The Iowa State University Masters in Finance program has continued to grow and establish itself. I have been watching this program for a couple of years now since I first came across the program. My last update was about a year ago and there have been some really nice updates with the program. Enjoy and keep checking back on this MSF.
2020 Employment Statistics
The university posted the career stats for their 2020 class and they look great, building off of their results last year. Per the reporting, 100% of the class found jobs within 6 months. This is exactly what you want to see. The salary data is listed below and has increased meaningfully since I wrote about it last year.
- Base Salary of Graduates
Mean: $68,795
Median: $57,000
Low: $43,000
High: $160,000
The program also includes a list of employers. There were 20 graduates so this is a partial list.
| Avant, LLC | EMC Insurance (2) |
| Wells Fargo | PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Dish Network | GLP |
| RSM | Ernst & Young |
Class Profile
I always like posting class profiles as I consider them incredibly useful when trying to gauge whether your application is competitive or not. Most schools post these and it is also helpful to compare them over the years. Can learn a lot by seeing the trend.
- Class Size – 29
- Average GPA – 3.48
- Average GMAT – 602
- Women – 45%
- International – 41%
- Average Work Experience – 2 years
Most of the class has a business undergraduate background. The remaining students studied science majors with a few having a social science or humanities background. Class size looks reasonable, up from the last time I posted. Good GPA and attainable GMAT. There is a waiver for this (mentioned below) so the test is optional for certain students. Nice to see some work experience as well as I think this adds something to the overall class.
GMAT/GRE Waiver
This one really only benefits Iowa State students. Those with a 3.25 GPA or better and a B in all required courses do not need to submit GMAT or GRE.
Admissions
The program admits students year-round. The fall application window just ended (applications are due by July 1), but the spring start is accepting application until December 1. The admissions team will review your package as soon as it is submitted with all required items.
Ambassadors
Something the program does that I think is really nice is have a number of current students who are willing and available to talk to prospective applicants about their experience in the program. You can check it out here. Each ambassador has a bio and information about themselves as well as a way to contact them.
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Great update and lots of amazing things going on at Iowa State. I’ll try and get more information on this program.
Here is a link to the Iowa State University Masters in Finance Program
