### SUMMARY

 Majoring in Accounting is a valuable choice and naturally a requisite first step for students aspiring to pursue a career as a senior internal auditor, a senior tax accountant, or a certified public accountant. Interestingly, accounting is an extremely popular degree choice, ranking as the 10th most popular degree. Last academic year alone, there were 51,697 accounting diplomas received. In-state tuition for accounting at private schools is, on average, 3.5 times more pricey than their public rivals.

 With an impressive 1134 institutions offering this degree odds are that any schools you are looking at will have a degree program for you. If you're looking to surround yourself with other accounting students, look at colleges in Texas which have the most students admitted to accounting annually. More generally, the top region to major in accounting is in the Southeast region with [The University of Alabama](/colleges/the-university-of-alabama), [Florida Atlantic University](/colleges/florida-atlantic-university), and [University of Mississippi](/colleges/university-of-mississippi) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection of the best conference to major in accounting is the Southeastern Conference with [The University of Alabama](/colleges/the-university-of-alabama), [University of Mississippi](/colleges/university-of-mississippi), and [Texas A & M University-College Station](/colleges/texas-a-m-university-college-station) representing the conference. Based on our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our selection for the best school for accounting is [University of Pennsylvania](/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania).

 The 'best' school does not mean it is the best school for you. There can be tons more perspectives to think about when selecting institution. External stuff such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food would definitely modify your thoughts on which college to attend. At Authority, we have weighed the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you are interested in which accounting school has the top campus, the answer is [Michigan State University](/colleges/michigan-state-university). If you are very interested in which university has the top campus, we have an entire page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through student reviews, government databases, professor reviews, and more to evaluate all U.S. majors in an unbiased and informative way. You can explore our comprehensive list for the colleges with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and, from that list, our choice for the university with the best student life for accounting is [Georgetown University](/colleges/georgetown-university). Are you curious why? Keep reading to learn more about Authority's top recommendations. Some of our decisions will probably shock you.

 If expense is a significant factor in your decisions, you might consider avoiding [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspis our most expensive school for accounting, at least for out of state attendance. We do have a page for the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that might put the cost of [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you might be interested to know that accounting is the 100th most expensive program in the US, with an average expense of $39,000. On a broader scale, the most expensive state for accounting on our list is District of Columbia with tuition and fees at the primary three colleges equalling $49,070 at American University, equalling $54,453 at George Washington University, and costs of $54,453 at Georgetown University. To zoom out even further, the most costly region of the U.S. for accounting is the Far West region which is best demonstrated with [Claremont McKenna College](/colleges/claremont-mckenna-college) with a cost of $56,190, [Pepperdine University](/colleges/pepperdine-university) with a cost of $55,640, and [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california) with a cost of $57,256.

 Our cheapest region for accounting is the Rocky Mountains region which is represented by [Brigham Young University-Idaho](/colleges/brigham-young-university-idaho) with a cost of $4,208, [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo) with a cost of $5,790, and [Western Governors University](/colleges/western-governors-university) with a cost of $6,380. More optimistically, the most affordable university for accounting is [CUNY Queens College](/colleges/cuny-queens-college). Authority's full list of the most affordable universities can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state attendees can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $9,500 for a degree in accounting. That cost balloons by a lot to an average of $20,600 for an out-of-state public-school student. On that note, our selection for the university constituting the best value for accounting: [University of Pennsylvania](/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania). Through this link you will find our comprehensive list of the universities we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. Do know, this list is predicated on being an out-of-state student. A discussion of value changes when in-state tuition is considered, but we do not know where you live (and are not trying to collect that kind of data).

 Earnings for accounting majors can vary, but two years after completing the major graduates will typically earn around $53,200. While there can be a lot of variation in earnings; highest paid earners can bring in up to $101,500. Right out of school, the minimum earning positions within the accounting field earn $27,100, which could be worse. The highest earning graduates from accounting studied at [Bentley University](/colleges/bentley-university)&nbspand if you are looking for schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The general diversity of accounting sits solid, falling within the 66th percentile of majors nationally. The school with the highest composite diversity for accounting is [Emory University](/colleges/emory-university)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list of the schools which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of the Accounting major is only in the 18th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is actually greater, ranking in the 58th percentile. White collegians compose the largest share at 59% of those majoring in accounting. Additionally, 50% of students pursuing an accounting major are women.

 The median score of accounting's professors is 3.8 stars, a ranking which is 5% lower than the median score for every major; this is a subpar ranking. If you are searching for the most popular accounting professor in the nation, take a look at James Powder at [Los Angeles Valley College](/colleges/los-angeles-valley-college). It might be a shock, but the top ranked accounting professors by student come from [CUNY Bernard M Baruch College](/colleges/cuny-bernard-m-baruch-college). As we consider data other than basic rankings it becomes clear that the university with the overall best instructors for accounting is [University of Pennsylvania](/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania). You will find an explanation of our evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with many of the top examples of professors nationwide.

 Finally, the hardest college to get into for accounting is [University of Pennsylvania](/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania). While we are unsure why you would be interested, we have an extensive page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, we do hope you understand that approaching the higher education world through a lens only derived from superlatives could be said to be the root of many of higher education's fundamental issues. We at Authority encourage you to explore our other pages on individual colleges and peruse a few of Authority's helpful background articles on beneficial things to consider as your university search continues.



