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Finance

Types of Degrees Finance Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Finance have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	87
Associate’s Degree	164
Bachelor’s Degree	45,564
Master’s Degree	3,999
Doctor’s Degree	14

What Finance Majors Need to Know

Programs in Finance emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Finance graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Finance emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Economics and Accounting — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Finance program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Finance careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Finance graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Finance professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Dynamics	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Finance graduates include:

• Bank and Savings Securities Trader
• Portfolio Manager
• Analyst
• Securities Consultant
• Model Risk Manager
• Credit Risk Analyst
• Financial Aid Officer
• Financial Aid Coordinator
• Operational Risk Manager
• Bond Analyst
• Equity Research Analyst
• Securities Research Analyst
• Corporate Securities Research Analyst
• Securities Analyst
• Property Condition Assessor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Finance graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	51.4%
Master’s degree	22.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.8%
Some college courses	4.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.7%
Doctoral degree	3.2%
First professional degree	1.7%
Postsecondary certificate	1.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.1%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Finance?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 72.4% of Finance degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	13,764	27.6%
Men	36,064	72.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Finance graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	30,236	60.7%
Asian	4,051	8.1%
Hispanic or Latino	6,334	12.7%
Black or African American	2,381	4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	100	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	46	0.1%
Two or More Races	1,636	3.3%
Race Unknown	1,407	2.8%
International Students	3,637	7.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Finance Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Finance graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,617
4 years	$75,528
5 years	$88,287

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,287 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Finance Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Finance. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	10	3
Bachelor’s	75	62
Master’s	52	39
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Finance Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Finance graduates earn a median of $75,528 four years after completion — roughly 99% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Finance and Financial Management Services	52.08
Banking and Financial Support Services	52.0803
Credit Management	52.0809
Finance and Financial Management Services, Other	52.0899
Financial Planning and Services	52.0804
Financial Risk Management	52.0810
International Finance	52.0806
Investments and Securities	52.0807
Public Finance	52.0808
Accounting and Finance	52.0304
Accounting and Business/Management	52.0305
Accounting	52.0301

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.