Is Michigan State or Fordham better for finance?

The biggest practical tradeoff is location versus business school scale: Fordham puts you in New York City, where finance internships and networking are much easier to access during the school year, while Michigan State offers a larger, very established Big Ten business environment with a broad alumni base and a respected undergraduate business college. For finance specifically, that NYC access matters a lot because internships, part-time roles, and alumni events can happen while classes are in session. Michigan State can still place students well, but the path is usually less tied to the finance industry day-to-day.

Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business has a strong reputation in finance circles, especially for students targeting banking, asset management, corporate finance, and other roles that recruit heavily in New York. Employers in the city know Fordham well, and being nearby makes it easier to build a resume early rather than waiting for summer. That proximity can be a real advantage if your goal is to be in the finance pipeline as early as possible.

Michigan State’s Broad College of Business is well respected and has strong recruiting for business more broadly, especially across the Midwest. It offers the resources of a major public university, a large alumni network, and solid outcomes in finance, accounting, consulting, and corporate roles. The degree will be viewed positively by employers, but for front-office finance or New York-focused recruiting, it usually does not have the same built-in geographic edge as Fordham.

If your definition of “better for finance” is strongest access to internships, networking, and employer visibility in the finance industry itself, Fordham has the clearer edge. If cost is meaningfully lower at Michigan State or you prefer a bigger campus and are open to a wider range of business careers, Michigan State is still a strong option, but purely on finance positioning, I’d lean Fordham.