What can you do with a Finance degree from Virginia Tech?

First, some facts. Of the Finance graduates from Virginia Tech 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 12 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Slightly below average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 62%, Finance graduates from Virginia Tech have a slightly lower likelihood (-5%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 62%
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 0% 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 Virginia Tech and our analysis:


Relevance score: 91%

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

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2019 from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science - BS in Finance. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Analyst
Goldman Sachs
Aug 2019 - Jan 2022
The analyst role at Goldman Sachs directly utilizes quantitative and financial analysis skills learned during the Bachelor of Science in Finance, making it highly relevant.

Associate
Goldman Sachs
Jan 2022 - Jan 2023
As an Associate at Goldman Sachs, this position requires extensive application of finance knowledge, aligning closely with the educational background in Finance.

Senior Associate
Goldman Sachs
Jan 2023 - Jul 2023
The Senior Associate role at Goldman Sachs involves higher-level financial analysis and decision-making that is directly tied to the skills obtained through a Finance degree.

Senior Analyst
Capital One
Nov 2023 - Present
The Senior Analyst position at Capital One may involve some financial analysis, but the job specifics may not fully align with the core qualifications of a Finance degree, potentially relying more on credit analysis or risk management skills.

ABOUT

No information provided.

What jobs can you get with a Finance degree from Virginia Tech?

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


From the data collected, it looks like graduates with a Finance degree from Virginia Tech have taken on a variety of roles, but there's a noticeable trend showing that many didn’t directly stick to finance-heavy positions. Many of the roles like Sales Advisor or IT Consultant focus more on customer interaction, technology, or operations rather than core finance skills. Although some positions do utilize finance knowledge, a significant number of jobs are either tangential to finance, like Account Representative roles or even completely unrelated, such as those in journalism or hospitality.

On the flip side, there are definitely graduates who have landed solid finance-related roles, particularly those who graduated around 2013 to 2019. Jobs like Investment Analyst, Financial Analyst, and various positions at Vanguard or Goldman Sachs show a strong connection to finance principles and applications. These roles make great use of the financial knowledge acquired during their studies. It's clear that while some have ventured off the main financial path into diverse areas, others have found their niche in more traditional finance roles, validating the education they received at Virginia Tech. So, while finance grads have diverse career paths, many still find their way back to core finance-related jobs where their skills shine the brightest.

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 Virginia Tech):

What kind of career trajectories do Finance graduates from Virginia Tech have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

Looking at the career trajectories of Virginia Tech finance graduates, it appears that many of them are navigating their way quite successfully in the finance and business sectors. For those who graduated around 2010 to 2015, the first jobs often jumpstart their careers with solid entry-level positions, particularly in well-known firms like Vanguard or Goldman Sachs. These roles typically revolve around financial analysis, investment consulting, or client relations, providing a valuable foundation for their expertise in finance. Over the next five to ten years, many of these individuals have climbed the ladder and transitioned into higher roles, such as Senior Analysts, Managers, or even Vice Presidents at reputable financial firms, indicating a strong upward mobility in related fields. The graduates seem to be harnessing their finance education effectively, leading to promising careers relevant to their degree.

However, there are also some graduates whose paths have taken them into seemingly unrelated fields, such as journalism or customer support roles. While these jobs may not strictly align with finance, they still showcase the versatility and adaptability of these individuals. Graduates who initially took roles in fields like media or customer service often pivoted later into positions that align more closely with finance, albeit not without some varied experience in between. Overall, while the majority of Virginia Tech finance graduates seem to find their way into good finance-related careers, a few paths might not reflect the traditional expectations of a finance degree. Yet, the majority trend toward successful and relevant careers, especially for those who graduate within the past decade or so.

How hard is a Finance degree from Virginia Tech?

Honestly, a Bachelor’s degree in Finance can be a bit challenging, but it's definitely manageable if you're willing to put in the effort. At Virginia Tech specifically, you'll have to tackle a mix of math-heavy courses, like statistics and accounting, alongside more strategic classes about investments and financial markets. It’s not as chill as some majors where you can coast through, but if you stay organized and keep up with your assignments, it’s totally doable. Just be prepared for some late-night study sessions, especially during exams! Overall, it’s about average in terms of difficulty, so don’t stress too much—just stay focused and you’ll be 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 Virginia Tech tend to make good money?

So, looking at these finance grads from Virginia Tech, it seems like a pretty mixed bag in terms of income potential. The earlier graduates, like the one from 2010, have had a decent career path moving into IT consulting and project management, which generally pays well, while those who graduated in 2013 and 2014 are climbing the ladder at major companies like Vanguard and Amazon, likely earning pretty solid salaries now as Vice Presidents and Finance Managers. Then there are some newer grads, like the ones from 2021, still finding their footing in entry-level roles, which probably means they’re starting off lower on the pay scale. The 2023 grad is just getting started, but Guggenheim Securities usually offers competitive salaries. Overall, if you play your cards right and work up the ranks, it looks like a finance degree from Virginia Tech can lead to some good money down the line!

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 Virginia Tech). 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