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Best Colleges with Actuarial Science Degrees in the U.S.
Actuaries work mainly in the insurance industry however, there are positions in private corporations, banks, labor unions, colleges and universities, and with government. An actuary evaluates financial consequences of future events, such as natural disasters, with an emphasis on ensuring cost reduction and damage control when faced with unfavorable financial outcomes. Students must complete internships and pass more than 15 hours of preliminary exams proctored by the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) or the Society of Actuaries (SOA) to gain entry-level employment. (Actuarial employers usually require that individuals have passed at least two of the exams.) Insurance, risk management, calculus, derivative securities, simulation, and probability are the exam topics.
A bachelor's degree is the typical degree choice for this career; most students do not pursue graduate studies. Students will learn how to evaluate the likelihood of future events by using numbers, designing creative ways to reduce the likelihood of undesirable events, and decreasing the impact of undesirable events that do occur. Coursework will be in finance, micro and macroeconomics, computer science, technical writing, political science, calculus, and statistics. The median annual wage for actuarial scientists in May 2010 was $87,650.
The Best Actuarial Science Colleges of 2017
| Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New York | New York, NY |
Columbia University in the City of New York offers 1 Actuarial Science Degree program. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 127 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 127 Master's degrees. | Based on 20 Reviews | ||
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA |
Carnegie Mellon University offers 4 Actuarial Science Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 90 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 90 Master's degrees. | Based on 16 Reviews |
Read more: Carnegie Mellon University Reviews
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| 3 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA |
University of Pennsylvania offers 3 Actuarial Science Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 9 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 9 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 56 Reviews |
Read more: University of Pennsylvania Reviews
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| 4 | University of California-Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
University of California-Los Angeles offers 1 Actuarial Science Degree program. It's a large public university in a large city. In 2015, 43 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 43 Master's degrees. | Based on 88 Reviews |
Read more: University of California-Los Angeles Reviews
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| 5 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
Boston University offers 1 Actuarial Science Degree program. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 43 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 43 Master's degrees. | Based on 104 Reviews |
Read more: Boston University Reviews
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| 6 | University of California-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
University of California-Santa Barbara offers 2 Actuarial Science Degree programs. It's a large public university in a mid sized suburb. In 2015, 51 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 48 Bachelor's degrees, and 3 Master's degrees. | Based on 52 Reviews | ||
| 7 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers 2 Actuarial Science Degree programs. It's a large public university in a small city. In 2015, 95 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 95 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 104 Reviews | ||
| 8 | New York University | New York, NY |
New York University offers 2 Actuarial Science Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 7 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 7 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 60 Reviews |
Read more: New York University Reviews
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| 9 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
Ohio State University-Main Campus offers 2 Actuarial Science Degree programs. It's a large public university in a large city. In 2015, 77 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 77 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 164 Reviews |
Read more: Ohio State University-Main Campus Reviews
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| 10 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT |
University of Connecticut offers 2 Actuarial Science Degree programs. It's a large public university in a large suburb. In 2015, 66 students graduated in the study area of Actuarial Science with students earning 66 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 48 Reviews |
Read more: University of Connecticut Reviews
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List of Actuarial Science Schools in the U.S.
| School Logo | School Name | Average tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY |
5/5
|
7 : 1 | 28,086 |
|
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 12,963 |
|
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA |
5/5
|
12 : 1 | 24,876 |
|
University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA |
3/5
|
12 : 1 | 41,908 |
|
|
Boston University Boston, MA |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 32,158 |
|
University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA |
3/5
|
24 : 1 | 23,497 |
|
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL |
4/5
|
20 : 1 | 45,842 |
|
New York University New York, NY |
5/5
|
8 : 1 | 50,027 |
|
|
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH |
3/5
|
15 : 1 | 58,663 |
|
|
University of Connecticut Storrs, CT |
3/5
|
15 : 1 | 27,043 |
|
University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI |
3/5
|
12 : 1 | 42,716 |
|
Bentley University Waltham, MA |
5/5
|
17 : 1 | 5,552 |
|
Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN |
3/5
|
20 : 1 | 40,472 |
|
Temple University Philadelphia, PA |
4/5
|
15 : 1 | 38,007 |
|
The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX |
3/5
|
28 : 1 | 24,554 |
|
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE |
3/5
|
20 : 1 | 25,260 |
|
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA |
4/5
|
16 : 1 | 47,307 |
|
University of Iowa Iowa City, IA |
3/5
|
13 : 1 | 30,844 |
|
Drake University Des Moines, IA |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 4,991 |
|
Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 10,323 |
|
University of Georgia Athens, GA |
3/5
|
18 : 1 | 36,130 |
|
Florida State University Tallahassee, FL |
2/5
|
25 : 1 | 40,830 |
|
|
Georgia State University Atlanta, GA |
3/5
|
23 : 1 | 32,058 |
|
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN |
3/5
|
14 : 1 | 50,678 |
|
Michigan State University East Lansing, MI |
3/5
|
18 : 1 | 50,538 |
Find Local Colleges Offering Actuarial Science Degrees
Getting an Actuarial Science Degree Online
Schools offering online Actuarial Science degrees
Online Actuarial Science degrees are available at a variety of different schools with as many as 90 degrees earned at the most popular school. Read more below about all schools that have offered online Actuarial Science degrees. If you are interested learning more about getting a degree online, check out our page dedicated to online degree information.
| School Name | Certificate | Associate's | Bachelor's | Master's | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Mellon University | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 0 |
| University of Saint Mary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
- 2 Master's
What degrees do people get in Actuarial Science?
| Degree Level | Program Length | Colleges | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 4-year Length | 83 Colleges | 1,192 Graduates |
| Certificates | < 1 year Length | 9 Colleges | 17 Graduates |
| Master's | 1+ years Length | 19 Colleges | 409 Graduates |
Actuarial Science Degree Overview
Researching a Actuarial Science degree you will find that obtaining a traditional degree is very prevalent. The most common path for those earning a degree in Actuarial Science can assume a standard two to four years to earn a degree. The most popular Actuarial Science degree earned was a bachelor's degree and it also has the widest range of school possibilities as well. The second most popular Actuarial Science degree that people get is a master's degree which goes to show a focus on higher learning. This shows that the degree requires dedication to schooling and you may want to seek more than a four year time commitment. Although a certificate is offered at some schools, getting a certificate is not very common. With your goals in mind, look for the Actuarial Science degree that can match your flexibility and needs in addition to finding a school with the right opportunities for you to earn that degree.
Average cost of college for a Actuarial Science degree
Average Tuition and Fees for a 2 year Degree
| Average Tuition and Fees | School Control | Student Residence |
|---|---|---|
| $7,137 | Public | In-State |
| $9,921 | Public | Out-of-State |
Average Tuition and Fees for a 4 year Degree
| Average Tuition and Fees | School Control | Student Residence |
|---|---|---|
| $10,001 | Public | In-State |
| $31,000 | Private | In-State |
| $23,031 | Public | Out-of-State |
| $31,000 | Private | Out-of-State |