Finance and Financial Management Services: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 472 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Finance and Financial Management Services pays
Career outlook for Finance and Financial Management Services graduates
The job market for the occupations Finance and Financial Management Services graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and operations managers | 3,712,900 | +4.4% | $102,950 | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial managers | 868,600 | +14.8% | $161,700 | Bachelor's degree |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents | 514,500 | +3.3% | $78,140 | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial and investment analysts | 368,500 | +5.7% | $101,350 | Bachelor's degree |
| Tellers | 347,400 | -12.9% | $39,340 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Personal financial advisors | 326,000 | +9.6% | $102,140 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Finance and Financial Management Services vs similar majors
How Finance and Financial Management Services stacks up against the closest fields in Business, Management & Marketing on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Finance and Financial Management Services Business, Management & Marketing · this major | Taxation | Real Estate | Construction Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 88 A | 86 A | 89 A | 91 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $86,667 | $115,802 | $106,858 | $93,418 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $59,531 | $82,899 | $75,222 | $72,735 |
| ROI vs cost | +418% | +744% | +657% | +500% |
| Typical debt | $23,286 | $32,642 | $26,560 | $23,977 |
| Colleges offering it | 472 | 30 | 27 | 47 |
Finance and Financial Management Services earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Finance and Financial Management Services
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Certificate | $148,843 | — | +8,459% | Strong return |
| 2 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | Associate's | $85,456 | $11,750 | +3,810% | Strong return |
| 3 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Associate's | $77,085 | — | +3,724% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Certificate | $142,122 | — | +3,612% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Associate's | $242,357 | $12,999 | +3,076% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Associate's | $101,867 | $16,681 | +2,868% | Strong return |
| 7 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT | Associate's | $93,541 | $10,949 | +2,799% | Strong return |
| 8 | Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID | Associate's | $107,086 | $13,843 | +2,790% | Strong return |
| 9 | Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO | Associate's | $190,811 | $19,500 | +2,777% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Certificate | $384,547 | $41,000 | +2,517% | Strong return |
| 11 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH | Associate's | $86,951 | $24,250 | +2,414% | Strong return |
| 12 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA | Associate's | $106,265 | $13,856 | +2,314% | Strong return |
| 13 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | Certificate | $91,894 | $20,500 | +2,068% | Strong return |
| 14 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | Associate's | $118,744 | $11,625 | +1,985% | Strong return |
| 15 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH | Associate's | $86,951 | $24,250 | +1,983% | Strong return |
| 16 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | Associate's | $177,848 | — | +1,979% | Strong return |
| 17 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT | Associate's | $104,878 | $19,500 | +1,975% | Strong return |
| 18 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH | Associate's | $86,951 | $24,250 | +1,964% | Strong return |
| 19 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH | Associate's | $86,951 | $24,250 | +1,962% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Associate's | $118,286 | $19,500 | +1,946% | Strong return |
| 21 | Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH | Associate's | $86,951 | $24,250 | +1,915% | Strong return |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | Certificate | $180,896 | — | +1,858% | Strong return |
| 23 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA | Associate's | $98,041 | — | +1,827% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD | Associate's | $116,598 | $19,500 | +1,762% | Strong return |
| 25 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Associate's | $106,265 | $13,856 | +1,744% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.