Baruch’s Master of Financial Engineering Program Tops Global Ranking for Third Straight Year
January 6, 2026
Baruch secured high scores for its 100 percent employment rate, alumni starting salaries, small class sizes, and faculty with deep industry experience.
Baruch College’s Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) program has once again ranked the best in the world, earning its third consecutive top global ranking from Risk.net.
To calculate the rankings, Risk.net evaluated 43 programs across North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia using eight metrics, including job placement within six months of graduation, graduate starting salaries, and average number of students per class, for its Quant Finance Master’s Guide 2026.
Baruch outperformed the second-ranked institution, Princeton University, on 95 percent of the ranking criteria, said Professor Dan Stefanica, co-director of Baruch’s MFE program, which is housed in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.
“This ranking reflects the rigor and real-world relevance of Baruch’s MFE program and highlights the impact of outstanding faculty and the success of our graduates in the financial industry around the world,” Stefanica said.
Why Baruch Tops the List
Baruch secured the #1 position based on its small class sizes, exceptional faculty with deep industry expertise, strong student demand—including a 96 percent offer acceptance rate—and a 100 percent employment rate at graduation at top financial firms.
The program’s continued success is also driven by its ability to evolve alongside the rapidly changing demands of the financial industry. In a recent Risk.net podcast, Stefanica and Professor Jim Gatheral noted that Baruch adapted its curriculum to align with the current financial employment environment, encouraging students to leverage large language models for coding.
#1 in U.S.
Risk.net’s #1 global ranking adds to the MFE program’s growling list of accolades.
Last month, Baruch was named the best in the nation by QuantNet, considered the most trusted guide for applicants exploring a MS degree in quantitative finance. Since 2015, Baruch has held the top two spots on this list being #1 for eight years and #2 for three years.
About Baruch College’s MFE Program
The Baruch MFE program is a STEM-designated program that produces competitive, successful, and highly skilled practitioners by promoting the study of mathematical and algorithmic models in finance.
Learn more about the top-ranked program, employment statistics, and internship placement success.
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