COMPARE Master Programs Comparison: Which quant program to choose?

[Andy Nguyen]

Reach out to recent graduates of both programs on here or LinkedIn to hear what they say. If most of them is happy with the quality of the program, career services and getting relevant jobs, then it is worth attending.

 

[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.

 

[Yash Jain]

What program is best for job placing beginners who are new to finance but have a background in statistics?
Not necessarily quant, but any job to break into the industry.

I'm also surprised by the amount of votes for NYU MFE. Is it really that much better to be worth the additional cost?

 

[HidingWhiz]

Can anyone suggest between Georgia Tech MSQCF Vs Cornell MFE ?

Given TAship at Georgia Tech also comes with tuition waiver which is not the case with Cornell.

Also in terms of opportunities do both of them provide opportunity in similar areas ?

 

[lifeisagamble]

There are lots of ways to find this out yourself instead of asking the forum generally. I suggest you look up the placement stats for the programs on their websites or on quant net, look up recent graduates on LinkedIn and see where they placed or if they are still looking for work. You can do better. Do

 

[sksh]

Though NYU is ranked better, I feel like any good student maybe able to do well in both places. I like the NYU course better but LA is soo nice and it has a good campus and jsut a sunshiny place overall. Plus it is a management MFE course and has a smaller cohort size, Thoughts?

 

[knightinberlin]

Hey, could you let me know what was your decision, your reasoning and what factors did you take into account? Would highly appreciate it, thanks!

 

[knightinberlin]

Hey, could you let me know which program did you finally end up going with, and share your reasoning as well?

 

[Bobby Jia]

gt for sure

 

[mihirr]

Hey, could you let me know what was your decision, your reasoning and what factors did you take into account? Would highly appreciate it, thanks!

I recently got accepted into NYU MFE, so for now, I’m leaning toward that while I wait for further decisions.

As for UIUC vs. BU, I personally think UIUC is the stronger program. It has better employment statistics, and its curriculum offers concentrations that align more closely with my interest. Additionally, its multiple industry partnerships also translated to opportunities to work on practicum projects. So, I would suggest UIUC as the better option.

Hope that helps

 

[HyperQuant]

Hello,

I hope this message finds you well! As an applicant who's very curious about FE but lacking experience, I'm reaching out to seek your advice regarding my admission decisions.

I'm honored to be accepted to Columbia's MSFE program, which I intend to enroll.

However, before I do so, I wanted to ensure I have not neglected to consider the other two programs I've been admitted to: NCSU MFM and Duke's MEng Fintech, both of which are in my home state.

I would greatly appreciate your advice or any words of wisdom on this decision. Is there anything I may have failed to consider by accepting Columbia's offer as someone seeking to become a quant trader (buy side)?

Thank you in advance for your advice! I'm grateful for this community and your assistance.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

As someone without relevant experience, you will have a really hard time to get a role as a buy-side quant trader out of the Columbia MFE (Financial Engineering) program. A lot of their graduates struggle to find jobs from the recent reviews on QuantNet.
What is your backup plan if you fail to get that role and when the reality hits?
NCSU has a realistic outcome where people expect to have a good shot at a job in risk management in Charlotte area.
You may have all the quality to succeed on your path to get one of the most sought after job by thousands of MFE graduates every year.
However, I would be irresponsible to not point out that I have seen many graduates who had unrealistic expectation and without a job.

 

[HyperQuant]

As someone without relevant experience, you will have a really hard time to get a role as a buy-side quant trader out of the Columbia MFE (Financial Engineering) program. A lot of their graduates struggle to find jobs from the recent reviews on QuantNet.
What is your backup plan if you fail to get that role and when the reality hits?
NCSU has a realistic outcome where people expect to have a good shot at a job in risk management in Charlotte area.
You may have all the quality to succeed on your path to get one of the most sought after job by thousands of MFE graduates every year.
However, I would be irresponsible to not point out that I have seen many graduates who had unrealistic expectation and without a job.

Hello Andy, thank you so much for your advice! I appreciate you mentioning the career outcomes from the programs, and the disclaimer regarding buy-side roles.

I was wondering as a hedge if Columbia MFE would still keep me competitive for risk management roles, or is NCSU truly superior in that regard? As in, would attending Columbia still prepare me the best overall in relevant qualifications for a career?

