What Are the Best Majors for Investment Banking?
The most commonly preferred majors for investment banking are finance, economics, accounting, and business administration -- because each maps directly onto the technical material you will use as an analyst. But here is the part most students miss: banks hire across a huge range of majors every year, and your choice of major matters far less than your GPA, your technical preparation, your school, and your network. A finance major gives you a head start on coursework, not a monopoly on offers. A history major with a strong GPA, sharp technicals, and good relationships at the bank will beat a finance major who has none of those things.
This guide breaks down which majors are traditionally preferred and why, the reality that recruiters care about much more than your major, why STEM and engineering majors can actually be a differentiator, how double majors and minors fit in, why GPA outweighs major, what coursework genuinely helps, and what to do if you have already committed to a less conventional major. For the full recruiting roadmap, start with our guide on how to break into investment banking.
The Commonly Preferred Majors
Certain majors are popular among IB candidates because they overlap heavily with the technical skills the job requires. None of them is mandatory, but each offers a tangible head start.
Finance
The most direct path. Finance majors cover valuation, corporate finance, capital markets, and often financial modeling -- much of the exact material tested in interviews. The advantage is real but front-loaded: it shrinks once a non-finance candidate completes a few months of focused self-study. A finance major signals fit, but it does not guarantee technical mastery.
Economics
Economics is one of the most common majors in any analyst class, especially at schools without a dedicated undergraduate business program. It signals analytical and quantitative ability and provides a strong foundation in markets and incentives, though it typically covers less hands-on accounting and modeling than a finance program. Economics majors usually need to supplement with self-study on the mechanics.
Accounting
Accounting majors arrive with arguably the most valuable single skill for technical interviews: a deep understanding of the three financial statements and how they connect. Since accounting underpins valuation and modeling, this is a powerful base. The classic "walk me through how depreciation flows through the three statements" question is second nature to a strong accounting student.
Business Administration
A general business degree exposes you to finance, accounting, statistics, and management. It is a solid, well-rounded foundation, though it is often less technically deep than a focused finance or accounting major. Business majors should make sure they go beyond the survey-level coursework when preparing for technicals. To understand what that technical work supports day to day, see what do investment bankers do.
The Reality: Banks Hire Many Majors
Walk through any analyst class and you will find biology majors, English majors, political science majors, and music majors alongside the finance and economics students. This is not an accident or a fluke -- it reflects how banks actually evaluate candidates.
Investment banking is an apprenticeship business. Banks expect to train new analysts on the technical mechanics of the job and assume you will learn modeling, formatting, and deal execution on the job and in formal training. What they screen for at the application and interview stage is intelligence, work ethic, attention to detail, communication ability, and a genuine, demonstrated interest in the work. Those qualities are not the property of any one major.
That is why a non-finance candidate who has done the work -- closed the technical gap, networked effectively, and built a clear narrative -- competes head-to-head with finance majors and frequently wins. If you are in this position, our dedicated guide on how to break into investment banking without a finance degree lays out the exact playbook for turning a non-traditional major into an offer.
STEM and Engineering as a Differentiator
If finance is the safe major, STEM is increasingly the standout one. Engineering, computer science, math, and physics majors carry a signal that finance majors cannot: they survived a brutally demanding quantitative curriculum and can clearly handle complexity.
Recruiters read a STEM major as evidence of analytical horsepower and discipline. Bankers reason that a student who made it through an engineering program can certainly learn a three-statement model. As banks lean further into data analysis, automation, and technically intensive deal work, quantitative and programming skills have become genuinely valued rather than merely tolerated. In a sea of finance majors who can sound interchangeable in interviews, a strong STEM major is memorable.
The one trade-off is that STEM majors usually start further from the finance material and must put in the self-study to close that gap. But because the underlying analytical ability is already proven, most pick up the finance concepts quickly. The combination -- proven quantitative rigor plus self-taught finance fluency -- is one of the strongest profiles in recruiting.
Double Majors, Minors, and Combinations
A common question is whether stacking a finance major with something else helps. The honest answer: it can, but only at the margin, and not if it costs you GPA.
A double major or minor can strengthen your profile when the combination tells a coherent story -- for example, computer science paired with finance signals both technical and financial fluency, an attractive blend for modern banking. Economics paired with a quantitative minor like statistics or math reinforces analytical credibility. A finance minor on top of a non-finance major can also be a smart, lightweight way to signal genuine interest and pick up the core coursework without abandoning a major you enjoy.
That said, do not overload your schedule chasing impressive-sounding combinations. A second major that drags your GPA down is a net negative, because GPA carries more weight in screening than the number of majors on your transcript. One strong major with an excellent GPA beats two majors with a mediocre one nearly every time.
