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

First, some facts. Of the Finance graduates from Oregon 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 22 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Below average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 59%, Finance graduates from Oregon State University have a lower likelihood (-8%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 59%
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 18% 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 Oregon State University and our analysis:

Relevance score: 59%

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

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2010 from Oregon State University with a Bachelor's degree in Finance. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
General Manager
Wongs Chinese Restaurant
Jul 2011 - Jan 2018
As a General Manager at Wongs Chinese Restaurant, while some business and financial skills may be applicable, the majority of the role focuses on restaurant operations rather than the specific financial principles taught in a finance degree.

Night Auditor
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
Apr 2018 - Sep 2019
The role of Night Auditor at InterContinental Hotels Group primarily involves accounting and front desk operations, which do not require specific finance knowledge or skills learned in a finance degree.

Export Specialist
Allports Forwarding Inc. and Allports Inc.
Feb 2021 - Present
The position of Export Specialist at Allports Forwarding Inc. involves financial aspects of international trade, requiring application of finance knowledge related to currency, pricing, and economic factors directly related to the Bachelors degree.

ABOUT

No information provided.

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

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

When looking at the job paths of graduates from Oregon State University's Finance program, it seems like a lot of them ended up in roles that aren't heavily focused on finance. For example, many graduates took up jobs in sales, restaurant management, or other positions where the main skills revolve around customer service or operations rather than financial analysis or investment management. While some positions, like financial analyst roles or budget technicians, do utilize finance skills directly, they’re relatively few compared to the total number of jobs out there. On the flip side, there are also graduates who have successfully found their niche in finance-related roles, especially in areas like banking, financial analysis, and even entrepreneurship, where they can apply their finance knowledge in real-world situations. However, the overall trend suggests that not all finance graduates are directly using the specific skills they learned in their degree. Many are veering towards roles that may seem tangentially related or completely unrelated to finance. This could be a mix of personal interests, job market realities, and perhaps the broad appeal that a finance degree holds in various fields.

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 Oregon State University):

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

The career trajectories of finance graduates from Oregon State University showcase a mix of paths, with some aligning closely with finance roles while others veer into different sectors. Many graduates seem to start their careers in positions that may not directly relate to finance, like restaurant management, customer service, or sales roles. For example, the 2010 grad had a stint as a General Manager for a restaurant before moving into an audit role at a hotel. Similarly, a 2014 graduate worked as a Member Service Representative at a credit union—still in the finance sector, but not a traditional finance role. Over time, as these graduates gain more experience, we do see a gradual shift towards more finance-related roles, such as financial analysts, budget technicians, and even consultants in various capacities.

By the five- to ten-year mark post-graduation, many of these alumni exhibit significant career growth within more relevant fields. For instance, the 2019 graduate who started as an accounts payable specialist eventually transitioned to a role as an underwriting analyst, demonstrating clear career advancement in finance. Others, like a 2018 graduate, moved through various operational roles at Target before ascending to managerial positions. Overall, while there is some initial divergence in career paths, it seems that many Oregon State finance graduates eventually find their way into finance roles or related fields as they progress in their careers. So, while the starting jobs may not all scream “finance,” many of these graduates eventually carve out solid careers that align more closely with their degree.

How hard is a Finance degree from Oregon State University?

Getting a Bachelor’s degree in Finance at Oregon State University is pretty on par with what you'd find at most schools. While it’s not a walk in the park, it’s definitely manageable if you’re willing to put in the effort. Expect to dive into some challenging coursework like financial modeling, investment analysis, and economics, but if you have a decent grasp of math and enjoy problem-solving, you should do fine. The workload can ramp up, especially during midterms and finals, but with good time management and study habits, it’s definitely achievable. So, while it has its tough moments, it’s not the hardest degree out there—you just need to be ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work!

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 Oregon State University tend to make good money?

So, looking at these finance grads from Oregon State University, it seems like they’ve landed a mix of jobs that probably pay okay, but nothing too flashy. You've got some going from restaurant management and night auditing to roles like budget analysts and sales reps, which can be decent but often aren't super high-paying, especially at the start of their careers. A few have moved into higher-tier roles, like the Coronary Senior Clinical Specialist and some at places like Target in operations management, which likely gives them a better paycheck. But overall, it feels like they’re in that typical grind of starting out in a range of positions—getting solid experience but not hitting big numbers immediately. So, in a nutshell, they’re probably making a decent living, but they might not be rolling in it just yet!

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 Oregon 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