2023 QuantNet Ranking of Best Financial Engineering Programs
The 2023 QuantNet MFE ranking is the most authoritative and comprehensive ranking of best Financial Engineering (MFE), Mathematical Finance programs in the continental USA.
The QuantNet ranking of Financial Engineering, Mathematical, and Quantitative Finance master's programs in the US offers detailed insights into placement and admission statistics from the nation's top programs. It serves as the ultimate guide for prospective applicants, helping them choose and enroll in the best master’s programs in quantitative finance.
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The true number one MFE program in the world! (Class of 2025)
The Baruch MFE program was instrumental in helping me pivot into my quant finance career. The highly-engaged alumni network provided invaluable insights into the quant landscape, complemented by the program's long-standing relationships with many leading firms in the...
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Great university and program (Class of 2026)
I’ll divide this review into two parts — the recruitment side (career services) and the academic environment.
Recruitment Side:
The career services team does a solid job. They bring a lot of companies to campus throughout the year, and even outside the MFin program, plenty...
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University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720
Master of Financial Engineering
3
- Total Score
- 93
- Peer Score
- 4.0
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Getting Better (Class of 2026)
It is intense, fast-paced, and rewards those who come prepared.
Internship and Recruiting Landscape:
Because the program starts in spring, the traditional fall internship cycle overlaps with coursework, which can limit opportunities. However, the summer internship path has...
(more)
Carnegie Mellon University
New York, NY 10005 | Pittsburgh, PA 15213
MS in Computational Finance
4
- Total Score
- 91
- Peer Score
- 4.1
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MSCF: The most well-rounded quant program (Class of 2026)
I came to the program with no full time working experience and academical (but less practical) knowledge mainly in Math and Econ. This program helped me become technically ready for most quant jobs and taught me how to communicate effectively.
Here are reasons I think CMU...
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Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
MA in Mathematics of Finance (MAFN)
5
- Total Score
- 87
- Peer Score
- 3.4
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Outstanding - the best of the best. (Class of 2004)
Faculty and colleagues are second to none. Period. Solid and rigorous mathematics. Not for the timid. Students from all over the globe. Visiting professors are top-flight. Albert Shiryaev told stories of Kolmogorov. Derman, Karatzas, Protter, Smirnov, etc. are...
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA 02139
Master of Finance
6
- Total Score
- 86
- Peer Score
- 3.2
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Pre-experience Business School (Class of 2026)
To give a summary of the program's main features and bugs:
Good:
- Highly flexible. You can truly do whatever you want with this degree -- whether you want it to be completely quant focused, or basically an MBA.
- Extremely sharp cohort. Many of your classmates will be...
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A Costly Investment with Mixed Returns: Weighing the Real Value of the Program (Class of 2024)
Pursuing this degree is a significant investment—both financially and in terms of time. Given the high cost, I strongly recommend that anyone considering this program be extremely diligent and clear about their goals before enrolling.
Some classes genuinely provide the tools...
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Time consuming. (Class of 2026)
I chose NYU’s MSFM program over Columbia’s MAFN, now I feel some regret
I come from a math and econ background, I had prepared myself thoroughly before entering the program, stochastic calculus, machine learning, regression analysis, statistics, programming, CTA trading...
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Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
Masters in Financial Engineering
9
- Total Score
- 80
- Peer Score
- 3.8
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Good Program, some things could be better (Class of 2024)
I will structure this review into the following categories: students, classroom instruction, program resources, and career training.
Students:
Given that the program has a 10% acceptance rate, the students that are accepted are necessarily the best of the best. Many majored...
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NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Brooklyn, NY 11201
MS in Financial Engineering
9
- Total Score
- 80
- Peer Score
- 3.3
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Excellent Career Support (Class of 2025)
NYU FRE has amazing career support and a solid academic foundation. From day one, we had access to workshops, resume reviews, and mock interviews that really helped me prepare for the job market.
The courses are practical, and professors bring valuable real-world insights...
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University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Master of Financial Engineering
9
- Total Score
- 80
- Peer Score
- 3.5
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Great school, great people, don't come here though (Class of 2025)
Graduating soon but I’m going to try to give an in-depth and honest review of the program for the incoming applicants. I am generally happy with my own outcome at UCLA and I emphasize this to point out my review is not an expression of personal frustration. I am appreciative...
