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

First, some facts. Of the Finance graduates from Illinois 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 25 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Significantly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 78%, Finance graduates from Illinois State University have a much higher likelihood (+11%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 78%
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 8% 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 Illinois State University and our analysis:

Relevance score: 89%

We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree.

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2010 from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Project Analyst
Goodman Networks
Oct 2010 - Feb 2011
The role of Project Analyst at Goodman Networks does not utilize finance-specific skills or knowledge, making it unrelated to the Bachelor's degree in Finance.

Sales Assistant
Calamos Investments
Mar 2011 - Feb 2013
As a Sales Assistant at Calamos Investments, the job may require some understanding of financial products, indicating a slight relevance to finance concepts, but it is not a core finance role.

Associate Portfolio and Performance Analyst
Calamos Investments
Mar 2013 - Dec 2014
The position of Associate Portfolio and Performance Analyst at Calamos Investments directly employs financial analysis and investment knowledge gained from the Bachelor's degree, making it highly relevant.

VP Director of Product Analytics
Calamos Investments
Jan 2015 - 2023
As VP Director of Product Analytics at Calamos Investments, this role uses finance-oriented analytical skills regularly, aligning closely with the core qualifications of a Finance degree.

Portfolio Manager
Edward Jones
May 2024 - Present
The role of Portfolio Manager at Edward Jones directly requires finance and investment management expertise, making it fully relevant to the individual's Bachelor's degree in Finance.

ABOUT

No information provided.

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

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

When you check out the jobs that folks from Illinois State University with a degree in Finance have landed, you'll notice a mixed bag. Some of the most common positions include roles like Financial Analyst, Commercial Credit Analyst, and various leadership positions in finance. These positions often require solid knowledge of financial principles and practices, making them quite relevant to what students learned in their finance programs. For instance, financial analysts and credit analysts are constantly using their finance skills to evaluate data, assess investments, and make financial recommendations, which shows a direct connection to their studies. On the flip side, a good chunk of the jobs listed seem to stray from the core finance focus. Positions like Email Marketing Specialist, Project Analyst, and even some roles in management and HR show that graduates aren’t always working in finance-specific roles. While these jobs might allow for some use of finance knowledge, it’s often not the main requirement. Overall, while many graduates have pursued finance-relevant careers, quite a few have found themselves in roles where their finance degree isn't the primary focus. So, it's fair to say that the job landscape for finance graduates from Illinois State University is a little bit of a mixed bag, with plenty of opportunities that match their education, but also many that don't quite hit the mark.

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 Illinois State University):

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

When looking at the careers of graduates from Illinois State University with a degree in Finance, it seems like many of them have carved out solid paths in the finance and business sectors. For those who graduated around 2010, the common early jobs were often entry-level roles like Credit Analysts, Analysts at investment firms, and various marketing roles. A lot of these positions align closely with the finance field, which is a great sign. Fast forward about five to ten years, and you see many of these individuals transitioning into senior roles, such as Senior Financial Analysts, Vice Presidents, and even positions like Portfolio Managers. This indicates a strong progression and highlights that they're leveraging their initial experiences quite well.

As for the more recent graduates from 2018 onward, they seem to start their careers in a mix of roles, with some taking on analyst positions right out of college, while others begin in more general roles like associates or trainees. There's still a clear upward trajectory visible as many of them move into more specialized or senior positions just a few years into their careers. However, there are also a few that have shifted into roles that might not seem directly related to finance, like property management or sales, but that's typical in any field. Overall, the degree appears to set these graduates on a pretty promising path in finance-related careers, with a noticeable trend of moving up the ladder within the industry over time. It looks like getting a finance degree from Illinois State really pays off for most of these folks!

How hard is a Finance degree from Illinois State University?

Getting a Bachelor’s degree in Finance at Illinois State University, or anywhere really, can be a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, if you have a knack for numbers, enjoy analyzing data, and are ready to tackle some quantitative courses, you might find it manageable. On the other hand, it can get tough with subjects like financial modeling, investments, and risk management that really push you to think critically and apply what you’ve learned. Overall, it’s about average in terms of difficulty for a degree; it will definitely challenge you, but if you stay organized and seek help when needed, you can definitely handle it!

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 Illinois State University tend to make good money?

When you look at these Finance graduates from Illinois State University, it seems like quite a few of them are doing pretty well for themselves in terms of earnings, especially as they climb up the corporate ladder in roles like Senior Financial Analyst and VP positions. Many have made consistent moves and gained experience across reputable companies, which usually means they’re making decent salaries now. However, there are also some who seem to have taken more traditional or stable roles that might not pay as handsomely, like in credit analysis or administrative positions. Overall, while some are clearly raking it in with impressive job titles, others might just be getting by, especially those who took breaks or switched to less lucrative fields. So, it looks like there's a mixed bag of financial success here!

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 Illinois 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