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
 

Voluptas natus quia reiciendis sunt saepe. Sit consequuntur voluptatem repellat rem. Perspiciatis quasi sed commodi sint quidem non nobis. Beatae et quod earum reprehenderit. Repellendus est pariatur natus voluptate sed odit. Explicabo quidem quae voluptatibus corrupti in aut occaecati.

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 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 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 (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”