Undergrad: Stern vs. USC Marshall vs. ND Mendoza vs. UCLA

I've been accepted to these 4 schools and am interested in having a career in business. I do not really have a preference to where I want to work after graduation. I just want to get a good job, then 2 years later, get a MBA.

I've been hearing that Stern would be the best for job placement, especially for finance. However, I am not entirely sure that I want to do finance- I am open to any concentration as of now.

UCLA does not have an undergrad bus. school, but I hear its graduates still do well in the business industry.

What would you guys objectively rank these four schools based on purely job placement and employability?

18 Comments
 

Good picks. I'd pick UCLA & Stern, but people may have different picks. The schools are good in MBA rankings, and you typically get the coursework similar to MBA students.

But I strongly recommend you take a full major in something else, law, math, econ or whatever. You cant see benefits now for sure but it'll worth the investments later.

 

These are all similarly ranked schools, and all quite good. Are you sure you have no location preference? Stern is really going to be quite a different experience from UCLA. Have you visited the campuses?

I suppose Stern has the best placement into finance due to the location but all of these schools are very strong and if you get good grades, you can get an excellent job after you graduate having gone to any of them.

If it were me, I would go to USC or UCLA because I would enjoy living in California more.

 

I currently live on the East Coast, and my parents would obviously prefer me to go to Stern, but on the other hand I would prefer to go to school in Cali b/c of the weather, but it is not a major factor in my college decision. And is it true that USC Marshall is only good for LA/SoCal, and would not amount to much outside of that proximity such as the East Coast?

 

Not sure if it applies to you, but if you're looking for a classic Greek college experience, NYU will seriously disappoint. If you're an artsier person (or whatever) you'll probably love it, I mean it is in NYC after all. Definitely make the rounds at whichever campuses you can, its an easy way to give the nod to a school versus take one off your list.

 

Dude the difference in lifestyle between a USC/UCLA and NYU is immense. You cannot be ambivalent on this aspect of the decision.

In regards to placement those schools are all generally a wash.

Of course USC has stronger pull in California, but why would you pick USC if you wanted to work on the East Coast.

If you go to NYU and decide after a year you don't want to do business you'll be in bad shape.

 
eagles7

I really want a traditional campus experience, great sports teams for my college experience, but at the same time, I do not want to sacrifice better employability and job placement, which I hear Stern is the best out of these colleges.

for you:
  1. ND 2/3. Either UCLA or USC
  2. NYU
 

If you're good enough at NYU, you're good enough at all those other schools too.

Go on LinkedIn and look for analysts from USC/UCLA/ND and I'm sure you'll find plenty.

The lifestyle difference is way bigger than the placement difference.

 

Dude USC/UCLA/ND are well-respected across the country, probably more-so than NYU once you leave NYC. A degree from any of these four schools ticks the box, nothing more nothing less.

Disclosure, I went to one of those other schools.

 

Is attending Notre Dame worth it if I cannot internal transfer into Mendoza, and be forced to major in Econ? (the new business policy restrict Mendoza entrance to those who apply to it directly from the beginning of the process, with a slight chance of internal transfer soph. year).

Is it better to just attend an undergrad bus. school where I am already accepted to such as USC's or NYU Stern, and not take the risk of not being able to internal transfer?

 

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