Is San Diego State or University of Maryland better for finance?

I'm deciding between San Diego State and the University of Maryland and want to study finance. I’m trying to figure out which one would be the stronger choice for internships, recruiting, and getting a good first job after college.

I know both schools have business programs, but I’m not sure which one has the better reputation specifically for finance.
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University of Maryland is the stronger option for finance. Its Smith School has a more established reputation in business, and its location gives you much better access to internships and recruiting in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, Baltimore, and nearby East Coast financial hubs. For getting that first finance internship and converting it into a full-time role, that network advantage matters a lot.

One big differentiator is recruiting geography. Maryland students can reach corporate finance, consulting, asset management, government finance, and banking-related opportunities during the school year without needing to rely only on summers. SDSU has solid access to San Diego businesses, but San Diego is not nearly as deep a finance market as the DC corridor, and many higher-volume finance pathways in California are centered farther north in Los Angeles or the Bay Area.

SDSU can work very well if you want to build a career specifically in Southern California and are proactive about networking, but Maryland gives you a stronger launchpad for finance recruiting overall.
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College is too important to leave to AI
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Have questions about the admissions process?
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