To date, we’ve asked 261 current and past finance students about their happiness with their degree. Turns out, they rate it average.

There are thousands of majors available, and it can be overwhelming trying to choose one.

To help you reach the decision that is right for you, we asked students who have pursued a finance degree to respond to questions concerning five dimensions of the educational track they chose:

  • Course material: Were they interested in the material they learned?
  • Intellectual fulfillment: Did they find the coursework intellectually stimulating?
  • Job prospects: Did they leave the program with job opportunities?
  • Personality: Was the degree a good fit for their personality?
  • Overall fit: Were they happy with the program overall?

We examined their responses and combined the rankings to give us an average satisfaction score across all students. This doesn't necessarily reflect how satisfied you would be with a finance degree, but it’s a starting point to help you evaluate your options.

How satisfied are finance students compared to other degrees?

Overall, finance students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 3.1 out of 5. This is low compared to other degrees which average a rating of 3.28 across all degrees. For context, finance students rate their happiness similarly to students in Engineering Technology, Digital Communication And Media/Multimedia and Finance and Related Studies.

Here are other degrees that have a similar satisfaction rating to finance

DegreeAvg Grad SalarySatisfaction
Management Information Systems$86,048
Computer Engineering$101,714
Engineering Technology$78,515
Finance$93,698
Digital Communication And Media/Multimedia$61,172
Finance and Related Studies$94,877
Sports Management$49,157
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies$55,737

Let's break that down further.

Are finance students satisfied with what they’re learning?

We asked students about their satisfaction with their course material and overall intellectual fulfillment. Here’s what they said:

We asked graduates how interesting they found the course material to be. Their response was:
3.5 out of 5 stars
316 ratings
5 stars
20%
4 stars
34%
3 stars
24%
2 stars
12%
1 stars
8%
We asked graduates how intellectually fulfilling they found the degree. Their response was:
3.4 out of 5 stars
313 ratings
5 stars
20%
4 stars
31%
3 stars
25%
2 stars
12%
1 stars
9%

These ratings are meant to give you an indication about what other people enrolled in finance experienced. While their input is useful, keep in mind that different people have had vastly different experiences, all of which were impacted by their personal motivations, professors, and specific curriculum. Always keep your own goals at the center of your decision-making process when it comes to something as significant as your education.

Did finance graduates leave school with good job prospects?

Of course, working towards a degree is also about pursuing your desired career. Here’s what finance grads had to say about their job prospects:

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their job prospects. Their response was:
3.6 out of 5 stars
305 ratings
5 stars
22%
4 stars
34%
3 stars
25%
2 stars
12%
1 stars
6%

We can see there’s a cluster of positive responses, which might indicate a strong or growing job market.

Were finance students happy with their degree overall?

This rating takes into account all factors: how demanding the program is, whether graduates felt it was worthwhile, and how fulfilling they found their educational experience.

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their degree as a whole. Their response was:
3.1 out of 5 stars
261 ratings
5 stars
19%
4 stars
18%
3 stars
30%
2 stars
20%
1 stars
13%

As you consider this information and input from others, remember above all that your choice should be based on your interests, goals, passions, and abilities. Consider the future and give yourself time. If you’re feeling unsure, click here to take our career assessment and see what path could be right for you.

Career Paths

Learn about your career prospects after graduation.

Read about Career Paths