What can you do with a Finance degree from Cleveland State University?

First, some facts. Of the Finance graduates from Cleveland State University we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:


These are estimates based on AI analysis of 14 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Slightly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 70%, Finance graduates from Cleveland State University have a slightly higher likelihood (+3%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 70%
Average relevance score across all fields: 67%

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

× Chart

Also, after graduating, only 7% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests a Bachelors degree is enough for most Finance graduates, and it's normal to look for work straight after graduation.

See the details:

View a random Finance graduate from Cleveland State University and our analysis:


Relevance score: 28%

We think this person has NOT gone into a career related to their degree.

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2023 from Cleveland State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA in Finance. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Positional Director & Coach
Headlines Lacrosse
Jun 2023 - Present
The role of Positional Director & Coach at Headlines Lacrosse may involve some leadership and management skills that are transferable from a business administration background, but it does not directly utilize finance-specific knowledge from the degree.

Product Support Specialist
altafiber
Sep 2023 - Present
The position of Product Support Specialist at altafiber does not require finance knowledge or skills as core qualifications, focusing more on technical support rather than financial expertise.

ABOUT

No information provided.

What jobs can you get with a Finance degree from Cleveland State University?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:


People who studied Finance at Cleveland State University have gone on to work in a variety of jobs, with many of them landing roles that closely align with their degree. Common job titles include positions like Senior Equity Research Associate, Senior Financial Analyst, and Commercial Credit Analyst. These roles typically involve a lot of financial analysis, investment strategies, and market evaluations, which directly leverage the skills and knowledge they gained during their studies. For instance, jobs in investment analysis, treasury management, and capital markets are all highly relevant to finance, proving that many graduates are successfully applying what they learned.

However, not everyone has followed the same path. Some graduates have taken on positions like Management Trainee at Enterprise Rent-A-Car or Project Engineer, which focus more on management or engineering without heavily relying on finance-specific skills. This shows that while several alumni end up in finance-related roles, there are also a good number who venture into areas that don’t directly reflect their academic background. Overall, it seems that those who pursue jobs directly tied to finance often find success, but there are plenty of others who have diverged from traditional finance careers, utilizing their skills in different fields instead.

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Finance graduates (this is across all Finance graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Cleveland State University):

What kind of career trajectories do Finance graduates from Cleveland State University have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

Looking at the career paths of graduates from Cleveland State University's Finance program, there's a pretty clear trend that emerges. Many of these graduates start their careers in finance-related roles right after school, like equity research associates, banking specialists, or analysts at established financial institutions. For instance, several of the older graduates have moved up the ranks in companies like PNC and Sherwin-Williams, showcasing a solid trajectory from entry-level positions to more senior roles in finance or management within just a few years. This suggests that the degree is taking them to relevant areas in the finance world fairly quickly after graduation.

However, not all paths have remained strictly in finance. Some graduates have ventured into diverse fields like real estate, project management, and even retail management, indicating that while many stay in their finance lanes, others are exploring a variety of options. Graduates from 2015 and 2016 appear to have particularly strong connections to their initial finance jobs, often rising within their chosen companies. Meanwhile, recent graduates seem to be experimenting a bit more with their careers, as seen in the varied roles popping up like restaurant management or coaching. Overall, it looks like a decent number of these graduates are finding relevant and promising careers in finance or related areas, although there are some who have taken a different path than expected after earning their degrees.

How hard is a Finance degree from Cleveland State University?

A Bachelor's degree in Finance at Cleveland State University, like most finance programs, can be a bit challenging but definitely manageable if you put in the effort. You'll be crunching numbers, learning about markets, and diving into concepts like investments and financial analysis, which can be pretty technical. But it’s not the hardest thing out there—many students find it interesting and engaging, so if you enjoy math and problem-solving, you might actually have a good time with it. Just keep up with your assignments, ask questions when you're stuck, and you'll likely find a rhythm. Overall, it's about average in terms of difficulty, so if you're ready to work a bit, you'll be just fine!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Finance.

Do Finance graduates from Cleveland State University tend to make good money?

So, looking at these Finance grads from Cleveland State University, it seems like they’re doing pretty well overall but with some variation depending on their paths. Those who graduated a bit earlier, like in 2010 and 2012, are clearly in roles that suggest they’ve made some decent money—think titles like Senior Capital Markets Analyst and Director of Finance. On the other hand, some of the more recent grads, like the ones from 2022 and 2023, are just starting out, so they might not be raking it in just yet. However, jobs in finance usually come with decent pay as you progress, especially if you land in certain sectors like investment or corporate finance. So, while the earlier grads are likely in good positions financially, the newer ones are on their way up, with solid potential for growth in their earnings!

