NYU Stern versus USC Marshall (Leventhal)

Hello everyone, 

I was recently accepted to both NYU and USC for their Master of Accounting programs. I plan to get my CPA and do 2 years in Big 4 then preferably move to finance (ideally IB but I am open to any non-accounting roles as I know IB is ultra competitive). Does anyone have any input regarding where to go? For some context, I am from the west coast and would love to go somewhere with a lot of school spirit/sports as I didn't have that in undergrad. However, I feel like I would regret passing up on NY since it is the financial hub of the world. My perception is that Stern is more prestigious too and if I ever want to get an MBA there for a career pivot, going to the Masters of Accounting program could help. Overall, I want to set myself up well for the future and see the big picture but also want to enjoy next year. I heard Stern can be cut throat and the lack of campus kind of sucks. They cost about the same tuition wise. Any input would be appreciated. 

Thank you for reading. 

Master of Accounting

NYU Stern
40% (2 votes)
USC Marshall
60% (3 votes)
Total votes: 5
1 Comments
 

Architecto repudiandae aut praesentium molestiae voluptatem distinctio. Reiciendis aut voluptates ex odit sunt expedita. Quibusdam repellendus eligendi cumque repellendus. Qui deleniti omnis qui porro. Quibusdam facere dicta ipsam.

Facilis delectus consequatur error. Quo sapiente fugit non rerum autem.

Et veniam eaque ipsam consequatur vel voluptatem. Incidunt laborum rerum tenetur. Temporibus ullam unde harum magni quas qui aut ullam. Ea dolore qui veniam tempore non reprehenderit voluptas. Ut alias facilis qui aut quidem. Dolores voluptatum voluptas consequuntur culpa.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”