Finance, General: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Finance, General is a comprehensive academic pathway designed to equip students with the analytical and strategic capabilities needed to navigate the complex financial landscapes of modern organizations. This program emphasizes the systematic management of financial resources, enabling graduates to make informed decisions that drive organizational performance and long-term sustainability.
- Principles of Accounting: Foundational knowledge in recording, summarizing, and interpreting financial transactions to support decision-making and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Financial Instruments: In-depth study of tools such as stocks, bonds, derivatives, and other marketable securities used in investment and risk management strategies.
- Capital Planning: Strategic processes for allocating financial resources to maximize returns while aligning with organizational goals and risk tolerance.
- Funds Acquisition: Techniques and evaluation methods for securing capital through equity, debt, and alternative financing mechanisms.
- Asset and Debt Management: Approaches to optimizing the composition and performance of an organization’s assets while managing liabilities effectively.
- Budgeting: Development and oversight of financial plans that guide spending, forecasting, and resource allocation across departments and projects.
- Financial Analysis: Application of quantitative and qualitative methods to assess financial health, performance, and future prospects of businesses and investment opportunities.
- Investments and Portfolio Management: Strategies for selecting, monitoring, and adjusting investment holdings to meet specific financial objectives and risk profiles.
Finance, General Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Finance, General Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Finance, General degrees, including Chief Executives, Financial Managers and Financial Risk Specialists. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 5,998,940 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives 11-1011 | $206,420 | $73,710 - $239,200 | 211,850 | $99.24 |
| Financial Managers 11-3031 | $161,700 | $86,490 - $239,200 | 818,620 | $77.74 |
| Financial Risk Specialists 13-2054 | $106,000 | $62,270 - $182,310 | 56,320 | $50.96 |
| General and Operations Managers 11-1021 | $102,950 | $47,420 - $239,200 | 3,584,420 | $49.50 |
| Personal Financial Advisors 13-2052 | $102,140 | $49,990 - $239,200 | 270,480 | $49.11 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts 13-2051 | $101,350 | $62,410 - $180,550 | 340,580 | $48.73 |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1011 | $97,270 | $46,460 - $210,530 | 81,780 | N/A |
| Budget Analysts 13-2031 | $87,930 | $60,510 - $134,640 | 47,170 | $42.27 |
| Credit Analysts 13-2041 | $80,970 | $52,930 - $168,840 | 67,370 | $38.93 |
| Financial Specialists, All Other 13-2099 | $80,190 | $46,420 - $151,780 | 127,450 | $38.55 |
| Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists 13-1141 | $77,020 | $48,300 - $128,830 | 102,370 | $37.03 |
| Loan Officers 13-2072 | $74,180 | $38,490 - $145,780 | 290,530 | $35.66 |
Finance, General Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $73,671 in Arkansas to $135,753 in New York—a 84% difference. The highest-paying states include New York, District of Columbia, and New Jersey. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 5,998,940 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Finance, General by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Finance, General programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Finance, General is found at Ohio State University, Main Campus (922 graduates), CUNY Bernard M Baruch College (827 graduates), Florida State University (FSU) (657 graduates), Florida International University (FIU) (605 graduates), and The University of Alabama (UA) (571 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 30,144 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
|
922 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College |
Bachelor's
|
827 | New York, New York | Public | baruch.cuny.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Bachelor's
|
657 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| Florida International University (FIU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
605 | Miami, Florida | Public | fiu.edu |
| The University of Alabama (UA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
571 | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | Public | ua.edu |
| University of Iowa |
Bachelor's
Post-Master's
|
568 | Iowa City, Iowa | Public | uiowa.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
|
533 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| University of Georgia (UGA) |
Bachelor's
|
520 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
| University of South Carolina (USC) |
Bachelor's
|
493 | Columbia, South Carolina | Public | sc.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
|
490 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| University of South Florida (USF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
479 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
| Boston College (BC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
474 | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Private | bc.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Bachelor's
|
427 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| University of Arkansas (U of A) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