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University of Chicago
Chicago, IL 60637
MS in Financial Mathematics
12
- Total Score
- 79
- Peer Score
- 3.4
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A Rigorous Program at the Intersection of Finance, Data, and Industry (Class of 2022)
The program is both rigorous and flexible, offering cross-listed courses from the Economics Department and Booth School of Business. The diverse cohort—including mature students—adds depth to discussions, while capstone projects with industry partners provide real-world...
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North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695
Master in Financial Mathematics
13
- Total Score
- 78
- Peer Score
- 2.7
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NCSU Master of Financial Mathematics program (Class of 2023)
One of the standout features of this program is the robust career support provided by the faculty. Before I even commenced my studies, the career services team reached out to refine my skills and enhance my professional profile. They maintained regular follow-ups and...
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Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA 30332
MS in Quantitative and Computational Finance
14
- Total Score
- 72
- Peer Score
- 3.1
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Probably the best choice if you can't go to the top 4 (Class of 2025)
Qcf went up to top 8 this year on quantnet, which made it highly competitive for 2025 fall. Of course, you can't rely on the career service to get an amazing offer from a hedge fund, but it's good enough for most people in this hard time.
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University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195
MS Computational Finance & Risk Management
15
- Total Score
- 69
- Peer Score
- 3.0
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Great Program, Strongly Recommend (Class of 2023)
I am an MS graduate (2022 cohort) from the Computational Finance and Risk Management (CFRM) program at the University of Washington (UW).
Before coming to UW, I received a dual degree in BS Mathematics and BA Economics. I was admitted to UW CFRM with a merit-based...
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On the strength of Rutgers MQF - Alumni Review (Class of 2023)
When looking at ratings and reviews of Quant programs on this site, you need to make sure to have the context behind the numbers in mind. Every program is designed to cater to a different incoming profile, so simply going off of the rating number will not give you a very...
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Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD 21218
Financial Mathematics MSE
17
- Total Score
- 64
- Peer Score
- 2.5
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The program is underrated (Class of 2027)
I have been enrolled for one month, and my study experience is very good. I believe this program is underrated. The lecturers are excellent, and the courses include a lot of math, which is a great complement to the courses I took during my undergraduate studies. I've heard...
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Boston University
Boston, MA 02215
MS in Mathematical Finance and Financial Technology
18
- Total Score
- 61
- Peer Score
- 3.2
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A Great Math Finance Program (Class of 2022)
The program offers a well-balanced curriculum that includes both rigorous classical theories and practical applications. Faculty members come from both academic and industry backgrounds, so students can build a strong theoretical foundation and also get valuable real-world...
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Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Master in Financial Engineering
19
- Total Score
- 55
- Peer Score
- 2.4
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Great Experience as a Financial Technology and Analytics Student (Class of 2025)
As a Financial Technology and Analytics student, I have found the Stevens FTA (Financial Engineering Stream) program to be both rigorous and rewarding. The curriculum has a strong balance of finance, programming, and applied analytics, which has allowed me to build a solid...
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Great professors & network (Class of 2025)
Exceptional faculty with strong industry and academic backgrounds. You get exposure to a prestigious crowd. The professors also teach at other schools like Princeton Columbia and NYU so the level of teaching is on par with the best.
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CGU MSFE is very Flexible (Class of 2025)
I'll be done with my coursework for the MSFE program after Summer 2025. I thought I would share my pros and cons about the program.
Pros:
- Smaller class size
One of the main reasons I leaned toward CGU is the low student-faculty ratio. In all the classes I took, I never...
(more)
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Lehigh University's MS in Financial Engineering program provides a rigorous, integrated education in finance, mathematics, and computational methods that prepares students for successful careers in quantitative finance, risk management, and fintech, and I highly recommend it. (Class of 2026)
The MS in Financial Engineering program at Lehigh University is a rigorous and well-structured program that effectively combines finance, mathematics, and computational methods to prepare students for careers in quantitative finance, risk management, and financial technology...
