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Accounting: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Accounting is a rigorous academic discipline focused on the systematic recording, analysis, and reporting of financial transactions to support informed decision-making across organizations. This program equips learners with the technical expertise and ethical foundation necessary to excel in professional accounting roles and related business environments.

  • Accounting Principles and Theory: Explores the foundational concepts and frameworks that govern financial reporting and decision support in business.
  • Financial Accounting: Focuses on the preparation and interpretation of financial statements for external stakeholders, including investors and regulators.
  • Managerial Accounting: Emphasizes cost analysis, performance evaluation, and strategic planning to guide internal management decisions.
  • Cost Accounting: Involves tracking, analyzing, and allocating production and operational costs to improve efficiency and profitability.
  • Budget Control: Teaches methods for planning, monitoring, and adjusting financial resources to align with organizational goals.
  • Tax Accounting: Covers the preparation and compliance of tax returns, with attention to federal, state, and local regulations.
  • Legal Aspects of Accounting: Examines laws and regulations that impact financial reporting, disclosure, and professional conduct.
  • Auditing: Develops skills in verifying the accuracy and integrity of financial records through systematic examination and evaluation.
  • Reporting Procedures: Trains students in standardized formats and protocols for generating reliable financial disclosures.
  • Statement Analysis: Focuses on interpreting financial statements to assess organizational performance, liquidity, and long-term sustainability.
  • Planning and Consulting: Builds competencies in advising organizations on financial strategy, risk management, and operational improvements.
  • Business Information Systems: Integrates accounting data with digital tools and software to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and real-time reporting.
  • Accounting Research Methods: Introduces systematic approaches to investigating accounting issues and developing evidence-based solutions.
  • Professional Standards and Ethics: Reinforces integrity, objectivity, and accountability in financial practice through adherence to established codes of conduct.
  • Applications Across Sectors: Applies accounting principles to real-world contexts in for-profit enterprises, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Accounting Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

58,956
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
1,356
Universities & Colleges
8
Career Pathways

Accounting Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Accounting degrees, including Financial Risk Specialists, Business Teachers, Postsecondary and Financial Examiners. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 1,890,860 professionals.


National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Financial Risk Specialists 13-2054 $106,000 $62,270 - $182,310 56,320 $50.96
Business Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1011 $97,270 $46,460 - $210,530 81,780 N/A
Financial Examiners 13-2061 $90,400 $53,420 - $171,540 62,830 $43.46
Budget Analysts 13-2031 $87,930 $60,510 - $134,640 47,170 $42.27
Accountants and Auditors 13-2011 $81,680 $52,780 - $141,420 1,448,290 $39.27
Credit Analysts 13-2041 $80,970 $52,930 - $168,840 67,370 $38.93
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents 13-2081 $59,740 $40,020 - $110,300 53,530 $28.72
Tax Preparers 13-2082 $50,560 $30,500 - $96,240 73,570 $24.31

