What is Finance?
Finance degree programs are a relatively popular choice among college students in the United States. They are a particularly good option for individuals who are interested in money management, banking, and/or economics and all those who wish to make a good income. The field is also often closely related to business, making these programs useful to those who want to obtain general knowledge in these subjects as well. In most cases, students gain a wide variety of technical skills that can be applied in almost any industry. As a result, graduates tend to be well-prepared to join the workforce and may qualify for employment in many different professions.
Generally, finance professionals help individuals, companies, and/or organizations develop financial plans, strategies, and/or forecasts. Most are capable of working with both personal and/or corporate finances, although some prefer to concentrate their efforts in one or the other. Ultimately, however, daily tasks and responsibilities will depend largely upon the occupation sought.
Many finance graduates pursue careers as accountants and auditors. These professionals prepare and examine financial records, identify potential areas of opportunity/risk, and provide solutions for the individuals and businesses they work for. They are also often responsible for ensuring taxes are paid properly, as well as helping financial operations run efficiently. Additional duties may include examining financial statements, computing taxes owed, inspecting account books for efficiency, making best-practice recommendations to management, and suggesting ways to reduce costs while improving profits.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for business and financial occupations is expected to increase by 7% from 2021 to 2031. This is about as fast as the average for all occupations in the nation and will result in approximately 980,200 job openings each year. Prospects vary by profession, however. Projected growth for accountants and auditors is 6%, with an estimated 136,400 job openings each year for the next decade. Market research analysts, on the other hand, are expected to see a 19% increase in employment, which is much faster than average.
Featured Online Programs
Top Ranked Campus & Online Finance Programs in California
Stanford University
Score: 95.46
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $62,484
- Out-of-State:$62,484
- Net Price: $18,279
- Acceptance Rate: 4%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 95%
- Total Enrollment: 18,283
- Undergrad Students: 8,049
- Graduate Students: 10,234
- Grads Salary: $116,000
- Student-to-faculty: 5:1
Claremont McKenna College
Score: 81.88
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $64,150
- Out-of-State:$64,150
- Net Price: $28,701
- Acceptance Rate: 10%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 91%
- Total Enrollment: 1,389
- Undergrad Students: 1,386
- Graduate Students: 3
- Grads Salary: $92,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
University of California-Irvine
Score: 81.65
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,237
- Out-of-State:$45,014
- Net Price: $14,033
- Acceptance Rate: 21%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 87%
- Total Enrollment: 35,937
- Undergrad Students: 28,662
- Graduate Students: 7,275
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of California-Santa Barbara
Score: 79.43
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,965
- Out-of-State:$45,742
- Net Price: $16,874
- Acceptance Rate: 26%
- Retention Rate: 92%
- Graduation Rate: 86%
- Total Enrollment: 26,420
- Undergrad Students: 23,459
- Graduate Students: 2,961
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
University of Southern California
Score: 79.41
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $68,237
- Out-of-State:$68,237
- Net Price: $36,808
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 92%
- Total Enrollment: 48,945
- Undergrad Students: 20,699
- Graduate Students: 28,246
- Grads Salary: $92,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
University of California-Davis
Score: 79.17
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $15,247
- Out-of-State:$46,024
- Net Price: $17,385
- Acceptance Rate: 37%
- Retention Rate: 92%
- Graduation Rate: 86%
- Total Enrollment: 39,679
- Undergrad Students: 31,532
- Graduate Students: 8,147
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 21:1
San Diego State University
Score: 75.43
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,290
- Out-of-State:$20,170
- Net Price: $13,017
- Acceptance Rate: 39%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 37,402
- Undergrad Students: 32,194
- Graduate Students: 5,208
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 25:1
California State University-Long Beach
Score: 74.2
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,008
- Out-of-State:$18,888
- Net Price: $9,346
- Acceptance Rate: 40%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 38,973
- Undergrad Students: 32,931
- Graduate Students: 6,042
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
San Jose State University
Score: 73.54
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,992
- Out-of-State:$19,872
- Net Price: $14,219
- Acceptance Rate: 77%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Total Enrollment: 35,751
- Undergrad Students: 26,863
- Graduate Students: 8,888
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
