COMPARE Georgia Institute of Technology QCF vs NCSU Master in Financial Mathematics

[barbosa]

Hello everyone,
So far, I've been accepted to both programs and I am having some trouble making up my mind.
I would like to hear other opinions regarding these 2 programs.


My Background:
- Computer Engineer from a tier 1 University in Brazil
- 3 years work experience as a software developer at an Electronic Trading Team (developing a proprietary Order Management System)
- Basic Knowledge in Data Mining

Objectives:
- Looking for trading roles. Quant developer also a possibility
- Looking to move away from IT role

Thanks in advance!

 

[saxophoneturtle]

Hi, I'm facing the same dilemma of choosing GIT QCF or NCSU MFM, which one did you choose in the end? Thanks a lot.

 

[matthewzz]

Speculatively I'd say G-tech due to prestige. But then again, I'm just a stranger on the internet.

 

[thcreech]

Hey everyone, I was just seeing what the general consensus between these two programs are. I see that the QCF has a slightly higher salary and the FinMath has slightly better placement. Big kicker for me is I would be in-state at NCSU and therefore it is significantly cheaper. Ideally I would want to work sell-side after the program (not much for NYC or Chicago so likely Atlanta or Charlotte). The career services at NCSU also really stand out to me but I’m not sure if the prestige of the Georgia Tech name would make it more worthwhile.

 

[kombuchalover]

Hey everyone, I was just seeing what the general consensus between these two programs are. I see that the QCF has a slightly higher salary and the FinMath has slightly better placement. Big kicker for me is I would be in-state at NCSU and therefore it is significantly cheaper. Ideally I would want to work sell-side after the program (not much for NYC or Chicago so likely Atlanta or Charlotte). The career services at NCSU also really stand out to me but I’m not sure if the prestige of the Georgia Tech name would make it more worthwhile.

If you want to be in sell-side in Raleigh, Atlanta or Charlotte, NCSU with in-state tuition is def the best choice imo. If you want to be in NYC, Boston, or Chicago I think it’s kind of a toss up tbh. I view them pretty equally.

 

[benlhni]

i'm an internatioanl student and i got into these schools for fall 2025. i am kind of still learning my way around finance (beginner/no work exp) but I think I want to build my profile suited to buy-side quant researcher/trader roles. i also have a bsc in cs so i could opt for quant dev as well. Which school would be better? NCSU seems to place beginners more in sell-side risk management roles around NC. I'm not really sure about Georgia Tech and NYU's placement for beginners specially in NY or Chicago? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[vlot]

Im in a similar position as you, and the big question for me is how Georgia Tech places in New York and Chicago.

 

[benlhni]

i'm an internatioanl student and i got into these schools for fall 2025.
i am kind of still learning my way around finance (beginner/no work exp) but I think I want to build my profile suited to buy-side quant researcher/trader/trading analyst roles. i also have a bsc in cs so i could opt for quant dev as well.

Which school would be better? NCSU seems to place beginners more in sell-side risk management roles around NC. I'm not really sure about Georgia Tech and NYU's placement for beginners specially in NY or Chicago? columbia mafn seems great and is in NY but is expensive so is it worth it being ivy league? I'm also waiting on Uchicago and CMU's decisions. Any advice is appreciated.

a little on my background:

bsc with a double major in cs and math and minor in econ from a t20 us national university
1 year combined work experience as data analyst and data engineer at home country
2 research internships at research labs in my undergrad institution

 

[mr_spectre]

Out of these, I think that GATech is your best bet in terms of ROI.

They have been doing better YoY in terms of placements.
You also have an option to complete another master's degree with your MS QCF.

Of course, the equation changes if you get into UChicago or CMU.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

@benlhni
Congrats on getting into these programs. It's been a very competitive year for master applicants.
Please go ahead and add your application timelines to the Tracker. Your contribution will be much appreciated by everyone else.

Somebody asked me about GaTech vs NCSU and I want to point out the location uniqueness of those.
I mentioned several times before that NCSU has a location disadvantage of being in a small financial center but they turn them into an advantage by partnering with regional banks and local financial employers. They don't have many quant master programs in NC competing against them. They have a lot of graduates working in risk management which is a very stable segment. Cost of living in Charlotte area is lower compared to other big city.

For GaTech graduates, Chicago is their closest financial center so they will have the Chicago graduates and many other big cities graduates to compete against.
Picking a program is finding out a match of what you want and what they offer. No program is the same if you do enough research.

 

[Leggoo MFE]

For GaTech graduates, Chicago is their closest financial center so they will have the Chicago graduates and many other big cities graduates to compete against.

Hey Andy! Assuming GaTech has to play second fiddle to UChicago in chicago which is the closest finance center for them, how come they have such amazing employment stats? Is there a chance that they maybe haven't placed everyone in quant roles?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Hey Andy! Assuming GaTech has to play second fiddle to UChicago in chicago which is the closest finance center for them, how come they have such amazing employment stats? Is there a chance that they maybe haven't placed everyone in quant roles?

Both GaTech and Chicago have very active career services and support staff from my interaction. Them having good employment stats highlight the opportunities they provide to their graduates.
I couldn't say for certain whether every role is a quant roles since they don't release very detailed report. This is where networking with current and recent graduates from both programs to get insights is critical to ensure you make the right decision.

I only can say that except a handful of programs where every graduate is accounted for, most programs will report based on the alumni that responded to their survey. If a program has 100 graduates and only 50 graduates responded with 40 jobs, the program may report a 40/50 = 80% placement rate.
This means there 50 graduates that are unaccounted for since their data response rate is only 50/100 = 50%. It may be
the case that the missing 50 graduates all have good job but conventional wisdom tells us that people with job are more likely to respond to the survey than those that do not.
To avoid this issue, we require all programs to have at a minimum of 65% data response to be ranked on QuantNet rankings. This minimum requirement has been raised over the years to make sure our data quality is getting better.
That said, to really understand the real picture, you need to scrutinize the employment reports.
If you see something you are not sure, ask the programs directly. Do not assume anything. Verify all the information.

 

[Vittal]

I have an admit from NCSU, and I'm waiting for a decision from GATech. I'd like some help in making a choice between the two.
Some details about me:
Dual degree MBA from top B-School in India
Plenty of stats, econ , finance coursework, some basic maths and programming, CFA L2
3 years in business finance
Don't have a specific quant role in mind

Both these programs are similar in cost and ranking, yet they seem very different in curriculum, and career services.
Thanks for your advice!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

We’d greatly appreciate it if you could add your application timelines to the Tracker! Your data helps us generate valuable insights and tools that benefit the entire QuantNet community. Thank you for your support!

GaTech vs NCSU is a frequent debate. Each has its own merits. I'm working on a tool to provide side-by-side data comparison for our audience. This give you a data-driven platform to make your decisions.