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

First, some facts. Of the Finance graduates from University of Illinois Chicago 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 10 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Slightly below average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 64%, Finance graduates from University of Illinois Chicago have a slightly lower likelihood (-3%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

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

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Also, after graduating, only 30% 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:

• What jobs can you get with a Finance degree from University of Illinois Chicago?
• What do Finance graduates from University of Illinois Chicago do 1, 5 or 10 years out?
• How hard is a Finance degree from University of Illinois Chicago? How long does it take?
• How much money can you make with a Finance degree from University of Illinois Chicago?
• What are the best colleges for Finance?

View a random Finance graduate from University of Illinois Chicago and our analysis:

Relevance score: 92% We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree. DEGREE INFO Graduated in 2016 from University of Illinois Chicago with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Finance in Finance. No other secondary education since. JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION Personal Banker Wells Fargo Sep 2016 - Sep 2017 As a Personal Banker at Wells Fargo, some financial concepts may be applied, but the role primarily focuses on customer service and sales, rather than substantial use of finance-specific knowledge acquired in the degree. Associate Underwriter Scottish American Feb 2018 - Jun 2019 The Associate Underwriter position at Scottish American requires specific financial risk assessment skills and knowledge, directly utilizing concepts learned in a Finance degree. Underwriter RT Specialty Jun 2019 - Apr 2023 The Underwriter role at RT Specialty relies heavily on finance-related skills for risk evaluation and underwriting processes, making it highly relevant to the Bachelor's degree in Finance. Associate Team Leader CRC Insurance Services May 2024 - Present The Associate Team Leader position at CRC Insurance Services likely requires management of financial products and teams, leveraging finance skills obtained in the degree, thus aligning closely with the educational background. ABOUT No information provided.

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

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

• Business Analyst
• Financial Analyst
• Inside Sales Account Manager
• Client Care Ambassador II
• Client Care Ambassador Senior
• Law Clerk
• Accounts Payable Specialist
• Billing Specialist
• Financial Analyst Intern - FP&A Department
• Alternative Investments Associate - Wealth Management & Investment Services

Based on the LinkedIn job data for graduates with a degree in Finance from the University of Illinois Chicago, it seems that the most common types of jobs they land are primarily finance-related roles such as Financial Analysts, Business Analysts, and positions in banking or underwriting. Many of these roles, particularly in financial analysis and risk assessment, clearly make use of the core principles and skills taught in a finance program. On the flip side, there are also several positions that don’t directly relate to finance, like IT roles or customer service positions, which indicates that not every graduate sticks closely to their finance training when entering the job market.

Overall, while many graduates have found themselves in roles that are relevant to their finance degrees, there are quite a few who have taken paths that diverge significantly from traditional finance jobs. For instance, positions like Product Managers or Client Care Ambassadors seem to lean more on general skills than specific financial expertise. This blend of job types shows that while a finance degree can open many doors in related fields, graduates sometimes end up in roles where finance knowledge isn’t a major player. So, while finance skills are definitely valuable, it’s clear that the job landscape for these graduates is as diverse as the individuals themselves.

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 University of Illinois Chicago):

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

Graduates from the University of Illinois Chicago with a degree in Finance generally seem to pursue career paths that are quite relevant to the field. Typically, many of them kick off their careers with positions like interns or associates in finance-related roles, such as financial analysts, accounting interns, or personal bankers. For instance, graduates from 2014 started off with positions like accounting interns or associates in companies like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which indicates that they are landing jobs related to finance right after graduation. As they gain experience, many move into roles that involve more responsibility, like business analysts or project managers, suggesting a natural progression in their careers.

Looking five to ten years down the road, a lot of these professionals seem to further specialize and climb the corporate ladder. For instance, some who graduated in 2016 have moved up to underwriter and associate team leader roles, which show that they are not just sticking to entry-level positions. Graduates from 2022 and 2023 are getting hired as financial analysts in established companies like CVS Health and Ulta Beauty, which speaks to a strong trajectory in finance roles. While not every graduate lands a direct finance position immediately, there’s a noticeable trend of stepping into finance-related careers where they gain valuable experience, making their prospects look pretty solid overall. It does appear that, for the most part, they are successfully building careers that are aligned with their degrees in finance, which is encouraging for future students considering this path.

How hard is a Finance degree from University of Illinois Chicago?

Honestly, a Bachelor’s degree in Finance at the University of Illinois Chicago can be a bit challenging, but it really depends on how you approach it. You’ll dive into subjects like accounting, economics, and financial analysis, which can get pretty technical and require a good grasp of math. It's not the hardest major out there, but you definitely need to stay organized and keep up with your coursework. If you’re motivated, it’s totally manageable, but just be ready to put in the time and effort. Overall, it's about average in difficulty compared to other business degrees, so if you’ve got a genuine interest in finance and are willing to work, you can definitely make it through!

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 University of Illinois Chicago tend to make good money?

Looking at these finance grads from UIC, it seems like they’re carving out some solid career paths, but it’s a mixed bag when it comes to money. The 2014 grad has climbed the ranks to work at Walmart Global Tech, which likely pays decent, especially given their experience. The 2016 grads are also moving up, with one landing an underwriter position that usually has a pretty good salary, while another is still climbing the ladder at Experian. The more recent grads from 2022 and 2023 are starting to land roles like Financial Analyst, which can be pretty lucrative, but they’re still early in their careers. Overall, it looks like most of them are on their way to making pretty good money as they gain experience and take on more responsibilities, but it may take a few more years before they’re really raking it in.

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 University of Illinois Chicago). 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