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This article has been updated in June 2024.
What are the most selective MFE programs? There is no single metric that will definitely answer this question. Undergraduate GPAs, GRE scores are important indicators. But for many, the following are popular metrics of admission selectivity: acceptance rates, yield rate and applicants per available classroom seat. When it comes to acceptance rates, here are the top 10 most selective quant programs in the U.S.
| Program | Acceptance Rate | Yield | Applications per Seat | Applications | Admits | Enrolled |
|---|
| Baruch College (Financial Engineering) | 7.1% | 89% | 15.8 | 379 | 27 | 24 |
| Princeton University (Master in Finance) | 7.7% | 84% | 18.2 | 574 | 44 | 37 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Master of Finance) | 9.2% | 72% | 15 | 1903 | 176 | 127 |
| Columbia University (Financial Engineering) | 10.1% | 86% | 11.4 | 1213 | 123 | 106 |
| New York University (Mathematics in Finance) | 14.4% | 32% | 22 | 529 | 76 | 24 |
| North Carolina State University (Financial Mathematics) | 16.7% | 73% | 8.1 | 269 | 45 | 33 |
| Columbia University (Mathematics of Finance) | 18.1% | 48% | 10.7 | 1200 | 217 | 105 |
| Cornell University (FE concentration) | 19.4% | 34% | 11.4 | 793 | 154 | 53 |
| Carnegie Mellon University (Computational Finance) | 20% | 61% | 8.2 | 781 | 156 | 95 |
| University of California, Berkeley (Financial Engineering) | 20.8% | 69% | 6.9 | 529 | 110 | 76 |
* All data is for the entering 2023 cohort of full-time students
[spoiler=Click to see the data for last year]
Program | Acceptance Rate | Yield | Applications per Seat | Applications | Admits | Enrolled |
|---|
| Princeton University (Master in Finance) | 4.8% | 83% | 25 | 625 | 30 | 25 |
| Baruch College (Financial Engineering) | 6.7% | 92% | 16.4 | 360 | 24 | 22 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Master of Finance) | 9.3% | 75% | 15.6 | 1913 | 177 | 133 |
| Columbia University (Financial Engineering) | 11.1% | 69% | 13.1 | 1242 | 138 | 95 |
| North Carolina State University (Financial Mathematics) | 16.9% | 70% | 8.4 | 278 | 47 | 33 |
| Columbia University (Mathematics of Finance) | 18.6% | 50% | 10.7 | 1105 | 206 | 103 |
| University of California, Berkeley (Financial Engineering) | 19.3% | 68% | 7.6 | 590 | 114 | 78 |
| New York University (Mathematics in Finance) | 21.9% | 40% | 11.5 | 529 | 116 | 46 |
| Cornell University (FE concentration) | 22.1% | 32% | 14.2 | 811 | 179 | 57 |
| Carnegie Mellon University (Computational Finance) | 22.1% | 52% | 8.8 | 842 | 186 | 96 |
* All data is for the entering 2022 cohort of full-time students
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Acceptance rate: The acceptance rate is the percentage of applicants who are admitted to the program. Generally, a lower acceptance rate indicates a more selective program.
Yield: The yield rate is the percentage of the admitted applicants who eventually enrolled in the program. Generally, a higher yield rate is more desirable for programs. It indicates the ability of a program to attract and retain a high percentage of admitted applicants.
What do you think makes a program selective? Let us know in the comments section below.