What buzzwords do Finance graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Finance (this is across all Finance graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Cleveland State University). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for Finance?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Finance (ordered by the average relevance score of their Finance graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College Score Count
University of Dayton 94 18
Central Michigan University 90 10
Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst 90 14
Loyola University Maryland 88 13
University of Connecticut 87 10
Seton Hall University 87 11
University of Florida - Warrington College of Business 87 14
Indiana University Bloomington 86 27
California State University-Long Beach 85 10
University of San Diego 85 11
University of Georgia - Terry College of Business 85 36
University of Wisconsin-Madison 84 13
Brigham Young University 84 19
Northeastern University 84 10
The University of Texas at Dallas 84 26
University of Illinois at Chicago 84 13
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 83 17
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 83 17
Indiana University - Kelley School of Business 83 23
Xavier University 83 11
University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business 82 14
Texas A&M University 81 64
San Diego State University 81 22
Bentley University 81 27
Rutgers Business School 81 22
Iowa State University - Ivy College of Business 81 12
University of Arizona 80 11
Miami University 80 39
North Dakota State University 80 16
University of Colorado Colorado Springs 80 11
Wake Forest University 80 10
Fordham Gabelli School of Business 80 12
University of Florida 79 43
University of Delaware 79 28
Western Michigan University 79 11
Saint Joseph's University 79 11
Quinnipiac University - School of Business 79 11
Illinois State University 78 25
Towson University 78 13
Northern Arizona University 78 10
Kansas State University 78 18
University of Notre Dame 78 20
The University of Texas at El Paso 78 10
Florida International University - College of Business 78 18
Temple University - Fox School of Business and Management 78 11
The University of Texas at Austin - Red McCombs School of Business 78 16
Colorado State University 77 13
California State University, Fullerton 77 16
Georgia Southern University 77 14
Northern Kentucky University 77 11
The College of New Jersey 77 15
The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business 77 24
University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management 77 12
Penn State University 76 62
Texas Tech University 76 13
University of Missouri-Columbia 76 22
James Madison University 75 22
Georgia State University 75 18
University of Arkansas 75 21
Baruch College 75 50
The Ohio State University 74 27
The University of Texas at Austin 74 14
Temple University 74 21
DePaul University 74 29
Wichita State University 74 15
Michigan State University 73 28
University of North Texas 73 32
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 73 15
University of Pittsburgh 73 14
West Virginia University 73 17
The University of Alabama 73 22
University of Maryland 73 10
West Chester University of Pennsylvania 73 10
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 73 11
Louisiana Tech University 73 10
Marist College 73 11
Southern New Hampshire University 72 18
George Mason University 72 11
Oakland University 72 18
University of Minnesota Duluth 72 10
Ohio University 71 10
The University of Texas at San Antonio 71 26
Oklahoma State University 71 23
University of Oklahoma 71 13
Florida Gulf Coast University 71 13
Villanova University 71 13
University of Missouri-Kansas City 71 10
University of Phoenix 70 25
The University of Georgia 70 20
University of Iowa 70 19
Kennesaw State University 70 13
Cleveland State University 70 14
Arizona State University 69 25
Louisiana State University 69 26
Rowan University 69 14
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 69 14
Ramapo College of New Jersey 69 10
Fairfield University 69 11
The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business 69 16
Kent State University 68 14
California State University, Northridge 68 11
University of Nebraska-Lincoln 68 25
University of Nevada-Las Vegas 68 13
University of Central Florida 67 56
Florida State University 67 58
University of Washington 67 13
The University of Texas at Arlington 67 30
California State University-Northridge 67 13
Monmouth University 67 10
Arkansas State University 67 10
University of Houston 66 23
Texas State University 66 27
Arizona State University - W. P. Carey School of Business 66 12
Bryant University 66 23
The Ohio State University - The Max M. Fisher College of Business 66 10
Washington State University 65 16
Providence College 65 14
Kennesaw State University - Michael J. Coles College of Business 65 13
University of Maryland - Robert H. Smith School of Business 65 12
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 64 18
San Diego State University-California State University 64 15
University of Houston-Downtown 64 27
University of Illinois Chicago 64 10
Liberty University 63 17
Grand Valley State University 63 25
University of Cincinnati 63 11
University of South Florida 62 44
North Carolina State University 62 11
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 62 13
University of Kentucky 62 12
Virginia Tech 62 12
San Francisco State University 61 12
Auburn University 60 27
Metropolitan State University of Denver 60 13
University of Louisiana at Lafayette 60 11
Florida International University 59 39
Oregon State University 59 22
University of Maryland University College 59 13
Iowa State University 58 10
University of St. Thomas 58 10
San Jose State University 57 19
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 57 23
Florida Atlantic University 56 30
California State University, Long Beach 55 11
University of Louisville 55 11
California State University-Sacramento 54 10
University of Tampa 52 13
California State University, Chico 49 10
California State University-Fullerton 46 20