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Insurance Studies: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Insurance Studies equips students with the analytical and strategic expertise needed to assess, manage, and mitigate financial risk across diverse organizational contexts. This program prepares graduates to design and implement effective insurance solutions that safeguard individuals, corporations, and public institutions against potential losses.

  • Casualty Insurance and General Liability: Focuses on policies that protect against third-party claims for bodily injury or property damage, essential for businesses operating in high-risk environments.
  • Property Insurance: Covers damage to physical assets such as buildings, equipment, and inventory, with an emphasis on risk assessment and claims management.
  • Employee Benefits: Explores the design and administration of retirement plans, health benefits, and other compensatory programs that support workforce stability and engagement.
  • Social and Health Insurance: Examines public and private systems that provide financial protection against medical costs, disability, and long-term care needs.
  • Loss Adjustment: Trains students in evaluating and settling insurance claims efficiently and fairly, balancing organizational interests with policyholder rights.
  • Underwriting: Develops skills in assessing risk exposure and determining appropriate premiums and coverage terms for insurance policies.
  • Risk Theory: Provides a foundational understanding of probability, uncertainty, and decision-making models used in predicting and managing potential losses.
  • Pension Planning: Focuses on structured retirement savings strategies, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans, with an emphasis on long-term financial sustainability.

Insurance Studies Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

2,147
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
75
Universities & Colleges
7
Career Pathways

Insurance Studies Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Insurance Studies degrees, including Compensation and Benefits Managers, Business Teachers, Postsecondary and Insurance Underwriters. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 1,094,330 professionals.


National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Compensation and Benefits Managers 11-3111 $140,360 $81,660 - $239,200 20,070 $67.48
Business Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1011 $97,270 $46,460 - $210,530 81,780 N/A
Insurance Underwriters 13-2053 $79,880 $51,640 - $138,020 107,820 $38.40
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists 13-1141 $77,020 $48,300 - $128,830 102,370 $37.03
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators 13-1031 $76,790 $47,810 - $112,150 305,020 $36.92
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage 13-1032 $76,650 $56,690 - $101,800 7,790 $36.85
Insurance Sales Agents 41-3021 $60,370 $36,390 - $135,660 469,480 $29.02

