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Risk.net Quant Finance Master’s guide 2026: Baruch College and Princeton University Lead
Overview
The Risk.net Quant Finance Master’s Guide 2026 will be published on December 22. The latest edition of Risk.net’s Quant Finance Master’s Guide reveals that Baruch College and Princeton University have maintained their leading positions, establishing a consistent duopoly since the rankings began in 2017.
Columbia university‘s Engineering School has emerged as a strong contender, climbing three spots to third place, a notable rise from its tenth-place ranking in 2022.
Baruch College: A Model Program
Baruch College’s success is demonstrably linked to several key factors. The new York school consistently maintains the smallest class sizes, boasts a high proportion of prominent industry quants among its faculty, exhibits a highly selective admissions process, and enjoys exceptional student demand (96% acceptance rate of offers). Notably, all graduates secure well-compensated employment within six months of completing the Master of Financial Engineering program.
In a recent podcast with Risk.net, program director Dan Stefanica highlighted baruch’s adaptability. Students are actively encouraged to leverage large language models (LLMs) for coding tasks, and application deadlines have been adjusted to accommodate evolving US immigration policies.
Princeton University: Scholarly Strength
The data collected by Risk.net suggests the appeal of a career in quantitative finance remains strong
Princeton University’s Master in Finance program distinguishes itself through the size and academic credentials of its faculty. The program maintains a near-equal ratio of students to lecturers, and these lecturers are highly influential within the field. The research of econometrician Jianqing Fan, economist Markus Brunnermeier, and computer scientist Sanjeev Arora has collectively garnered nearly 200,000 citations since 2020.
Columbia University: Industry Connections
At Columbia University, professor Ali hirsa, director of the MS in Financial Engineering program, has cultivated robust industry connections-81% of lecturers are practicing professionals. This strength compensates for the program’s relatively larger class size (136 students this academic year) and contributes to a perfect job placement rate for recent graduates.