Students with a CFA Level I pass often receive application credit worth one waived elective (Creighton, Dallas, Providence). Schools do not award transfer credit for prior CFA exam passes, but they accept up to 6 credits of graduate transfer work from AACSB-accredited institutions (program pages, September 2026).
Curriculum: how the CFA CBOK maps onto the MBA core
Every affiliated program covers all 10 CFA Level I topic areas (ethics, quantitative methods, economics, financial reporting, corporate issuers, equity investments, fixed income, derivatives, alternatives, portfolio management) in the first 18 credits of the MBA. Level II depth is delivered in the electives that replace the standard MBA electives.
The Mendoza program at Notre Dame embeds the St. Vincent de Paul Honor Code as a parallel to the CFA Code of Ethics and assigns the same case study in the ethics course that CFA Institute uses in the Level I curriculum (Notre Dame Mendoza, 2026 program guide).
Creighton's Heider College was one of the first 30 U.S. business schools to receive CFA affiliation and runs a dedicated 1-credit Level I review course in the final semester that students take alongside the capstone (Creighton Heider, 2026 program guide).
CFA exam prep, scholarships, and reimbursement
Affiliated Programs receive CFA Institute scholarships worth $250-$500 per student toward the first CFA Program enrollment. The scholarship is applied automatically when a student enrolls through the school's affiliation code.
| Program | Per-student CFA scholarship | Level I reimbursement policy | Prep provider |
|---|
| St. Francis | $500 | Pass = full tuition reimbursement up to $1,100 | Kaplan Schweser |
| Creighton | $400 | Pass = $1,000 cash award | Wiley CFA Review |
| Providence | $400 | Pass = $500 tuition credit | Kaplan Schweser |
| Dallas Gupta | $350 | No reimbursement | Internal + Kaplan |
| Notre Dame Mendoza | $500 | No reimbursement | Internal + Wiley |
| Northeastern D'Amore-McKim | Approved Prep Partner stipend | First-attempt Level I fee fully covered (~$1,100) | CFA Institute Approved Prep |
CFA scholarship data from CFA Institute Affiliated Programs directory and program pages, verified September 14, 2026. Reimbursement policies apply only to first-attempt passes within 12 months of program completion.
Northeastern's Approved Prep Partner status is the most generous in the cluster: it covers the entire first-attempt Level I fee (~$1,100 as of 2026) rather than a partial scholarship. The same benefit does not extend to Level II or Level III (CFA Institute, September 2026).
Career outcomes and 2026 salary data
MBA + CFA Level II candidates in the 2025-2026 U.S. market reported base salaries of $95K-$140K with total compensation of $130K-$220K in major metros. Functions cluster in investment banking analyst (post-MBA associate), equity research associate, asset management analyst, treasury analyst, and corporate development roles.
Notre Dame Mendoza reports a 2025 graduate employment rate of 96% within 6 months and a median base salary of $130K for the online MBA finance cohort. Northeastern D'Amore-McKim reports a median base of $128K with 92% in role at 6 months (mendoza.nd.edu, northeastern.edu employment reports, 2025).
Creighton and St. Francis place graduates primarily in regional Midwest and Sunbelt roles: regional bank corporate banking, RIA associate, treasury at Fortune 1000 corporates, and family office analyst. Median base for these cohorts lands at $90K-$110K (Creighton Heider, 2025 employment report; St. Francis, 2025 employment report).
Choosing the right online MBA Finance CFA track in 2026
For candidates who want the lowest-cost path to the CFA charter, the University of St. Francis Keith Busse School at $29,160 total is the cheapest AACSB-affiliated option in 2026. For candidates who want a top-30 brand and the strongest Approved Prep Partner benefits, Northeastern D'Amore-McKim and Notre Dame Mendoza are the right calls.
Creighton and Providence are the strongest mid-tier picks for candidates balancing brand, cost, and CFA prep depth. University of Dallas Gupta is the smallest cohort (roughly 25 students per term) and offers the most personalized faculty access (program pages, September 2026).
Students who already hold a CFA Level I pass should apply to programs that grant application credit for the credential: Creighton, Dallas, and Providence each waive one elective (up to 3 credits) for verified Level I passes completed within the past 36 months (program pages, September 2026).
FAQs
How do I verify a school's CFA Institute affiliation status?
The CFA Institute publishes a public Affiliated Programs directory at cfainstitute.org/programs/cfa-program/affiliated-programs. Every affiliated school lists a current contact, the year of first affiliation, and the percentage of the CFA CBOK covered in the program (CFA Institute, September 2026).
Can I pursue the CFA charter entirely online while finishing the MBA?
Yes. The CFA exams are computer-based and administered at Prometric centers worldwide. Most candidates sit for Level I in February or August of the first MBA year, then Level II in the second year (CFA Institute exam calendar, 2026).
Are these MBA programs STEM-designated for international students on F-1?
Notre Dame, Northeastern, and Providence offer STEM-designated MBA variants under the F-1 OPT 24-month extension. Creighton, St. Francis, and Dallas Gupta do not currently have a STEM designation on the online MBA Finance concentration (program pages, SEVP STEM list, September 2026).
Do any of these schools accept Professional Work Experience in lieu of an undergraduate degree?
Creighton and Dallas Gupta waive the bachelor's degree requirement for candidates with 10+ years of progressive work experience, an interview, and a writing sample. The other four programs require a regionally accredited bachelor's for admission (program pages, September 2026).
What is the cohort size for each online MBA Finance CFA track?
Cohort sizes range from 22-28 (Dallas Gupta) to 60-75 (Northeastern D'Amore-McKim). Notre Dame Mendoza runs cohorts of 35-45 to preserve the case-method pedagogy (program pages, September 2026).
Can employer tuition reimbursement cover any of these programs?
Yes. All six programs are approved for employer tuition reimbursement under Section 127 ($5,250 annual cap as of 2026). Northeastern, Notre Dame, and Creighton run direct-bill programs with Fortune 500 employers (program pages, IRS Section 127 guidance, September 2026).
Fazlur Rahman
