Staff Report
Published Aug. 30, 2012
Clemson University ranks among the top 11 schools in the United States for insurance technology talent, according to the editors of Insurance & Technology magazine.
In compiling the inaugural list, editors asked industry experts to identify institutions where they would recruit highly qualified IT talent.
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Clemson was cited for the quality of its programs in computer science, statistics and mathematics.
Clemson has about 350 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students in its information technology-related programs, according to the publication.
The university offers bachelor’s degrees in computer science and computer information systems. On a graduate level, the university offers a doctorate in computer science and human-centered computing, and master’s degrees in computer science and digital production arts.
“Clemson is a great university to recruit graduates accustomed to solving problems directly, in a hands-on fashion, using disciplines highly relevant to insurers,” one of the survey’s respondents — a Clemson alumnus who works in the insurance industry — told the publication.
The other schools on the list are:
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.
- Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Mich.
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
- Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J.
- Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, Tenn.
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
- University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
- Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Mass.
The insurance technology industry remains “something of a ‘best-kept secret,’” the publication said. “Graduates from the top technology programs often aim at industries that are perceived to be higher tech, and at vanguard technology companies such as Google and Facebook.”
However, the insurance industry “is building an impressive array of technology,” according to Mark Clark, chief information officer at Jackson National Life, based in Lansing, Mich.
“Working here,” Clark told Insurance & Technology, “you can program in a variety of languages and use any of the major database technologies on a variety of hardware platforms. We have two state-of-the-art data centers with thousands of servers.”
In South Carolina, the Midlands offers one of the world’s largest concentrations of insurance technology companies. Insurance IT companies in Columbia generate $4.9 billion in annual sales and $6.7 billion total annual economic impact, according to iTsSC, Columbia's insurance technology and services cluster.
Regional employment in the industry is approximately 15,000, at an average salary of $62,000, according to the report.
