London vs Zurich vs Frankfurt

Hi there,

I'm in high school and want to work to work in IB so I'm discussing uni options and looking at: Bocconi, HSG, UK unis (LSE, Imperial etc) or German unis (Frankfurt school of Finance, LMU etc). Which of these will give me the best changes for IB and where? Grades, money and language isn't an issue.

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If your goal is investment banking, the strongest and most direct path is clearly the UK, particularly universities like LSE or Imperial, because London is the main IB hub in Europe and offers the best access to on-campus recruiting, internships and alumni networks directly within banks. While Bocconi and HSG are also very strong and well-regarded, especially in Europe, they still provide fewer opportunities overall compared to the UK, meaning you’ll need to rely more on networking to reach the same outcome. German universities like Frankfurt Finance, WHU or LMU are solid for the local market, but they are less relevant for top-tier international IB. Overall, if grades, money and language are not constraints, the UK gives you the highest probability of breaking into IB due to its unmatched pipeline, network and proximity to the industry.

If you decide afterwards to go to another country, especially if you speak German already, it will be more easier if you give it a start in the UK.    

 

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