Best accounting schools by state + 2025-2026 tuition

Quick overview

• Program length: 4 years (120–128 credits on average) for a bachelor’s degree.
• Core courses: 
  • Financial Accounting
  • Cost Accounting 
  • Management Accounting
• Most affordable option in-state: Louisiana Tech University – $4,008
• Most expensive option in-state: University of Southern California – $73,260
• Most affordable option out-of-state:  Dickinson State University, ND – $7,770
• Most expensive option out-of-state: University of Southern California – $73,260
• Top-ranked accounting schools: 
  • The University of Texas at Austin
  • University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
  • Brigham Young University 
  • University of Indiana Bloomington
  • University of Pennsylvania

Program overview: What to expect from a bachelor’s accounting degree

Length: Most bachelor’s accounting degrees take 4 years to complete full-time.
Credits: Typically 120–128.
Format: Many schools now offer hybrid and online options alongside traditional in-person programs. Hybrid and online programs from accounting schools have a lower overall cost of attendance. 

How long does an accounting degree take?

How long it takes a student to complete their bachelor’s accounting degree depends on factors such as:

• Mode of learning – online asynchronous or on-campus
• Pace of learning – number of credits taken in a semester, credits covered in summer semesters, and so on.
• Enrollment status – full-time students complete the program faster than part-time students

Degree level	Standard duration	Credit required	Accelerated option
Associate’s	2 years	60-70 credits	11 months
Bachelor’s	4 years	120 credits	3 years or less
Master’s	1-2 years	30-60 credits	1 year
Doctoral	3-6 years	84 credits on average	N/A
Combined (Bachelors + Master’s)	6 years (4+2)	150 + credits	5 years

Core courses 

The accounting program generally features courses covering a wide range of topics, including everything from business management to financial analysis and reporting, budgeting, and so on. Key core courses of the program are as follows:

• Financial Accounting
• Cost Accounting 
• Management Accounting
• Auditing 
• Taxation
• Accounting Information Systems

Best accounting schools in the US

Find the top 5 accounting schools, in the United States for a bachelor’s accounting degree, including colleges and universities as sourced from U.S. News World Report’s list of the best accounting schools in the US.

Top 5 Accounting Schools for a Bachelor’s Accounting Degree
Rank	College/University	Private/ in-state resident tuition	Non-state resident tuition
1	The University of Texas at Austin	$6,788	$25,553
2	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	$18,046-$23,426	$38,398-$46,498
3	Brigham Young University	$6,888 (Latter-day Saint students)	$13,776 (non-Latter-day Saint students)
4	Indiana University – Bloomington	$12,142	$42,294
5	University of Pennsylvania	$63,204	$63,204

Top accounting schools and tuition by state

The following list contains the best accounting schools by state alongside the 2025-2025 tuition. It is important to note that the overall cost of attendance includes other expenses and fees alongside tuition.  

• Tuition rates mentioned are for the academic year 2025-2026 as updated on 9th September, 2025 – unless specifically mentioned otherwise.
• Academic year tuition rates are based on students taking 15 credit hours per semester and 30 per year. 
• Most colleges charge different rates for additional credits taken in a semester. 
• Some colleges charge a block tuition rate for students taking anywhere between 12 – 18 credits per semester. 
• Where it says Not Applicable (N/A) for non-state resident students, it indicates that the tuition rates are the same for resident and non-resident students.