I'm certainly flexible in my career path. I'm grateful for your support!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Columbia is in NYC, the world's biggest financial center. This means easy access to all the biggest firms and the wide breath of opportunities.
At the same time, Columbia has multiple master programs producing hundreds of graduates aiming for the same kind of jobs that you apply for.
NYC and the tristate area is also home to other top ranked programs such as Baruch, Princeton, CMU, Cornell, etc. This is to say you are one of thousands of people aiming for the same jobs every year. Unless you got in a program that has personal relationships with banks via alumni network with their own pipeline to unadvertised positions, getting a job is not a given.
Just go on LinkedIn and search for alumni of Columbia who graduated in Dec 2023 until now and you have a better idea.
NCSU is not superior the way you put it. It used its location and network with regional banks to their advantage. There are fewer competition in Charlotte so they crave out a niche for themselves.
For risk management roles, I think you can get them from any program just because competition is not that pierce. Some programs have a stronger focus on risk management where other have a more focus on sell-side pricing/stochastic.
Having a realistic expectation and clear eyed about the industry will prepare you to be a happier professional.

 

[mihirr]

Hey everyone,

I recently got admitted to NYU and am still waiting on decisions from Columbia, UChicago, and NCSU. My goal is to break into quant trading at a buy-side firm, so out of curiosity I’m trying to figure out which program out of these would be the best suited for that.

From what I’ve researched, NYU MFE seems to offer a lot of flexibility with electives and a manageable workload, while the other programs appear to be more math-heavy. That got me wondering—how do these programs compare when it comes to curriculum, structure, and job placements for quant trading roles?

If anyone has attended these programs or works in the industry, I’d really appreciate your thoughts. Also, if you had to rank these programs specifically for someone looking to become a quant trader, how would you do it?

My background for context: Bachelors in CS, 4+ years working on backtesting, optimization, and implementing option-selling strategies during my bachelors

Would love to hear any insights, especially from alumni or people in the industry. Thanks in advance

 

[gkngm]

Hi folks,

I'm a data scientist in Europe with 5 YOE outside of finance. I have a strong ML and NLP background and research experience and want to pivot to quant finance because as it looks more challenging intellectually. I have been trying to get interviews for months without much success so I applied to MFE programs.
I have been accepted to Imperial MathFin and now I wonder if it's worth going to the US considering that my only other comparable options would be CMU MSCF and Columbia MFE.

Pros of US:
- Larger job market
- Much better career prospects in general

Cons of US:
- More competitive job market
- Higher tuitions
- Programs take at least 6 month more than imperial mathfin
- Higher cost of living in general

I don't think I like US enough to spend more than 5-10 years after the program over there, I would certainly go back to Europe after.

All things considered here is my ranking so far:
1. CMU MSCF
2. Imperial MathFin
3. Columbia MFE

What's your point of view on that?

Thank you in advance

 

[HyperQuant]

Columbia is in NYC, the world's biggest financial center. This means easy access to all the biggest firms and the wide breath of opportunities.
At the same time, Columbia has multiple master programs producing hundreds of graduates aiming for the same kind of jobs that you apply for.
NYC and the tristate area is also home to other top ranked programs such as Baruch, Princeton, CMU, Cornell, etc. This is to say you are one of thousands of people aiming for the same jobs every year. Unless you got in a program that has personal relationships with banks via alumni network with their own pipeline to unadvertised positions, getting a job is not a given.
Just go on LinkedIn and search for alumni of Columbia who graduated in Dec 2023 until now and you have a better idea.
NCSU is not superior the way you put it. It used its location and network with regional banks to their advantage. There are fewer competition in Charlotte so they crave out a niche for themselves.
For risk management roles, I think you can get them from any program just because competition is not that pierce. Some programs have a stronger focus on risk management where other have a more focus on sell-side pricing/stochastic.
Having a realistic expectation and clear eyed about the industry will prepare you to be a happier professional.

Hello Andy,

I greatly appreciate you providing me with this information, including the job competition and the differences in focus for the programs. I will be sure to do more research specifically on risk management to have a better idea and realistic expectation.

Thank you so much!!