Is an Master's in Finance Worth It?

Currently a rising senior at a non-target. I've been considering getting a master's in finance to buy myself an extra year for recruiting, gain more experience/become more knowledgeable in finance. Want to get into IB, but SA recruiting was unsuccessful. Sophomore year I did MM commercial banking internship, now at the same place but in their FSG. I feel like I have an strong resume and experience (GPA holding me back), but I also feel like a Master's would be leverage and help my odds of getting into a full-time IB role. 

Those of you who have completed a Master's, was it worth the cost? How has it helped you in your career/job so far? Did it leverage your profile when recruiting? 

1 Comments
 

Enim quis non animi doloribus. Voluptatem odio ipsa quo vitae.

Pariatur quia nihil accusamus assumenda. Dignissimos consequatur nihil architecto. Labore inventore id debitis dolorem suscipit. Quia mollitia voluptate aut voluptas omnis mollitia sunt. Et saepe deleniti in ratione corporis veniam.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 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

July 2026 Investment Banking

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

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

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”