Securities underwriter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a securities underwriter. Securities underwriters usually study business, secondary education and teaching, or nursing. 38% of securities underwriters hold a bachelor's degree, and 38% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 11 real securities underwriter resumes to see exactly what securities underwriter education sections show.

The most common colleges for securities underwriters are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online securities underwriter courses to help get the education required to be a securities underwriter.

What education do you need to become a securities underwriter?

What degree do you need to be a securities underwriter?

The most common degree for securities underwriters is bachelor's degree, with 38% of securities underwriters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 38% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 38%

Associate, 38%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 13%

What should I major in to become a securities underwriter?

You should major in business to become a securities underwriter. 75% of securities underwriters major in business. Other common majors for a securities underwriter include secondary education and teaching and nursing.

Business, 75%

Secondary Education And Teaching, 13%

Nursing, 13%

Most common colleges for securities underwriters

Securities underwriters often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Colorado Technical University, and Wingate University. Here are the most common colleges for securities underwriters in the US based on their resumes.

Securities underwriter common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	28.57%
Colorado Technical University	28.57%
Wingate University	14.29%
Graceland University	14.29%
Holy Cross College	14.29%

Best majors for securities underwriters

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	75.0%
2	Secondary Education And Teaching	12.5%
3	Nursing	12.5%

Best colleges for securities underwriters

The best colleges for securities underwriters are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A securities underwriter with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for securities underwriters. 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 securities underwriters.

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. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for securities underwriters

Advertising disclosure

1. Intro to Commercial Credit Analysis, Credit Risk and Lending

4.4

(2,213)

Commercial Credit Underwriting Lending & Commercial Credit Financial Analysis Credit Risk Foundations...

2. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM

4.1

(300)

Compliance risk management CRM for Compliance, Risk Management, Internal Audit and IS Security Professionals...

3. Multifamily Real Estate Underwriting Masterclass

4.3

(270)

Learn how you can start underwriting deals today!...

4. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass

4.6

(515)

The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...

5. Banking Credit Analysis Process (for Bankers)

4.5

(2,917)

Course for Bankers, Consultants and managers to Understand Credit Analysis Process from Indian Context...

6. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business

4.6

(2,324)

Property & Mortgage Underwriting Loan Processing Financial Analysis Mortgage Operations Origination...

7. Credit Risk Modeling in Python

4.6

(5,629)

A complete data science case study: preprocessing, modeling, model validation and maintenance in Python...

8. Credit Repair: The Total Guide to a Great Credit Score

(673)

Credit Repair: A step-by-step plan to begin improving your credit within one hour of starting! Over 7,000 students!...

9. ISO/IEC 27005:2022. Information security risk management

4.6

(878)

Understand the framework proposed by ISO for managing information security risks in an organization...

10. Financial Accounting-Debits & Credits-Accounting Transaction

4.5

(781)

Masterclass: Learn Accounting Principles, Financial Statements, Transactions & More in this Comprehensive Course...

11. Cloud Security Course: Cloud Compliance, Audits,Legal issues

4.4

(309)

For CCSK and CCSP Aspirants - Cloud Agreements/Contracts, Legal and Compliance Concepts...

12. The Credit Analyst Training course

4.1

(3,058)

Learn the complete Credit Risk Analysis skills for jobs in Banks, Asset Management & Credit Rating Agencies...

13. Performance Optimization and Risk Management for Trading

4.8

(264)

Generate Income and make a living with Day Trading / Algorithmic Trading. A quantitative & data-driven Python course...

14. Compliance Training for Employees

4.6

(5,050)

Compliance: a simple, comprehensive and effective way to protect your company!...

15. Operational Risks Management ORM

4.3

(1,174)

Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

16. Cryptocurrency Financial Crime Compliance Bootcamp

4.4

(484)

Blockchain/Crypto Financial Crime Money Laundering Terrorist Financing AML & CTF Regulation Compliance Tools...

17. Option Spreads and Credit Spreads Bundle

4.7

(947)

This 2-course bundle on Option spreads and Credit Spreads surgery is the bedrock of stable Monthly Strategies...

18. SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, Identity Fundamentals

4.5

(769)

SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, Identity Fundamentals Preparation...

19. Audit - Financial Statement

4.4

(2,545)

Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...

20. Credit Card Security Basics

4.5

(7,143)

This brief course is designed to meet the PCI DSS requirements of frontline staff who handle payment cards...

Top 10 most affordable universities for securities underwriters

The most affordable schools for securities underwriters are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for securities underwriters 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 securities underwriters.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for securities underwriters

The hardest universities for securities underwriters to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for securities underwriters 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 securities underwriters 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for securities underwriters

The easiest schools for securities underwriters to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a securities underwriter 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 securities underwriters.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average securities underwriter salary by education level

Securities underwriters with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $106,244 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, securities underwriters earn a median annual income of $90,606 compared to $78,503 for securities underwriters with an Associate degree.

Securities underwriter education level	Securities underwriter salary
Master's Degree	$106,244
Bachelor's Degree	$90,606
Some College/ Associate Degree	$78,503

Securities underwriter education FAQs

What is the best college for Securities Underwriters?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search for securities underwriter jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs