What can you do with a Finance degree from University of Missouri-Columbia?

First, some facts. Of the Finance graduates from University of Missouri-Columbia 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? Above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 76%, Finance graduates from University of Missouri-Columbia have a higher likelihood (+9%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 76%
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 4% 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 University of Missouri-Columbia and our analysis:


Relevance score: 100%

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

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2019 from University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor Science of Business Administration - BBA in Finance. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Financial Account Representative
RTS Financial
Jun 2019 - Mar 2021
As a Financial Account Representative, this job requires financial knowledge and skills that are directly connected to the Bachelor's degree in Finance, making it highly relevant.

Team Coordinator
RTS Financial
Mar 2021 - Jul 2021
The role of Team Coordinator involves financial oversight and management, utilizing skills and knowledge from the Finance degree on a daily basis.

Operations Supervisor
RTS Financial
Jul 2021 - Present
As an Operations Supervisor, the position demands strong financial acumen and operational management skills that are rooted in the competencies gained from the Bachelor's degree in Finance, thus making it directly relevant.

ABOUT

I graduated from the University of Missouri, where I studied business administration with an emphasis in both finance and real estate. I currently work at RTS Financial as an Operations Supervisor where I get to lead a team of Account Representatives to help our carrier clients with their funding needs and partner with them to inspire growth.

What jobs can you get with a Finance degree from University of Missouri-Columbia?

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


Looking through the job profiles of University of Missouri-Columbia Finance graduates, it's pretty clear that many of them kick-start their careers in positions that are closely tied to finance. A good chunk of them have taken roles like Loan Officers, Commercial Bank Officers, Investment Analysts, and Financial Advisors. These jobs not only require a solid understanding of financial principles but are also a direct application of what they learned during their degree. For instance, working as a Loan Officer or Commercial Bank Officer entails assessing financial situations and evaluating loans, which is right up the finance alley! Even roles like Real Estate Analyst and Wealth Advisor show clear relevance to their finance backgrounds.

However, not every job seems to relate directly back to their finance studies. Some graduates have found themselves in roles like MWD Field Operator or Job Coach, which focus more on technical skills or career development rather than finance itself. Similarly, some positions in accounting or operational support may not make the most of their finance education, even if they involve some financial elements. Overall, while many jobs align nicely with a finance degree, others drift away from the central finance concepts, showing that the degree can lead down various paths—even ones that don’t directly capitalize on the extensive finance knowledge gained in college.

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 Missouri-Columbia):

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

When you look at the career paths of graduates from the Finance program at the University of Missouri-Columbia, you can definitely see a strong trend toward various roles that are closely linked to finance, banking, and investment. For many graduates, their first jobs right after graduation often fall into entry-level positions like loan officers, financial advisors, or accounting roles, which is pretty typical for someone starting in the finance field. It appears they use these initial positions as stepping stones to more advanced roles over the next five or ten years.

If you check out their trajectories, most of them seem to have progressed into mid-level and senior roles. Many who started as loan officers or in entry-level finance roles have moved up to positions like commercial bank officer, community bank manager, and even financial planning directors. A few have even ventured into niche areas like real estate analysis or fixed income trading. While a handful of graduates have found their way into sectors that aren’t strictly finance-related, the majority show a clear path in the finance realm, indicating that a degree from this university can lead to solid career opportunities in the field. Overall, it looks like these graduates are making the most of their degrees, carving out successful careers with relevant experiences along the way!

How hard is a Finance degree from University of Missouri-Columbia?

Getting a Bachelor’s degree in Finance at the University of Missouri-Columbia is generally considered to be on the moderately challenging side, much like finance programs at many other universities. You’ll dive into topics like financial analysis, investment strategies, and economic theory, which can all be pretty heavy on math and critical thinking. So, if you’re not a numbers person, it might feel a bit tough. On the flip side, if you enjoy problem-solving and working with data, you might find the material interesting and manageable. Overall, it's not a walk in the park, but with dedication and good study habits, many students find they can navigate through it. Just be prepared to put in some effort, especially if you want to keep your grades up!

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 Missouri-Columbia tend to make good money?

Looking at these finance graduates from the University of Missouri-Columbia, it seems like a mixed bag in terms of making good money. The earlier graduates, especially those who climbed the ladders in banking and financial services, like the Loan Officer who has been at Veterans United since 2011 and the VP at Citizens Bank & Trust, likely pull down decent salaries, often augmented with bonuses. Others, particularly from the more recent classes (2020-2023), are still starting off in entry-level roles, which typically don’t pay as well initially, but they’re in fields with good growth potential. So, while some folks are definitely banking nice salaries, others are still getting their foot in the door, and it might take them a little while to hit those higher income levels. Overall, it seems like there’s good earning potential, but it varies based on experience and specific career paths.

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 Missouri-Columbia). 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