Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Underwriting director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an underwriting director. Underwriting directors usually study business, finance, or communication. 71% of underwriting directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 341 real underwriting director resumes to see exactly what underwriting director education sections show.
The most common colleges for underwriting directors are the Northeastern University and the Northeastern University.
There are also many online underwriting director courses to help get the education required to be an underwriting director.
What education do you need to become an underwriting director?
What degree do you need to be an underwriting director?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an underwriting director?
- Business, 34%
- Finance, 11%
- Communication, 8%
- Insurance, 6%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for underwriting directors
| Underwriting director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Northeastern University | 8.77% |
| Clarion University of Pennsylvania | 8.77% |
| Boston College | 7.02% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 7.02% |
| St. Louis | 7.02% |
Best majors for underwriting directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 34.0% |
| 2 | Finance | 10.5% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.1% |
| 4 | Insurance | 5.7% |
| 5 | Accounting | 5.3% |
Best colleges for underwriting directors
The best colleges for underwriting directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
An underwriting director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for underwriting directors. 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 underwriting directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for underwriting directors
Advertising disclosure
1. Multifamily Real Estate Underwriting Masterclass
Learn how you can start underwriting deals today!...
2. U.S. Residential Real Estate, Property & Mortgage Business
Property & Mortgage Underwriting Loan Processing Financial Analysis Mortgage Operations Origination...
3. Financial Statement Analysis
Learn how to make understanding financial statements your superpower!...
4. Financial Statement Analysis - Ratio Analysis
Master the Art of Financial Statement Analysis: Unlocking Insights through Vertical, Horizontal, and Ratio Analysis...
5. The Advanced Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp
The Complete Guide To Advanced Real Estate Financial Modeling For Real Estate Investment Professionals...
6. The Advanced Real Estate Development Modeling Master Class
A Complete Guide To Building Real Estate Development Pro Forma Models From Scratch For Commercial Real Estate Investing...
7. The Real Estate Development Modeling Master Class
The Complete Guide To Building Real Estate Development Pro Forma Models From Scratch For Smarter Real Estate Investing...
8. Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Stmt, Cash Flow
How To Quickly Read & Understand The Big 3 Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement...
9. Fundamentals of Insurance - 2
Part 2...
10. Intro to Commercial Credit Analysis, Credit Risk and Lending
Commercial Credit Underwriting Lending & Commercial Credit Financial Analysis Credit Risk Foundations...
11. How to Read Financial Statements: Build Financial Literacy.
Read financial statements and speak the language of business without the drudgery of a traditional accounting course...
12. Investment Banking: The Complete Financial Ratio Analysis
Investment Banking For Investors & Financial Analysts - How to Perform Financial Statement Analysis & Company Valuation...
13. Fundamentals of Insurance - 1
Part 1...
14. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Interview Exam Guide
How To Ace Your Real Estate Financial Modeling Interview Exam For Real Estate Investing Careers...
15. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp
The Complete A to Z Guide to Modeling Real Estate Transactions in Microsoft Excel For Smarter Real Estate Investing...
16. Value Investing: The Complete Financial Statement Analysis
Value Investing Mastery - How to Perform Financial Statement Analysis & Financial Ratio Analysis to Find Great Stocks...
17. Financial Modeling for Business Analysts and Consultants
Learn Financial Modeling in Excel that will allow you to participate in due diligence, strategy or turn around projects...
18. Brief Intro to Commercial Real Estate
Learn the essential fundamentals of commercial real estate...
19. Intro to Real Estate Development
Learn professional techniques and use investment-grade models to analyze real estate development deals...
20. The Real Estate Pro Forma Modeling Master Class
The Complete Step-By-Step Guide To Building Dynamic, Institutional-Quality Real Estate Pro Forma Models in Excel...
Top 10 most affordable universities for underwriting directors
The most affordable schools for underwriting directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for underwriting directors 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 underwriting directors.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 underwriting directors
The hardest universities for underwriting directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for underwriting directors 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 underwriting directors 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for underwriting directors
The easiest schools for underwriting directors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an underwriting director 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 underwriting directors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
Average underwriting director salary by education level
| Underwriting director education level | Underwriting director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $134,317 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $98,072 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $118,935 |
| Doctorate Degree | $140,439 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $98,060 |
Underwriting director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for underwriting director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025