Image: Louisiana State University
Below: Louisiana State through Molloy
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Baton Rouge, La.
CFP Board-registered programs: B.S. and M.S. in finance, MBA and Ph.D. in business administration, all with financial planning specializations; online certificate and executive certificate programs in financial planning.
Enrollment: 53 degree program students; 66 online certificate program
Faculty (full-time and adjunct): 11
Student-to-faculty ratio: 22:1 universitywide
Tuition: For Louisiana residents, $9.960; for nonresidents, $26,820; for international students, $27,000; for online certificate, $3,095 to $6,650
FPA student chapter: Yes
Overview: Scholarships awarded to LSU CFP Board-registered program students include the TD Ameritrade NextGen Scholarship, the NewPlanner Recruiting CFP Exam Scholarship, and the NAGDA’s Arthur N. Caple Scholarship along with numerous local scholarships, according to program director Frances Lawrence.
METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
Denver
CFP Board-registered programs: B.S. in finance with financial services concentration, certificate program
Enrollment: B.S, about 200; certificate, 60 to 100
Faculty (full-time and adjunct): B.S. 8 full-time; certificate program, 7 to 9 adjuncts
Student-to-faculty ratio: B.S. 20:1; certificate 12:1
Tuition: For Colorado residents, $1,000 per 3-hour class; certificate, $450 per class (seven classes)
FPA student chapter: Yes
Overview: Located in downtown Denver, Metro State provides access to a vibrant financial services industry and internship opportunities. All classes are taught by instructors who hold the CFP designation. The pass rate on the national certification exam is consistently 5 to 8% higher than the national average, according to Paul Camp, professor of finance.
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MANKATO
Mankato, Minn.
CFP Board-registered programs: B.S. in finance with a financial planning track
Enrollment: 40 to 60
Faculty (full-time and adjunct): 9
Student-to-faculty ratio: 25:1
Tuition: For Minnesota residents, $7,837; for nonresidents, $15,581
FPA student chapter: No
Overview: The pass rate of the undergraduate program was 75% in the 2014-2015 academic year. Students are consistently recruited by top firms, including Ameriprise, Morgan Stanley, Wealth Enhancement Group, First Investors, Waddell & Reed, Cornerstone Wealth Advisors and Northwestern Mutual, according to program director Leon Chen.
MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
Springfield, Mo.
CFP Board-registered programs: B.S. in finance with a financial planning concentration
Enrollment: 30
Faculty: 16
Student-to-faculty ratio: About 2:1, typical class size is 40 to 50 students.
Tuition: For Missouri residents, $7,060; for nonresidents, $13,930
FPA student chapter: No
Overview: The financial planning concentration incorporates courses in investments, tax and estate planning, insurance and other subjects.
MOLLOY COLLEGE
Rockville Centre, N.Y.
CFP Board-registered programs: M.B.A. in personal financial planning
Enrollment: 12
Faculty: 3 adjunct
Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
Tuition: $980 per credit plus additional fees
FPA student chapter: No, but expected in 2016 or 2017
Overview: The college has a new state-of-the-art Wall Street trading room that gives students the opportunity to construct and manage investment portfolios with real money.