Finance, General: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Q: 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).

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

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)

49,828

Total Graduates (2023-2024)

745

Universities & Colleges

Career Pathways

Career & Salary Outlook Schools Offering This Program Related Programs

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

Salary Comparison

Data Source: Salary and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2024 estimates, based on 12 related occupations. Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics.

*Salary Range Explanation: The salary range represents the 10th to 90th percentile, meaning 80% of workers in this occupation earn within this range. This excludes the lowest 10% and highest 10% of earners to provide a more realistic picture of typical compensation.

Important Disclaimer: Salary data represents national averages and varies by location, experience, employer, and market conditions. These statistics are estimates for general guidance and do not guarantee specific employment outcomes for graduates.

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	Admissions	Location	Control	Website
Ohio State University	Bachelor's	922	SAT: 1310-1480 ACT: 28-32	Columbus, Ohio	Public	osu.edu
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College	Bachelor's	827	SAT: 1100-1400	New York, New York	Public	baruch.cuny.edu
Florida State University (FSU)	Bachelor's	657	SAT: 1270-1410 ACT: 29-32	Tallahassee, Florida	Public	fsu.edu
Florida International University (FIU)	Bachelor's Master's	605	SAT: 1070-1260 ACT: 21-27	Miami, Florida	Public	fiu.edu
The University of Alabama (UA)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	571	SAT: 1170-1400 ACT: 24-31	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Public	ua.edu
University of Iowa	Bachelor's Post-Master's	568	SAT: 1130-1330 ACT: 21-28	Iowa City, Iowa	Public	uiowa.edu
Pennsylvania State University	Bachelor's	533	SAT: 1240-1420 ACT: 27-32	University Park, Pennsylvania	Public	psu.edu
University of Georgia (UGA)	Bachelor's	520	SAT: 1270-1480 ACT: 29-34	Athens, Georgia	Public	uga.edu
University of South Carolina (USC)	Bachelor's	493	SAT: 1180-1360 ACT: 26-32	Columbia, South Carolina	Public	sc.edu
Rutgers University	Bachelor's	490	SAT: 1310-1500 ACT: 28-33	New Brunswick, New Jersey	Public	newbrunswick.rutgers.edu
University of South Florida (USF)	Bachelor's Master's	479	SAT: 1130-1320 ACT: 24-29	Tampa, Florida	Public	usf.edu
Boston College (BC)	Bachelor's Master's Doctorate (R)	474	SAT: 1440-1540 ACT: 33-35	Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts	Private	bc.edu
Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU)	Bachelor's	427	N/A	Tempe, Arizona	Public	asu.edu
University of Arkansas (U of A)	Bachelor's Master's	427	SAT: 1030-1220 ACT: 21-28	Fayetteville, Arkansas	Public	uark.edu
University of Wisconsin-Madison	Bachelor's Master's	426	SAT: 1380-1520 ACT: 29-33	Madison, Wisconsin	Public	wisc.edu
University of Houston (UH)	Bachelor's	420	SAT: 1160-1340 ACT: 23-29	Houston, Texas	Public	uh.edu
The University of Texas	Bachelor's	417	SAT: 1250-1510 ACT: 27-33	Austin, Texas	Public	utexas.edu
Michigan State University (MSU)	Bachelor's	398	SAT: 1180-1360 ACT: 25-31	East Lansing, Michigan	Public	msu.edu
University of Maryland (UMCP)	Bachelor's Master's	392	SAT: 1400-1530 ACT: 32-35	College Park, Maryland	Public	umd.edu
Texas A & M University	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's Other Award	384	SAT: 1150-1400 ACT: 25-31	College Station, Texas	Public	tamu.edu
Clemson University	Bachelor's	380	SAT: 1240-1410 ACT: 28-32	Clemson, South Carolina	Public	clemson.edu
University of Central Florida (UCF)	Bachelor's	379	SAT: 1200-1350 ACT: 25-29	Orlando, Florida	Public	ucf.edu
Tulane University of Louisiana	Bachelor's Master's	374	SAT: 1400-1520 ACT: 31-34	New Orleans, Louisiana	Private	tulane.edu
Auburn University (AU)	Bachelor's Master's	373	SAT: 1260-1390 ACT: 26-31	Auburn, Alabama	Public	auburn.edu
University of Minnesota (UMN)	Bachelor's	370	SAT: 1300-1500 ACT: 26-31	Minneapolis, Minnesota	Public	twin-cities.umn.edu
