COMPARE TOP 3 MFE programs in terms of Placement?

[zshaonan]

Hi all,

I know there are lots of posts and discussions in comparing those top MFE programs.

I just want to know in terms of placement, what are the top 3? I don't care how is the profs, how is the courses. The only thing I care about is what job you can get after graduation. I know that graduating from a top program doesn't guaratee a top job. But it helps. What are the top 3 program which can give you the most chance to get a decent job in those big companies? Just like to hear your opinions.

 

[iniesta]

im not sure but im guessing NYU, Baruch, and Toronto MMF, they all have nearly 100% placements

 

[Joy Pathak]

I would say CMU and Princeton have nearly 100% placement too.

 

[euroazn]

im not sure but im guessing NYU, Baruch, and Toronto MMF, they all have nearly 100% placements

Yeah, those programs are great but I suspect the ones Joy listed are better in terms of placement...

 

[iniesta]

Yeah, those programs are great but I suspect the ones Joy listed are better in terms of placement...

ok maybe not baruch, but toronto and nyu both have 100% placement where as princeton is at 95% and cmu is at 92%

but u cant go wrong with any of them

 

[Joy Pathak]

ok maybe not baruch, but toronto and nyu both have 100% placement where as princeton is at 95% and cmu is at 92%

but u cant go wrong with any of them

Baruch is close to 100% yearly.All the graduates of last years December graduation date are placed.So 100% for that. I think overall since the program started it is around 94-95%. I don't know the exact number. It's probably on our website somewhere.

 

[CN Chen]

According to http://mfe.baruch.cuny.edu/employment-stats/

Baruch's all-time placement stats are 115 / 123 so it's approx 93%

 

[bluechimp]

Placement rates are one thing, but ideally you'd also want to know the quality of the placements. I'd argue that placing 100% of your students in back office roles is less impressive than 80% placement in exclusively front-office positions. So, this sort of normalization should be kept in mind when you're looking at the top, 100% placement rate programs.

Unfortunately, I think all aforementioned programs are still quite opaque (by my standards at least) in disclosing placement quality. This includes Princeton, my alma mater, which is already one of the most transparent out there. (For instance, from the webpage: "BNP Paribas, New York", or "UBS Japan" -- surely you cannot tell much about the job quality from that much information!). We were much better in this aspect in previous years (scroll down on Princeton's placement page to see quite granular placement description in 2004-2007 boom years).

 

[mfegrad]

psst...iniesta:

numbers can be massaged...a lot.

 

[iniesta]

psst...iniesta:

numbers can be massaged...a lot.

OP asked for placement, i gave him placement, im not saying anything more

 

[Andy Nguyen]

@bluechimp @mfegrad
www.quantnet.com/submit-review/

Let's do it

 

[mfegrad]

when i have time, andy...when i have time

 

[zshaonan]

Well, THANKS, ALL.

I kind of agree with bluechimp. placement rate is very important, but it is not about all. The other aspect is the placement quality.

I guess I have to change my topic a little bit.

What are the top 3 MFE programs in terms of placement rate and also quality?

Placement rates are one thing, but ideally you'd also want to know the quality of the placements. I'd argue that placing 100% of your students in back office roles is less impressive than 80% placement in exclusively front-office positions. So, this sort of normalization should be kept in mind when you're looking at the top, 100% placement rate programs.

Unfortunately, I think all aforementioned programs are still quite opaque (by my standards at least) in disclosing placement quality. This includes Princeton, my alma mater, which is already one of the most transparent out there. (For instance, from the webpage: "BNP Paribas, New York", or "UBS Japan" -- surely you cannot tell much about the job quality from that much information!). We were much better in this aspect in previous years (scroll down on Princeton's placement page to see quite granular placement description in 2004-2007 boom years).

 

[Ycohen]

Let's not forget that there can be 100 % placement with a $70000 average (like U of T mmf, for examples) and %90 with a $90000-$100000 average. So if you think you can be in the 90%, you should probably base your decision on salary and not placement probability.

 

[roni]

Let's not forget that there can be 100 % placement with a $70000 average (like U of T mmf, for examples) and %90 with a $90000-$100000 average. So if you think you can be in the 90%, you should probably base your decision on salary and not placement probability.

I don't think the salary is based on the school you graduated from but on the job you do and the location.
UofT might have an average of $70K just because most of its students are straight out of college with no experience or the salaries in Toronto are different.
Same with schools that show $95K average. They might have many students who already hold a MS or a PhD or a few years of work experience.
These numbers all depend on the location and the class profile.

 

[Ycohen]

I don't think the salary is based on the school you graduated from but on the job you do and the location.
UofT might have an average of $70K just because most of its students are straight out of college with no experience or the salaries in Toronto are different.
Same with schools that show $95K average. They might have many students who already hold a MS or a PhD or a few years of work experience.
These numbers all depend on the location and the class profile.

All very strong points, Roni. I think they strengthen the point I was trying to make that looking at one aspect like placement probability is not the best method. There are a million factors and each school has different strengths depending on your goals and experience etc.

 

[RolledUpAces]

Georgia Tech QCF has 90% placement for American students in full-time and internships. The quality of those positions are comparable to other top programs, and a lot of alumni can be found in hedge funds and top 50 investment banks in Chicago and NYC. I cannot comment on international students, since those students usually do not keep in touch with the program post graduation. Most students have 0.8 years of work experience, and the median starting salary is $80k. For students that do have 4+ years of work experience or another Masters, the average starting salary is $100k+.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Georgia Tech QCF has 90% placement for American students in full-time and internships. I cannot comment on international students, since those students usually do not keep in touch with the program post graduation.

And what does Georgia Tech QCF plan to do with the numbers? How do they report it?

 

[arden]

princeton is tops, and then probably columbia and stanford

 

[Andy Nguyen]

princeton is tops, and then probably columbia and stanford

Really? Do you care to point to their placement reports to make them top?