Top accounting schools and tuition for the academic year 2025-2026
State	Top 3 schools	Private/ in-state resident tuition	Non-state resident tuition
California	University of Southern California Loyola Marymount University University of California, Berkeley	$73,260 $65,367 $17,478	$73,260 $65,367 $17,478
Texas	The University of Texas at Austin Texas A&M University Texas Christian University	$13,576 $11,284 $63,500	$51,106 $39,080.28 $63,500
Florida	University of Florida Florida State University University of Miami	$6,380 $6,466.5 $63,456	$30,900 $23,149.8 $63,456
Virginia	University of Virginia Virginia Tech University Washington and Lee University	$16,258 $13,548 $70,100	$55,436 $35,408 $70,100
Massachusetts	Boston College Bentley University Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$72,180 $54,855 $64,310	$72,180 $54,855 $64,310
Alaska	University of Alaska Anchorage  University of Alaska Fairbanks University of Alaska Southeast	$7,230 $11,190 $6,372	$25,230 $29,190 $20,844
North Carolina	University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill Wake Forest University  Elon University	$7,020 $70,332 $48,723	$43,152 $70,332 $48,723
Ohio	The Ohio State University  Xavier University John Carroll University	$13,641 $52,430 $50,160	$42,423 $52,430 $50,160
Hawaii	University of Hawaii at Manoa Brigham Young University – Hawaii University of Hawaii at Hilo	$11,520 $9,102 (Latter-day Saint students) $7,488	$33,552 $18,204 (non-Latter-day Saint students) $20,448
Indiana	Indiana University Bloomington University of Notre Dame Butler University	$12,142 $67,607 $48,900	$42,294 $67,607 $48,900
Georgia	University of Georgia Georgia Institute of Technology  Emory University	$10,034 $10,512 $67,080	$30,878 $33,596 $67,080
New Jersey	Rutgers University New Brunswick Seton Hall University Kean University	$14,933 $26,075 $12,688.8	$35,758 $26,075 $21,406.36
Michigan	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan State University Hillsdale College	$18,346 $16,916 $32,730	$63,962 $44,300 $32,730
Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania Saint Joseph’s University Carnegie Mellon University	$63,204 $55,180 $67,020	$63,204 $55,180 $67,020
Colorado	University of Denver Regis University Colorado Christian University	$61,848 $47,490 $41,858	$61,848 $47,490 $41,858
Arizona	Arizona State University  University of Arizona Grand Canyon University	$14,215 $13,900 $16,500	$37,297 $43,100 $16,500
New York	New York University  Fordham University  Cornell University	$67,430 $65,920 $71,266	$67,430 $65,920 $71,266
Illinois	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Loyola University Chicago DePaul University	$23,426 $54,530 $46,776	$42,310 $54,530 $46,776
Montana	University of Montana Carroll College Montana State University	$9,188 $41,670 $8,946	$34,312 $41,670 $33,782
Kentucky	University of Kentucky Murray State University University of Louisville	$13,908 $10,320 $13,390	$35,164 $15,672 $29,736
Alabama	The University of Alabama Auburn University University of Alabama – Birmingham	$11,684 $13,318 $11,640	$35,542 $36,022 $28,980
Maine	University of Maine Thomas College Husson University	$12,720 $31,518 $22,754	$36,870 $31,518 $22,754
Utah	Brigham Young University University of Utah Western Governors University	$6,888 (Latter-day Saint students) $14,810 $8,060	$13,776 (non-Latter-day Saint students) $35,866 $8,060
New Hampshire	Southern New Hampshire University Saint Anselm College Plymouth State University	$17,010 $50,580 $15,068	$17,010 $50,580 $26,218
New Mexico	New Mexico State University Eastern New Mexico University Central New Mexico Community College	$8,558 $4,194 $1,680	$26,884 $6,174 $8,544
Oregon	Portland State University Oregon State University University of Portland	$12,999 $15,246 $58,800	$34,599 $40,392 $58,800
Maryland	Loyola University Maryland University of Maryland – College Park Salisbury University	$59,150 $12,008 $11,306	$59,150 $41,974 $22,810
Washington	University of Washington Seattle University Gonzaga University	$13,406 $57,825 $56,140	$44,640 $57,825 $56,140
Arkansas	University of Arkansas Harding University Ouachita Baptist University	$8,092 $26,490 $45,940	$29,146 $26,490 $45,940
Missouri	Washington University in St Louis University of Missouri Saint Louis University	$68,240 $19,516 $56,960	$68,240 $41,788 $56,960
Minnesota	University of Minnesota – Twin Cities University of St Thomas – Minnesota University of Minnesota Crookston	$18,626 $54,800 $13,864	$41,512 $54,800 $13,864
Tennessee	University of Tennessee Knoxville University of Memphis Tennessee Technological University	$13,812 $11,256 $12,081	$33,256 $15,960 $16,712
Louisiana	Tulane University Louisiana State University Louisiana Tech University	$71,998 $12,472 $4,008	$71,998 $29,148 $7,366
Wyoming	University of Wyoming	$5,400	$22,020
South Carolina	Clemson University University of South Carolina Wofford College	$14,038 $12,688 $58,250	$40,562 $37,376 $58,250
Mississippi	University of Mississippi Mississippi State University Mississippi College	$9,990 $10,604 $22,000	$30,150 $28,736 $22,000
Wisconsin	University of Wisconsin-Madison Marquette University St. Norbert College	$12,286 $52,070 $45,736	$44,210 $52,070 $45,736
Idaho	Boise State University University of Idaho Brigham Young University – Idaho	$9,364 $9,400 $4,944	$28,478 $28,636 $9,888
Iowa	University of Iowa Drake University Iowa State University	$11,622 $52,988 $11,092	$33,710 $52,988 $30,140
Connecticut	Fairfield University University of Connecticut Sacred Heart University	$59,460 $17,010 $52,090	$59,460 $39,678 $52,090
West Virginia	West Virginia University  Marshall University University of Charleston	$10,752 $9,388 $33,490	$30,432 $20,390 $33,490
Rhode Island	Providence College Bryant University Salve Regina University	$64,870 $53,330 $51,300	$64,870 $53,330 $51,300
Vermont	Champlain College Saint Michael’s College Vermont State University Randolph and Williston	$48,800 $49,950 $10,704	$48,800 $49,950 $21,408
Nevada	University of Nevada, Reno University of Nevada, Las Vegas College of Southern Nevada	$10,309 $10,196 $8,716	$28,941 $28,828 $26,048
Nebraska	Creighton University  University of Nebraska, Lincoln University of Nebraska at Omaha	$48,700 $11,100 $9,232	$48,700 $30,330 $24,514
Kansas	Kansas State University Fort Hays State University  The University of Kansas	$12,694 $6,090 $11,298	$30,388 $18,150 $30,177
Delaware	University of Delaware Goldy Beacom College Delaware State University	$15,280 $17,010 $9,593	$40,840 $17,010 $19,584
North Dakota	University of North Dakota North Dakota State University Dickinson State University	$10,275.60 $9,868 $7,770	$15,413.28 $14,802 $7,770
South Dakota	University of South Dakota Augustana University Mount Marty University	$9,687 $40,664 $32,650	$13,299 $40,664 $32,650
Oklahoma	University of Oklahoma Oklahoma State University The University of Tulsa	$10,180.5 $32,820 $50,760	$28,300.5 $48,340 $50,760

