The Statistics Department at UCSB has an exceptional Actuarial Program, the only one of its kind in California and only one of two on the entire USA West Coast. Our active Actuarial Club is a huge asset to the program and help to the students.

Who are actuaries? Actuaries have been called "risk architects". They specialize in the evaluation of risk and are a vital part of the insurance and financial industries. Some of the fields where actuaries work include pension and life insurance, casualty (property) insurance, and healthcare consulting. Using their broad knowledge of statistics, mathematics and finance, actuaries help design insurance policies, pension plans, and other financial strategies in a manner which will help ensure that the plans are maintained on a sound financial basis and risks are minimized.

According to the Wall Street Journal, an Actuary is the #1 best profession out of the 200 studied. Indeed, a median salary of over $91,000 a year and a steady demand for actuaries mean that plenty of excellent jobs are available even during tougher economic times. More than a dozen employers come to campus each Fall to interview our students for summer internships and permanent positions. Our graduates have been hired by most top insurance corporations, including Farmers Insurance, Pacific Mutual, Fireman's Fund Insurance, Transamerica Life Companies, Franklin Templeton, Capital One, and many others. See Alumni page for career descriptions of some of our alumni.

January 5, 2010 Wall Street Journal: actuary is the top job in the 2010 Rankings by JobsRated

For more information, see Undergraduate Program Assistant.

Other undergraduate programs in the department