Vanderbilt vs. UMich (non-Ross) for PE

I'm recently finished up my second-year at a state school and am unsure of whether to transfer to Vanderbilt University or UMich (non-Ross) - will be studying economics at both schools. I was fortunate enough to receive a banking offer for next summer so I'm more interested in what PE recruiting looks like from these schools whether I decide to recruit on-cycle or FT. Also, interested in pursuing an MBA down the line and was wondering if one of these schools would give me a leg up in the admissions process. Any insight would be appreciated. 

10 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Vandy is a small, distinct, private school. Alumni base is going to pull for you way more per capita. To quote something I read on WSO once, "No Michigan alum is gonna pull for you unless you were in the same frat." Obviously, an overexaggerating but I'm sure per-capita-of-the-people-interested-in-finance, Vandy places better. I didn't go to Vandy. This is from my experiences working with people from both schools. And bro, if you are an econ major at UMich, you are actually fucked. Like there are immediately 1600 people ahead of you in the line for finance jobs.

Edit: if you already got a banking offer, maybe pick Michigan actually lmao. Up to you. Disregard the above. I was mostly talking about college recruiting.

 

If you go to Michigan you have to be in the business school (Ross) or you can say goodbye to IB recruiting. I actually go to Umich and am fortunate enough to be in the business school. Trust me, the recruiting process is so heavily favored towards Ross students that econ majors literally do not even try to get into IB. About 100 kids in my Ross class are going into banking. I only know one Umich econ student who got an IB gig and it's at Mizuho lol. 

If you get into the business school at Umich then I would say Michigan all the way. However, comparing Umich econ to Vandy econ I would take Vandy. 

If you want to have a good college experience overall, then I would take Michigan.

 

Deleniti ipsa voluptatibus sit animi officiis illo. Omnis natus deleniti eveniet sequi nulla autem voluptas ea.

Quis tenetur voluptas consequuntur ea rerum. Eum officia quia accusamus in minima. Eos rerum eum dicta nobis. Mollitia nobis id quia perspiciatis quae omnis. Quo fugiat dolores tempore dicta quia.

Quisquam magnam ratione dolor qui inventore molestias est. Nostrum sunt facilis odit autem.

Eligendi atque culpa dolores qui deleniti accusamus ipsum. Nam voluptatem fugiat molestias magni vitae ducimus. Dolorem aliquam delectus quasi alias facere fugiat autem enim. Sit earum rerum itaque. Hic eum modi velit quae debitis. Occaecati earum atque sed.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”