Is UIUC or NYU better for getting finance internships?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that NYU places you in New York City, where you can network and potentially intern during the academic year, while UIUC offers a strong business-school recruiting structure but requires more deliberate travel and outreach for New York-focused roles. For investment banking and many asset-management paths, NYU Stern has especially direct access to alumni, firm events, and in-semester opportunities in Manhattan. UIUC’s Gies College of Business is also well regarded by employers and has a large alumni base, but students commonly need to be more proactive about securing East Coast networking opportunities.

The comparison changes substantially depending on which NYU school you would attend. NYU Stern is the clear finance-oriented option at NYU, with established pipelines into banking, markets, investing, and related roles. NYU students outside Stern can still reach finance, particularly through strong academics, clubs, networking, and relevant experience, but they may have less structured access to some finance recruiting channels.

At UIUC, major preparation can come through Gies coursework, student investment and finance organizations, campus recruiting, and Chicago access. Chicago provides meaningful opportunities in trading, commercial banking, asset management, consulting, and corporate finance, though it is not the same as living in New York for firms that recruit heavily through local relationships and semester internships.

For your stated goals, NYU Stern would offer the stronger overall platform for finance internships, especially investment banking and New York asset management. UIUC Gies remains an excellent choice if its cost is meaningfully lower or if you prefer a traditional campus experience and are prepared to pursue networking early and consistently. If your NYU admission is not to Stern, the gap becomes narrower, and UIUC Gies may provide the more structured undergraduate business experience.