Where Finance Graduates Work
Alumni work in commercial and investment banking, financial planning, insurance, real estate, public accounting, hedge fund management and venture capital. Employers include:
- JPMorgan Chase
- Deloitte
- The Vanguard Group
- T. Rowe Price
- Wells Fargo
- Prudential Financial and MetLife
- Oppenheimer & Company
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Finance Careers by the Numbers
U.S. News & World Report ranks High Point University #1 among Regional Universities in the South for Earnings by Major in Best Colleges 2027, a factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
Across all majors, 99% of High Point University’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days of graduation, 13 points above the national average, measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards. The Princeton Review ranks HPU #14 for Best Career Services in its 2027 guide.
The median annual wage for financial analysts was $103,570 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS projects 7 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 29,500 openings each year.
Banking and Wealth Management
Keaton Geist is a Middle Market Banking and Specialized Industries Analyst with JPMorgan Chase. Geist connected with upperclassmen, faculty and industry professionals from his first year and worked with the Office of Career and Professional Development before his first internship.
Mitchell Blanda, a finance and sales major, is a client service associate with Mariner Wealth Advisors, and Ava Kelly is a financial service professional at LPL Financial.
Internships
Haley Gill, a finance major with an accounting minor, interned in corporate finance and accounting at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh.
Logan Blazer, a finance and international business major, interned in wealth management at Morgan Stanley, and Maria Haramis joined UBS as a cash management product analyst.
Finance students also gain experience through the Truist Leadership Institute Certification and the High Point business community.
Finance Student Organizations
- Floyd T. Craven Investment Club
- HPU Economics Association
- Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity
- Delta Mu Delta, the business honor society
- Real Estate Club
Certifications Come With the Degree
SIE, Series 65, Bloomberg and Envestnet preparation sit inside the coursework, so finance students can earn industry credentials before they graduate.
Finance Graduates in Their Own Words
Finance graduates describe how HPU prepared them for careers with JPMorgan Chase, Bloomberg, UBS and Boeing.
Keaton Geist
Finance major · Middle Market Banking Analyst, JPMorgan Chase
“All of the finance professors were extremely helpful and impactful in assisting my career development and teaching me the necessary skills to enter the banking world.”
Kyle Rychlak
Finance major · Financial Solutions Analyst, Bloomberg
“HPU was instrumental in helping me land this position.”
Maria Haramis
Finance major · Cash Management Product Analyst, UBS
“HPU prepared me for the future by surrounding me with opportunities to learn directly from senior leaders and industry professionals.”
Isaiah Tyler
Finance major · Credit Risk Analyst, JPMorgan Chase
“My most impactful mentor at HPU was Dr. Jim Wehrley, Associate Professor of Finance. His service and relationship with me went far beyond the call of duty of a university professor.”
Charlie Stock
Finance major · Finance Career Foundation Program Associate, Boeing
“Dr. Sundaram was the professor who always pushed me to do better in any class or any internship I had.”
Christian Sawina
Finance major · Rotational Analyst, JPMorgan Chase
“Everyone needs the life skills for continued success, and that’s as simple as a good handshake, or as complicated as a two-minute drill.”
Planning Your Finance Career
Internships give finance majors a head start. Haley Gill interned at PNC Bank. Christian Sawina built connections at JPMorgan Chase and joined as a rotational analyst. Ava Kelly launched a finance career after graduation. Employers that hire HPU finance graduates include ADP, Deloitte, the FDIC, MetLife, Prudential, T. Rowe Price, Vanguard and Wells Fargo.
Students can sit for the SIE and prepare for Series 65 before they graduate, and the Floyd T. Craven Investment Club manages a portfolio of over $300,000 in the Tilley Trading Room. Advisers map internships and certifications against the requirements in the HPU undergraduate bulletin. Graduates who want more depth can continue into the HPU MBA or pair finance with accounting. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $103,570 for financial analysts in May 2025, with about 29,500 openings projected each year.
Finance students also compete. Evan Taylor, a finance major, co-founded Parkevo and won first place and $12,000 at HPU’s 16th Business Plan Competition.
Finance in the News
Tomiwa Bello
Morgan Stanley Selects Tomiwa Bello For Financial Analyst Internship
“My internship experience was amazing, knowing that I was able to design and implement an Investment Banking Equities Power BI dashboard using multiple investment tools like LSEG and Alteryx. This allowed me to leave a lasting impact and help boost reporting efficiency by 75% and save 184 hours annually.”
Lorisa Klinger
Lorisa Klinger Joins Sompo as Underwriting Trainee
“Through the LIFT Fellowship program, I was connected to Sompo via the SWIM program (Sompo Women in Insurance Management), which ultimately led to my full-time opportunity.”
HPU Students Build Professional Skills, Network at High Point Market
Tomiwa Bello, a senior finance major with a minor in French, worked his fifth market in the Currey and Company showroom as he prepared to start a full-time position with Morgan Stanley after graduating from HPU.
Mike Yelle
Mike Yelle Launches his Career as a Financial Advisor
Mike has launched his career as a Financial Advisor at Tristate Financial Advisors in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Carter Kleinschmidt
Carter Kleinschmidt Starts Career as Client Relationship Associate
Carter will begin his career at Vanguard as a Client Relationship Associate in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kenzie Aiello
Kenzie Aiello Launches Real Estate Career with SERHANT.
What began as a summer internship has grown into a position Kenzie is continuing throughout her senior year and plans to pursue after graduation.
Caitie Walsh
HPU Awards Outstanding Alumni During Homecoming Weekend
As a freshman, Walsh founded her first company — Lock-It, a cell phone accessory brand that went on to launch in more than 3,000 Walmart stores nationwide.
Finance Innovators in Residence
HPU’s Access to Innovators program connects students with global leaders for networking, mentorship and experiential learning. Mark Bradburn, founder and co-managing financial advisor of The Bradburn Group at Morgan Stanley, mentors students as HPU’s Wealth Management Expert in Residence.
Bradburn has led a Q&A on stress management and risk tolerance in the financial sector and has hosted HPU students at his New York City headquarters as part of the HPU in the City corporate externship program.
Explore Finance at High Point University
See the courses behind these careers and how HPU finance ranks.
Accreditation & Awards Curriculum & Research
Questions about the program? Email Dr. Steven Lifland at [email protected].