Most Prestigious Banking FirmsBanking professionals across the nation rank the prestige of the firms that they compete against.

Survey Methodology

Goldman Sachs & Co.

Goldman Sachs is widely known as the most prestigious investment bank on Wall Street. The bank’s interns receive phenomenal training, hands-on experience, and the opportunity to rotate across many groups and desks. Junior staff receive extensive training and mentoring opportunities—senior professionals are always willing to help juniors grow.

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley is one of the most highly respected financial institutions in the world. Its name on your resume will open doors throughout your career. Morgan Stanley is a global leader in M&A, IPO underwriting, investment management, and wealth management. It's also passionate about philanthropic efforts, especially when it comes to assisting children and those in dire financial need. Recently, the firm made great strides when it comes to creating a more diverse workforce.

J.P. Morgan

J.P. Morgan is one of the top banking firms to work for in the world. Its highly respected internship program provides students with substantial hands-on experience and the ability to interact with clients and senior bankers. Full-time staff receive strong formal and informal training, plenty of mentoring opportunities, and internal mobility options.

Evercore

Evercore is one of the world’s top M&A and restructuring advisors. It regularly works on massive high-profile investment banking deals for clients such as GE, Fubo, and Verizon. The firm offers phenomenal training and senior-banker exposure to interns and junior bankers. And it's very focused on creating an inclusive culture. It has active and effective networking groups for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, traditionally underrepresented minorities, and veterans.

Centerview Partners

Centerview is one of Wall Street's most highly respected M&A advisory firms. It's known for working on high-profile deals for clients like CBS, CVS Health, and Time Warner. Centerview is also known for compensating its people very well. Salaries and bonuses are top-notch, medical benefits are excellent, and it offers many other perks like free breakfast, catered lunches, and large dinner stipends. Recently, the firm made a huge push to improve its diversity recruiting efforts.

Lazard

Lazard is one of the world’s most prestigious investment banking firms. Its well-known M&A group has advised on some of the largest, most complex M&A deals of the past 100 years. Lazard’s excellent internship program allows interns to work on live deals alongside senior bankers and clients. Lazard excels at mentorship and individual development, giving its full-time bankers clear guidance on their strengths and areas for development. Lean deal teams offer a lot of responsibility.

Moelis & Company

Moelis is a top investment bank that offers strategic advice to clients across the world. Founded and still led by superstar banker Ken Moeils, the firm is committed to creating an inclusive culture and a workforce that’s representative of its diverse range of clients. The firm has networking groups for Asian, Black, Latino and Hispanic, women, LGBTQ+, and veteran employees. It also has a growing CSR program that supports more than 40 nonprofits.

PJT Partners

A prestigious independent investment banking firm, PJT Partners offers its interns a lot of responsibility and the opportunity to work on high-profile live deals alongside senior bankers. Full-time junior bankers get a lot of responsibility on deals, work closely with seniors bankers, and participate in client calls. Recently, the firm significantly increased its philanthropy and CSR efforts, and started giving diversity scholarships.

Bank of America Corp.

BofA is one of the world’s largest and most highly respected financial institutions. It's also one of the world's most socially-conscious financial firms. Its Ally program for LGBTQ+ colleagues allows volunteers to take part in open dialogue, and it has active programs designed for many other underserved groups, including women, minorities, and veterans. Also, BofA's CEO is head of the World Economic Forum Business Council that’s working to set ESG measurement standards.

Perella Weinberg Partners

Perella Weinberg is a prestigious independent investment banking that works on high-profile deals for clients like PayPal, Kraft Heinz, and T-Mobile. Its interns get an incredible amount of responsibility and hands-on experience, working on live deals with senior bankers and clients. The firm is committed to diversity, and has extensive D&I training programs.

Barclays Investment Bank (Americas)

Barclays is one of the most influential banks on Wall Street. It’s part of the investment banking bulge bracket, and has major M&A, equity, and debt units, which regularly work on landmark deals. It also has strong retail banking and wealth management units, and serves 48 million clients worldwide. The firm champions inclusion, innovation, sustainability, and “citizenship”—giving back through volunteering.