(more)
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OSU Quant Finance Review (Class of 2025)
The Master’s in Quantitative Finance (MSQF) program at Oklahoma State University is a rigorous and well-rounded academic experience that thoroughly prepared me for a career in quantitative and data-driven roles. Coming into the program with a background in Physics and...
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Rutgers University
Piscataway, NJ 08854
MS in Financial Statistics and Risk Management
NR
- Peer Score
- 2.4
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(Class of )
The professors at the programs are great. They have been the experts in the field and they are able to explain complicate knowledge in a plain way. The directors at the program is so friendly and help, as they have been trying their best to help students to look for jobs...
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(Class of )
The program is strong. Students are expected to take two courses each of stochastic calculus, numerical analysis, and statistics (regression and time series analysis). These courses are very rigorous. But it is not all theory. Many elective courses are taught by current...
(more)
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Urbana, IL 61801
Master of Financial Engineering
NR
- Peer Score
- 2.8
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2025 review of UIUC MFE program (Class of 2025)
I am one of the Class of 2025.
This is an overall a good program. The courses are all good, covering from risk, quant research, to derivatives pricing(structure notes). If you are interested in quant development, you can also find a place here.
The director is really...
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Stony Brook Quantitative Finance MS Review (Class of 2022)
When reviewing a university program, I like to focus on three main points: quality of education, career opportunities, and cost.
1) Education: This is probably where the program is at its best. Most of the coursework you will see at Stony Brook is well chosen. The program is...
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Prepared Me Well for the Real World of Quant Finance (Class of 2024)
One of the greatest strengths of the MFM program is the fact that many courses are taught by seasoned adjunct instructors who are active professionals in the quant finance industry. This ensured that what we learned was not only theoretically sound but also aligned with...
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- Tuition
- $49,420
- Enrollment
- 14 FT, 4 PT
- Acceptance rate
- 63.2%
- At Graduation
- 70%
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC 28223
MS in Mathematical Finance
NR
- Peer Score
- 2.5
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(Class of )
I just finished my degree here with a computational finance concentration and it wasn't what I expected. To be honest if you are really interested then you can learn a lot and go for a math or math finance phd easily. This is what the program is meant for. My intentions were...
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|
Rank
|
Program
|
Total Score
|
Peer Score
|
Employed at Graduation (%)
|
Employed at 3 months (%)
|
Base salary
|
Cohort Size
|
Acceptance Rate (%)
|
Tuition
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank
1
|
Baruch College
New York, NY 10010
|
||||||||
|
1
|
Baruch College
|
100
|
4.2
|
100
|
100
|
134.3K
|
25
|
6.67
|
42.39K
|
|
Rank
2
|
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544
|
||||||||
|
2
|
Princeton University
|
97
|
3.9
|
100
|
100
|
149K
|
25
|
4.8
|
114.8K
|
|
Rank
3
|
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720
|
||||||||
|
3
|
University of California, Berkeley
|
93
|
4
|
88
|
100
|
150.1K
|
85
|
19.32
|
78.14K
|
|
Rank
4
|
Carnegie Mellon University
New York, NY 10005 | Pittsburgh, PA 15213
|
||||||||
|
4
|
Carnegie Mellon University
|
91
|
4.1
|
88
|
96
|
117.5K
|
96
|
22.09
|
92.53K
|
|
Rank
5
|
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
