There are many public and private colleges that offer programs in business and finance. The least expensive tuition with fees added would be Morton College which offers an associate degree in business and finance for $4,397 after fees are added. If you decide to go to Morton College after you’ve received your associate degree, you can transfer to the UIC where they offer a bachelors and graduate programs for business and finance for $30,128 after fees for full-time students. One school that you want to avoid would be American InterContinental University which is a proprietary school which means that it is a for-profit school — a school only seeking to make a profit from their students, and it’s not guaranteed that their diplomas or credentials will be accepted from other corporations or conglomerates. In total for a full-time student, the cost of getting a bachelor’s degree would be $44,848 after fees. 

Fransisco Vargas is a financial advisor where he went to UIC all four years and graduated with a degree in finance as well as my MBA. 

“Did you have a hard time finding a job after college?” 

“The first 4 months were tough I was working at a Starbucks, but I kept interviewing and eventually a financial firm hired me.  “ 

“What kind of hours do you typically work?” 

“I will work typically within 60 to 70 hours every two weeks. Its really the amount of new clientele that we bring in or any new projects we have going on that determines the number of hours I work.”  

“How much was your starting salary?” 

“Well when I started, I was making $70,000 a year before bonuses and it increased as the years I spent in the company increased.” 

“What do you do the majority of the time?” 

“I basically help our clients make money by issuing them debt or selling equity. Basically, help our clients with mergers and giving them insight on unique investment opportunities.” 

“What company do you work for?” 

“I can’t say but I work in the Chicago office of a large banking company.” 

Would you recommend someone getting into the field?” 

“Only if they’re ok with working 100-hour work week and are ok with rejection.” 

“What skills would you say potential investment bankers need?” 

“They need to excel at math or be proficient in it. They also need to work well with others and under very stressful situations.”