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Health actuary education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a health actuary. Health actuaries usually study mathematics, management science, or business. 71% of health actuaries hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 17 real health actuary resumes to see exactly what health actuary education sections show.
The most common colleges for health actuaries are the University of Louisville and the University of Louisville.
There are also many online health actuary courses to help get the education required to be a health actuary.
What education do you need to become a health actuary?
What degree do you need to be a health actuary?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 24%
- Associate, 6%
What should I major in to become a health actuary?
- Mathematics, 47%
- Management Science, 20%
- Business, 13%
- Statistics, 7%
- Other Majors, 13%
Most common colleges for health actuaries
| Health actuary common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Louisville | 15.38% |
| Blackburn College | 15.38% |
| Minnesota State University - Mankato | 7.69% |
| Temple University | 7.69% |
| Purdue University | 7.69% |
Best majors for health actuaries
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematics | 46.7% |
| 2 | Management Science | 20.0% |
| 3 | Business | 13.3% |
| 4 | Statistics | 6.7% |
| 5 | Secondary Education And Teaching | 6.7% |
Best colleges for health actuaries
The best colleges for health actuaries are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A health actuary with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for health actuaries. 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 health actuaries.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for health actuaries
Advertising disclosure
1. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations
Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...
2. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
3. Fundamentals of Insurance - 2
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4. Fundamentals of Insurance - 1
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5. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities
A strong argument can be made that the health care field is one of the most information-intensive sectors in the U.S. economy and avoidance of the rapid advances in information technology is no longer an option. Consequently, the study of health care information technology and systems has become central to health care delivery effectiveness. This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting the vision and operational knowledge of the health care...
6. Health Information Literacy for Data Analytics
This Specialization is intended for data and technology professionals with no previous healthcare experience who are seeking an industry change to work with healthcare data. Through four courses, you will identify the types, sources, and challenges of healthcare data along with methods for selecting and preparing data for analysis. You will examine the range of healthcare data sources and compare terminology, including administrative, clinical, insurance claims, patient-reported and external...
7. Excel Skills for Insurance Professionals
From Vlookups to Pivot Tables: Learn the Excel basics anyone working in the insurance industry needs to know!...
8. Health Data 101
An Introduction to Health Data for data analysts...
9. Comparative Health Systems
This course uses comparative analysis of health care systems to gain a better understanding of health care systems in several high-income, middle-income and low-income countries. One focus of analysis in this course will therefore be to develop a better knowledge of these health care systems. A second focus will be to use to this analysis to gain a better understanding of the health care system in the United States. This analysis is relevant for those who are directly interested in the United...
10. The Business of Health Care
This Specialization was designed to help you keep pace with the rapidly changing world of health and health care. Through partnership with Wharton and Penn Medicine, you’ll learn from experts in business acumen, health care management, and health care policy to develop the skills you’ll need to successfully navigate the quickly evolving landscape of this fast-growing field.* By the end of this specialization, you will have a strong foundational understanding of the American health care system,...
11. What does an actuary actually do?
The course that provides a practical overview of the day to day work of an actuary in an insurance environment...
12. Data Science for Healthcare Claims Data
Learn and practice how to transform raw healthcare claims data into valuable knowledge and actionable insights!...
13. Digital Health
This specialisation introduces students to the emerging and multidisciplinary field of digital health and the role and application of digital health technologies including mobile applications, wearable technologies, health information systems, telehealth, telemedicine, machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data. These digital health technologies are assessed in terms of their opportunities and challenges to address real-world public health and health care system challenges in order...
14. Leading Change in Health Informatics
Do you dream of being a CMIO or a Senior Director of Clinical Informatics? If you are aiming to rise up in the ranks in your health system or looking to pivot your career in the direction of big data and health IT, this course is made for you. You'll hear from experts at Johns Hopkins about their experiences harnessing the power of big data in healthcare, improving EHR adoption, and separating out the hope vs hype when it comes to digital medicine. Whether you're a nurse, pharmacist, physician,...
15. Health Coaching Certification Holistic Wellness Health Coach
Health Coaching Practitioner Course Graduates Prepared Health Coaching Specialists in Holistic Wellness Health Coaching...
16. Value-Based Healthcare: An Introduction (Premium Edition)
Scaling Healthcare ROI – Leveraging Value, Quality, and Cost to Improve Healthcare Delivery and Results...
17. Data Warehouse Development Process
Specific aspects of Data Warehouse Development Process...
18. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
Health Information Technology HIT...
19. Health Masterclass: How To Transform Your Health & Life
Master The 3 Surprising Steps That Can Finally Transform Your Health In The Next 30 Days...
20. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Health & Wellness
Learn about holistic health, wellness, key biomarkers, good sleep and ways to optimize your health...
Top 10 most affordable universities for health actuaries
The most affordable schools for health actuaries are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for health actuaries 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 health actuaries.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for health actuaries
The hardest universities for health actuaries to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for health actuaries 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 health actuaries 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for health actuaries
The easiest schools for health actuaries to get into are Barry University, felician university, and university of houston - downtown.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a health actuary 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 health actuaries.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
3. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average health actuary salary by education level
| Health actuary education level | Health actuary salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $115,404 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,433 |
Health actuary education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025