Investment Banking is a great path for those who want one thing: intellectually stimulating work money. It’s not the right industry for everyone, but those that want to pursue it tend to be hungry and ready to do what it takes. We conducted a Linkedin search of current employees at the top banks in the country and searched by school to see which ones were top feeders to each. (*Disclaimer: employees appeared in our search if they had the school name on their profile. It’s possible some attended graduate school or even received certifications.)
NYU
It’s hard to beat NYU for anyone interested in Finance or Investment Banking. After all, Wall Street is basically in NYU’s backyard. According to a survey of the class of 2021, 4 percent of recent grads went into I-Banking specifically, a top industry for that class. According to our Linkedin search of current employees, it was also the top feeder on our list for almost every bank.
Penn
According to a survey of Penn grads from 2018-2022, Financial Services is the top industry for recent grads. Morgan Stanley is a popular destination with 30 investment banking analysts from those classes. 27 became investment banking analysts at Goldman, 23 at JP Morgan, 14 at Citi and 12 at Barclays.
Columbia
Columbia is not only an Ivy League school, but it’s in the backyard of the I-Banking mecca. It’s a great target for anyone who’s dead set on I-Banking. According to our Linkedin search, Columbia was the top feeder to Goldman, with 727 employees who have Columbia on their Linkedin profiles. It was also top for being the #1 feeder to Citi, with 800 employees, and a close second for being a solid feeder to J.P. Morgan with 442 employees who have Columbia on their profiles.
Michigan - Ann Arbor
Michigan’s Ross School of Business is top tier and it’s a great destination for anyone considering Investment Banking as a career path. The Banking at Michigan Club is run by students who’ve accepted offers at top companies, including Goldman, J.P. Morgan, and Citi. Ross course offerings include a host of classes in Finance, from Investment Banking to Legal Issues in Finance and Banking, and more.
Cornell
It’s no surprise that Cornell made the list. The Ivy Leagues are great destinations for anyone interested in Business or Finance. Financial services is the most common sector for recent grads, according to a survey of recent graduates and BofA is a top employer. According to a Linkedin search, there are 41 current at BofA who went to Cornell and currently have “Investment Banking” in their title.
UT Austin
Not every school has one, but UT’s prestigious McCombs School of Business offers a Finance major. They also offer a track in Investment Banking. Coursework includes Advanced Investment Analysis, Microeconomics, International Finance, Banking and Financial Intermediation (which emphasizes banking), Security Market Policy, and more.
MIT
Some might be surprised to find that MIT, which is nominally, if not fundamentally, a science school, is also a great school for those interested in pursuing Business. In fact, 15% of students from MIT’s graduating class of 2022 went on to work in Finance or Insurance. The renowned Sloan School of Management offers a major in Finance. Classes include Financial Markets, Corporate Financial Strategy, Functional and Strategic Finance, and more.
Berkeley
Business is a top destination for recent Berkeley grads according to a survey for grads 2019-2021. “Investment Banking Analyst” is the top title for recent Business grads. Goldman and JP Morgan are also top employers, with 14 and 13 recent grads at each one, respectively.
U of Chicago
Goldman and Cit are both in the top 20 destinations for recent U of Chicago grads. Unsurprisingly, Financial Services and Other Business is the most popular industry for recent grads, with 34% in that sector, according to a recent survey. U of Chicago also has an Undergraduate Investment Banking Group for students interested in the field.
UNC – Chapel Hill
Bank of America was the #2 employer for grads of the UNC class of 2021, with 42 grads ending up there according to a career outcomes survey. JP Morgan (with 17 grads) and Goldman (14 grads) were also top employers. 52 students from the class of 21 went on to become investment banking analysts after graduation, according to the report. And apart from North Carolina, New York was the most popular destination for recent grads.
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