

A quick glance at UCLA Anderson currently ranks in 15th place as one of the best business schools, according to US News & World Report (March 2012). It is ranked in 9th place for finance.
Anderson’s Class of 2014 Profile & Finance
3335 people applied to UCLA Anderson in 2012; the target class size was 360. The age range of students is 23-39 (with an average of 28) with 5.8 years of work experience (average). The average GMAT score was 704 and the class has an average undergraduate GPA of 3.54.
27% of class of 2014 students have undergraduate degrees in business; 20% in engineering; 16% in economics; 20% in humanities; 11% in math/computer science/physical science/biological science; and 4% in other areas.
In terms of pre-MBA work experience, the largest group of students came from the financial services industry (at 26% of the class). This is followed by 21% in high tech industries and 17% in consulting. 4% of the class has industry experience in real estate and 5% come from Entertainment and Media.
Anderson Academics Related to Finance
One of the trademarks of the Anderson curriculum is its customizability. The program features nine core courses that students may sequence according to their own career goals. In the fall quarter of the first year, finance students will take a finance course in addition to the fixed core courses (instead of marketing). In the winter quarter, students may choose to take the core strategy course or an elective course. (If they choose an elective, then they’ll take the strategy course in the spring. Consultants will probably want to take the strategy course as early as possible since the material will be relevant in their internships.)
Second year course schedules are designed by each individual student based on his or her chosen academic track and/or specialization(s).
There are four tracks to choose from and numerous specializations that will take students even deeper into their chosen field. Finance students would choose the Finance Track and one or more of the following specializations: Accounting, Corporate Finance, Investment Management, and Real Estate. To complete a specialization, you must complete four courses in that category. (See a list of required specialization courses here.)
There is also an option of receiving a minor in accounting.
For a complete list of finance courses, see this page.
Finance Research Centers at UCLA Anderson
UCLA Anderson Finance-Related Clubs
Financial Services Hiring Stats at UCLA Anderson
26.5% of the class went into the financial services industry. The charts below indicate the hiring stats for 2011 finance students:
Industry | Percent | Base Salary Range |
Investment Banking | 11.6 | $20,000 – $188,000 |
Investment / Asset Management | 7 | $90,000 – $150,000 |
Diversified Financial Services / Retail / Banking / Credit Cards | 2.1 | $80,000 – $115,000 |
Private Equity | 2.1 | $50,000 – $150,000 |
Other Financial Services | 2 | $90,000 – $100,000 |
Insurance | 1.7 | $70,000 – $105,000 |
Function | Percent | Base Salary Range |
Investment Banking | 9.5 | $20,000 – $188,000 |
Corporation Finance / Financial Analysis / Treasury | 8.3 | $65,000 – $120,000 |
Research Analyst / Portfolio Manager | 5.8 | $25,000 – $60,000 |
Private Wealth Management | 2.1 | $100,000 – $100,000 |
Venture Capital / Private Equity | 2.1 | $50,000 – $150,000 |
Sales & Trading | 1.7 | $100,000 – $110,000 |
Real Estate Finance | 1.2 | N/A |
Accounting / Auditing | 0.8 | N/A |
For internships for the class of 2012, the stats are as follows:
Industry | Percent | Monthly Salary Range |
Investment Banking | 14 | $1,280 – $11,100 |
Investment / Asset Management | 5.8 | $1,000 – $10,000 |
Commercial Banking | 1.8 | $1,000 – $7,083 |
Private Equity | 1.8 | $3,000 – $9,000 |
Diversified Financial Services / Retail Banking Cards | 1.5 | $6,923 – $7,000 |
Function | Percent | Monthly Salary Range |
Investment Banking | 9.7 | $1,280 – $11,100 |
Research / Portfolio Manager | 3.7 | $1,000 – $10,000 |
Corporation Finance / Financial Analysis / Treasury | 7.9 | $1,000 – $7,500 |
Private Wealth Management | 2.1 | $1,000 – $10,000 |
Commercial Banking / Lending | 2.1 | $1,000 – $7,083 |
Sales & Trading | 2.4 | $3,000 – $8,500 |
Venture Capital / Private Equity | 2.4 | $3,000 – $8,000 |
Real Estate Finance | 1.8 | $6,000 – $12,000 |
Other Finance / Accounting Functions | 0.9 | N/A |
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch
- Barclays Capital
- Citigroup, Inc.
- Credit Suisse
- Deutsche Bank
- Goldman Sachs
- Houlihan Lokey
- Morgan Stanley
- Royal Bank of Canada
- Trust Company of the West
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