Important Notice!

• Wyoming only has one four-year university that offers a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
• Grand Canyon University’s on-campus tuition has remained unchanged since 2009 as part of the school’s commitment to ensuring the provision of affordable, high-quality education to students.
• Residents of the following counties pursuing higher education at Murray State University will receive in-state tuition rates:
  • Tennessee: Henry, Montgomery, Obion, Stewart, and Weakley Counties
  • Illinois: Massac County       
  • Indiana: Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties
• Residents of the following states are liable for discounted tuition at $5,436 per semester:
  • Tennessee
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • South Carolina
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia

What factors affect tuition rates?

Several factors affect tuition rates for an undergraduate degree. These include:

• School type– private schools charge more than public colleges and universities
• State residency status – state residents pay a lower tuition when attending public colleges within the state than non-state residents.
• Funding opportunities – available scholarships, grants, and so on. 
• Number of credit hours – most schools charge a set block rate for a set number of credits per semester (12-18). Students taking more credits will pay additional fees and will be charged the standard per-credit rate for additional credits taken.

Check out top entrepreneurship colleges and tuition by state.

Accounting degree – ROI statistics

Accounting is a highly after program globally. Whether you aspire to work in a for-profit private organization, a non-profit, government agencies, or even in the finance industry, an accounting degree can be your ticket inside.

