Finance Major
If you are analytical and interested in investment vehicles and financial markets, it makes sense to explore various finance career paths. There are many exciting jobs available for finance majors. There are also several specialty areas to consider as you evaluate which college or university might best fit your situation and goals.
HelloCollege offers individualized college major exploration services that help prospective finance majors evaluate their interest in various finance career paths and choose schools accordingly.
Popular Finance Major Jobs
Finance majors can work in a variety of roles. Students who enjoy working with numbers may be drawn to the financial analyst career path, while those who want to interact with and help people often choose financial advisor careers.
Some of the best jobs with a finance degree include:
- Financial Analyst
- Financial Advisor
- Actuary
- Portfolio Manager
- Personal Banker
- Finance Consultant
- Investment Banker
- Operations Analyst
- Controller
- Underwriter
- Business Analyst
- Data Analyst
- Pricing Analyst
- Budget Analyst
- Accountant
- Credit Analyst
- Budget Analyst
- Accounts Payable Associate
This list includes some of the most common and highest paying jobs with a finance degree, but there are many other possible careers for finance majors, too.
Tailor Your Finance Major to Your Career Interests
If you choose to major in finance, you can select courses that focus on specific specializations within the field. For example, if you are interested in becoming a financial analyst, you can choose math and analytical courses. Another finance major who is drawn toward financial advising might take investment classes instead. These specialties can help improve your chances of success in college — and ultimately the likelihood of landing the job you want.
Some specializations within finance include:
- Real Estate Finance
- Investment Banking
- Commercial Banking
- Corporate Finance
- Insurance
- Personal Financial Planning
- International Finance
- Investments
- Hedge Funds
- Venture Capital
- Corporate Governance
- Corporate Restructuring
These areas are only some of the options available; there are thousands of colleges and universities offering finance degrees. Each institution may offer additional or different courses of study, so it’s important to know what your interests are when evaluating schools.
Understand Your Options With a Dedicated College Counselor
The knowledgeable college counselors at HelloCollege understand that it can be overwhelming to evaluate majors and potential career options on your own. Our college major exploration services include a comprehensive career aptitude test and one-on-one guidance. We can help you explore the world of finance — or any other field — so you can make more informed decisions about the future.
To learn more about our finance major exploration services, contact HelloCollege today!
We’re passionate about your college success
Kevin Krebs
Founder and Managing Director
Inspired by his parents, Kevin’s journey from a first-gen, diverse, low-income background to Northwestern University shaped him. After experiencing challenges, including student loan debt, he founded HelloCollege and has spent the last 30 years helping students successfully navigate college admissions.
Allison Dahleen
VP of Client Services
As an MSA holder, Allison brings a wealth of experience supporting students in higher education. As the respected Service Leader at HelloCollege, she leads her team in expertly navigating admissions and academic advising, empowering students to achieve their goals with confidence and success.
Arman Davtyan
Director of Counseling
Arman joins HelloCollege after spending 20+ years in higher education, leading a range of student-facing services, from admissions and enrollment to academic advising and career development. As Director of Counseling, he drives initiatives to enhance and scale college counseling services as HelloCollege continues to expand its reach nationwide.
Kim Shipman
Counseling Manager & College Counselor
Kim brings over 10 years of experience in college counseling, including 7 years as a high school college counselor. With a background in career services at universities including Rice and Duke, she has supported students in earning admission to institutions such as Cornell, Johns Hopkins, UT Austin, Rice, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, University of Michigan, and Boston University.
Don Keller
College Counselor
Don brings 30 years of experience in college admissions and counseling, including 10 years as a licensed high school counselor and 8 years as an admissions reader for UC Berkeley, Northeastern, and the QuestBridge Scholars program. Throughout his career, Don has guided more than 10,000 students through the application process, supporting acceptances to institutions like Brown, Dartmouth, UChicago, Northwestern and UT Austin.
Raymond Gonzales
College Counselor
Raymond brings 11 years of experience guiding students to Ivy and elite college acceptances from Brown, Duke, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, and UCLA. A first-generation college graduate with master’s degrees from Harvard, UPenn, and USC, Raymond specializes in BS/MD programs, liberal arts colleges, and nursing students. He also serves on the Common App Advisory Council.
Miracle Husband
College Counselor
Miracle brings 16 years of experience guiding students through college admissions, including 6 years as a high school counselor and 3 years in admissions at UC Berkeley. She has helped students gain acceptance to elite schools such as Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Notre Dame, UNC-Chapel Hill, Michigan, UCLA, and USC.
