What would be better for a career in finance: A good university with a high gpa (3.7+) where I most likely would be near the top of my class for people looking for a career in finance (Ex. University of Rochester) or to go to a stronger school more well known for their business schools and placing people in Wall Street jobs (Ex. UVA, UMich, maybe UNC Chapel Hill) but being more middle tier of a student.
In comparison to one of your examples, UNC-CH, Rochester has higher average SAT/ACT scores (60th nationally compared to UNC’s 88th). For this and other reasons, Rochester should not be considered merely a “good” school in relation to UNC.
Sorry I did not mean it that way. I meant it in more of placing people in wall street type jobs, of which I believe those other schools are more well-known for. Maybe a better example even would be top of class with financial economics major at Rochester or middle tier in the Cornell business school.
@yayatoure15 There is no such thing as Wall Street in terms of a career. Financial Services is very broad and not centered in NY anymore.
If you want to work in NY in Finance Services at a bank or investment bank I would recommend NYU, Villanova, Lehigh, Penn, Notre Dame, Boston College, Cornell, Wake Forest, Bucknell, Fordham and Manhattan College. Rochester has a better reputation than UNC in NY. However, the graduate program is a top one. The undergrad program is new. However, undergrad Econ at Rochester is fantastic.
Penn and ND are the hardest to get into.
If your preference is consulting, venture capital or private equity, then the top liberal arts colleges.
Hedge Funds take from both.
You can just as easily get a job at Goldman Sachs being a Classics major if you come from the right school.
Aim for sales not investment banking.
@ScaredNJDad - you forgot Duke for NY Financial Services and Investment banking jobs. There was an insiders expose’ book about that 
@suzyQ7 Yes, and I left others off. I was simply trying to highlight that other schools besides the two that are normally talked about are suitable.
If you are interested in Investment Banking and alike, it is better/important to be at a school they recruit at more often.
Where that is a source of conversation and debate. For NY, my opinion is Ivy’s (lead by Wharton and Harvard), Duke, Michigan, MIT, NYU, NC, VA, Emory, ND, BC.
The above list seems very solid. If you have a chance at Wharton or Harvard, you should definitely take it.