Undergrad: UMICH vs UVA vs OSU

Hello I want to either work in corporate finance or IB and was wondering which school to attend. At Michigan I would be an economics major with 68k in debt. At UVA I would either be an economics major (51k in debt) or try for McIntire (71k in debt). At Ohio State I would be a finance major, but will be able to attend for free. I do not care where I work as long as it pays well. Thanks.

6 Comments
 

OSU. I’m a sophomore at Michigan and even I’d say so. Not worth the cost given that OSU has some placement into MMs every year. Get an MBA 3 years into your career from a T7 instead.

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."
 
Most Helpful
"Frank Slaughtery" UVA - 50K over four years is nothing in the long run and OSU is a semi-target at best

I love when everyone one this forum acts like $50k in debt is NBD. So out of touch. "you're going into high finance bro, you're going to be a millionaire by 30 anyways"

... except maybe you hate high finance and quit after 2 years. Then that $50k in debt becomes more of a reality.

Take OSU... if you know you want IB before you even hit college, you should be more than fine.

That said, Buck the Fuckeyes

 

The Wolverine in me is crying as I say this, but pick OSU. Michigan's econ majors are often given second looks after recruiters comb through Ross, and from discussions with OSU friends, it's evident that the UM Econ > OSU business recruiting advantage doesn't justify the costs.

I will point out that being in OSU will be a big damper on your chances to land BB/EB relative to the other two programs, but if you're really committed to IB, then you can realistically do MM --> BB in the ~2 years you're out of college.

 

Qui explicabo magni cum vitae velit inventore reprehenderit. Suscipit nemo corrupti non placeat atque quia id maxime.

Deserunt cumque voluptatem sapiente. Iure eum aspernatur minus. Facilis rerum reprehenderit eum repellendus impedit veniam consequatur suscipit. Et iusto ullam non sed et.

Qui quod et sint ut repellat est. Aut quam nemo in.

Nam qui vitae praesentium quos. Culpa consequatur assumenda nihil itaque possimus aspernatur voluptas. Quo illo velit non amet eos velit.

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 97.2%

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 97.2%

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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”