Citi Institutional Clients Group

One of the most well-known investment banks in the world, Citi’s ICG is looking for down-to-earth, hardworking candidates with strong technical and communication skills. Citi gives its interns an opportunity to work on live deals alongside senior bankers, and its full-time professionals receive top-notch training programs and many internal mobility options.

Guggenheim Securities

Guggenheim Securities provides advisory, sales and trading, research, and financing services. Recent clients include IBM, Disney, Pfizer, and Verizon. The firm's interns get a lot of responsibility, live deal experience, and experience across various industries and products. Even the most junior bankers get significant access to senior leadership and clients.

Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse is one of the most prestigious investment banks in the world. Its interns receive extensive hands-on training and work alongside senior bankers. Full-time employees have access to top-notch training programs, mentoring opportunities, and internal mobility options. The culture is collaborative, and a healthy work/life balance can be achieved.

Qatalyst Partners

Founded by three former Credit Suisse bankers, Qatalyst specializes in providing M&A and strategic advisory services to established and new tech companies. Its clients have included Slack, Intuit, FitBit, Google, and LinkedIn. Qatalyst supports numerous nonprofiits, including Teach for America, the ACLU, the Equal Justice Initiative, and UNICEF.

Greenhill & Co

Greenhill is a leading M&A advisory firm that cares about giving its interns a strong learning experience. Interns work on live deals alongside clients and senior bankers. Full-time junior bankers work on lean deal teams, getting extraordinary responsibility and close interaction with senior bankers. At Greenhill, the people are polite, kind, helpful, and supportive.

Jefferies

Jefferies is a highly respected financial institution with industry-leading investment banking and capital markets units. It's been named one of the "World’s Most Admired Companies" by Fortune, and it's very focused on D&I. It has active networking groups for employees of Asian heritage, Black and Latino employees, LGBTQ+ individuals, and veterans.

Rothschild

Rothschild is one of the world’s most prestigious investment banks—and well-known names in finance. It has a 200-year-old European heritage and a formidable M&A unit. The firm regularly wins bank-of-the-year awards, singled out for its “sheer scale that rivals can’t match.” Rothschild places a unique focus on cultivating the individuality of its people, helping them reach their potential.

UBS

Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey is a leading global investment bank with expertise in M&A, capital markets, restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Its interns get a lot of live deal experience and top-notch training, and its full-time bankers get a ton of responsibility, the ability to pave their own paths, and schedule flexibility. Diversity is a strong suit, and there are many opportunities to volunteer and contribute on a matched basis.

Allen & Company LLC

Allen & Company is a low-profile banking boutique that works on high-profile deals. A private firm without a website, Allen & Co. has closed deals for Google, Twitter, Facebook, Activision, eBay, Verizon, and Time Warner. The bank is also known for its annual star-studded Sun Valley conference, attended by the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, LeBron James, and Oprah Winfrey.

William Blair

William Blair is a leading investment bank headquartered in Chicago with offices in 20 cities on four continents. The firm’s interns receive a phenomenal learning experience, working on live deals alongside senior bankers and clients. Full-time junior bankers get many mentorship opportunities and valuable trainings, and there's a clear path to becoming a partner.

RBC Capital Markets

RBC Capital Markets is widely considered to be the top investment bank in Canada, and it's a growing bank in the U.S. Interns get live deal experience while working alongside senior bankers. Full-timers get extensive training and mentoring, and the ability to work internationally. The culture is supportive and friendly, and a good work/life balance can be achieved.

Deutsche Bank AG

Deutsche Bank is a legendary Wall Street firm with inclusion at its heart. It’s part of the elite investment banking bulge bracket and has a long track record of working on the world’s most transformative deals. Based in Germany, DB is also known for its inclusive culture and focus on building the careers of LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, refugees, and women.

Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler is a middle-market investment banking powerhouse. Its strong M&A unit works on high-profile deals and more mid-market transactions than almost every other investment bank in the U.S. What makes Piper Sandler unique is its people, who have deep industry knowledge and experience. The firm also places a unique focus on the physical and emotional well-being of its people.

LionTree Advisors, LLC

LionTree is a prestigious investment banking boutique that closes high-profile media and entertainment transactions. Recently, its growing M&A unit worked on the sales of Simon & Schuster to Penguin Random House, Serial to the New York Times, and Stitcher to SiriusXM. LionTree is a small firm that offers big-deal experience, leading with credibility and conviction, adaptability and authenticity.

Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo is one of the world’s largest and most valuable banking firms. It offers meaningful careers in fields ranging from investment banking and wealth management to data analytics and cybersecurity. At Wells Fargo, everyone has a voice. The bank is heavily invested in creating an inclusive culture that represents the communities it serves. It has active networking groups for women, LGBTQ+, veteran, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin, and Native American professionals.

Macquarie Group (U.S.)

Macquarie is an investment banking powerhouse with Australian roots. The firm is a top-ranked M&A advisor and one of the world’s leading infrastructure and renewables asset managers. Macquarie offers its people a chance to grow and develop their skills while working on high impact deals in areas such as green energy, sustainable food supply chains, and social housing.

Cowen

Cowen is a top investment bank that offers interns hands-on live deal experience and exposure to senior bankers and clients. Full-time junior bankers get access to a structured training program, an “apprenticeship” learning model, and many wellness benefits. Underscoring its commitment to diversity, Cowen recently created a new head of D&I position.

BMO Capital Markets

BMO Capital Markets is an investment banking firm looking for hardworking candidates with strong academic records. The firm's internships offer students live deal experience, a rotational program, and the ability to attend client meetings. Full-time professionals have access to strong training programs and many policies promoting work/life balance.

Oppenheimer & Co.

Oppenheimer has a 140-year history of providing investment banking services to the world’s top companies. It recently closed deals for GoPro, Fiverr, Fubo, KKR, BlackRock, Lemonade, and LendingTree. Just like it works hard for its high-profile clients, it works hard to ensure its people thrive in its close-knit, collaborative culture, providing them with vast amounts of resources and training.

Solomon Partners

Solomon Partners is a leading investment bank that specializes in providing advisory services in sectors such as consumer retail, tech, media, and health care. Its client list includes Under Armour, SoulCycle, SiriusXM, Brooks Brothers, and Netflix. Solomon Partners has a culture that’s accepting of all groups of people, and the firm’s management encourages civic engagement and charitable donations, and promotes an open discussion of social challenges.

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

TPH is an investment bank that focuses on providing research, sales and trading, and M&A advisory services to the energy industry. Its clients have included Hess, Apache, Anadarko, and Kuwait Energy. TPH is owned by leading M&A investment bank Perella Weinberg Partners and offers excellent internships in its Houston office.

Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Raymond James is a leading financial services firms that specializes in wealth management, investment banking, and equity research. Internships are available in banking, financial advisory, IT, risk management, and more. Committed to D&I, Raymond James has active networking groups for women, minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and veterans.

Harris Williams

Harris Williams is an investment bank based in Virginia that specializes in M&A advisory. It’s been named “M&A Mid-Market Investment Bank of the Year” and “Investment Banking Firm of the Year” by Mergers & Acquisitions. The firm’s excellent internship program gives interns live-deal experience and exposure to senior management. Its culture is collaborative and open—the firm is very focused on diversity recruiting and mentorship, and has substantial D&I programs.

BNP Paribas USA

BNP Paribas is one of the world’s largest—and most progressive—banking firms. It’s been named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign. It has resource groups dedicated to raising awareness of disability- and mental health-related issues. And its social and environmental goals are aligned with standards set by the UN and other leading organizations. Its offers rewarding career paths in data analytics, finance, IT, marketing, and more.