427 | Fayetteville, Arkansas | Public | uark.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
426 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| University of Houston (UH) |
Bachelor's
|
420 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
|
417 | Austin, Texas | Public | utexas.edu |
| Michigan State University (MSU) |
Bachelor's
|
398 | East Lansing, Michigan | Public | msu.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMCP) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
392 | College Park, Maryland | Public | umd.edu |
| Texas A & M University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
|
384 | College Station, Texas | Public | tamu.edu |
| Clemson University |
Bachelor's
|
380 | Clemson, South Carolina | Public | clemson.edu |
| University of Central Florida (UCF) |
Bachelor's
|
379 | Orlando, Florida | Public | ucf.edu |
| Tulane University of Louisiana |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
374 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Private | tulane.edu |
| Auburn University (AU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
373 | Auburn, Alabama | Public | auburn.edu |
| University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Bachelor's
|
370 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
Bachelor's
|
370 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Public | charlotte.edu |
| Bentley University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
369 | Waltham, Massachusetts | Private | bentley.edu |
| Georgetown University (GU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
363 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | georgetown.edu |
| Northwestern University |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Master's
|
361 | Evanston, Illinois | Private | northwestern.edu |
| Texas Tech University (TTU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
|
360 | Lubbock, Texas | Public | ttu.edu |
| University of Cincinnati (UC) |
Bachelor's
|
351 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Public | uc.edu |
| Miami University |
Bachelor's
|
330 | Oxford, Ohio | Public | miamioh.edu |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) |
Bachelor's
|
330 | Blacksburg, Virginia | Public | vt.edu |
| Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
328 | Manchester, New Hampshire | Private | snhu.edu |
| University of Kentucky (UK) |
Bachelor's
|
323 | Lexington, Kentucky | Public | uky.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Bachelor's
|
323 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
| University of Oklahoma (OU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
318 | Norman, Oklahoma | Public | ou.edu |
| University of Delaware (UD) |
Bachelor's
|
316 | Newark, Delaware | Public | udel.edu |
| Washington State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Doctorate (Research)
|
315 | Pullman, Washington | Public | wsu.edu |
| The University of Tennessee |
Bachelor's
|
311 | Knoxville, Tennessee | Public | utk.edu |
| University of Miami (UM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
298 | Coral Gables, Florida | Private | miami.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Bachelor's
|
297 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| University of Notre Dame (ND) |
Bachelor's
|
297 | Notre Dame, Indiana | Private | nd.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Bachelor's
|
297 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| Florida Atlantic University (FAU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
291 | Boca Raton, Florida | Public | fau.edu |
| Fort Hays State University (FHSU) |
Bachelor's
|
290 | Hays, Kansas | Public | fhsu.edu |
| Grand Canyon University (GCU) |
Bachelor's
|
288 | Phoenix, Arizona | Private | gcu.edu |
| Southern Methodist University (SMU) |
Bachelor's
|
280 | Dallas, Texas | Private | smu.edu |
| University of Florida (UF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
274 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
| University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) |
Bachelor's
|
268 | Chicago, Illinois | Public | uic.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
263 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| Washington University in St Louis (WashU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
261 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Private | wustl.edu |
| University of Connecticut (UConn) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
255 | Storrs, Connecticut | Public | uconn.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
|
254 | Richardson, Texas | Public | utdallas.edu |
| Fairfield University |
Bachelor's
|
249 | Fairfield, Connecticut | Private | fairfield.edu |
| DePaul University |
Bachelor's
|
246 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | depaul.edu |
| Iowa State University (ISU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
|
244 | Ames, Iowa | Public | iastate.edu |
| Purdue University (PU) |
Bachelor's
|
244 | West Lafayette, Indiana | Public | purdue.edu |
| Baylor University |
Bachelor's
|
238 | Waco, Texas | Private | baylor.edu |
| Villanova University |
Bachelor's
|
231 | Villanova, Pennsylvania | Private | villanova.edu |
| Bryant University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
231 | Smithfield, Rhode Island | Private | bryant.edu |
| Lehigh University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
221 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Private | lehigh.edu |
| Texas Christian University (TCU) |