Related: Career opportunities you can pursue with an accounting degree

Thus, it is one of the most popular programs globally as it offers job stability and steady career growth opportunities. However, calculating the Return on Investment is not as easy as it involves several variables. 

• Average cost of an accounting degree:
  • Public in-state: $7,392 (2025) – adjusted rates with the given 1.5% tuition growth rate 
  • Public out-of-state: $36,990 (2025) – adjusted with the given 3.66 tuition growth rate
  • Private: $38,421 per year
• Average starting salary for an accounting degree holder: $54,749 – nationwide average
• States with high entry-level salaries for Entry-level accounting roles, as sourced from Zip Recruiter (updated on 16th September 2025):
  • Washington: $62,008
  • District of Columbia: $61,868
  • New York: $59,897

ROI using the  nationwide average salary:

• If you choose to study at:
  • Public in-state colleges: 741%
  • Public out-of-state colleges: 148%
  • Private colleges: 143%

High-salary states ROI

Washington

• Public in-state colleges: 839%
• Public out-of-state colleges: 168%
• Private colleges: 161%

District of Columbia

• Public in-state colleges: 837%
• Public out-of-state colleges: 167%
• Private colleges: 161%

New York

• Public in-state colleges: 810%
• Public out-of-state colleges: 162%
• Private colleges: 156%

Payback period for an accounting degree

The payback period refers to the number of years of gross starting salary it takes to recover the total degree cost. Naturally, it varies by the total tuition paid and your starting salary. Here, we calculate the average payback period using average tuition costs and starting salaries. 

• Public in-state college: 6.5 months
• Public out-of-state college: 2.70 years
• Private college: 2.81 years

Factors that affect ROI

Calculating the Return On Investment (ROI) of a bachelor’s degree in accounting is not a straightforward task and depends on multiple factors:

• Skills developed 
• Career path chosen 
• Certifications pursued
• Networking 
• Access to resources, including internships and apprenticeship opportunities
• Exact tuition cost  

Learn how to increase ROI on an accounting degree here. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the top undergraduate accounting programs in the US?

Top US colleges and universities with the best undergraduate accounting programs are: 

• The University of Texas at Austin
• University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
• Brigham Young University 
• University of Indiana Bloomington
• University of Pennsylvania

Which is better – a Finance degree or an accounting degree?

Here’s a detailed comparison of an accounting degree vs a finance degree.

Categories	Accounting	Finance
Level	Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral, CPA pathway	Bachelor’s, Master’s (MBA/Finance), CFA pathway
Focus	Financial reporting, auditing, tax, compliance, and managerial accounting	Investments, financial analysis, markets, corporate finance, risk management
Best for	Students seeking structured, stable career paths with clear certifications (CPA, CMA)	Students aiming for roles in banking, investment, consulting, or corporate finance
Cost	Public in-state: $29,568 Public out-of-state: $147,960 Private: $153,684	Similar rates – varies by school – business-focused ones may be costlier
Duration	Typically 4 years (Bachelor’s), plus 1–2 years if pursuing CPA requirements	Typically 4 years (Bachelor’s), plus 2 years for MBA or CFA prep
Career outcomes	Accountant Auditor Tax Specialist CPA	Financial Analyst Investment Banker Portfolio Manager Risk Analyst
Avg. salary	Starting: $54,749 Mid-career: $70K–$90K	Starting: $60K–$65K Mid-career: $90K–$120K
Practical training	Internships at firms, CPA exam requirements, tax/audit practicums	Internships in banks, investment firms, corporate finance, and CFA/series licenses

Why do an accounting internship?

Doing an accounting internship helps you gain real-world experience, build professional skills, expand your network, and improve your chances of getting a full-time job after graduation. Moreover, employers prefer graduates with internship and apprenticeship experience under their belts.

Are accounting internships paid?

Yes, the majority of accounting internships are paid. However, the exact pay range depends on your level of education, the roles you can handle, as well as the size of the firm.