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Underwriting specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an underwriting specialist. Underwriting specialists usually study business, finance, or marketing. 73% of underwriting specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,273 real underwriting specialist resumes to see exactly what underwriting specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for underwriting specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online underwriting specialist courses to help get the education required to be an underwriting specialist.
There are certain underwriting specialist certifications that you should consider. These underwriting specialist certifications include Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Certified Residential Underwriter (CRU).
What education do you need to become an underwriting specialist?
What degree do you need to be an underwriting specialist?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an underwriting specialist?
- Business, 38%
- Finance, 9%
- Marketing, 6%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for underwriting specialists
| Underwriting specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.48% |
| Arizona State University | 8.20% |
| University of North Texas | 6.56% |
| Ohio State University | 6.56% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.56% |
Best majors for underwriting specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 38.2% |
| 2 | Finance | 8.7% |
| 3 | Marketing | 5.5% |
| 4 | Accounting | 5.5% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.0% |
Best colleges for underwriting specialists
The best colleges for underwriting specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
An underwriting specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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 underwriting specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for underwriting specialists
The most affordable schools for underwriting specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.
If the best universities for underwriting specialists 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 specialists.
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 underwriting specialists
The hardest universities for underwriting specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for underwriting specialists 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 specialists 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. 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 underwriting specialists
The easiest schools for underwriting specialists 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 underwriting specialist 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 specialists.
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 underwriting specialist salary by education level
| Underwriting specialist education level | Underwriting specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,986 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $51,354 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,463 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,023 |
Underwriting specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025