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Many people are sure that to become a major investor, you need to graduate from Harvard or Stanford. But a recent study that analyzed the biographies of the most successful players in the financial world paints a slightly different picture! It turns out that the path to the top of the investment business runs through other universities, sometimes unexpected ones.
If you look at the list of universities that are most often found in the biographies of top investors, the first place is occupied by the University of Pennsylvania: it was here that several world-famous financial tycoons were educated. In many ways, this is the merit of the famous Wharton Business School: it is known for providing not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical skills, opens the door to the world of big money thanks to strong ties with leading financial companies.
Harvard, contrary to popular belief, was on the second line. Undoubtedly, this university is still a symbol of quality education, but its gap from the leader is obvious. Third place went to Stanford, a California-based university that has been particularly successful in preparing specialists to invest in technology startups.
But the most curious thing begins further – the top 10 includes universities that are not always associated with the financial elite! For example, the University of Chicago, which, however, has long been famous for its economic school, recognized as one of the strongest in the world. MIT emphasizes analytics and quantitative methods, which are exactly what is in demand in modern investment practice, and Columbia University, located near Wall Street, gives students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the real industry from the first years due to their proximity to financial giants.
What unites these seemingly different educational institutions? Researchers have identified several key features that help their graduates succeed:
- Strong ties with the industry: each of these universities has internship and mentoring programs from top managers of large foundations, students get access to real deals already during their studies,
- Interdisciplinary approach – many successful investors have not one, but two degrees, and this is exactly the flexibility offered by leading universities (double degrees, sandwich courses),
- Entrepreneurial culture – not only academic knowledge is valued here, but also the ability to see opportunities, take risks and act,
- A global perspective – curricula include international cases, and student clubs organize trips to financial forums, which helps to form a broad outlook.
At the same time, the researchers emphasize an important point: a diploma from a prestigious university is only the first step. True success in the investment field depends on a number of factors that the student must develop on their own:
- The ability to build a network of professional contacts,
- Willingness to constantly learn and adapt (financial markets change very quickly),
- The ability to make decisions in conditions of uncertainty.
