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Insurance

Students study risk assessment, actuarial principles, insurance regulation, claims management, and the design and marketing of insurance products for individuals and businesses. Graduates typically pursue careers as underwriters, claims adjusters, insurance brokers, risk managers, and actuaries at insurance companies, brokerages, and corporate risk departments. The insurance industry offers stable employment and competitive compensation, with actuarial roles among the highest-paying.

Schools
20
Programs analyzed
Earnings
$57,397
Avg 1-yr grad earnings
Range $44,792–$78,796
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Field Overview

What Insurance graduates do

An insurance degree prepares you for the critical work of managing financial risk. As a new graduate, you might work as a claims adjuster, investigating anything from a minor car accident to a major factory fire by interviewing witnesses, inspecting damage, and determining a fair settlement. Or, you could become an underwriter, analyzing data to assess the risk of a potential client and deciding whether to offer coverage and at what price. Many also start as sales agents, building relationships with families and businesses to find the right policies for their needs.

While core functions like claims and underwriting are shrinking, opportunities in related fields like compensation and benefits are growing. Career progression often means moving from entry-level cases to specializing in complex, high-value claims or managing a team.

With moderate AI exposure, technology will automate significant chunks of your routine work. The jobs aren't disappearing, but your day-to-day tasks will change. Instead of just processing data, your value will be in building client trust, negotiating tricky settlements, and making final judgment calls that require a human touch. Your ability to adapt will be essential.

Students weighing Insurance often also consider Finance, Construction Management, and International Business — compare earnings, ROI, and AI outlook side by side.

Career Trajectories

Where Insurance graduates work

Common career paths for Insurance graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 94,900 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role Median Pay Annual Openings 10-yr Growth AI Exposure
Compensation and benefits managers
$140,360
$105K–$191K
1,500 +0.2% High · 51%
Business teachers, postsecondary
$97,270
$63K–$140K
8,100 +5.7% Moderate · 49%
Insurance underwriters
$79,880
$63K–$105K
8,200 -2.6% High · 57%
Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
$77,020
$60K–$99K
8,500 +5.3% Moderate · 47%
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
$76,790
$60K–$96K
21,100 -5.1% High · 52%
Insurance appraisers, auto damage
$76,650
$64K–$86K
500 -8.2% High · 50%
Insurance sales agents
$60,370
$46K–$91K
47,000 +3.7% High · 58%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Top Institutions

Best schools for Insurance

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 20.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 77
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public
$78,796 1-yr earnings
23.7x ROI multiple
Very High AI risk
# School DW Score 1-yr Earnings ROI
5 Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA · Public
72 $57,949 24.2x
6 Appalachian State University
Boone, NC · Public
71 $55,611 25.6x
7 University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public
70 $63,417 15.8x
8 Missouri State University-Springfield
Springfield, MO · Public
67 $51,094 20.3x
9 Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · Public
66 $66,080 9.7x
10 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
La Crosse, WI · Public
65 $52,242 16.8x
11 Illinois State University
Normal, IL · Public
64 $51,499 12.3x
12 St. John's University-New York
Queens, NY · Private nonprofit
61 $70,752 3.8x
13 Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit
61 $66,523 3.9x
14 Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY · Public
60 $44,792 15.7x
15 University of Mississippi
University, MS · Public
57 $55,154 13.6x
16 The University of Olivet
Olivet, MI · Private nonprofit
55 $56,027 4.3x
17 University of Central Oklahoma
Edmond, OK · Public
55 $50,182 13.7x
18 University of Louisiana at Monroe
Monroe, LA · Public
54 $49,294 12.4x
19 Ball State University
Muncie, IN · Public
51 $48,615 10.3x
20 University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR · Public
50 $45,696 10.3x
See the full Insurance rankings — 20 schools compared by salary and ROI →

Highest Earnings Top 5

University of Wisconsin-Madison
WI
$78,796
St. John's University-New York
NY
$70,752
Saint Joseph's University
PA
$66,523
Temple University
PA
$66,080
University of Georgia
GA
$64,131

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Insurance.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Insurance offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Insurance trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Insurance

How much do Insurance graduates earn?

The median first-year salary across 20 Insurance programs is $57,397. School selection matters — the gap between the lowest ($44,792) and highest ($78,796) earning programs is significant.

How exposed is Insurance to AI disruption?

Insurance is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with 57% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Where should I study Insurance?

Our data ranks University of Wisconsin-Madison first among 20 Insurance programs. Its score of 77/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($78,796/yr), return on investment, and career durability.

Is a Insurance degree worth the investment?

Typical graduates earn 15.9 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.