About Stonier | ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking

First and Best: Celebrating 90 Years of Excellence

Did you know that Stonier is the nation’s original graduate school for banking? Founded by Dr. Harold Stonier, the school has been setting the bar in executive education since 1935. Today, students learn from more than 100 faculty members and capstone advisors – with a curriculum that changes regularly to reflect industry needs and challenges. Stonier’s rich history and body of leadership has cultivated the most prestigious educational program in the banking industry.

The Stonier Advantage

It Begins with You

At Stonier you’ll be surrounded by the industry’s finest – a diverse body of rising stars who will inspire you to be your best. Get ready to make professional connections and friendships that will last throughout your career.

Take a look at Stonier’s diverse body of rising stars. *As of 2024

Diverse Student Base

Stonier’s students represent a cross-section of gender, job titles and institutions. As of 2024, Stonier has educated more than 26,000 professionals:

• Predominantly vice presidents and senior vice presidents
• Executive vice presidents, chairs and CEOs (one in five students)
• Students from community and regional banks, national and international financial institutions.
• Last year’s class attracted students from two countries.
• Approximately 14% of students have hailed from regulatory agencies.
• Alumni include some of today’s most respected U.S. banking executives

Behind each of these statistics are smart, ambitious executives on track to become the industry leaders. Students come from many different functional areas such as finance, commercial and mortgage lending, retail, marketing, operations, risk and compliance and strategic planning. Stonier students include senior-level management, financial analysts, bank examiners, bank directors and more.

Skills to Compete

Stonier is designed to enhance your ability to address the broad set of issues you will face as a bank or financial industry executive working in a competitive and ever-changing marketplace. Our well-crafted curriculum helps to prepare you for real-life situations within your own organization as you look to scope, implement and manage important initiatives.

Unparalleled Learning Experience

Stonier emphasizes strategic planning, financial management and leadership, and provides a wide range of over 40 elective courses to enable you to personalize and meet your developmental goals. Through a strategic Capstone Project, you have a unique opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained at Stonier to a major initiative within your own organization.

Partnership with the Wharton School

The Wharton School is world-renowned and regularly ranked among the top executive MBA programs in the U.S. As a partner with Stonier, this legendary institution delivers outstanding leadership courses that will help you thrive amidst change and uncertainty, with distinct advantages that will prepare you to shape the future of banking. Stonier graduates receive both a Stonier Diploma and a Wharton Leadership Certificate.

Cutting-edge Approach to Learning

Our faculty includes many of the most important thinkers, practitioners and experts in the financial services industry, as well as celebrated professors from the Wharton School who teach Stonier’s critical leadership modules. Students are exposed to highly interactive classroom settings, and a range of formal and informal forums to discuss, collaborate and debate problems and solutions with faculty and peers.

Affiliated with ABA

ABA supports Stonier with in-depth expertise and unmatched resources to help enhance the overall learning experience. As the largest association of its kind in the U.S., ABA is the voice for the banking industry and its employees. Representing banks of all sizes and charters, its perspective on emerging issues and regulations helps shape the school’s direction and areas of focus.