Erasmus University Rotterdam or UT Dallas – Need Guidance
Hi all,
I’m a high school senior trying to decide between Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands) and University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) for undergrad. I would really appreciate any insight, especially from people in finance, banking, or international students who’ve been through similar decisions.
Background:
- Current Residence: United States (been here since I was 5)
- Citizenship Status: Not a U.S. citizen, no green card
- Career Goal: Work in Investment Banking or Private Equity (ideally in the U.S.)
- Money: Not an issue—cost is not a deciding factor
- Language/Cultural Fit: Grew up in the U.S., fluent in English, some international exposure
- Length of Programs:
- Erasmus: 3-year BSc + 1-year Master’s in Finance/Econ
- UTD: 4-year undergrad in Finance or similar
Why I’m Conflicted:
Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is one of the top economics and finance schools in Europe, especially known for its international exposure, career-oriented courses, and accelerated structure. The opportunity to study in Europe and finish my master’s by age 22 is appealing. It also offers a global perspective and strong academic rigor.
BUT—I'm concerned about how this choice would impact my goal of working in Private Equity or Investment Banking in the United States. I'm not sure how portable a European undergrad/master's is to the U.S. finance job market, especially without citizenship or a green card. I know breaking into U.S. IB is hard even for domestic students, so coming from Europe might complicate the process further.
UT Dallas, on the other hand, is solid but not a “target” school for IB/PE. However, it keeps me physically present in the U.S., which might make networking, internships, and post-grad opportunities more accessible. I might be able to transfer later or leverage strong grades and internships to move up. I’m just worried about the perceived prestige or lack of international brand compared to Erasmus.
My Questions:
- Given that I hope to work and live in the U.S. long-term, would attending Erasmus hurt my chances of breaking into U.S. finance roles?
- Is it realistic to aim for U.S. IB/PE with a European degree and no U.S. work authorization?
- Would UTD, despite being non-target, provide better long-term immigration and career positioning?
- Does the prestige and fast-track of Erasmus outweigh the U.S. location and recruiting advantages of UTD?
Thanks for reading—any advice from students, grads, or professionals who’ve navigated international paths to finance would be massively appreciated.
If cost isn’t an issue why is UT dallas your US choice? Also if you live in the US and want to work in the US going to Netherlands for college will not help you, you truly would be better at a school like UT dallas.
It’s less about spending the money and more about spending it responsibly. A lot of U.S. schools are very expensive but don’t necessarily offer better academic quality. I’m also very set on getting a master’s or MBA, so I’m trying to be conservative with undergrad costs. If a program truly justifies the higher price, it’s something my family and I are willing to invest in. I've gotten into IU Kelley for example but after talking to various people in the field, paying 53K a year for Kelley vs. 8K a year for UTD is not worth is considering my goals and future plans.
That makes more sense given the context, personally know somebody from UT dallas in banking so definitely possible. The biggest thing is determining city you want to be in post-grad to help target your efforts. Overall not too hard to stand out at a school like UT dallas for finance so just apply yourself to networking and recruiting and you will be fine.
Erasmus is a great school if you want to stay in Europe. If you want to work in the US, then UT Dallas is better as it will be more recognized (no uni in europe can beat a good or mid US uni in terms of reputation in the US). Hard that you don't have the green card will complicate things. Source: American having studied at Erasmus ;)
Get your Green card or Citizenship asap. You do not need to hand in your Dutch/EU passport. Also I know the great reputation of Erasmus in Europe (its justified) but US employers dont know about this and won't care. If you want to work in US 1. get citizenship 2. pick a well known US college (UT is fine) and get the highest GPA you possibly can in the first 2 years of college.
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