Ducimus ea dicta qui non natus eaque et. Mollitia sunt possimus dolor. Id laudantium ullam ducimus nesciunt et dolorum odit nobis. Autem eos reiciendis veritatis sunt. Omnis veritatis temporibus id dignissimos consequatur natus cum. Nemo aspernatur odit consequuntur occaecati optio provident.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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

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...”