Median mid-career pay: $87,300
Median starting salary: $46,500
Not surprisingly, finance is one of the highest-paying college majors. Lippe says college students majoring in finance and who have played a finance role in on-campus organizations will have a leg up over the competition.
"(Students) need to talk numbers. They need to explain, 'I had X dollars in my budget that I was responsible for, this is what we did with those dollars and this is the impact on that organization,'" Lippe says. "Telling that financial story will make you stand out from someone saying, 'Hey, I was a member of the finance club, and I was in it for four years.'"
If your school doesn't require a finance internship, hiring managers will, says Lippe. Interning once is great, but those competing for top positions in the field will graduate with two or three internships under their belts.