Is NYU or Notre Dame better for finance recruiting and career outcomes?

NYU has the edge for finance recruiting and early-career access, especially if you are targeting investment banking, sales and trading, asset management, or other front-office roles in New York. Stern is deeply plugged into the finance industry, students can intern during the academic year because of the Manhattan location, and firms recruit there with a very high level of familiarity. For sheer proximity to Wall Street and the volume of finance-related opportunities available while you are still in school, NYU is hard to beat.

One big differentiator is access during the semester. At NYU, being in New York means coffee chats, networking events, part-time internships, and informational interviews are much easier to stack throughout the year. That matters in finance, where recruiting often starts early and relationship-building can make a real difference.

Another is the structure of the student pipeline. Stern has a long-established reputation specifically in business and finance, so recruiters often know exactly what they are getting from NYU students. The alumni presence across banks, buy-side firms, and financial services in New York is especially visible, which helps with both internship recruiting and first-job placement.

Notre Dame is still excellent and has very strong career outcomes, particularly because its alumni network is famously loyal and responsive. Mendoza students can do very well in finance, and Notre Dame places well into banking and related fields, especially through alumni-supported pipelines. The difference is that the path can feel a bit more relationship-driven and less driven by constant in-person proximity to firms than it is at NYU.