 ### POPULARITY

 Accounting is the 10th most popular degree in America, with 51,697 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #11 [Teacher Education and Professional Development](/rankings/best-colleges-for-teacher-education-and-professional-development), and narrowly lost to #9 [Communication and Media Studies](/rankings/best-colleges-for-communication-and-media-studies).

 The degree is offered at a total of 1,134 colleges across the nation, and is the 11th most widely offered degree. Given that accounting is offered at 29% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America, you can be sure this is a critical degree and the skillsets acquired are likely to last for a long time.

 It is also worth noting that just below 1 out of every 2 colleges offering accounting are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most accounting graduates, largely led by [The University of Alabama](/colleges/the-university-of-alabama), while it’s the Southeastern Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, Texas ranks highest, with particular help from [University of Houston](/colleges/university-of-houston) and [Texas A & M University-College Station](/colleges/texas-a-m-university-college-station).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more accounting graduates than [Arizona Western College](/colleges/arizona-western-college), which graduated 651 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study accounting). More students studied accounting as a percentage of total students at [Stevens-Henager College](/colleges/stevens-henager-collegemurray-ut) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Accounting is the 100th most expensive degree in the nation, with a median cost of $39,046 among the top 50 programs.

 The Far West has the most expensive schools with high quality accounting programs predominantly led by [Claremont McKenna College](/colleges/claremont-mckenna-college) with an annual cost of $56,190. District of Columbia is the most expensive state for accounting led by [American University](/colleges/american-university) and [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university).

 Public schools with solid programs generally charge 71.57% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 38.1% less than the median private school. So make sure to take a look at public shools in your state ASAP.

 The most costly option in the top 25 is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california), which is the 14th most expensive college in the US. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo). It costs just $5,790 per year, but it is ranked 59th for its accounting program. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable college, [CUNY Queens College](/colleges/cuny-queens-college)  is probably right for you, ranked #10 with an in-state cost of just $6,930. Another more affordable pick would be #1, [CUNY Bernard M Baruch College](/colleges/cuny-bernard-m-baruch-college) in New York County, NY with a cost of $6,930 for in-state students and $14,880 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Enrolling in college is a major investment for most undergraduates. It's important to be assured you get a high return on that investment. We aim for the following income and career information to aid you in deciding your focus at college.

 The average Accounting graduate draws a first year income of $47,050 per annum (top 27%). With experience in their jobs, they commonly take home something between $27,058 and $101,521, but average near $53,200. For context, that is 38% higher than the national average.

 The most common work title for an Accounting graduate is Analyst, which normally make near $54,000; next are Account Executive and Consultant, which normally make around $36,000 and $56,000 respectively.

 New England has the most well paid Accounting graduates. CT has the most well paid Accounting alumni of any state. The highest earning conference for Accounting graduates is West Coast Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Accounting: Median Professor Rating: 3.8 / 5, which is below average.

 Instructors consistently have a massive impact your college experience, regardless of your focus. A thought-provoking teacher can provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem fun. Conversely, a bad professor can interrupt your development or even worse... flunk you!

 Accounting professors have a median student rating of 3.8 / 5, which puts these professors in the lower 20 percent in the US grounded in student approval. For context that's 5% shy of the national median professor rating for all subjects. Professors of Accounting just edged-out those from ["Engineering Technologies"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-engineering-technologies), whereas ["Engineering"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-engineering)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Accounting.

 Now for some statistics about Accounting professors. Colleges located in distant rural areas tend to have the best Accounting professors. The Association of Independent Institutions has the highest rated Accounting professors. The New England region has the highest rated Accounting professors. Private universities tend to have higher rated Accounting professors than public institutions. Finally, Massachusetts has the highest rated Accounting professors in the nation.

 James Powder, instructor at [Los Angeles Valley College](/colleges/los-angeles-valley-college)&nbspin Valley Glen, CA is the most popular Accounting professor in the United States. Fatima Hoor, professor at [J Sargeant Reynolds Community College](/colleges/j-sargeant-reynolds-community-college)&nbspin Richmond, VA is the highest rated Accounting professor in America, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Find out which schools have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College is an extremely poignant period of one's life; it's a chance for individual growth and evolution. Students begin to ascertain what they want to pursue and learn many of the rudimentary skills to be a halcyon member of society. But learning goes beyond a classroom environment - the campus dialogue, the nugget of wisdom received from an eccentric instructor, the exposure to a different point of view. Therefore, finding a diverse college vastly improves what you gain from your time at university.

 Accounting is a slightly more ethnically diverse focus than average\*. 59% of the United States' Accounting majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(16%), asian students (11%), and latino students (10%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [George Mason University](/colleges/george-mason-university)&nbspin Fairfax, VA.

 Additionally, Accounting is pretty highly diverse when it comes to sex, with half of students majoring in Accounting identifying as women. [University of Tulsa](/colleges/university-of-tulsa) in Tulsa, OK has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another important type of diversity is financial diversity. Sadly, Accounting ranks in the bottom 18% of majors economic diversity. 34% of its majors come from high income households, 15% are from middle income families, and 22% grew up in low income families. [The University of Texas at Dallas](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas) is the most socioeconomically diverse institution in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall CA is the most diverse state for Accounting. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the West Coast Conference is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 11%
* Black: 4%
* Latino: 10%
* White: 59%
* Other: 16%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 50%
* Female: 50%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 22%
* 30k - 48k: 14%
* 48k - 75k: 15%
* 75k - 110k: 15%
* Over 110k: 34%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 66%
* Out of State: 28%
* International: 6%


2023 Accounting Salary

There are about 243,385 students enrolled in Accounting in the USA.

SALARY