A Finance Major Worth Its Weight in Goals
Finance plays an integral role not just in business but in maintaining the global economy. Choose finance to learn everything you need to know about investments, corporate finance and global financial markets — from an academic, practical and social perspective. With a finance major from USD’s Knauss School of Business, you will graduate with an impressive portfolio of skills to apply in your future career all while becoming empowered to become an ethical financial leader in the world of business.
#1
Most Beautiful Campus in America
Princeton Review 2023
#3
Best Undergraduate Business School in California
Poets&Quants 2025
#12
Best Business Schools for Networking
Business Insider
A Launchpad for Creating Impact
At the Knauss School of Business, we’re nurturing the next wave of financial innovators. With a finance degree under their belts, our graduates have gone onto successful careers in investment banking, impact investing and corporate finance, to name a few. Our graduates are the minds behind start-ups like EcoCart and Fintor.
Thrive at USD
Your Experience as a Finance Major
At the University of San Diego, not only will you receive an enriching education with renowned faculty, but you’ll also join a community that nurtures your ideas in an unparalleled setting — beautiful, sunny, eclectic San Diego. Here are a few more unique experiences you’ll participate in as a finance major:
A Finance Curriculum That Makes a Difference
Our expert team of award-winning research professors, business leaders, and investment analysts will teach you everything you need to know — from investments to corporate and international finance. You’ll get to crunch actual financial and economic data and apply your analysis to a real $200,000 donor fund. The finance curriculum at the Knauss School of Business will also prepare you to take the first two levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam, a certification that lead to more job opportunities and a higher salary in the financial field.
Featured Classes
The Finance Minor
Why minor in finance? The finance discipline is one that can be applied in nearly any and every industry. A healthy financial status is essential to the continued success of any business, organization or nonprofit. Not only that but learning key financial concepts will help you better manage your personal finances and begin building personal wealth.
Tuition, Scholarships and Financial Aid
An Education That’s Worth It
Where you go to college is one of the most important decisions — and investments — you will ever make. At USD, your tuition investment will plug you into an innovation ecosystem that nurtures your ideas and an extensive alumni network that can connect you to your first job.
$61k
Tuition
per year
$3k
Textbooks and Supplies
per year
76%
Scholarships and Financial Aid
of students receive financial aid
Financial Outcomes Matter
We’re proud to say that graduates from our finance major have gone on to roles at Fortune 500 companies and organizations across the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Others have forged their own path and become startup founders and disruptors in the financial industry.
$68,600
average starting salary for USD graduates that work in finance and banking
97.6%
of USD graduates received their first full-time offer within three months of graduation
Current Status
- Employed: 78.7%
- Furthering education: 16%
- Full-time service: 0%
- Military: 1.3%
- Seeking employment: 4%
- Not Seeking employment: 0%
Career Advancement
- Before graduating: 77.6%
- Within 3 months: 13.8%
- 4-6 months: 6.9%
- More than 6 months: 1.7%
Job Titles You May Pursue
Valuation Specialist
To determine the value of a business, the valuation specialist performs a variety of actions to help assess and appraise business assets.
Financial Product Analyst
With long-term financial gain in mind, the financial product analyst makes recommendations for product launch strategies.
Strategic Planner
As a strategic planner, you’ll look at the company’s financial profile and help them determine what financial decisions to make next.
Financial Advisor
Seeking investment opportunities, financial advisors assess financial assets and needs to recommend pathways to potential investments.
Next Steps
Let’s Make It Official
The world of finance needs movers and shakers like you. Take the next step in building a secure financial future – for yourself and any company you work for. We want you to be our next success story and we’re ready to take the next step as soon as you are.