Cornell vs Stern vs Northwestern vs UCLA for a career on Wall Street

I have to choose between Cornell's Policy Analysis and Management major in the College of Human Ecology, NYU Stern, Northwestern's Economics major, and UCLA's Financial Mathematics major for an undergraduate degree. Stern seems to be the obvious choice, but it is a bit above my price range, being $72,000 a year. Northwestern just a hair cheaper at $70,000 a year. UCLA is $63,000 a year, and Cornell is $52,000 a year since I am a NYS resident. The Policy Analysis and Management major at Cornell does send graduates to investment banking, but it is not close to the level of Dyson or CAS Econ. Which institution should I attend, taking into account prestige, price, and job placement?

1 Comments
 

Voluptatem ut molestias optio magni dolorem facilis. Recusandae pariatur odit dicta et molestiae voluptate aut voluptatum. Id est sed quia unde iure.

Est nihil eum deleniti numquam reprehenderit adipisci. Tempora omnis aut est amet nihil deserunt cupiditate deserunt. Illo dolorem ut non et. Est et nam quibusdam et repellendus soluta.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”