I think these roles only hire from top tier colleges and if you didn't get into one, too bad the ship has sailed. Can't argue on comp though. These jobs post very well.
If you want to be a quant, getting a post-graduate education at a top-tier university is pretty much a requirement. If you want to be a software engineer/SRE/etc. in the front office, you might be able to find your way in by going to the tech industry proper and then pivoting.