Accounting Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $62,303 in Arkansas to $124,787 in District of Columbia—a 100% difference. The highest-paying states include District of Columbia, New York, and California. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 1,890,860 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Accounting by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 99 institutions offering Accounting programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Accounting is found at Western Governors University (WGU) (1,706 graduates), Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) (1,642 graduates), CUNY Bernard M Baruch College (737 graduates), Liberty University (448 graduates), and University of Phoenix (UOPX), Arizona (406 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 26,025 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Location Control Website
Western Governors University (WGU)
Bachelor's
Master's
1,706 Salt Lake City, Utah Private wgu.edu
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Associate's
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
1,642 Manchester, New Hampshire Private snhu.edu
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
Bachelor's
Master's
737 New York, New York Public baruch.cuny.edu
Liberty University
Associate's
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
448 Lynchburg, Virginia Private liberty.edu
University of Phoenix (UOPX)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
406 Phoenix, Arizona Private phoenix.edu
Purdue University Global
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
385 West Lafayette, Indiana Public purdueglobal.edu
Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
358 University Park, Pennsylvania Public psu.edu
Texas A & M University
Bachelor's
Master's
353 College Station, Texas Public tamu.edu
Dallas College
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
351 Dallas, Texas Public dallascollege.edu
Florida Atlantic University (FAU)
Bachelor's
Master's
349 Boca Raton, Florida Public fau.edu
Baylor University
Bachelor's
Master's
346 Waco, Texas Private baylor.edu
The University of Alabama (UA)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
338 Tuscaloosa, Alabama Public ua.edu
Colorado Technical University (CTU)
Associate's
Bachelor's
336 Colorado Springs, Colorado Private coloradotech.edu
The University of Texas
Bachelor's
Master's
333 Richardson, Texas Public utdallas.edu
The University of Texas
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
328 Austin, Texas Public utexas.edu
Ohio State University
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
324 Columbus, Ohio Public osu.edu
Grand Canyon University (GCU)
Bachelor's
Master's
320 Phoenix, Arizona Private gcu.edu
Utah Valley University (UVU)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Bachelor's
Master's
308 Orem, Utah Public uvu.edu
University of Houston (UHD)
Bachelor's
Master's
306 Houston, Texas Public uhd.edu
University of Houston (UH)
Bachelor's
296 Houston, Texas Public uh.edu
University of Georgia (UGA)
Bachelor's
Master's
293 Athens, Georgia Public uga.edu
University of North Texas (UNT)
Bachelor's
Master's
290 Denton, Texas Public unt.edu
University of Massachusetts
Bachelor's
Master's
286 Amherst, Massachusetts Public umass.edu
University of Oklahoma (OU)
Bachelor's
Master's
286 Norman, Oklahoma Public ou.edu
Texas Tech University (TTU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
281 Lubbock, Texas Public ttu.edu
California State University (CSUN)
Bachelor's
Master's
277 Northridge, California Public csun.edu
University of South Florida (USF)
Bachelor's
Master's
275 Tampa, Florida Public usf.edu
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
275 University, Mississippi Public olemiss.edu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
272 Champaign, Illinois Public illinois.edu
CUNY Queens College
Bachelor's
Master's
254 Queens, New York Public qc.cuny.edu
University of Central Florida (UCF)
Bachelor's
Master's
253 Orlando, Florida Public ucf.edu
University of Nevada (UNLV)
Bachelor's
Master's
253 Las Vegas, Nevada Public unlv.edu
Florida International University (FIU)
Bachelor's
Master's
251 Miami, Florida Public fiu.edu
Clemson University
Bachelor's
Master's
250 Clemson, South Carolina Public clemson.edu
Auburn University (AU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
247 Auburn, Alabama Public auburn.edu
University of Florida (UF)
Bachelor's
Master's
242 Gainesville, Florida Public ufl.edu
DePaul University
Bachelor's
Master's
239 Chicago, Illinois Private depaul.edu
Colorado State University Global (CSU Global)
Bachelor's
Master's
234 Aurora, Colorado Public csuglobal.edu
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
Bachelor's
Master's
233 Chicago, Illinois Public uic.edu
University of Arkansas (U of A)
Bachelor's
Master's
229 Fayetteville, Arkansas Public uark.edu
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
224 Madison, Wisconsin Public wisc.edu
Rutgers University
Bachelor's
Master's
223 Newark, New Jersey Public newark.rutgers.edu
Kennesaw State University (KSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
217 Kennesaw, Georgia Public kennesaw.edu
Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU)
Bachelor's
216 Tempe, Arizona Public asu.edu
University of Kansas (KU)
Bachelor's
Master's
216 Lawrence, Kansas Public ku.edu
The University of Tennessee
Bachelor's
Master's
216 Knoxville, Tennessee Public utk.edu
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)
Bachelor's
Master's
211 Edinburg, Texas Public utrgv.edu
Oklahoma State University (OSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
209 Stillwater, Oklahoma Public okstate.edu
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
Bachelor's
208 Adelphi, Maryland Public umgc.edu
University of Utah (U of U)
Bachelor's
Master's
208 Salt Lake City, Utah Public utah.edu
University of Kentucky (UK)
Bachelor's
Master's
207 Lexington, Kentucky Public uky.edu
Washington State University (WSU)
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
205 Pullman, Washington Public wsu.edu
Lone Star College System (LSC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
