Actuarial Science

Information on the Actuarial Science Major offered by the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Actuarial Science has been rated among the top career paths in the nation by media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and CNN. The Actuarial Science major at Smeal prepares students for careers in insurance, consulting, finance, and government agencies that demand quantitative and qualitative skills.

Smeal offers 1) the courses needed to satisfy the professional Verification by Educational Experience (VEE) requirements and 2) courses designed to help you pass five of the preliminary professional examinations in the Society of Actuaries (SOA) or Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS), which one needs to be an actuary.

Careers in Actuarial Science

Actuaries are vital to the insurance industry, calculating the costs of life or health insurance, or how much an insurance company can expect to pay in claims due to natural disasters, car accidents, and other situations.

Smeal Actuarial Science students are highly sought by industry and government for internships and full-time jobs. Due to the size of the Smeal Actuarial Science program, Penn State hosts one of the largest actuarial career fairs in the country with more than 30 companies visiting campus each year.

Actuarial Science Degree Requirements and Sample Schedules

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The average starting salary for Penn State Actuarial Science Majors is $77,325, while the average across all Smeal majors is $63,668.

You can find more information on the Actuarial Science major on the Risk Management Department's website.