Best Accounting Programs

Located near Philadelphia, this private school was founded in 1842. Villanova University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,700 on a 260-acre campus. There is a standard semester-based calendar for Villanova’s six colleges, including its School of Business for undergraduate and graduate students. It teaches critical skills that will prepare students for work in small business with coursework concentrating in areas like auditing, business intelligence, IT leadership, and accounting regulation. 

Villanova University is home to many accomplished professors and instructors published in leading academic journals like The Accounting Review. The school also boasts a near 100% job placement rate for full-time employment for its accounting majors. However, acceptance to Villanova is relatively difficult with just a 23% acceptance rate and a typical SAT score of 1430 to 1520.

Southern New Hampshire University was originally founded in 1932 as the New Hampshire School of Accounting and Secretarial Science. Today, it offers more than 250 programs of study to over 135,000 online and on-campus students from its Manchester, New Hampshire campus. Its 300-acre campus holds a unique career-oriented focus that many returning students are likely to find appealing. There are also flexible day, evening, weekend, and online schedules to accommodate the rest of life’s demands. 

Classes in accounting at Southern New Hampshire University include Forensic Accounting & Fraud Examination, Financial Planning, Auditing, and Corporate Finance for a wide-ranging spread of accounting and finance-related curriculum. The College Unbound@SNHU program also offers expedited learning if you want to pair three-year accelerated studies with apprenticeships and internships. There is a high acceptance rate, and the rolling application process gives extra peace of mind, too, so you are not rushing to meet a deadline.

Founded in 1988, Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Business is the namesake of J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott, the founders of Marriott Corporation. On its Provo, Utah campus, students are able to enjoy the 220,000 square foot N. Eldon Tanner Building, whose seven-story glass facade was expanded in 2008 in order to accommodate BYU’s ever-expanding program. Today, it enrolls about 2,200 undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students in its Marriott programs.

Students also have access to the Whitmore Global Business Center, the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, and the Ballard Center for Social Impact for additional, hands-on study. Undergrad degrees earn an average income of $62,715 and those with a Master of Accountancy degree $60,263.

There are both Bachelor's and Master's programs available with an exclusive Ph.D. prep track to prepare upcoming doctorate students. Programs offer your choice of either an auditing or tax emphasis based on future career plans, with the university utilizing teaching assistants to run several classes. The school is well regarded by the Princeton Review. The fall admissions application deadline is in mid December of the previous year.

Read the full Marriott School of Business Review.

University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School is an internationally renowned academic institution for several areas of study, including accounting. Based in Philadelphia, the surrounding metropolis is home to a large community that regularly delivers both professional and personal opportunities with the chance to supplement classroom learning with real on-the-job experience. 

The Wharton Business School offers both Bachelor's and Master's programs that will teach you things like Financial Measurement and Disclosure, Business Analysis, Taxes, Valuation, and Accounting for Mergers, Acquisitions, and Complex Financial Structures. There is also the option for joint degrees in cooperation with the Penn Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, plus you can take supplemental online courses to round out your study. 

Students can choose to pursue being a certified public accountant (CPA) or chartered management accountant (CMA). Wharton also offers an accounting Ph.D. program. 

Read the full University of Pennsylvania Wharton Business School Review.

Founded in South Bend, Indiana, the University of Notre Dame is a private university that holds a storied history as a Roman Catholic institution since 1842. It is also made famous by its notable alumni, which include former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Hall of Famer Joe Montana, and talk-show host Regis Philbin. Spread across a campus of 1,250 acres, it has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,874 with 1,750 of them enrolled in its highly-ranked Mendoza College of Business, which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in a semester-based format.

Students develop skills in analytics, communication, and decision-making. They are also introduced to the theory and applications of financial reporting, management, tax planning, and more. Specialized classes like Corporate Financial Reporting, Strategic Cost Management, International Accounting, and Federal Taxation, prepare students for a well-rounded career in accounting. 

However, attendance is made more challenging by a selective admissions process that boasts a 15% acceptance rate, with half of all students holding an SAT score between 1460 and 1540 or an ACT score of 33 and 35. 

Read the full University of Notre Dame Review.

With the top-rated accounting faculty in the country, the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign is also a well-established University, founded in 1867. It is consistently ranked as having one of the best accounting programs and schools by U.S. News & World Report.

The Gies College of Business offers a unique course to help with the decision. Through its Accountancy Leadership Academy, potential accounting students can hear first-hand from established professionals and develop their leadership skills. The school also offers access to recruiters from the top accounting firms.

At the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign, the Gies College of Business excels in flexibility, delivering a plethora of course options that allow you to earn in an online Master's degree in as little as 18 to 36 months. World-renowned faculty pairs with hands-on curriculum to serve students from a variety of backgrounds, regardless of whether you have some work experience or are entirely new to the field. Most impressive, however, is the 99% "success outcomes" rate for graduates meaning they are either employed or continuing in their chosen path.

Right in the heart of the nation’s capital is American University, a Washington, D.C. university known for its prowess in forensic accounting. 

Prominent experts from accounting’s "Big Four" firms are regular guest speakers, and students also have the added support of the Office of Career Engagement, which helps them find employment with leading companies like Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, Fannie Mae, FTI Consulting, and the International Monetary Fund. In addition to work for consulting firms, graduates have also found success contributing their newfound skills to major corporations and law enforcement agencies.

American University is also a great pick for online coursework, with a flexible format that also offers busy students the option of evening classes held online or in-person to accommodate work schedules. Online instruction features an online-only MBA program that can take just 12 months to complete as well as an online MS in accounting.

Ranked #1 in the nation for 14 consecutive years, the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs Business School has a reputation that precedes itself. UT Austin is an enormous school with an enrollment of 40,916, with Austin serving as its flagship campus. Yet the school manages to maintain a pretty good student-to-faculty ratio of approximately 18:1 despite its size.

There are unique and valuable courses that specialize in topics like petroleum accounting that are combined with a specialized curriculum touching on healthcare accounting, financial planning and wealth management, and even a tax practicum course. 

While the University of Texas at Austin is not the most expensive accounting school, it is certainly not the most affordable. Students have the option of a bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. program, all of which widely vary in cost and term. There is also a bachelor's plus master's program for those wishing to become CPAs.