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Actuarial manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an actuarial manager. Actuarial managers usually study mathematics, finance, or management science. 63% of actuarial managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 35% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 54 real actuarial manager resumes to see exactly what actuarial manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for actuarial managers are the Carnegie Mellon University and the Carnegie Mellon University.

There are also many online actuarial manager courses to help get the education required to be an actuarial manager.

What education do you need to become an actuarial manager?

What degree do you need to be an actuarial manager?

The most common degree for actuarial managers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of actuarial managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 35% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 35%
  • Associate, 2%

What should I major in to become an actuarial manager?

You should major in mathematics to become an actuarial manager. 38% of actuarial managers major in mathematics. Other common majors for an actuarial manager include finance and management science.

Most common colleges for actuarial managers

Actuarial managers often get their degrees at Carnegie Mellon University, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and Indiana Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for actuarial managers in the US based on their resumes.
Actuarial manager common collegePercentages
Carnegie Mellon University9.09%
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities9.09%
Indiana Institute of Technology4.55%
New York University4.55%
University of Connecticut4.55%

Best majors for actuarial managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Mathematics38.0%
2Finance14.0%
3Management Science12.0%
4Statistics6.0%
5Computer Science6.0%

Best colleges for actuarial managers

The best colleges for actuarial managers are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Johns Hopkins University.

An actuarial manager 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 managers. 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 managers.

1. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for actuarial managers

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Interest Rate Swaps Risk Management Hedging OTC Clearinghouses Swap Valuation Floating Interest Rates...

7. Company Valuation & Financial Modeling

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8. Financial Analysis and Financial Modeling using MS Excel

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9. Excel Financial Modeling and Business Analysis Masterclass

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18. Financial Mathematics - Theory of Interest & Cashflow Models

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By MJ the Fellow Actuary...

19. Statistical Data Analysis with SAS

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Understanding the Data Flow in SAS: Learn SAS Programming from Data Importing, Management, Manipulation to Data Analysis...

20. Build Financial Models & Value Companies The Easy Way

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I am an award winning finance professor with work experience modeling companies @Goldman Sachs, hedge fund Citadel & VC...

Top 10 most affordable universities for actuarial managers

The most affordable schools for actuarial managers 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 managers 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 managers.

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. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for actuarial managers

The hardest universities for actuarial managers to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for actuarial managers 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 managers 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

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. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for actuarial managers

The easiest schools for actuarial managers to get into are University of Houston - Downtown, kean university, and william paterson university of new jersey.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an actuarial manager 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 managers.

1. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

2. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

3. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

4. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

Average actuarial manager salary by education level

According to our data, actuarial managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $123,248 annually. Actuarial managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $113,146.
Actuarial manager education levelActuarial manager salary
Master's Degree$113,146
High School Diploma or Less$61,885
Bachelor's Degree$89,598
Doctorate Degree$123,248
Some College/ Associate Degree$61,871

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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