Actuarial Science and Statistics Degree at UCM Nationally Ranked for Affordability

The Actuarial Science and Statistics program at the University of Central Missouri, which has a long history of preparing students for rewarding, professional careeers, is getting national recognition for its affordability.

WARRENSBURG, MO – The Actuarial Science and Statistics program at the University of Central Missouri was recently ranked one of the top 10 most affordable degree programs of its kind for 2022. Bachelor's Degree Center, a website dedicated to providing users with information pertaining to higher education institutions across the country, placed the program 10th in the recent ranking with UCM being the only Missouri institution to be recognized.

Bachelor's Degree Center ranked UCM for its accessibility towards working adults, low-income students and many other types of students. Specifically, the ranking cited UCM’s ability to maintain a large student body while providing each student the skills needed to begin their professional careers, all at an affordable price.

The methodology employed by Bachelor’s Degree Center included comparing accredited and reputable colleges by their tuition cost. Data utilized in the ranking was derived from the most recent information available from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the national center for educational statistics. 

Bachelor's Degree Center is an organization that promotes excellence in education. The website, since its inception, has been dedicated to helping prospective students find the best educational programs suited to their personal needs, wants and situations as students.

Another trait of UCM cited by the ranking was derived from the student survey. The ranking shares that nine out of 10 students surveyed believe they can get a job in their field after they complete their UCM degree. UCM, while remaining an affordable program, prepares thousands of students to achieve results in future careers. Alumni of the actuarial program have landed comfortable careers in areas such as business, economics and insurance.

“Our strong alumni network has been very supportive in assisting our students' search for internship and full-time jobs opportunities, offering advice for program improvement, and sharing their experiences at The Actuarial Organization meetings,” said Phoebe McLaughlin, professor and assistant chair of Statistics and Mathematics. “Many of them attend our actuarial career fair regularly. This annual event has gained a reputation among employers in the actuarial fields, students from UCM and peer universities in this region that participate.” 

The Actuarial Science and Statistics program is recognized for having the Advanced Curriculum (UCAP-AC) recognition by the Society of Actuaries (SOA). To be recognized for UCAP-AC, a program must maintain course coverage for at least four SOA preliminary exams with one of those being Exam LTAM or Exam STAM and approved courses for all Validation by Educational Experience topic areas. The SOA serves not only as a governing body in the world of actuarial science but also as a resource for students looking for high-quality programs that are associated with the SOA, the world’s largest actuarial professional organization with more than 30,000 actuaries as members.

The program offers a variety of courses in mathematics, accounting, statistics, accounting, economics, finance, computer programming and data science. The curriculum also allows students to benefit from the interdisciplinary education with extensive quantitative and data analytics skills to help companies assess and manage risks for making business decisions.

For more information, including credit hours and program enrollment, contact Phoebe McLaughlin via email at pmclaughlin@ucmo.edu or visit the official program website.