Insurance: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Insurance graduates earn a median $88,472 four years after finishing — $40,112/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 1.7 years. Federal data pools 53 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,398 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Insurance ranks #28 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 87% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $105,992 |
| 2 | St. John's University-New York | NY | $105,688 |
| 3 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | PA | $101,930 |
| 4 | Georgia State University | GA | $101,040 |
| 5 | University of Houston-Downtown | TX | $98,510 |
| 6 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | $96,539 |
| 7 | University of Georgia | GA | $94,729 |
| 8 | Illinois State University | IL | $94,124 |
| 9 | Temple University | PA | $92,555 |
| 10 | Florida State University | FL | $92,064 |
| 11 | Butler University | IN | $89,343 |
| 12 | Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | $84,899 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.