Top Financial Planning Colleges

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All major professions have top colleges and universities associated with the respective disciplines. But while law schools and medical schools have origins dating back to the 18th century, financial planning academia is far greener by comparison. But first, let's hark back to 1969, when there were no financial planning schools to speak of, at all. A group of 13 industrious financial services experts convened in Chicago to launch a credentialing organization they dubbed The College for Financial Planning. This membership group served to certify qualified financial professionals with a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, and later developed a board of trustees for the purposes of certifying university curricula, based on course content, codes of ethics, testing scores other factors. (For more, see: The Alphabet Soup of Financial Certifications.)

Today, there are 333 CFP board-registered programs, including 183 certificate programs, 103 undergraduate programs, 41 master's tracks and a half dozen Ph.D. programs. Enrollment in these programs has climbed a whopping 10%, over the last five years. With such a dramatic increase in academic activity in the field, choosing where to matriculate can be daunting. Breaking it down, here are 10 of the most promising institutions, according to industry leaders and veteran planners. (For more, see: Want to be a Financial Planner? Click Here.)

Baylor University (Waco, Texas)
www.baylor.edu

CFP Board-registered programs: 1
Enrollment: 20
Tuition: $30,600 a year
Noted for: Undergraduate and grad students gain practical experience in helping run the schools $5.2 million investment funds—one of the biggest student run funds in the country.
Fairleigh Dickinson University (Teaneck, N.J.)
www.fdu.edu

CFP Board-registered programs: 1
Enrollment: 150
Tuition: $5,995
Noted for: Although there is no Financial Planning Association (FPA) chapter at this school, the University makes up for it with a FPA of New Jersey-sponsored career fair to tee students up for employment. (For more, see: Introduction to Financial Planning Organizations.)
University of Georgia (Athens, Ga.)
www.financialplanning.uga.edu

CFP Board-registered programs: 5
Enrollment: 118
Tuition: Graduate tuition per semester for in state: $3,600; out of state: $10,950. Undergraduate in state: $3,641; $12,746 non resident.
Noted for: Students are mandated to work many hours in providing tax preparation for members of the community to gain direct client contact and experience busy season work environments.
Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.)
www.lsu.edu

CFP Board-registered programs (online and in person): 2
Enrollment: 29
Tuition: For Louisiana residents, full-time tuition is $3,940 per semester; it's $12,899 per semester for non residents.
Note for: A strong relationship with the Financial Planning Association of Baton Rouge, which includes a student member on its board. (For more, see: Is a Career in Financial Planning in Your Future?)
Colorado State University (Fort Collins, Co.)
www.colostate.edu

CFP Board-registered program: 1—Bachelor of Science in business administration with a finance concentration option.
Enrollment: 50
Tuition: $9,313 a year for a Colorado resident, $25,166 for an out-of-state student.
Noted for: Members of Financial Planning Association of Colorado mentor financial planning students, to increase their chances of passing.
Depaul University (Chicago)
www.depaul.edu

CFP Board-registered programs: 9
Enrollment: 150 to 200
Tuition: $5,400
Noted for: Faculty comprises local CFPs who can help students with job placement after graduating. (For more, see: Financial Certifications with the Best ROI.)
Utah Valley University (Orem, Utah)
www.uvu.edu/woodbury

CFP Board-registered programs: 1
Enrollment: 35
Tuition: $2,300 a semester in state; $6,740 out of state.
Noted for: Faculty from multiple disciplines such as behavioral sciences, finance and legal services, all contribute to teaching the curriculum.
William Paterson University (Wayne, N.J.)
www.wpunj.edu  (for certificate program, click here.)

CFP Board-registered programs: 2: undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/financial planning and certificate program.
Enrollment: 30
Tuition: $5,732 a semester in state; $9,314 out of state; certificate program is $4,600, including textbooks.
Noted for: Students receive unique exposure to a variety of perspectives from monthly Financial Planning Association guest lectures. (For more, see: The Best Training Programs for CFP Exams.)
San Diego State University (San Diego)
www.cbaweb.sdsu.edu/financial

CFP Board-registered programs: 3
Enrollment: 110
Tuition: B.S.: $3,289 per semester in state, $8,869 out of state; M.S.: $6,970 per semester in state, $11,434 out of state; executive financial planner advanced certificate: $7,416 total cost, including books. (For more, see: Outside-the-Box Financial Strategies to Pay for College.)
Noted for: One of the oldest Financial Planning programs, dating back to 1980.
Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Texas)
www.depts.ttu.edu/pfp/

CFP Board-registered programs: 11, from undergraduate to Ph.D., including minors and dual graduate degrees in financial planning and business or law.
Enrollment: 280
Tuition: Undergraduate, per semester, in state: $3,690; out of state: $7,446; graduate, per semester, in state: $4,290; out of state: $8,046.
Noted for: Mandatory 300-hour internships help undergrads prepare for real-world experiences.
The Bottom Line
There are a myriad of CFP board-registered programs to choose from. Some of the best and most well known, outlined in this article, may help narrow down the choices if you are a financial planner seeking higher education. (For more, see: The Best Schools for Financial Planning.

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