Nebraska actuarial science research ranked No. 1 in North America

“Top rankings like this are earned through sustained research productivity and a culture that encourages innovation and collaboration,” said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the College of Business. “Our faculty consistently produce influential scholarship in actuarial science, risk management and insurance.”

Nebraska was followed in the North American ranking by Georgia State University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Temple University and the University of Georgia.

“We are excited and proud that our actuarial research productivity ranks at the top among so many other well-known business schools with actuarial science, risk management and insurance,” said Sue Vagts, director of the actuarial science program at Nebraska. “It might seem self-serving to celebrate being at the top of your own ranking, so it is important to explain that this database ranks schools using an objective measure of publications that is widely accepted in the research community. There is no subjectivity involved. We value the opportunity to maintain this database for actuarial science and RMI programs throughout the world, and it is especially rewarding to be at the top.”

Globally, the University of New South Wales in Australia ranked No. 1, followed by Macquarie University in Australia, City University of London in the United Kingdom, the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Yijia Lin, V.J. Skutt Distinguished Professor and professor of finance at Nebraska, led the creation of the ranking to provide a consistent benchmark for measuring research contributions in actuarial science, risk management and insurance. Launched in 2019 with private support from Ameritas, a Lincoln-based leader in insurance and financial services strategies, it became the first comprehensive global ranking focused on those fields.

Nebraska compiles the rankings using faculty research published in five leading peer-reviewed actuarial science, risk management and insurance journals: Journal of Risk and Insurance, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, North American Actuarial Journal, ASTIN Bulletin: The Journal of the International Actuarial Association and Scandinavian Actuarial Journal. The rankings measure research productivity based on faculty publications and university affiliations. Separate rankings are calculated for programs housed within business schools and those outside business schools.

The current rankings are based on articles published from 2021 to 2025. The searchable database allows users to explore rankings by journal, university and author and includes a per-capita feature comparing research productivity by faculty size.

The methodology follows the approach adopted by the Naveen Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas for ranking schools based on publications in leading business journals. Data used in the rankings dates to 1990 for four journals and to 1997, the inaugural year of the North American Actuarial Journal.

“The ranking recognizes institutions making meaningful research contributions while elevating the visibility of actuarial science and RMI research worldwide,” Lin said. “It is rewarding to see Nebraska recognized among the world’s leading programs while also providing a valuable benchmark for the profession.”