You are right about the difficulty in switching schools, but my true point is you should start with top schools that have what you want. How can you not IMO?
Minors can solve the school switching often times, but those require some decent grades in some places, too.
Middle grounds are W&L @cinnamon1212 , Richmond, and Bucknell IMO. Not tons of liberal arts that have all this student needs if he were applying right now.
oh 100%! truly the cybersececurity throws it all for a loop - really not much of that, I don’t think, at even the schools you mention (though certainly not at NESACs either) - need a school with a large set of computer/IT majors for that..
Because part of what he wants is a small school. While he doesn’t know exactly what he wants to study, he does know the kind of environment he wants to be in.
Thanks for the clarification. W&L, Richmond, Bucknell. If he can go medium… Emory, Wash U, and Wake.
Some small schools have business and cyber.
When you are ready for a match me, some can be recommended.
We have no idea about your child (stats, etc) or desires.
Some cyber programs sit in CS. Some don’t.
Personally I wonder if it’s a good major given the constant changes in technology vs maybe a CS with targeted classes. I don’t know - just a thought I had.
In addition to regular colleges, you have schools like Bentley with outstanding career outcomes. He could minor in Cyber and major in many business disciplines.
Schools like Bucknell and Susquehanna could be strong LACs. Or choose schools like Kutztown for low cost or U New Haven.
It seems even schools that don’t have cyber degrees may have certificates or integrate coursework in a cs major.
Accounting will be more widespread.
A regional school like Christopher Newport is small, beautiful, respected and has both majors.
So there will be options.
add Rice and Lehigh.
It’s not bad.
Wisconsin allows a business major and a certificate in Comp sci. Or many others. Undergraduate Business Majors | Wisconsin School of Business
It matters a whole lot for a certain subset of finance roles, and much less so for others.
Richmond isn’t too big and has a pretty business minded student body.
A couple things:
That’s another decision - direct admit or not.
But UVA and Wisconsin are both big, especially Wisconsin @barrons
But there will be small schools or smaller schools that have both. I don’t know if small is 2K or 8K but that’s why I showed CNU (yes, not a name if dad wants a name).
Bentley is a name.
W&M would be the “smaller” UVA in regards to pedigree (maybe not as much) and while they don’t have a cyber certificate, they say - s a research university, our faculty and Ph.D. students lead active research programs across artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software systems, and more—with strong involvement from undergraduate and master’s students.
But when you see names like Rice and Wash U, etc. but maybe the student is more E Connecticut State, Kutztown or SUNY Brockport.
Or named LACs like Trinity (San Antonio) or a little bit larger but LAC like with a small footprint - Elon. Or for some, a school like HIgh Point, with its outstanding outcomes, might work.
But - really it will run the gamut once we know more vs. just naming selective names.
Just to be clear, I am not asking for school suggestions.
I was just demonstrating the outstanding placement for a high quality program–not the size. Love to see the detailed outcomes of smaller or less prestigious schools today. Kinda in line with the topic title.
There are many factors to consider when selecting an undergraduate business program:
Teaching, Curriculum, Academic Resources, Administrative Services, Facilities, Activities Offered, Job Placement, Median Starting Salary
I think for accounting, if you get hired by a big 4, you’ll get that salary. If you get hired by a company, you’ll get that salary.
Most pay by company/location, etc. so it will depend upon the job type you take.
Too many schools, especially LACs, don’t provide true data. Bucknell says the average accounting major was at $83K+ and the b school has a 99% knowledge rate - which is strong. For those who say, schools don’t track careers and the info is bunk - hmmm it’s not, if the school is focused. It’s a selling point.. Here’s where their students went. See the image below.
Of course, accountants also need more schooling to get a CPA.
I’ll note - I appreciate these schools provide career data. Other “high fallutin” and less so - don’t. What do they have to hide.
U Wisc shows a $77,500 median but - 58% are continuing education (so likely going toward a CPA). Those working may be in corporate type jobs. I put a link below the image. Of course UW is too big. UVA says they don’t have enough majors to provide data. In 2024, it was $88,750. They don’t share the knowledge rate but they list, in addition to the BIg 4, Houlihan Lokey, Guggenheim, KKR, Warburg Pincus - so there’s likely some - non accounting jobs in that figure. UCONN was $79.4K. I’ll add a b school most consider top 10-ish. I U Kelley - $78,271.
We don’t know that the student will ultimately end up in accounting but it’s a great example of a business degree at an LAC - so Bucknell has a Management school to differentiate itself and why it kicks a$$ in rankings that are salary based over many supposed more prestigious. But it’s also not apples to apples - Bucknell has a business school, Bowdoin doesn’t…so they’re not the same flavor of LAC.
But I imagine there won’t be too much salary variance as shown above. I couldn’t find a salary from Susquehanna, another LAC with a b school - that would be a nice comparison. I did put a Poets and Quants ranking link below for Susquehanna (a press release by the school). But for small schools, these are likely the type for the OP to learn about - dependent if they hit their desired geography, etc.
Bentley shows overall salaries - $75K (usually accounting is higher). Their career services is always near top rated. Quinnipiac doesn’t list salaries but shows 100% placed with an 80% knowledge rate - and lists Deloitte, PWC, Fidelity, McKinsey, and some smaller accounting firms (maybe local) and some corporate - like Suburban Propane. I’m guessing a Deloitte or PWC doesn’t say - UCONN is x $ and Quinnipiac is 85% of X. It’s not how companies work.
The point really being - and OP needs to discover what they want, but there’s a wide range of schools that they can find success from - but hopefully they explore vs. decide now. And it could very well be that the interest areas change.
First Destination Survey Data Dashboard – Career Services at UW-Madison – UW–Madison