HSBC North America Holdings

HSBC is an international, diverse, community-oriented global bank with roots that go back 150 years. Its worldwide staff speaks more than 144 languages, and the bank's offices are located in every financial center in the world. The firm has no less than eight employee network groups that actively promote DE&I within the firm, and community volunteering is a major focus.

Baird

Baird is a highly respected middle-market investment bank looking for high-energy candidates. Baird interns work on live deals with experienced bankers, and interns’ mentoring opportunities and social events are excellent. Full-time junior bankers can take on as much responsibility as they can handle and also receive highly-rated mentoring opportunities.

Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald is a leading force in equity capital markets. Its global client list includes 5,000 institutions, including many Fortune 500 companies. The firm also has strong M&A, fixed income, and asset management units. Cantor Fitzgerald looks for driven, intellectually engaged, team-oriented people with a strong desire to make an impact and work on challenging, exciting, and meaningful assignments.

Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC

Deloitte Corporate Finance is the advisory arm of Big 4 accounting and consulting power Deloitte. DCF offers expert M&A and strategic advisory services to companies in progressive industries like clean tech, health care, environmental products, software, e-commerce, and communications technology. As part of the Deloitte family, you’ll receive best-in-class benefits while working alongside an incredibly diverse, talented group of people.

Brown Brothers Harriman

Brown Brothers Harriman is one of the oldest private partnerships on Wall Street. It provides private banking and investment management services, and as a firm without outside shareholders, it can take a thoughtful, long-term approach to its business relationships. When looking for new hires, it values energetic, compassionate, curious, innovative thinkers with a strong desire to learn.

Bank of New York Mellon Corporation

BNY Mellon is one of the world’s top asset management and banking firms. It was founded by first U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton and one of the first banks to use computing technology. BNY's inclusive culture champions diverse viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences. The firm has specific goals prioritizing D&I in recruitment, retention, and advancement. BNY career paths include technology, AI, investment management, and risk management.

EY Capital Advisors LLC (EYCA)

EY’s name on your resume opens doors. EY is one of the world’s most respected names in finance—one of the elite Big 4 professional services firms and known for its top-notch advice and forward-thinking workplace culture. Its prestigious financial advisory arm provides creative and innovative solutions by asking better, more insightful questions.

Nomura

Nomura is global investment banking powerhouse based in Japan. The firm’s top-notch internship program gives students live deal experience, hands-on training, and the ability to rotate through various groups. Full-time junior bankers get lot of exposure to senior bankers and clients, and significant responsibility due to lean deal teams. Recently, Nomura has made a big push to recruit and retain more women and minorities.

Stifel

Stifel is an investment bank that focuses on serving the middle market. With roots going back 125 years, Stifel is a global investment bank serving growth companies. Stifel allows its staff to take initiative and welcomes new ideas. A diverse team is critical to its mission, and the firm insists on diversity, inclusion, respect, and engagement in all that it does.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc

U.K.-based NatWest, formerly known as Royal Bank of Scotland, is a leading global financial services firm. It offers investment banking (through NatWest Markets), commercial banking, credit cards, insurance, and more. Meaningful career paths are available in finance, technology, business strategy, and more. For students and young professionals, it offers several different internships, apprenticeships, and graduate programs.

Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking

Sandler O'Neill + Partners L.P.

Susquehanna International Group

Susquehanna International Group (SIG) is a global quantitative trading firm headquartered outside of Philadelphia. SIG handles roughly one out of every seven stock options traded in the world. The firm is also a market maker for thousands of Nasdaq stocks and one of the biggest U.S. option market makers. In addition to trading, its verticals include institutional brokerage, private equity and venture capital, sports analytics, and structured finance.

TD Securities

TD Securities is a global investment banking powerhouse based in Toronto, with offices in major financial centers around the world. It regularly receives deal-of-the-year honors for its high-profile M&A and underwriting transactions. TD has an open, collaborative culture that promotes creativity, diverse perspectives, work/life balance, respect, and fun. TD is an investment bank where you’re free to be you.