Insurance Studies Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $65,835 in West Virginia to $107,020 in District of Columbia—a 63% difference. The highest-paying states include District of Columbia, New Jersey, and Washington. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 1,094,330 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Insurance Studies by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 75 institutions offering Insurance Studies programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Insurance Studies is found at American College of Financial Services (644 graduates), University of Georgia (UGA) (265 graduates), University of Wisconsin-Madison (119 graduates), Florida State University (FSU) (114 graduates), and University of Missouri (Mizzou), Columbia (75 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 2,147 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Location Control Website
American College of Financial Services
Other Award
644 King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Private theamericancollege.edu
University of Georgia (UGA)
Bachelor's
265 Athens, Georgia Public uga.edu
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Bachelor's
Master's
119 Madison, Wisconsin Public wisc.edu
Florida State University (FSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
114 Tallahassee, Florida Public fsu.edu
University of Missouri (Mizzou)
Other Award
75 Columbia, Missouri Public missouri.edu
University of Iowa
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
73 Iowa City, Iowa Public uiowa.edu
University of South Carolina (USC)
Bachelor's
62 Columbia, South Carolina Public sc.edu
Kansas State University (K‑State)
Other Award
45 Manhattan, Kansas Public k-state.edu
Appalachian State University (App State)
Bachelor's
42 Boone, North Carolina Public appstate.edu
Illinois State University (ISU)
Bachelor's
36 Normal, Illinois Public illinoisstate.edu
Eastern Kentucky University (EKU)
Bachelor's
36 Richmond, Kentucky Public eku.edu
Saint Joseph's University (SJU)
Bachelor's
36 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private sju.edu
Butler University
Bachelor's
Master's
31 Indianapolis, Indiana Private butler.edu
St. John's University (SJU)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Bachelor's
31 Queens, New York Private stjohns.edu
Pittsburg State University
Other Award
29 Pittsburg, Kansas Public pittstate.edu
University of Houston (UHD)
Bachelor's
27 Houston, Texas Public uhd.edu
University of Kansas (KU)
Other Award
25 Lawrence, Kansas Public ku.edu
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Bachelor's
25 University, Mississippi Public olemiss.edu
University of Cincinnati (UC)
Bachelor's
25 Cincinnati, Ohio Public uc.edu
Georgia State University
Bachelor's
24 Atlanta, Georgia Public gsu.edu
University of Louisiana (ULM)
Bachelor's
24 Monroe, Louisiana Public ulm.edu
University of North Texas (UNT)
Bachelor's
21 Denton, Texas Public unt.edu
Missouri State University
Bachelor's
Other Award
19 Springfield, Missouri Public missouristate.edu
University of Wisconsin (UWO)
Other Award
19 Oshkosh, Wisconsin Public uwosh.edu
University of Minnesota (UMN)
Bachelor's
17 Minneapolis, Minnesota Public twin-cities.umn.edu
Columbia University in the City of New York
Master's
17 New York, New York Private columbia.edu
The University of Olivet
Bachelor's
16 Olivet, Michigan Private uolivet.edu
William Rainey Harper College
Other Award
15 Palatine, Illinois Public harpercollege.edu
University of Central Oklahoma (UCO)
Bachelor's
15 Edmond, Oklahoma Public uco.edu
University of Central Arkansas (UCA)
Bachelor's
10 Conway, Arkansas Public uca.edu
Ball State University (BSU)
Bachelor's
10 Muncie, Indiana Public bsu.edu
Indiana State University (ISU)
Bachelor's
10 Terre Haute, Indiana Public indstate.edu
Gallaudet University
Bachelor's
9 Washington, District of Columbia Private gallaudet.edu
Ferris State University (FSU)
Bachelor's
Other Award
9 Big Rapids, Michigan Public ferris.edu
Lorain County Community College (LCCC)
Other Award
9 Elyria, Ohio Public lorainccc.edu
Ohio State University
Bachelor's
9 Columbus, Ohio Public osu.edu
Central Washington University (CWU)
Bachelor's
9 Ellensburg, Washington Public cwu.edu
Solano Community College
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
8 Fairfield, California Public welcome.solano.edu
Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech)
Other Award
8 Indianapolis, Indiana Public ivytech.edu
Rio Salado College
Associate's
Other Award
7 Tempe, Arizona Public rio.maricopa.edu
Santa Monica College (SMC)
Associate's
Other Award
7 Santa Monica, California Public smc.edu
Boston University (BU)
Master's
7 Boston, Massachusetts Private bu.edu
Baylor University
Bachelor's
7 Waco, Texas Private baylor.edu
Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC)
Other Award
6 Woodland Hills, California Public lapc.edu
Washburn University (WU)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
6 Topeka, Kansas Public washburn.edu
University of Southern Maine (USM)
Other Award
6 Portland, Maine Public usm.maine.edu
Kent State University
Bachelor's
6 Salem, Ohio Public kent.edu
Northwood University (NU)
Bachelor's
5 Midland, Michigan Private northwood.edu
University of Minnesota (UMD)
Bachelor's
5 Duluth, Minnesota Public d.umn.edu
Gannon University
Bachelor's
5 Erie, Pennsylvania Private gannon.edu
Georgia State University (GSU Perimeter)
Other Award
5 Atlanta, Georgia Public perimeter.gsu.edu
Glendale Community College (GCC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
4 Glendale, California Public glendale.edu
Florida Atlantic University (FAU)
Other Award
4 Boca Raton, Florida Public fau.edu
Madison Area Technical College
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
4 Madison, Wisconsin Public madisoncollege.edu
Husson University
Postbac Cert.
Master's
4 Bangor, Maine Private husson.edu
Lansing Community College (LCC)
Associate's
Other Award
3 Lansing, Michigan Public lcc.edu
University of St Thomas
Certificate (≥2 yrs)
3 Saint Paul, Minnesota Private stthomas.edu
University of Central Missouri (UCM)
Bachelor's
3 Warrensburg, Missouri Public ucmo.edu
Saint Peter's University (SPU)
Master's
3 Jersey City, New Jersey Private saintpeters.edu
State University of New York
Bachelor's
3 Oswego, New York Public oswego.edu
University of Mount Union
Bachelor's
3 Alliance, Ohio Private mountunion.edu
Collin County Community College District (CCCCD)
Other Award
3 McKinney, Texas Public collin.edu
University of South Florida (USF)
Bachelor's
2 Tampa, Florida Public usf.edu
Wichita State University (WSU)
Residency
2 Wichita, Kansas Public wichita.edu
University of Louisiana (UL Lafayette)
Bachelor's
2 Lafayette, Louisiana Public louisiana.edu
Franklin University
Bachelor's
2 Columbus, Ohio Private franklin.edu
Owens Community College (OCC)
Associate's
Other Award
2 Perrysburg, Ohio Public owens.edu
Mercyhurst University
Bachelor's
2 Erie, Pennsylvania Private mercyhurst.edu
Community College of Philadelphia (CCP)
Other Award
2 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Public ccp.edu
Scottsdale Community College (SCC)
Associate's
1 Scottsdale, Arizona Public scottsdalecc.edu
North Arkansas College (Northark)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
1 Harrison, Arkansas Public northark.edu
University of Hartford (UHart)
Bachelor's
1 West Hartford, Connecticut Private hartford.edu
North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC)
Associate's
1 Mason City, Iowa Public niacc.edu
Ohio Dominican University (ODU)
Bachelor's
1 Columbus, Ohio Private ohiodominican.edu
High Plains Technology Center (HPTC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
1 Woodward, Oklahoma Public hptc.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Insurance Studies programs

How much can I earn with a Insurance Studies degree?

Salaries for Insurance Studies graduates vary by role and location. Compensation and Benefits Managers earn a median of $140,360 annually, while Business Teachers, Postsecondary earn around $97,270. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in District of Columbia average $107,020 compared to $65,835 in West Virginia. Approximately 1,094,330 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Insurance Studies programs?

Currently 75 accredited institutions offer Insurance Studies degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include American College of Financial Services (644 graduates), University of Georgia (UGA) (265 graduates), and University of Wisconsin-Madison (119 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Insurance Studies growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 1,053 in 2010 to 2,147 in 2023-24. This represents a 104% increase overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Insurance Studies degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Compensation and Benefits Managers, Business Teachers, Postsecondary, and Insurance Underwriters. Related occupations employ approximately 1,094,330 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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