CFA vs MBA: Which Is Better for Your Career?

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CFA charter: great for finance - The CFA charter is the qualification if you’re looking to build a successful career in asset management, private wealth management, equity research, or in rating advisories in financial institutions.

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MBA: more widely recognized outside of finance - If you're unsure of what industry you’re planning on spending the rest of your career in, an MBA might be a good consideration.

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The CFA Program is more time-efficient - As the CFA program is a distance-learning program, many candidates find it perfectly possible to squeeze in study preparation with a full-time position.

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The MBA on the other hand will require a typical 1-2 year full-time commitment, which can be a significant opportunity cost and impact your work experience.

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You can expect to earn an MBA sooner than a CFA charter - The shortest time period you can hope to complete your CFA exams is 12-18 months, assuming consecutive passes.

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CFA charter costs (a lot) less - The monetary cost for qualifying for the CFA exams depends on how many exams you need to get there and how much you spend on prep materials.

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CFA exam and MBA success rates are about equal - If you factor in acceptance rates into a mid/top tier school, the chances of an average person acquiring a CFA charter and graduating with a mid/top-tier MBA are about the same.

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Both have great alumni networks - Both the CFA Institute and typical business schools maintain thriving global networks that will further enhance your career.

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Professional networking - Whether you take courses online or also a full-time course, your fellow classmates would come from a wide variety of backgrounds.

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Gear Up MBA Entrance Exams With Top Recommended Books, Study Notes, Test Series & More..

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