Where Actuarial Science Graduates Work
Actuarial Science graduates have built careers with organizations including:
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- BB&T
- TE Connectivity
- Cone Health
- Lowe’s
Actuarial Science Salary and Job Outlook
U.S. News & World Report ranks High Point University #1 among Regional Universities in the South for Earnings by Major in Best Colleges 2027, a factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
Across all majors, 99% of High Point University’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days of graduation, 13 points above the national average, measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards. The Princeton Review ranks HPU #14 for Best Career Services in its 2027 guide.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a $130,000 median annual wage for actuaries in May 2025 and projects employment to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,500 openings a year.
Salary and employment opportunities vary by occupation, industry, location, experience and other factors.
Job Titles Actuarial Science Graduates Hold
Career paths represented among HPU Actuarial Science graduates include:
- Markets Analyst
- Financial Analyst
- Leadership Associate
- Senior Product Manager, Digital Technology
Roles Actuarial Science Graduates Can Pursue
Actuaries evaluate the likelihood of future events and design ways to reduce the impact of undesirable ones, and they are central to insurance, Social Security and Medicare. An Actuarial Science degree can also prepare students for roles such as actuarial analyst, bank examiner, economist, financial planner, market research analyst, financial analyst and statistician at banks, investment firms, insurers, rating bureaus and government agencies.
Actuarial Science Student Organizations
Actuarial Science students can complement their coursework through organizations recognized in the university’s Student Government Association club directory, including the Floyd T. Craven Investment Club, the Computer Science Society and Alpha Lambda Delta, the first-year honor society.
The Statistics minor and the Data Analytics and Statistics major are offered in the same department, so students can add depth in statistics without changing schools.
Exams and Research
Actuarial Science majors prepare to sit Society of Actuaries Exam P in probability and Exam FM in financial mathematics before graduating. Students who pass both and hold a major GPA of 3.5 or higher can graduate with departmental honors.
Students in the Department of Mathematical Sciences also present research at High-PURCS, HPU’s annual undergraduate research and creative works symposium.
Actuarial Science Graduate Outcomes
HPU Actuarial Science graduates have started careers in banking, finance and corporate analysis.
CeAnna Cummings, a double major in actuarial science and data analytics, joined JPMorgan Chase & Co. as a markets analyst and is now a market associate there. Emmy Pearl joined BB&T as a leadership associate.
James Ensor, a double major in business administration and actuarial science, became a financial analyst at Cone Health. Brekk Hayward received three job offers in one week and accepted a property and casualty actuarial analyst role at Milliman.
Building a Career From the Degree
Melanie Beatty started as a financial analyst at TE Connectivity and is now senior product manager of digital technology at Lowe’s. She credits HPU with teaching both the hard skills to land the job and the life skills to be articulate, confident and determined.
The program also prepares students for graduate study in business, economics, public policy and law.
Actuarial Science Graduate Stories
Actuarial science graduates describe the faculty and skills behind their job offers in finance, banking and insurance.
Melanie Fichialos
Financial Analyst, TE Connectivity
“High Point University has given me the tools to succeed in the workforce by teaching me the hard skills needed to land the job, but more importantly, by teaching me the life skills to be a confident, determined, articulate, young woman.”
Brekk Hayward
Property and Casualty Actuarial Analyst, Milliman
“The tangible thing with college is that you go to get a job, and with three job offers in one week, I felt accomplished.”
Emmy Pearl
Leadership Associate, BB&T
“Dr. Ron Lamb and Professor George Noxon have been instrumental in my success at HPU. They have constantly pushed me intellectually, but supported me through the stress of balancing my academics and extracurricular activities.”
CeAnna Cummings
Markets Analyst, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
“I started freshmen year as an actuarial science major, but later realized I didn’t want to be solely an actuary. The moment I decided to add a second major sparked confidence in me.”
Actuarial Science Students and Exams
In one 2017 round of results, seven students in the actuarial science program passed Exam P, the Society of Actuaries probability exam: Brekk Hayward, Natalie Jacobsen, Meg Kowalski, Gen Meyer, Austin Pinelli, Cam Pudney and Nicole Vavoules.
Austin Pinelli, who chose HPU for its actuarial science major, passed Exam P on the first try after sophomore year, helped found the Actuarial Science Club as its treasurer and was named an HPU Extraordinary Leader.
From Actuarial Science to Teaching Abroad
Paris Stankewich, an actuarial science and Spanish double major, was one of three HPU graduates selected to teach English in Spain through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program, and is pursuing an MBA at HPU.
Explore Actuarial Science at High Point University
See the courses behind these careers and how HPU actuarial science is accredited.
Curriculum & Research Accreditation & Awards
Questions about the program? Email Dr. Jenny Sharpe at [email protected].