Top 25 Online Bachelor's in Finance Programs for 2019
As globalization continues to alter the world economy, the field of finance has become increasingly complex. In addition to the emergence of new global markets, more products are being created. In the wake of these changes, there exists a growing need for skilled finance professionals.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 12% increase in financial analyst positions between 2014 and 2024. This is almost twice as high as the national average for all occupations. Selecting a finance degree online may seem like a daunting task, but this page discusses a variety of topics to help you pick the best online finance degree for your specific needs.
What are the Best Online Bachelor's in Finance Programs?
Top 25 Online Bachelors in Finance Programs for 2019
Admissions Rate
66%
Graduation Rate
73%
Online Enrollment
36%
Retention Rate
79%
Default Rate
5%
Founded as a Jesuit college in 1877 and located in Denver, Colorado, Regis University offers an online bachelor's in finance that gives students a solid grounding in financial management. The 128-credit degree explores topics such as financial analysis, forecasting and planning, money and banking, and managing business strategic technology. To participate in the program, an applicant must have a high school diploma or GED, transferable credit from an accredited university, and evidence of work experience. International applicants must meet additional requirements. The school allows students to combine a bachelor's and master's degree in finance, and also administers certain online degree courses to non-degree-seeking students.
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What Will I Learn in an Online Finance Program?
The following examples represent courses students commonly take to meet their online finance degree requirements. Classes differ slightly depending on the program so students should check with their school to determine which specific courses are required. Additionally, most online finance degrees offer electives that allow students to gain skills in specific areas such as entrepreneurial finance or microeconomics.
Business Finance This course teaches students the financial management fundamentals needed to pursue analyst and management careers in finance. Learners receive an overview of financial management theories and practices, including asset management, valuations of securities, and financial risk.
International Finance With a focus on global enterprise, this course prepares students to work for international corporations as financial counselors, supervisors, and managers. Students cover international trade markets, exchange rates, and foreign trade policies.
Investments This class introduces distance learners to portfolio management and asset valuation. Students learn how to evaluate and select assets while acquiring the skills needed to work as investment planners and portfolio managers.
Risk Management Financial analysts and planners rely on their risk management skills to reduce potential threats to cost control. Topics covered in this course include risk measurements, catastrophic event insurance, and transfer of risk.
What Can I do with an Online Finance Degree?
The following table highlights five careers that graduates of online finance degree programs frequently seek. In addition to foundational skills in business and finance, these competitive careers may require expertise in specific areas such as insurance policy renewal, investment risks, and strategies for increasing capital. Earning a finance degree online prepares students to meet these occupational tasks. This degree gives students the opportunity to pursue a variety of finance careers, helping them enter a workforce that offers salaries significantly higher than the national average .
Employed by corporations and individuals, job duties of financial analysts include evaluating financial data, examining financial statements, and studying business trends. Financial analysts often specialize in a global location or a type of analysis, such as portfolio management, fund management, or risk analysis.
Median Salary: $58,903
Job Outlook and Salary
Individuals interested in an online finance degree can rest assured that the field of finance is growingly rapidly. The BLS projects that the number of finance occupations will grow by as much as 30% between 2014 and 2024. The following table features BLS data, accentuating the ample employment opportunities in the field of finance; more than 32,000 new financial analyst positions are predicted to be added over the next several years.
In addition to job security, earning a finance degree online prepares students for careers with high earning potentials. Certain variables, such as your specific industry type and location, can have a large impact on your annual salary, but most workers in this field receive relatively generous compensation.
| Employment, 2014 | Projected Employment, 2024 |
|---|---|
| 277,600 | 310,000 |
Salary Growth by Experience
Careers in finance reflect salary trends that positively correlate with increased work experience. The following table displays data from Payscale. Many entry-level positions offer salaries in excess of $50,000, and professionals in the field of finance who stick with their careers can earn significantly higher salaries as they acquire increased work experience; this trend is especially true for personal financial advisors.
To determine the best online bachelor's in finance programs, we looked at the most important factors prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school's commitment to online programs. This boils down to admissions rate, student loan default rate, retention rate, graduation rate, and the percent of students enrolled in online classes. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Each factor is weighted evenly in order to give an objective view and determine the best online bachelor's in finance programs. To calculate our rankings, we looked at a school's ranking when organized by a single factor, and then averaged each category's ranking to find an overall score: Admissions Rate (20%) + Default Rate (20%) + Retention Rate (20%) + Graduation Rate (20%) + Percent of Students Enrolled in Online Classes (20%) = Final score.