Santa Clara University
Score: 72.61
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $59,241
- Out-of-State:$59,241
- Net Price: $50,551
- Acceptance Rate: 52%
- Retention Rate: 92%
- Graduation Rate: 89%
- Total Enrollment: 9,178
- Undergrad Students: 6,115
- Graduate Students: 3,063
- Grads Salary: $96,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
California State University-Fullerton
Score: 72.37
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,073
- Out-of-State:$18,953
- Net Price: $7,925
- Acceptance Rate: 67%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 40,386
- Undergrad Students: 35,432
- Graduate Students: 4,954
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 24:1
University of San Diego
Score: 71.48
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $56,444
- Out-of-State:$56,444
- Net Price: $36,008
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 8,815
- Undergrad Students: 5,669
- Graduate Students: 3,146
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Cal Poly Pomona
Score: 71.4
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,439
- Out-of-State:$19,319
- Net Price: $12,480
- Acceptance Rate: 55%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 66%
- Total Enrollment: 27,503
- Undergrad Students: 25,181
- Graduate Students: 2,322
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 25:1
University of the Pacific
Score: 71.26
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $55,340
- Out-of-State:$55,340
- Net Price: $28,164
- Acceptance Rate: 93%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 6,277
- Undergrad Students: 3,294
- Graduate Students: 2,983
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Saint Mary's College of California
Score: 68.49
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $56,134
- Out-of-State:$56,134
- Net Price: $32,129
- Acceptance Rate: 88%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 72%
- Total Enrollment: 2,765
- Undergrad Students: 2,003
- Graduate Students: 762
- Grads Salary: $86,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
California Lutheran University
Score: 67.8
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $50,670
- Out-of-State:$50,670
- Net Price: $30,416
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 3,615
- Undergrad Students: 2,513
- Graduate Students: 1,102
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
University of Redlands
Score: 67.66
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $57,614
- Out-of-State:$57,614
- Net Price: $28,157
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 3,460
- Undergrad Students: 2,313
- Graduate Students: 1,147
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
Pepperdine University
Score: 67.64
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $66,742
- Out-of-State:$66,742
- Net Price: $47,804
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- Total Enrollment: 10,030
- Undergrad Students: 3,662
- Graduate Students: 6,368
- Grads Salary: $84,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
University of La Verne
Score: 67.55
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $47,000
- Out-of-State:$47,000
- Net Price: $25,103
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 63%
- Total Enrollment: 5,662
- Undergrad Students: 3,365
- Graduate Students: 2,297
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
California State University-Northridge
Score: 66.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,095
- Out-of-State:$18,975
- Net Price: $8,936
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 75%
- Graduation Rate: 56%
- Total Enrollment: 37,579
- Undergrad Students: 32,181
- Graduate Students: 5,398
- Grads Salary: $81,000
- Student-to-faculty: 24:1
California State University-Sacramento
Score: 65.63
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,602
- Out-of-State:$19,482
- Net Price: $11,596
- Acceptance Rate: 93%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 54%
- Total Enrollment: 31,818
- Undergrad Students: 28,921
- Graduate Students: 2,897
- Grads Salary: $81,000
- Student-to-faculty: 24:1
California State University-Los Angeles
Score: 65.18
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,818
- Out-of-State:$18,698
- Net Price: $5,801
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 51%
- Total Enrollment: 26,460
- Undergrad Students: 22,737
- Graduate Students: 3,723
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
University of San Francisco
Score: 65.04
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $58,222
- Out-of-State:$58,222
- Net Price: $42,953
- Acceptance Rate: 71%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 9,688
- Undergrad Students: 6,018
- Graduate Students: 3,670
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Menlo College
Score: 64.83
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $51,070
- Out-of-State:$51,070
- Net Price: $29,151
- Acceptance Rate: 62%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 57%
- Total Enrollment: 800
- Undergrad Students: 800
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Loyola Marymount University
Score: 63.79
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $58,974
- Out-of-State:$58,974
- Net Price: $52,815
- Acceptance Rate: 41%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 82%
- Total Enrollment: 10,165
- Undergrad Students: 7,299
- Graduate Students: 2,866
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
