The Center is dedicated to research and education in the area of money and finance, in lieu of there not being a full professional business school at Princeton.

Princeton University's undergraduate students of all departments can earn a certificate attesting their proficiency in the area of finance from the Bendheim Center.

[23] While approximately two thirds of the students have an economics or finance background, many come from other areas including computer science, history, mathematics, and engineering.

[25] The BCF's Master in Finance puts strong emphasis on financial economics, data analysis and technology, and computational methods.

[26] Due to the quantitative focus of the courses, the master program is also attractive for students with strong corresponding prior knowledge such as physicists.

[28] The New York Sun describes the program as a popular alternative to an MBA, particularly for students striving for a career in trading or in financial companies.

[29] The BCF does not offer a distinct Ph.D. program, but provides a home for Ph.D. students in economics, operations research, mathematics, and further fields who are interested in finance-related topics.

[35] In the center's career speaker series, guests from industry, government, and academia cover a broad range of topics, addressing both graduate and undergraduate students.