COMPARE Master Programs Comparison: Which quant program to choose?

Hi Everyone!
I'm in a bit of a dilemma about which of the two programs I should join. I have admits from Berkeley for Spring 2026 (they did give me a last-minute admit for Spring 2025 but I chose not to go and reapply), and an admit from Chicago for this Fall with a 20% Scholarship.
Would appreciate any advice in terms of program curriculums, ease of learning in a 12-month (UCB) vs 18-month (UChicago) setup, placements, weather, cost of living, etc etc.
Also, is the scholarship amount offered by UChicago fixed once given out? The criteria of the scholarship seems to be pretty black box, so does anyone have any idea how it is decided?
Would be great to chat further with any of you deciding on the same programs!
 
Hey I saw similar threads before but they were either old or not very informative. I recently got accepted into both programs and am in a serious dilemma as to which one to choose. I come from computer science background, and want to work as quant trader or analyst in the future. Currently I just have 1 software internship experience so I will need help of the career services to help me pivot to finance sector. Here are my views on the programs -

MIT Pros -
1) Very big brand name
2) Boston is better located in terms of industry outreach as compared to Pittsburgh
3) "MIT" name can open doors for me in Asia and Europe as well as its more internationally recognized
4) The courses are more finance heavy, less math

MIT Cons -
1) The career services tailor more to MBA students, not too much to MFin
2) Average salary and placement is lesser than CMU
3) Higher tuition

CMU Pros -
1) Highly regarded in industry
2) Stellar career services (as far as I have read online)
3) A good mix of math, finance and programming courses in curriculum
4) Higher average salary and ranked higher than MIT.

CMU Cons -
1) It's in Pittsburgh, so far from NYC - finance hub.
2) Not a big name for finance as it is mostly known for CS

Please give me your views and if anyone goes to these programs, I would highly appreciate your inputs.
 
Why would you wanna go to MIT if they don't prioritise you for career services even after all what you have achieved? As an international student, that should be the first point of comparison I think.

If I had both admits, I would have instantly put my deposit for CMU cause its a computational finance degree. If you wish to work in the US for couple of years, or even abroad, a tech-heavy Master's is quite useful (which CMU provides).

Also, seeing you've done undergrad in CS, isn't that better? You would have an opportunity to do a Ph.D. in computational finance and also to break into a quantitative finance role in the industry. That's my take.

I think in the end it might come down to your essay - which one is the most authentic version.

Congratulations on both admits btw!
 
Global brandname recognition may not be as relevant when it comes to super niche field such quant finance.
There are lesser known universes that offer top programs in certain disciplines.
Many people have a preference for brand names which is understandable especially in certain parts of the world.
We have plenty of examples here over the years where people picked the brand name over the quality and better employment outcome from other programs. The results have not been pretty.
This is just a caution to have clear objective when you do this type of degree. You are paying to get the relevant training for your target job, with a dedicated career service and good alumni network and life long support. All of the above should result in helping you get the jobs you want. Brand name is a nice perk but don’t overpay for it.
 
Programs outside of the US are not really focused on employment stats. Their stats are rarely updated. Overall, they don't have the infrastructure to collect, survey and tabulate the employment data. As a result, the salary data is very low quality.
Here is the latest employment data for ETH Zurich from risknet
Employment rate 100%
Unavailable employment data 10%
Graduates in further study 11%
Graduates employed in Banking: 33%; consulting: 10%; FinTech: 24%; academia: 18%; other sectors: 15%
Post-master’s salaries $129,156
 
sheamusthegreatkhali said:
I'm an Indian and have got an interview invitation from ETH Zurich for their MQF program. I wanted to ask, how much easy are employment opportunities post the degree? I couldn't find any data points. I'd to let go of my UC Berkeley MFE Admission this year because of financial constraints ( I come from a low middle class income family ) and some negative reviews from UCB Alumini. ETH Zurich MQF seems cheap but I'm having double thoughts now on employment opportunities.

Current background:
Tier 1 IIT CSE Graduate from India
Currently working as a Quant Strat Associate at a BB (~3 years of Experience)

I'm wondering if I should wait for an year and apply to UC Berkeley again or go with ETH Zurich.

