Pablo Gutierrez knew that a master’s degree in finance would be a big financial investment. So as he evaluated various programs, he weighed costs and potential returns. Vanderbilt came out as his best option.

“The track record for employment for [Vanderbilt] MSF students made me feel confident that it would pay off,” Pablo says. “A big reason for this was the rankings, reputation, and alumni of the MSF program and Owen in general. Vanderbilt seemed to offer a great education with some of the best faculty in finance. I wanted to be able to make a career in finance, and Vanderbilt’s reputation and alumni provided great employment opportunities.”

While it may not have been easy to factor into calculations of return on investment, the composition and closeness of the class also played into Pablo’s decision. When he visited Owen, he says, “I got to meet students in the program and knew these were the types of people I wanted to be surrounded by—smart and ambitious and also very supportive of each other’s goals.”

In fact, he adds, “some of my favorite moments have been the late nights at Owen spent studying for exams and prepping for interviews with my classmates. These late nights are where a lot of us really bonded. Spending a lot of time here outside of class and being around my classmates was a great way to learn from others and share what I knew myself. I think I got a lot more out of the program by doing this.”

But it wasn’t all work. On weekends, Pablo enjoyed going downtown with classmates and listening to live music (especially, he says, at Nashville Underground and Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge).

And more than anything, what Pablo got out of the program was “a great launching pad for a career in finance.” It added up to a strong ROI. “My starting point,” he says, “is much higher than it would be if I hadn’t done the program, so my trajectory ends up being higher as well.”

Fun Fact: Pablo was born in Bogotá, Colombia and moved to the United States when he was five years old.

The track record for employment for [Vanderbilt] MSF students made me feel confident that it would pay off.