|
||||||||
|
5
|
Columbia University
|
87
|
3.4
|
87
|
100
|
114.8K
|
107
|
18.64
|
90.30K
|
|
Rank
6
|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA 02139
|
||||||||
|
6
|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
|
86
|
3.2
|
90
|
100
|
114.5K
|
123
|
9.25
|
117.4K
|
|
Rank
7
|
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14850
|
||||||||
|
7
|
Cornell University
|
82
|
3.7
|
80
|
100
|
107K
|
57
|
22.07
|
93.68K
|
|
Rank
7
|
New York University
New York, NY 10012
|
||||||||
|
7
|
New York University
|
82
|
3.8
|
75
|
100
|
101.3K
|
48
|
21.93
|
73K
|
|
Rank
9
|
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
|
||||||||
|
9
|
Columbia University
|
80
|
3.8
|
40
|
65
|
115.5K
|
95
|
11.11
|
85.03K
|
|
Rank
9
|
NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Brooklyn, NY 11201
|
||||||||
|
9
|
NYU Tandon School of Engineering
|
80
|
3.3
|
76
|
94
|
107.6K
|
155
|
27.85
|
79.67K
|
|
Rank
9
|
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095
|
||||||||
|
9
|
University of California, Los Angeles
|
80
|
3.5
|
95
|
100
|
115.2K
|
88
|
35.71
|
85.27K
|
|
Rank
12
|
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL 60637
|
||||||||
|
12
|
University of Chicago
|
79
|
3.4
|
91
|
96
|
114.8K
|
101
|
25.03
|
88.18K
|
|
Rank
13
|
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695
|
||||||||
|
13
|
North Carolina State University
|
78
|
2.7
|
85
|
100
|
118.5K
|
33
|
16.91
|
61.35K
|
|
Rank
14
|
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA 30332
|
||||||||
|
14
|
Georgia Institute of Technology
|
72
|
3.1
|
91
|
100
|
105.1K
|
51
|
31.94
|
60.22K
|
|
Rank
15
|
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195
|
||||||||
|
15
|
University of Washington
|
69
|
3
|
87
|
100
|
87.94K
|
43
|
43.61
|
46.71K
|
|
Rank
16
|
Rutgers University
Newark, NJ 07102
|
||||||||
|
16
|
Rutgers University
|
66
|
3.1
|
50
|
91
|
97.28K
|
64
|
47.37
|
66.78K
|
|
Rank
17
|
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD 21218
|
||||||||
|
17
|
Johns Hopkins University
|
64
|
2.5
|
67
|
100
|
100.6K
|
33
|
33.52
|
91.62K
|
|
Rank
18
|
Boston University
Boston, MA 02215
|
||||||||
|
18
|
Boston University
|
61
|
3.2
|
44
|
73
|
90.42K
|
89
|
50.57
|
93.48K
|
|
Rank
19
|
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, NJ 07030
|
||||||||
|
19
|
Stevens Institute of Technology
|
55
|
2.4
|
60
|
98
|
95.53K
|
33
|
85.23
|
51.96K
|
|
Rank
20
|
Fordham University
New York, NY 10023
|
||||||||
|
20
|
Fordham University
|
53
|
2.6
|
35
|
65
|
98.35K
|
16
|
47.41
|
77.74K
|
| - |
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, CA 91711
|
||||||||
|
-
|
Claremont Graduate University
|
-
|
2.3
|
50
|
75
|
-
|
5
|
93.33
|
82.46K
|
| - |
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA 18015
|
||||||||
|
-
|
Lehigh University
|
-
|
2.5
|
100
|
100
|
131.6K
|
14
|
48.53
|
45.30K
|
| - |
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
|
||||||||
|
-
|
Oklahoma State University
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
69.23
|
12.01K
|
| - |
Rutgers University
Piscataway, NJ 08854
|
||||||||
|
-
|
Rutgers University
|
-
|
2.4
|
50
|
100
|
-
|
10
|
67.24
|
56.10K
|
| - |
~ Rutgers University
Piscataway, NJ 08854
|
||||||||
|
-
|
~ Rutgers University
|
-
|
3
|
25
|
75
|
-
|
9
|
29.35
|
65.07K
|
| - |
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Urbana, IL 61801
|
||||||||
|
-
|
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
|
-
|
2.8
|
47
|
89
|
100.6K
|
27
|
63.4
|
78.48K
|
| - |
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794
|
||||||||
|
-
|
Stony Brook University
|
-
|
2.5
|
50
|
50
|
-
|
24
|
58
|
44.89K
|
| - |
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
|
||||||||
|
-
|
University of Minnesota
|
-
|
2.6
|
70
|
90
|
-
|
18
|
63.16
|
49.42K
|
| - |
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC 28223
|
||||||||
|
-
|
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
|
-
|
2.5
|
50
|
73
|
97.61K
|
17
|
83.93
|
42.82K
|
- Published
- 12/11/23
- Page views
- 26,221