West Coast Target Schools?

Hi, I'm currently in high school so please be a little patient with me.

So I know I want to go into investment banking, but I want to stay on the west coast. My question is: What schools are seen as targets for the west coast offices? I know that Cal, UCLA, and USC are considered targets, and I was hoping some of you could add more.

Thanks!

35 Comments
 

I wouldn't say "only ones" necessarily. There's a lot of other great schools on the west coast (UCSD, Claremont Mckenna, etc.) but as far as the main targets for west coast IBD, its those 4 schools. Outside of those 4 just requires more legwork

 

Will likely be different in SF vs. LA, but for LA, probably the order of West Coast schools of most analysts to least analysts, considering Target status, is

  • USC (incredible network and UG finance club, most commonly seen IBD Analyst in LA) ->
  • UCLA (very well respected but no finance major, just "business/econ")
  • Berkeley (less common but very good) ->
  • Stanford (rare but it's Stanford) ->
  • Other (Claremont McK, UCSB, UCSD, etc.)

But also, you're competing against more than just west coast schools. There are a lot of Analysts from East Coast schools (e.g. Wharton, Ivy League) as well as Ivey in Canada.

Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.
 

The schools with me most alums in finance are UCLA, USC, and UC Berkeley. As others have mentioned, Claremont Mckenna (CMC) and, to a lesser extent, Pomona College are decent choices as they have fiercely loyal alums and a decent presence in banking.

  • UCLA: Large student body. No undergrad business program (business economics fills this gap)
  • Berkeley: Large student body. Undergraduate business program (Haas) is selective -- you may be forced to choose a different major
  • USC: Fairly large student body. Strong alumni network. Expensive tuition

In terms of USC as overrated, what exactly do you mean? At a private school like USC or CMC you will get a lot more attention as an undergrad (e.g., better research opportunities, smaller class sizes, better class availability, etc.).

 

As a former USC undergrad, I can honestly say that everyone I knew who wanted to get into IB did. I selected it because the network carries immense clout in California, and it has the best greek system on the west coast. Obviously I'm biased, but have zero envy for those who went to a "true" target school.

To clarify another post: the acceptance rate for 2018 was 13% not 16%

 
Funniest

Every school you listed except Stanford is easy to get into.

USC - 16% acceptance rate UCLA - 14% acceptance rate UCB - 15% acceptance rate

Real targets are HYPWS.

Saying USC is a target is like saying Cornell is a target lol.

 

"Target school" means which schools do banks in an area "target hiring" from and actually hire. In New York it's a much bigger deal because there are a specific number of slots for specific schools. The West Coast is completely different, so if you don't know, please hold off on contributing to avoid misleading people. I've led recruiting for 3 years worth of Analyst classes at my BB bank and know how it works at most other banks in LA.

Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.
 

Ut aspernatur itaque laborum. Natus assumenda et dolor dignissimos aut dolorum. Non omnis quibusdam velit. Dolores fuga vel aut sed voluptas qui eius. In maiores eligendi quo facilis ea ipsam quia.

Expedita aut at rerum explicabo ea ut. Accusamus autem qui ipsam autem architecto. Fugiat maxime a vel natus non tempora quasi aspernatur. Voluptate eum aut qui fugit consequatur corrupti reiciendis harum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”