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	Bachelor's	370	SAT: 1140-1330 ACT: 21-28	Charlotte, North Carolina	Public	charlotte.edu
Bentley University	Bachelor's Master's	369	SAT: 1280-1430 ACT: 28-31	Waltham, Massachusetts	Private	bentley.edu
Georgetown University (GU)	Bachelor's Master's	363	SAT: 1390-1550 ACT: 31-35	Washington, District of Columbia	Private	georgetown.edu
Northwestern University	Certificate (1-2 yrs) Master's	361	SAT: 1510-1570 ACT: 33-35	Evanston, Illinois	Private	northwestern.edu
Texas Tech University (TTU)	Bachelor's Master's Other Award	360	SAT: 1090-1280 ACT: 23-28	Lubbock, Texas	Public	ttu.edu
University of Cincinnati (UC)	Bachelor's	351	SAT: 1160-1370 ACT: 24-29	Cincinnati, Ohio	Public	uc.edu
Miami University	Bachelor's	330	SAT: 1220-1390 ACT: 25-30	Oxford, Ohio	Public	miamioh.edu
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)	Bachelor's	330	SAT: 1280-1450 ACT: 28-32	Blacksburg, Virginia	Public	vt.edu
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's	328	N/A	Manchester, New Hampshire	Private	snhu.edu
University of Kentucky (UK)	Bachelor's	323	SAT: 1070-1290 ACT: 21-28	Lexington, Kentucky	Public	uky.edu
University of Massachusetts	Bachelor's	323	SAT: 1310-1500 ACT: 30-33	Amherst, Massachusetts	Public	umass.edu
University of Oklahoma (OU)	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's	318	SAT: 1140-1330 ACT: 23-29	Norman, Oklahoma	Public	ou.edu
University of Delaware (UD)	Bachelor's	316	SAT: 1190-1370 ACT: 28-32	Newark, Delaware	Public	udel.edu
Washington State University (WSU)	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Doctorate (R)	315	N/A	Pullman, Washington	Public	wsu.edu
The University of Tennessee	Bachelor's	311	SAT: 1200-1370 ACT: 25-31	Knoxville, Tennessee	Public	utk.edu
University of Miami (UM)	Bachelor's Master's	298	SAT: 1320-1480 ACT: 30-33	Coral Gables, Florida	Private	miami.edu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)	Bachelor's	297	SAT: 1310-1520 ACT: 30-34	Champaign, Illinois	Public	illinois.edu
University of Notre Dame (ND)	Bachelor's	297	SAT: 1455-1560 ACT: 33-35	Notre Dame, Indiana	Private	nd.edu
University of Washington (UW)	Bachelor's	297	N/A	Seattle, Washington	Public	washington.edu
Florida Atlantic University (FAU)	Bachelor's Master's	291	SAT: 1040-1200 ACT: 21-26	Boca Raton, Florida	Public	fau.edu
Fort Hays State University (FHSU)	Bachelor's	290	SAT: 970-1140 ACT: 18-24	Hays, Kansas	Public	fhsu.edu
Grand Canyon University (GCU)	Bachelor's	288	SAT: 1006-1113 ACT: 20-22	Phoenix, Arizona	Private	gcu.edu
Southern Methodist University (SMU)	Bachelor's	280	SAT: 1340-1490 ACT: 30-34	Dallas, Texas	Private	smu.edu
University of Florida (UF)	Bachelor's Master's	274	SAT: 1320-1480 ACT: 29-33	Gainesville, Florida	Public	ufl.edu
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)	Bachelor's	268	SAT: 1130-1350 ACT: 25-31	Chicago, Illinois	Public	uic.edu
University of Pittsburgh	Bachelor's Master's	263	SAT: 1280-1460 ACT: 29-33	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Public	pitt.edu
Washington University in St Louis (WashU)	Bachelor's Master's	261	SAT: 1500-1570 ACT: 33-35	Saint Louis, Missouri	Private	wustl.edu
University of Connecticut (UConn)	Bachelor's Doctorate (R)	255	SAT: 1210-1440 ACT: 28-33	Storrs, Connecticut	Public	uconn.edu
The University of Texas	Bachelor's	254	SAT: 1160-1410 ACT: 24-32	Richardson, Texas	Public	utdallas.edu
Fairfield University	Bachelor's	249	SAT: 1260-1390 ACT: 29-32	Fairfield, Connecticut	Private	fairfield.edu
DePaul University	Bachelor's	246	SAT: 1140-1330 ACT: 25-31	Chicago, Illinois	Private	depaul.edu
Iowa State University (ISU)	Bachelor's Master's Post-Master's	244	SAT: 1120-1360 ACT: 21-28	Ames, Iowa	Public	iastate.edu
Purdue University (PU)	Bachelor's	244	SAT: 1200-1480 ACT: 27-34	West Lafayette, Indiana	Public	purdue.edu
Baylor University	Bachelor's	238	SAT: 1200-1400 ACT: 27-32	Waco, Texas	Private	baylor.edu
Villanova University	Bachelor's	231	SAT: 1395-1510 ACT: 32-34	Villanova, Pennsylvania	Private	villanova.edu
Bryant University	Bachelor's Master's	231	SAT: 1190-1330 ACT: 27-28	Smithfield, Rhode Island	Private	bryant.edu
Lehigh University	Bachelor's Master's	221	SAT: 1370-1500 ACT: 31-34	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Private	lehigh.edu