201 The Woodlands, Texas Public lonestar.edu
Western Michigan University (WMU)
Bachelor's
Master's
200 Kalamazoo, Michigan Public wmich.edu
Southern Utah University (SUU)
Bachelor's
Master's
198 Cedar City, Utah Public suu.edu
University of Connecticut (UConn)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
197 Storrs, Connecticut Public uconn.edu
The University of Texas (UTSA)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
196 San Antonio, Texas Public utsa.edu
Georgia State University
Bachelor's
Master's
195 Atlanta, Georgia Public gsu.edu
Grand Valley State University (GVSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
191 Allendale, Michigan Public gvsu.edu
University of Iowa
Bachelor's
Master's
189 Iowa City, Iowa Public uiowa.edu
The University of Texas (UTEP)
Bachelor's
Master's
189 El Paso, Texas Public utep.edu
Texas State University (TXST)
Bachelor's
Master's
187 San Marcos, Texas Public txst.edu
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Bachelor's
Master's
186 Blacksburg, Virginia Public vt.edu
University of Arizona
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
185 Tucson, Arizona Public arizona.edu
Binghamton University
Bachelor's
Master's
184 Vestal, New York Public binghamton.edu
CUNY Lehman College
Bachelor's
Master's
181 Bronx, New York Public lehman.edu
University of South Carolina (USC)
Bachelor's
Master's
181 Columbia, South Carolina Public sc.edu
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
179 Murfreesboro, Tennessee Public mtsu.edu
CUNY Brooklyn College
Bachelor's
Master's
177 Brooklyn, New York Public brooklyn.cuny.edu
Franklin University
Associate's
Bachelor's
Master's
177 Columbus, Ohio Private franklin.edu
Brigham Young University (BYU–I)
Other Award
176 Rexburg, Idaho Private byui.edu
Iowa State University (ISU)
Bachelor's
Master's
173 Ames, Iowa Public iastate.edu
Texas A & M University (TAMU‑CC)
Bachelor's
Master's
173 Corpus Christi, Texas Public tamucc.edu
University at Buffalo (UB)
Bachelor's
Master's
172 Buffalo, New York Public buffalo.edu
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Bachelor's
Master's
172 Charlotte, North Carolina Public charlotte.edu
Georgia Southern University
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
171 Statesboro, Georgia Public georgiasouthern.edu
University of Alabama (UAB)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Bachelor's
Master's
166 Birmingham, Alabama Public uab.edu
Illinois State University (ISU)
Bachelor's
Master's
166 Normal, Illinois Public illinoisstate.edu
Purdue University (PU)
Bachelor's
166 West Lafayette, Indiana Public purdue.edu
Ashford University (UAGC)
Bachelor's
Master's
165 San Diego, California Private uagc.edu
Fairfield University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
161 Fairfield, Connecticut Private fairfield.edu
Michigan State University (MSU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Doctorate (Research)
161 East Lansing, Michigan Public msu.edu
Eastern Washington University (EWU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
161 Cheney, Washington Public ewu.edu
University of Cincinnati (UC)
Bachelor's
Master's
159 Cincinnati, Ohio Public uc.edu
Texas Christian University (TCU)
Bachelor's
Master's
159 Fort Worth, Texas Private tcu.edu
University of Pittsburgh
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Other Award
158 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public pitt.edu
Boise State University (BBU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
157 Boise, Idaho Public boisestate.edu
New York University (NYU)
Master's
156 New York, New York Private nyu.edu
The University of Texas
Bachelor's
Master's
156 Arlington, Texas Public uta.edu
Portland State University (PSU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
155 Portland, Oregon Public pdx.edu
Mississippi State University (MSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
154 Mississippi State, Mississippi Public msstate.edu
Montclair State University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
154 Montclair, New Jersey Public montclair.edu
University at Albany (UAlbany)
Bachelor's
Master's
154 Albany, New York Public albany.edu
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
153 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Public lsu.edu
Miami University
Bachelor's
Master's
151 Oxford, Ohio Public miamioh.edu
DeVry University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
151 Lisle, Illinois Private devry.edu
Florida State University (FSU)
Bachelor's
148 Tallahassee, Florida Public fsu.edu
Wayne State University (WSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
147 Detroit, Michigan Public wayne.edu
Austin Community College District (ACC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
147 Austin, Texas Public austincc.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Accounting programs

How much can I earn with a Accounting degree?

Salaries for Accounting graduates vary by role and location. Financial Risk Specialists earn a median of $106,000 annually, while Business Teachers, Postsecondary earn around $97,270. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in District of Columbia average $124,787 compared to $62,303 in Arkansas. Approximately 1,890,860 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Accounting programs?

Currently 1,356 accredited institutions offer Accounting degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Western Governors University (WGU) (1,706 graduates), Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) (1,642 graduates), and CUNY Bernard M Baruch College (737 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Accounting growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 76,815 in 2010 to a peak of 75,614 in 2020, before declining slightly to 58,956 in 2023-24. This represents a 23% decrease overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Accounting degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Financial Risk Specialists, Business Teachers, Postsecondary, and Financial Examiners. Related occupations employ approximately 1,890,860 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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