Leslie Riccio
College Counselor
Leslie brings 20 years of college counseling experience, including 15 years as a licensed high school counselor She has helped students earn admission to highly selective universities, such as Harvard, Brown, MIT, UVA, and Notre Dame, while specializing in athletic recruiting and East Coast admissions.
Adam Salazar
College Counselor
Adam brings 8 years of experience working directly in university admissions and student advising. He has served as an Admissions Advisor, Admissions Committee Reader, Graduate Advisor, and financial aid specialist at the University of Central Florida, giving him an insider’s perspective on how applications are evaluated.
Claire Kirchoff
College Counselor
Claire is a licensed high school counselor and Fullbright Scholar with 10 years of experience guiding students through highly selective and Ivy League college admissions. She has served as a counselor across public, private, and boarding school settings, supporting acceptances to institutions such as Harvard, Cornell, Vanderbilt, and Emory.
Kevin Paul
College Counselor
Kevin brings over 15 years of experience in college admissions and advising, including serving as Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions at UChicago's Booth School of Business. With a college advising certificate from Teachers College, Columbia University, he has helped students earn admission to top institutions including Harvard, Yale, Brown, Princeton, Cornell, UPenn, UChicago, and Northwestern.
Kristen Stephenson
College Counselor
Kristen brings nearly 20 years of experience in college advising, with a background spanning independent college consulting, essay coaching, academic tutoring, and school counseling. She has worked with both domestic and international students to navigate the admissions process and has guided students to highly selective universities including Harvard, Rice, Duke, Cornell, Vanderbilt, NYU, and Georgetown.
Michael Broderick
College Counselor
With 20 years in college counseling and former roles as Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, Michael is an experienced admissions strategist who has helped students gain acceptance to top universities including MIT, Harvard, Yale, UPenn, Columbia, UChicago, Michigan, NYU, and Carnegie Mellon.
Chelsea Zimmerman
College Counselor
Chelsea is a college admissions and career planning professional with 11 years of experience helping students navigate the transition from high school to their next chapter. She’s guided students through the admissions process at a wide range of institutions, including highly selective universities, large public schools, and international programs. Her students have earned admission to schools such as Tufts, UT-Austin, University of Rochester, University of Georgia, Case Western and IU-Bloomington.
Shaun Tarantelli
College Counselor
Shaun is a passionate educator and counselor with over 15 years of experience in teaching, school counseling, college counseling, and college admissions, including serving as a BS/MD application reader. His students have earned admission to highly selective institutions including Princeton, Cornell, UNC Chapel Hill, NYU, the University of Michigan, Boston University, and Johns Hopkins.
Amanda Yoder
College Counselor
Amanda leads our counseling team with over 15 years of experience and 12 years of high school counseling. She holds a Master's in Education with graduate certificates in Military & Family Education and Administration & Supervision, and has helped students gain admission to almost every Top 50 colleges, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, CalTech and West Point.
Jose Ireta
College Counselor
As a dedicated counselor with 25 years of experience assisting students with college applications, José Ireta possesses a deep understanding of the challenges and nuances involved in the college admission process. His previous roles as both a private college counselor and a public school counselor at an International Baccalaureate high school have honed his skills in essay editing, building realistic college lists, and supporting students from diverse backgrounds. His academic background in Counseling & Guidance (M.S.) and Educational Administration (M.A.), coupled with his commitment to student success, allows for a greater perspective on the college admission process.
Nicole Decuir
College Counselor
With almost 10 years of college advising experience and 20+ years as a school counselor and educator, Nicole has guided hundreds of students through the admissions process—including acceptances to Ivy League schools, top-tier liberal arts colleges, and highly ranked national universities. A certified School Counselor and IEP/504 Counselor, she helps students find best-fit colleges and build confident, personalized plans. Nicole holds a B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College and a master's in Counseling.
Chris Wilson
Application Strategist
Christopher Wilson is an archaeologist, art historian, military veteran, and current Mid-Career Master in Public Administration student at Harvard University. A graduate of Princeton University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago, Christopher has dedicated his career to protecting archaeological and cultural resources while advocating for underserved communities. A Registered Professional Archaeologist, Pat Tillman Scholar, and frequent conference speaker, he is passionate about using his expertise to make a lasting impact, whether through mentoring students, supporting veterans and marginalized communities, or preserving history for future generations.
Tracey Bradnan
Application Strategist
Tracey Bradnan has worked in higher education for more than a decade and brings a deep understanding of the inner workings of top-ranked universities. She lives in Austin, Texas.
