Interest in finance at Wabash reflects national trends
Walk across any college campus today, and you’ll likely hear someone mention Investment Banking, Private Equity and Venture Capital. Over the past decade, finance has transformed from a niche pursuit to one of the most popular majors among college students nationwide. According to Validated Insights, undergraduate enrollment in finance programs rose by 12.3% between spring 2024 and spring 2025, outpacing most other business disciplines. What was once an intimidating field filled with numbers has become a gateway to opportunity, independence and ambition.
What explains this boom in interest? Part of the boom has come from popular culture. Over the past decade, social media has made financial knowledge accessible in a way it’s never been before. From YouTube to TikTok, people explain how to invest, break down personal finance and much more.
“I definitely think you get your fair share of people who are genuinely interested in finance and those who just plainly want to make money,” said Financial Economics major Jackson Hughes ’26. “I think it’s hard not to be interested in finance to some extent because it affects each one of us, whether we study it or not. People are probably realizing that too.”
The idea of being financially literate has become less of a goal and more of a necessity for students across universities. They are no longer waiting until graduation to start budgeting and investing, they are building wealth from an early age.
At Wabash, that shift is clearly visible. The Financial Economics major has become one of the fastest-growing programs on campus, attracting students who see finance as both an intellectual challenge and a tool for practical growth.
“I was interested in Financial Economics because people said it was difficult, which drew me in,” said Hughes. “I figured that would look better when applying to jobs and internships compared to economics since I wasn’t double majoring or anything like that.”
His comment captures a broader trend. Students aren’t just chasing finance because it’s popular, but because it’s rigorous and respected. There is also a pragmatic element.
“Finance has grown so much lately because people have realized the importance of being financially literate,” said Hughes. “They want to be able to build. As a result, you find more people in finance-related careers and majors in schools.”
That surge in student interest hasn’t only reshaped classrooms, it’s shifted the job market too. According to the CFA Institute’s 2025 Graduate Outlook survey, 37% of recent graduates say finance is the most promising career choice. Meanwhile, employment projections signal that roles like financial analysts are expected to grow about 8% from 2022 to 2032. What does this add up to? More students chasing finance – and more employers chasing students who can think quantitatively and strategically.
“When I got into the industry in 2004, we still had fresh scars of the bear market in the wake of the dot com collapse, and this type of interest [in finance] was not prevalent,” said Driehaus Capital Management Portfolio Manager Chad Cleaver ’00. “Today, it is much the opposite, as we have been amid a multi-year bull market, accompanied by increasing participation by retail investors. When an industry is hot, it tends to attract interest.”
Cleaver also thinks that students have a new advantage when it comes to breaking into the finance world – an increase in access to stock trading.
“While finance is a career with many different applications, most people’s direct exposure to the industry has been through the stock market,” said Cleaver. “Today’s students have had increasing access to invest in stocks through low-cost brokerage platforms.”
But in a field that is so technically difficult, in which many students are on an even playing field when starting to make it into the inner folds of the finance world, Cleaver thinks that Wabash students interested in finance may have a distinct advantage in climbing the ranks.
“While it is imperative to have a quantitative skill set through courses in areas like economics and math, the biggest differentiator I find among students is the ability to think critically and creatively,” said Cleaver. “Plenty of people can read the Wall Street Journal or follow a trend, but those that really stand apart are willing to take a different view from the crowd.”
It is clear that the rising popularity of finance is not just a student desire – it is a job market shift. The interest from current Wabash students demonstrates this. From broader access and changing market dynamics to evolving employer expectations, finance is no longer a peripheral major; it is front and center.