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Actuarial analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an actuarial analyst. Actuarial analysts usually study mathematics, management science, or statistics. 81% of actuarial analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,756 real actuarial analyst resumes to see exactly what actuarial analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for actuarial analysts are the University of Connecticut and the University of Connecticut.
There are also many online actuarial analyst courses to help get the education required to be an actuarial analyst.
What education do you need to become an actuarial analyst?
What degree do you need to be an actuarial analyst?
- Bachelor's, 81%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 2%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become an actuarial analyst?
- Mathematics, 40%
- Management Science, 19%
- Statistics, 8%
- Finance, 6%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for actuarial analysts
| Actuarial analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Connecticut | 10.33% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.38% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.01% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.27% |
| Georgia State University | 6.27% |
Best majors for actuarial analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematics | 40.3% |
| 2 | Management Science | 19.0% |
| 3 | Statistics | 8.1% |
| 4 | Finance | 5.7% |
| 5 | Business | 5.7% |
Best colleges for actuarial analysts
The best colleges for actuarial analysts are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An actuarial analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for actuarial analysts. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become actuarial analysts.
1. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
20 best online courses for actuarial analysts
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Top 10 most affordable universities for actuarial analysts
The most affordable schools for actuarial analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for actuarial analysts are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for actuarial analysts.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for actuarial analysts
The hardest universities for actuarial analysts to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for actuarial analysts are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for actuarial analysts based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for actuarial analysts
The easiest schools for actuarial analysts to get into are University of Houston - Downtown, barry university, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an actuarial analyst without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for actuarial analysts.
1. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average actuarial analyst salary by education level
| Actuarial analyst education level | Actuarial analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $80,803 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $73,132 |
Actuarial analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025