Bachelor's
|
220 | Fort Worth, Texas | Private | tcu.edu |
| Georgia State University |
Bachelor's
|
219 | Atlanta, Georgia | Public | gsu.edu |
| Temple University |
Bachelor's
|
218 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Public | temple.edu |
| Syracuse University |
Bachelor's
|
214 | Syracuse, New York | Private | syracuse.edu |
| University of North Texas (UNT) |
Bachelor's
|
214 | Denton, Texas | Public | unt.edu |
| Grand Valley State University (GVSU) |
Bachelor's
|
208 | Allendale, Michigan | Public | gvsu.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Bachelor's
|
208 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| Brigham Young University (BYU) |
Bachelor's
|
207 | Provo, Utah | Private | byu.edu |
| University of Wisconsin |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
205 | Whitewater, Wisconsin | Public | uww.edu |
| University of Nebraska (UNL) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
204 | Lincoln, Nebraska | Public | unl.edu |
| Western Michigan University (WMU) |
Bachelor's
|
202 | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Public | wmich.edu |
| University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) |
Bachelor's
|
201 | University, Mississippi | Public | olemiss.edu |
| The University of Tampa (UTampa) |
Bachelor's
|
196 | Tampa, Florida | Private | ut.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
193 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| University of San Diego (USD) |
Bachelor's
|
186 | San Diego, California | Private | sandiego.edu |
| Oklahoma State University (OSU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
|
185 | Stillwater, Oklahoma | Public | okstate.edu |
| University of Dayton (UD) |
Bachelor's
|
183 | Dayton, Ohio | Private | udayton.edu |
| Kennesaw State University (KSU) |
Bachelor's
|
182 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Public | kennesaw.edu |
| University of Wisconsin (UWL) |
Bachelor's
|
181 | La Crosse, Wisconsin | Public | uwlax.edu |
| Texas State University (TXST) |
Bachelor's
|
178 | San Marcos, Texas | Public | txst.edu |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCU) |
Bachelor's
|
176 | West Chester, Pennsylvania | Public | wcupa.edu |
| University of Kansas (KU) |
Bachelor's
|
175 | Lawrence, Kansas | Public | ku.edu |
| Santa Clara University (SCU) |
Bachelor's
|
173 | Santa Clara, California | Private | scu.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
|
167 | Newark, New Jersey | Public | newark.rutgers.edu |
| Illinois State University (ISU) |
Bachelor's
|
166 | Normal, Illinois | Public | illinoisstate.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) |
Bachelor's
|
166 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Public | uwm.edu |
| University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
Bachelor's
|
165 | Adelphi, Maryland | Public | umgc.edu |
| Wayne State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
|
165 | Detroit, Michigan | Public | wayne.edu |
| Providence College |
Bachelor's
|
164 | Providence, Rhode Island | Private | providence.edu |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
162 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Public | lsu.edu |
| Harvard University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
162 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | harvard.edu |
| The University of Texas (UTSA) |
Bachelor's
|
161 | San Antonio, Texas | Public | utsa.edu |
| Kansas State University (K‑State) |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
159 | Manhattan, Kansas | Public | k-state.edu |
| Purdue University Global |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
159 | West Lafayette, Indiana | Public | purdueglobal.edu |
| University of St Thomas |
Bachelor's
|
158 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Private | stthomas.edu |
| Seton Hall University (SHU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
158 | South Orange, New Jersey | Private | shu.edu |
| University of Nevada (UNR) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
157 | Reno, Nevada | Public | unr.edu |
| Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
156 | Cleveland, Ohio | Private | case.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Finance, General programs
How much can I earn with a Finance, General degree?
Salaries for Finance, General graduates vary by role and location. Chief Executives earn a median of $206,420 annually, while Financial Managers earn around $161,700. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in New York average $135,753 compared to $73,671 in Arkansas. Approximately 5,998,940 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Finance, General programs?
Currently 745 accredited institutions offer Finance, General degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Ohio State University, Main Campus (922 graduates), CUNY Bernard M Baruch College (827 graduates), and Florida State University (FSU) (657 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Finance, General growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 43,029 in 2010 to a peak of 52,376 in 2020, before declining slightly to 49,828 in 2023-24. This represents a 16% increase overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Finance, General degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Chief Executives, Financial Managers, and Financial Risk Specialists. Related occupations employ approximately 5,998,940 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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