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Insurance adviser education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an insurance adviser. Insurance advisers usually study business, finance, or management. 58% of insurance advisers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,089 real insurance adviser resumes to see exactly what insurance adviser education sections show.

The most common colleges for insurance advisers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online insurance adviser courses to help get the education required to be an insurance adviser.

There are certain insurance adviser certifications that you should consider. These insurance adviser certifications include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Certified Insurance Examiner (CIE).

What education do you need to become an insurance adviser?

What degree do you need to be an insurance adviser?

The most common degree for insurance advisers is bachelor's degree, with 58% of insurance advisers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 58%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become an insurance adviser?

You should major in business to become an insurance adviser. 38% of insurance advisers major in business. Other common majors for an insurance adviser include finance and management.

Most common colleges for insurance advisers

Insurance advisers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Michigan State University, and Grand Valley State University. Here are the most common colleges for insurance advisers in the US based on their resumes.
Insurance adviser common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix19.57%
Michigan State University7.61%
Grand Valley State University5.43%
Florida State University5.43%
Western Michigan University5.43%

Best majors for insurance advisers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business37.6%
2Finance8.2%
3Management6.1%
4Accounting5.3%
5Psychology5.1%

Best colleges for insurance advisers

The best colleges for insurance advisers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

An insurance adviser with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for insurance advisers. 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 insurance advisers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

5. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

8. University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Lafayette, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,912

Enrollment

14,245

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. Butler University

Indianapolis, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$41,120

Enrollment

4,553

20 best online courses for insurance advisers

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Understanding key elements and basic workings of the Financial Services Industry (useful for exams as well)...

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Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...

Top 10 most affordable universities for insurance advisers

The most affordable schools for insurance advisers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for insurance advisers 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 insurance advisers.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for insurance advisers

The hardest universities for insurance advisers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for insurance advisers 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 insurance advisers 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for insurance advisers

The easiest schools for insurance advisers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of houston - downtown, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an insurance adviser 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 insurance advisers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average insurance adviser salary by education level

Insurance advisers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $75,700 annually. With a Master's degree, insurance advisers earn a median annual income of $75,542 compared to $70,853 for insurance advisers with an Doctorate degree.
Insurance adviser education levelInsurance adviser salary
Master's Degree$75,542
High School Diploma or Less$61,969
Bachelor's Degree$75,700
Doctorate Degree$70,853
Some College/ Associate Degree$61,755

Insurance adviser education FAQs

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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.