Become a confident, fluent speaker in the language of business through one of the nation's best accounting degrees.
Don't let the stereotypes fool you. Accounting jobs are at once exciting, secure, high-paying, challenging, and flexible. Whatever the industry or sector, accountants are the cornerstone of viable, thriving organizations.
They secure financial solvency while brainstorming effective solutions to complex business problems.
Whether you envision yourself in corporate finance and banking or in non-profit, government or healthcare, a degree in accounting can help you realize your vocational goals.Recommended Online Programs
What kind of Accounting degree should you get?
First off, if you're considering accounting, but want more affordability and flexibility, think about studying online. College Choice has even ranked the top online accounting degrees for you.
Though most undergraduate programs in accounting will introduce you to the fundamental concepts, theories, and applications of accounting, no program is alike. So while you can count on (pun intended) classes covering taxation, auditing, finance, and information systems, you'll still want to find a program best suited to your career plans.
Some of these programs require internships and others offer the opportunity to participate in community service, helping low-income families file their yearly returns. Some focus more on business and leadership and others on consulting and analysis. Investigate, and find what's best for you.
How much money do people make with an Accounting degree?
With a bachelor's degree in accounting you're looking at a median salary of at least $68k a year. And that's just for tax consultants and auditors. Say you want to go into financial analysis? That number jumps up to over $81k annually.
The numbers get even better when you consider the rate of employment and projected job outlooks. The need for tax consultants, public accountants, and auditors is expected to rise in employment of around 11 percentin the next few years alone. Financial analysts have similar prospects: the need for them will rise another 12 percent.
Learn more about accounting degree salaries.
What can you do with a degree in Accounting?
The options for accountants are nearly endless. First, you have your choice of sectors. Healthcare, non-profit, education, media, corporate finance—they all need savvy accountants.
Second, you have your choice of specialization. You can become a tax consultant and help people file the best possible tax return. Or you can become a financial analyst and help save your company loads of money.
Whichever route you take and whatever role you fulfill, accounting can lead to infinite, rewarding career opportunities. And all of these programs will fully prepare you for advanced education in accounting or business.
What are the requirements for a degree in Accounting?
When looking into accounting programs you'll want to find out if they prepare you for the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam. If so, great! You can also look into whether they prepare you for additional accounting certifications.
Once you've completed your general education core, you can expect a curriculum steeped in accounting fundamentals. That means classes on taxes, auditing, and finance. But you'll also be introduced to business basics, including leadership development, management, and business ethics.
What are the best Accounting degrees?
With thousands of accounting programs at elite research universities and small liberal arts colleges around the country, how did we find the best?
To arrive at such comprehensive and definitive list, we started first with the academic reputation of each program in the nation. From there, we delved into student retention—a reflection of student satisfaction—affordability, and the early salaries of graduates.
What we concluded with, after such extensive research, are those programs that are the best in the nation at training and educating future accountants, auditors, and tax consultants.
Ranking
See our rankings methodology page.