My motivation is to move outside India. I'm fine with both Europe or USA but don't want to do a degree that can impact my employment opportunities afterwards. Can someone share light for a non EU citizen how's the scene of employment for ETH Zurich grads?
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trust, you'll win a absolutely ridiculous amount of money if you go to ETH and do things properly. just go on their website and look at their graduate placement. this master is the best in europe by far. given the cost, I wouldn't even hesitate if I was in your position (check my tracker :p)
 
Given a lack of historical data on the conversion rate from the waitlist, it may be wise to take the best offer. Bird on one hand proverb comes to mind.
Unless CMU gives you a decision by March 21, you are making decision based on historical data.
CMU yield rate is around 60% meaning 40% of admitted applicants will go somewhere else. Where you are in this waitlist is a mystery.
 
Hello guys, which of the following courses do you think would be better considering job prospects matter a lot. I have got an admit in tandon with 8k scholarship as well. Which one should I pursue? Also, I have gotten waitlisted for the UCB Financial Engineering program so I will continue to work on that as well.
 
Cornell MFE has a $10,000 total scholarship. I am out of state for NCSU.

Some comments: I have very little industry experience in general, not to mention finance, etc., so career services takes a little more precedence than usual. I am amazed to have gotten into a high ranking ivy league school. However, unlike NCSU, I have not found anything particularly standout about Cornell's career services and placement rates (In my case, placement rate is a little more important than salary outcomes, especially when the salary outcomes are comparable), and that is a resource (career services) I might want to lean on considerably for guidance/help. The tuition costs are quite steep for Cornell over NCSU, but that is not my biggest concern. I believe that Cornell's alumni network may be a lot more valuable than that of NCSU, but I fear (perhaps unreasonably) that with my lack of experience I will not make best use of this network and may have more reliable success with NCSU's career support services. Of course, the program as a whole is very important, including the education and everything tangential, but I just wanted to note this slight bias in my mind about the decision.
 
6 admits out of 8. Congrats and thanks for sharing the results on the Tracker. It helps other members tremendously.
My impression with NCSU and their good placement stat is that they turn its location disadvantage into an advantage by working closely with the regional employers in the Charlotte/NC area.
They have a small class size (20-30s) and no competition nearby. By building relationship with smaller firms and banks that have need constant need for risk roles, they carve out a special niche where their graduates don't compete directly in the crowded NYC market.
Cornell on the other hand.
 
Hello, everyone. I was recently admitted to UChicago from the waitlist, along with an acceptance to Cornell MFE a month ago. I am very pleased to get admitted to both programs, but I am quite indecisive about which one to choose.

I think both programs are robust enough when it comes to providing a competitive edge for students to work in the field of quantitative finance. I think what matters the most to me is its location, networking, and eventually post-grad employment. While Chicago has a lower cost of living than NYC, I am concerned about Chicago's safety and weather. I heard Cornell MFE's networking is quite solid when working in NYC, but I wasn't sure about UChicago MSFM's. Finally, I think both programs have solid connections to industries and provide various opportunities (internships, projects, career/networking events, etc.).

I would like to work in portfolio management (preferably in a hedge fund, quantitative research/modeling). NYC and Chicago are both great, but I am more leaning toward the former than the latter. As an applied math major, I am not quite sure which program would be more beneficial in the long run. I know that I cannot go wrong with these programs, but I wanted to make a discreet decision directly related to my initial career. Thank you in advance for your comments, which would be very helpful for me to decide the direction.
 
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I did observe that alot of the cornell students do end up in portfolio management and about 60% of jobs offered recieved by alumnia referal (I asked to an alumni) . Also since you are an international student so ivy tag ig??
 
meowminimeow said:
I did observe that alot of the cornell students do end up in portfolio management and about 60% of jobs offered recieved by alumnia referal (I asked to an alumni) . Also since you are an international student so ivy tag ig??
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Thank you for your comment, I recall I heard something similar like that. I think in terms of institutional reputation, they are comparable.
 
Hi, I am Computer Sciencce graduate and close to 2 year experience in HFT domain, I got admits for Georgia Tech QCF, program and NYU Tandon MFE program, I would like some help in choosing the university ( while I like the QCF programs focus on ML, I would like to know about the career opportunities between these two )
 
Congrats.
Please add your application timelines and profile on the Tracker so we can better help you.
Would be good to know what is your goal and expectation out of these 2 programs?
If you clarify what you expect to receive, I can tell you whether it's realistic or not.
 

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