Texas Christian University (TCU)	Bachelor's	220	SAT: 1140-1350 ACT: 26-31	Fort Worth, Texas	Private	tcu.edu
Georgia State University	Bachelor's	219	SAT: 940-1180 ACT: 19-26	Atlanta, Georgia	Public	gsu.edu
Temple University	Bachelor's	218	N/A	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Public	temple.edu
Syracuse University	Bachelor's	214	SAT: 1270-1440 ACT: 29-32	Syracuse, New York	Private	syracuse.edu
University of North Texas (UNT)	Bachelor's	214	SAT: 980-1230 ACT: 19-27	Denton, Texas	Public	unt.edu
Grand Valley State University (GVSU)	Bachelor's	208	SAT: 940-1190 ACT: 22-30	Allendale, Michigan	Public	gvsu.edu
University of Utah (U of U)	Bachelor's	208	SAT: 1190-1380 ACT: 22-29	Salt Lake City, Utah	Public	utah.edu
Brigham Young University (BYU)	Bachelor's	207	SAT: 1270-1460 ACT: 28-32	Provo, Utah	Private	byu.edu
University of Wisconsin	Bachelor's Postbac Cert. Master's	205	ACT: 17-24	Whitewater, Wisconsin	Public	uww.edu
University of Nebraska (UNL)	Bachelor's Master's	204	SAT: 1098-1330 ACT: 22-28	Lincoln, Nebraska	Public	unl.edu
Western Michigan University (WMU)	Bachelor's	202	N/A	Kalamazoo, Michigan	Public	wmich.edu
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)	Bachelor's	201	SAT: 1000-1200 ACT: 21-29	University, Mississippi	Public	olemiss.edu
The University of Tampa (UTampa)	Bachelor's	196	N/A	Tampa, Florida	Private	ut.edu
University of Arizona	Bachelor's Other Award	193	SAT: 1150-1420 ACT: 21-29	Tucson, Arizona	Public	arizona.edu
University of San Diego (USD)	Bachelor's	186	N/A	San Diego, California	Private	sandiego.edu
Oklahoma State University (OSU)	Bachelor's Postbac Cert.	185	SAT: 1040-1250 ACT: 20-27	Stillwater, Oklahoma	Public	okstate.edu
University of Dayton (UD)	Bachelor's	183	SAT: 1200-1380 ACT: 25-31	Dayton, Ohio	Private	udayton.edu
Kennesaw State University (KSU)	Bachelor's	182	SAT: 1000-1220 ACT: 19-26	Kennesaw, Georgia	Public	kennesaw.edu
University of Wisconsin (UWL)	Bachelor's	181	ACT: 22-27	La Crosse, Wisconsin	Public	uwlax.edu
Texas State University (TXST)	Bachelor's	178	SAT: 980-1200 ACT: 19-25	San Marcos, Texas	Public	txst.edu
West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCU)	Bachelor's	176	SAT: 1100-1270 ACT: 24-28	West Chester, Pennsylvania	Public	wcupa.edu
University of Kansas (KU)	Bachelor's	175	SAT: 1070-1300 ACT: 20-28	Lawrence, Kansas	Public	ku.edu
Santa Clara University (SCU)	Bachelor's	173	SAT: 1350-1490 ACT: 31-33	Santa Clara, California	Private	scu.edu
Rutgers University	Bachelor's	167	N/A	Newark, New Jersey	Public	newark.rutgers.edu
Illinois State University (ISU)	Bachelor's	166	SAT: 990-1210 ACT: 21-27	Normal, Illinois	Public	illinoisstate.edu
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM)	Bachelor's	166	ACT: 18-25	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Public	uwm.edu
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)	Bachelor's	165	N/A	Adelphi, Maryland	Public	umgc.edu
Wayne State University (WSU)	Bachelor's	165	SAT: 1060-1270 ACT: 23-29	Detroit, Michigan	Public	wayne.edu
Providence College	Bachelor's	164	SAT: 1250-1390 ACT: 29-32	Providence, Rhode Island	Private	providence.edu
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU)	Bachelor's Master's	162	SAT: 1180-1340 ACT: 24-30	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Public	lsu.edu
Harvard University	Postbac Cert. Master's	162	SAT: 1510-1580 ACT: 34-36	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Private	harvard.edu
The University of Texas (UTSA)	Bachelor's	161	SAT: 1000-1220 ACT: 19-25	San Antonio, Texas	Public	utsa.edu
Kansas State University (K‑State)	Bachelor's Other Award	159	SAT: 1060-1260 ACT: 20-27	Manhattan, Kansas	Public	k-state.edu
Purdue University Global	Bachelor's Master's	159	N/A	West Lafayette, Indiana	Public	purdueglobal.edu
University of St Thomas	Bachelor's	158	SAT: 1260-1423 ACT: 25-30	Saint Paul, Minnesota	Private	stthomas.edu
Seton Hall University (SHU)	Bachelor's Master's	158	SAT: 1220-1390 ACT: 27-32	South Orange, New Jersey	Private	shu.edu
University of Nevada (UNR)	Bachelor's Master's	157	SAT: 1060-1290 ACT: 19-26	Reno, Nevada	Public	unr.edu
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)	Bachelor's Master's	156	SAT: 1430-1540 ACT: 32-34	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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