Underwriter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an underwriter. Underwriters usually study business, finance, or accounting. 66% of underwriters hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 29,899 real underwriter resumes to see exactly what underwriter education sections show.

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

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

There are certain underwriter certifications that you should consider. These underwriter certifications include Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI).

What education do you need to become an underwriter?

What degree do you need to be an underwriter?

The most common degree for underwriters is bachelor's degree, with 66% of underwriters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Associate, 15%

High School Diploma, 7%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an underwriter?

You should major in business to become an underwriter. 37% of underwriters major in business. Other common majors for an underwriter include finance and accounting.

Business, 37%

Finance, 12%

Accounting, 7%

Marketing, 4%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for underwriters

Underwriters often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of North Texas, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for underwriters in the US based on their resumes.

Underwriter common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	24.01%
University of North Texas	5.23%
Arizona State University	5.23%
Temple University	5.09%
Ohio State University	4.40%

Show more common underwriter colleges

Best majors for underwriters

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	36.7%
2	Finance	11.8%
3	Accounting	7.1%
4	Marketing	4.1%
5	Psychology	4.0%

Show more common underwriter majors

Best colleges for underwriters

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

An 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 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 underwriters.

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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

9. Butler University

Indianapolis, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$41,120

Enrollment

4,553

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

20 best online courses for underwriters

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Top 10 most affordable universities for underwriters

The most affordable schools for underwriters are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for 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 underwriters.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for underwriters

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

Some great schools for 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 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

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

The easiest schools for underwriters to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and la roche college.

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

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

10. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

Average underwriter salary by education level

According to our data, underwriters with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $82,321 annually. Underwriters with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $69,182.

Underwriter education level	Underwriter salary
Master's Degree	$82,321
High School Diploma or Less	$50,712
Bachelor's Degree	$69,182
Some College/ Associate Degree	$52,260

Underwriter education FAQs

What is the best college for Underwriters?

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

Search for 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

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