MFE Programs -who needs 'em?

Hello, I've been working in finance for a year now and am exploring new careers. I am interested in financial engineering, and have a master's degree in finance. I would consider going to an MFE but would rather not due to the expense. That being said, I have two questions:

1: since I already know some stats and stats related programs, could I get into financial engineering by self-teaching the rest and networking?

2: what online classes should I take to learn more about this career option?

3: what are the most highly thought of MFE Programs in the US?

Thanks!

5 Comments
 

What is your undergrad in? Where is your finance degree from? What math heavy courses have you taken? How old are you? What do you do now?

If you don't have a STEM background, an mfin prob isn't enough to get in. An MFE on top of an Mfin would look pretty weird to admissions and recruiters.

 

My undergraduate was in econ, and the finance degree was from a non-target. I took econometrics, calc, and some programming courses (Python, SQL, etc). I'm in my mid 20s, and work at a ratings agency.

The finance degree was more focused on portfolio management than financial engineering though there was a bit of that (we learned Stata and used MatLab a bit). What do you think is the right path?

"There's nothing you can do if you're too scared to try." - Nickel Creek
 
Best Response

Depends on why you want to go into financial engineering.

If you love math and programming and finance and want to spend the next 10+ years in crunching numbers and solving problems, and can be a top of class student in a decent program try going for an mfe. Quantnet would be the place to checkout. Pretty much anything in the top 20 of their rankings will be okay, but you may want to go for a more "prestigious" program if you feel your current background will hold you back.

If the above doesn't apply, I would avoid it an MFE. The overall cost will be really high (probably looking at $150k+ factoring in lost earnings), the risk will be high (if you're not top 25%, you'll probably end up in risk management), and the marginal earnings will be low (you already have a masters).

If you are just looking to make more money, you could consider hopping over to a credit fund. The CFA could be helpful to break in, especially from an $ invested perspective.

If you're bored, I can't really help, but I'd say quitting to spend 50k on tuition to end up in a similar office in front of a computer (with more numbers on the screen) probably won't be leagues better. Maybe something like commercial banking (where your xp will be recognized) would be a change of pace?

Just my $0.02

 

Iure eum voluptatem esse et ad et. Nobis sit rerum vel voluptates ipsam. Aliquam sed alias voluptas voluptatibus.

Vel assumenda ab consequatur repudiandae. Sint atque deleniti qui soluta inventore hic ut. Facilis animi ipsum voluptas impedit non doloribus modi. Ab deleniti tenetur et reiciendis.

Et nulla ducimus ea ea sequi nostrum dignissimos. Quibusdam totam ratione corrupti sit quod. Ad quaerat culpa maxime ullam. Dolores dignissimos ducimus iste eligendi sed.

"There's nothing you can do if you're too scared to try." - Nickel Creek

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.8%
  • 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 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

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

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...”