I have been remiss in not having an overview of the Princeton University Master in Finance program. Historically, I posted some placement information, but this program seems to be one that I have not covered in detail. This post is correcting this error on my part. The Princeton MFin is one of the top rated programs in the United States and one of, if not the best MSF in the country.
Overview
This is a 4 semester MSF (although on a case by case basis individuals with prior skill and knowledge may do this in a 2 semester, compressed program) STEM designed degree. Students can pick from three program tracks – Quantitative Asset Management, Data Science & Financial Technologies, and Valuation & Macroeconomic Analysis. Class size is approximately 35 students with over 600 applicants, making this a highly selective program.
For those students completing the program in two years, you have the option to earn a Certificate in Machine Learning as well.
Admissions
The upcoming application for the 2026 school year is not live as of yet. I would expect these to open back up in the fall as the Finance program has a deadline of December 15th. Plenty of time to prepare for this upcoming cycle. Applicants are required to submit the standard package – application, resume, letters of recommendation (3), essays, etc. GRE and GMAT are optional. All applicants are required to take a Math Assessment test which is usually held in December.
Tuition is $62,400 per year ($124,800 total), but the university offers a number of ways to reduce that cost through fellowships and scholarships. This program is at a price premium, but worth it when you consider placements and starting salary (I’ll mention this below).
Placements
This MSF has a 100% placement rate and a long history of top tier firms hiring graduates. In the 2024 year the following firms hired students or provided internships in between the first and final year of the program:
- Goldman Sachs
- Citadel
- BNP Paribas
- Arrowstreet Capital
- JPMorgan
- Akuna Capital
- RBC
- Barclays
- Balyasny Asset Management
- Bank of America
- Brevan Howard
- Blackrock
- Tudor
- Massar Capital Management
- Wells Fargo
- Mizuho
- Mariner
- Nomura
This is not the full list, but illustrative of the investment banks, hedge funds and other firms hiring Princeton graduates. You can look at the full list as well as historic placements here. I could not find salary data, but I am comfortable assuming it is at a premium when compared to other programs. Many of the roles that graduates went into were quant trading and other highly lucrative positions. I’d definitely consider the higher price for this program to be worth it.
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Once again, apologies for not being more diligent with this program. This is a highly selective program, but for the right candidate, an amazing specialized masters. I will keep all of you updated as new information comes available.
Here is a link to the Princeton University Master in Finance Program
