Dear Friends,

I've spend lots of time reading all the posts on this site and other MBA sites. I need some advice on which of the following MBA programs give me the best chance to enter Investment Banking. Management Consulting is my second career choice.

1. Lancaster (Is this really a top 35 program?)
2. Durham
3. Warwick
4. Bath (I'm concerned it won't be ranked top 100 next year)
5. Strathclyde
6. Nottingham (Finance major, but its not ranked in top 100)

I've done tons of research and I'm still struggling. Please advise if there's a University that I missed on my list that I should be considering. Cambridge and LBS aren't options for me.

I really appreciate any advice and feedback.
Thanks,
Sarah

I am not sure why LBS and Cambridge are not options for you, but a masters in finance at a top school (Oxbridge, LBS, Imperial, Cass perhaps Warwick or Cranfield) might be better than most of the MBAs you mention.

Hi Duncan, thanks for your reply. I can't afford LBS or Cambridge. Last question for you:
Lancaster or Durham for straight MBA?

Thanks,
Sarah

If you want to get into IB those are inferior choices to an MFin at a better school.

Duncan and Sarah,

I think Durham University business school is really good. I checked their rankings and staff and these are really remarkable. Management Consultancy route is really attractive and there are some people who work in Bain, Mckinsey. Furthermore, people also say Durham Uni is known in UK as best university after Oxford, Cambridge (in general). In terms of MBA; probably it is equal to Warwick but definitely better than other schools Sarah listed?

Durham is absolutely not the equal of Warwick. It's a great undergraduate school and when the new business school is finished it will be in a good position to grow.

But the point is this: for Sarah's goal, it doesn't matter which of the poor options is better. She should aim for the right goal. In that context, an MFin from Durham might be better than its MBA.

I agree with Duncan. Durham is one of the top for undergraduate studies but its business school, sorry to say, is rather academic.

PS: I should change the word 'mediocre' to 'above average.'

[Edited by yipkc on May 27, 2016]

Ouch. That's a bit unfair. It's excellently academic but, yes, for placement into MBA roles it's on a par with Bath or Strathclyde and well below the schools normally in the top 50.

Dear Friends,

I've spend lots of time reading all the posts on this site and other MBA sites. I need some advice on which of the following MBA programs give me the best chance to enter Investment Banking. Management Consulting is my second career choice.

1. Lancaster (Is this really a top 35 program?)
2. Durham
3. Warwick
4. Bath (I'm concerned it won't be ranked top 100 next year)
5. Strathclyde
6. Nottingham (Finance major, but its not ranked in top 100)

I don't think that's the case, and I think it's notable that this poster's comments all recommend Warwick.

A quick analysis using LinkedIn shows that Durham, Warwick and Nottingham have similar percentages of alumni with MBAs working in IB. Warwick has the most in absolute numbers, but Durham has more as a percentage. Don't forget that Durham offers a specialised MBA in finance and a huge range of CFA partner programmes, probably the biggest worldwide.

After them, Bath and Strathclyde are similar, with Lancaster last (perhaps because it would push such applicants into the advanced masters in finance it runs on its London campus, rather than its MBA).

[Edited by Duncan on Jul 08, 2016]