Why GPA Matters More Than Major
If you take one thing from this guide, make it this: your GPA matters more than your major. Banks use GPA as an early screening filter, and many firms apply explicit cutoffs at the application stage. A strong GPA -- generally in the high range, with non-target candidates expected to clear an even higher bar -- keeps you in the pile. A weak GPA can get your application screened out before a recruiter ever reads your major.
The practical implication is that the major you can excel in often beats the "ideal" major you might struggle in. If you would earn a substantially higher GPA in economics than in a grueling double major, the economics path likely serves your recruiting better. Optimize for the combination of a respectable major and an excellent GPA, not for the most prestigious-sounding transcript.
Your school also factors in heavily alongside GPA. Banks recruit most actively at a defined set of feeder schools, and the bar shifts depending on where you study. Our investment banking target schools guide explains how school and GPA interact and what candidates outside the core feeder list need to do to compensate.
What Coursework Actually Helps
Regardless of your declared major, a handful of courses give an outsized return on your recruiting prospects because they map directly onto interview content.
- Financial accounting: the single highest-value course for any aspiring banker. Accounting underpins valuation and modeling, and the three statements are tested in nearly every technical interview.
- Corporate finance: covers valuation, capital structure, and the cost of capital -- core interview territory.
- Statistics or econometrics: reinforces the quantitative reasoning banks look for.
- A modeling or spreadsheet-intensive course: builds practical Excel fluency that pays off immediately on the job.
If you are a non-finance major, prioritizing even one accounting course and one corporate finance course will close most of the coursework gap and signal initiative to recruiters. You can fill the rest through self-study using our concepts library, guides, and practice tools -- which is how many candidates from every major actually get interview-ready, since coursework alone rarely produces the reflexive technical fluency interviews demand.
What to Do If You Have Already Picked a Non-Ideal Major
If you are reading this as a junior majoring in something far from finance, do not panic and do not switch majors in a frenzy. Switching late often costs you GPA and graduation timing -- two things that matter more than your major. The better move is to keep your major and close the gap deliberately.
Here is the plan:
- Start the technical self-study now. Build accounting first, then valuation, then modeling concepts. Most candidates reach interview-ready fluency in three to four months of consistent work.
- Add a course or two if you can. A financial accounting or corporate finance elective signals initiative and accelerates your learning.
- Network harder. A non-traditional major makes referrals even more valuable. Our networking guide gives you the templates and structure to build relationships that lead to internal advocacy.
- Build your narrative. Frame your major as an asset -- analytical rigor, communication skill, research discipline -- rather than apologizing for it.
For the complete, step-by-step version of this playbook, read how to break into investment banking without a finance degree, and time everything against the windows in our investment banking interview prep guide 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best major for investment banking?
Finance, economics, and accounting are the most commonly preferred majors because they overlap most with interview content, with accounting offering the deepest base in the three financial statements. But "best" is relative -- the best major for you is one you can excel in while maintaining a high GPA and learning the technicals, because GPA, school, and preparation outweigh major in recruiting.
Do I need a finance or business major to get into investment banking?
No. Banks hire economics, STEM, and liberal arts majors every year because the job is trainable and they screen primarily for intelligence, work ethic, and demonstrated interest. A non-finance major simply needs to close the technical gap through self-study and network effectively.
Are STEM majors good for investment banking?
Yes -- STEM majors are often a differentiator. They signal strong analytical ability and the discipline to survive a demanding curriculum, and banks increasingly value quantitative and technical skills. The main task for a STEM student is learning the finance-specific material, which they typically pick up quickly given their analytical foundation.
Should I double major to improve my chances?
Only if it does not hurt your GPA. A coherent combination like computer science and finance can strengthen your profile, but a second major that drags your GPA down is a net negative because GPA weighs more heavily in screening. One strong major with an excellent GPA generally beats two majors with a mediocre one.
What courses should I take if my major is not finance?
Prioritize financial accounting and corporate finance -- they map most directly onto interview content. A statistics course and a modeling-intensive course also help. Even one or two targeted electives plus structured self-study will close most of the gap for a non-finance major.
Prepare for Interviews, Not Just for a Major with IBFlash
Your major opens or closes very few doors in investment banking. What actually determines your outcome is whether you arrive in the interview room able to discuss accounting, valuation, and a recent deal with genuine fluency -- and that is something every major can achieve with the right preparation.
IBFlash was built to get candidates from any background to that level efficiently. Our flashcards, concept library, and practice tools cover every technical topic tested in analyst interviews, so a finance major and a non-finance major alike can convert knowledge into reflexive, interview-ready answers. Stop worrying about whether your major is the "right" one and start closing the gap that actually matters -- begin drilling on IBFlash today at https://www.ibflash.com.
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