COMPARE University of Warwick Mathematical Finance vs University College London Financial Mathematics

[onurthequant]

Hi everyone,

I’ve received offers from UCL Financial Mathematics and Warwick Mathematical Finance, and I’m trying to decide which one would be better for breaking into the quant industry.

A bit about my background: I have a strong foundation in both computer science and economics, with experience in mathematical modeling and programming. My goal is to work as a quantitative analyst or researcher, ideally in trading, risk management, or asset pricing.

From my research:

• UCL has a strong reputation for applied mathematics and machine learning but seems more theoretical.
• Warwick has a well-established finance/quant ecosystem, and I’ve heard it has solid industry connections.

Which program would provide better opportunities for networking, internships, and full-time quant roles in London or globally? Any insights from current students, alumni, or professionals would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

 

[DKQH]

Which one did you pick in the end as I am in the same situation?

 

[onurthequant]

I chose UCL for its strong global reputation and because I believe life in London offers more opportunities and a better overall experience.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

I chose UCL for its strong global reputation and because I believe life in London offers more opportunities and a better overall experience.

If you get into UCL Computational Finance, you would pick it over UCL Financial Mathematics, I assume?

 

[onurthequant]

Yes, I would pick Computational Finance because from what I’ve seen on this forum, it seems more popular and offers better job opportunities. However, I couldn’t find much information online about the Financial Mathematics program. Do you happen to have any insight on that? Also, I’m still waiting to hear back from Computational Finance.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Compared to US programs, there is a serious lack of crucial data for UK quant programs. Except programs in our UK rankings, we could not obtain relevant info for many programs. This is why many programs don’t end up in our rankings.
As this is a professional master program where getting a job is the ultimate goal, I would not recommend joining a program where there is no up to date placement data.

 

[DKQH]

Compared to US programs, there is a serious lack of crucial data for UK quant programs. Except programs in our UK rankings, we could not obtain relevant info for many programs. This is why many programs don’t end up in our rankings.
As this is a professional master program where getting a job is the ultimate goal, I would not recommend joining a program where there is no up to date placement data.

This was very usedful advice, thank you. Ultimately I picked the Computational Finance over Mathematical Finance Course

 

[Andy Nguyen]

This was very usedful advice, thank you. Ultimately I picked the Computational Finance over Mathematical Finance Course

Congrats. I assume you picked UCL Computational Finance over Warwick Mathematical Finance, right?
Can you please add your application timelines to the Tracker? Thanks