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Best Accounting Schools

2023 Best Accounting Schools

1,470 Colleges
$47,712 Avg Salary
$26,539 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Accounting School for You

In 2020-2021, 99,265 accounting students received their degrees and certificates, making the major the #8 most popular in the country.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Accounting Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 1,470 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Accounting Schools in the United States

The following schools top our list of the Best Accounting Colleges.

Top 25 Top Schools in Accounting

#1

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Our 2023 rankings named University of Notre Dame the best school in the United States for accounting students. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.

While working on their degree, accounting majors at Notre Dame accumulate an average of around $19,000 in student debt.

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#2

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Bucknell University is a great place for accounting students. Located in the town of Lewisburg, Bucknell is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Accounting majors at Bucknell take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Accounting at Bucknell University Report

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#3

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lehigh University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Accounting Schools list. Lehigh is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Bethlehem.

After completing their degree, accounting graduates from Lehigh carry an average student debtload of $23,250.

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The excellent programs at University of Virginia - Main Campus helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best accounting schools in the United States. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a very large student population.

Full Accounting at University of Virginia - Main Campus Report

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#5

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Out of the 1,470 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the # 5 spot on the list. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.

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#6

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Georgetown University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Accounting majors at Georgetown take out an average of $16,097 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#7

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Emory University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Accounting Schools ranking. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.

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Washington and Lee University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the town of Lexington, Washington and Lee is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that accounting majors at Washington and Lee take out is $21,000.

Full Accounting at Washington and Lee University Report

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#9

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

With a ranking of #9, Santa Clara University did quite well on this year’s best schools for accounting students. Located in the city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, accounting majors at SCU accumulate an average of around $17,313 in student debt.

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #10 on the list. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Champaign.

On average, accounting graduates from UIUC take out $18,854 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $318, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#11

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Accounting Schools ranking. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville.

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#12

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

With a ranking of #12, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on this year’s best schools for accounting students. Located in the midsize city of Worcester, Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that accounting majors at Holy Cross take out is $27,000.

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Washington University in St Louis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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#14

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Villanova University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Accounting Schools list. Villanova is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Villanova.

On average, accounting graduates from Villanova take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $537.

Full Accounting at Villanova University Report

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#15

New York University

New York, NY

New York University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Accounting Schools ranking. NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best accounting programs. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.

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The University of Texas at Austin landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best accounting programs. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin.

On average, accounting graduates from UT Austin take out $18,722 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $374.

Full Accounting at The University of Texas at Austin Report

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#18

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA

University of Richmond did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Accounting majors at URichmond take out an average of $22,510 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Accounting at University of Richmond Report

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With a ranking of #19, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on this year’s best schools for accounting students. U-M is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.

Full Accounting at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

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University of Southern California landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best accounting programs. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

On average, accounting graduates from USC take out $17,750 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $292.

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#21

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Accounting Schools list. Located in the small city of Bloomington, Illinois Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that accounting majors at Illinois Wesleyan take out is $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $232.

Full Accounting at Illinois Wesleyan University Report

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#22

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Tech did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Accounting majors at Virginia Tech take out an average of $20,500 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $387, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Accounting at Virginia Tech Report

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#23

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN

College of Saint Benedict did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in the suburb of Saint Joseph, CSB is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Accounting majors at CSB take out an average of $26,991 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Accounting at College of Saint Benedict Report

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Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #24 on this year’s Best Accounting Schools list. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public school with a very large student population.

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#25

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX

Texas Christian University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best accounting programs. Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that accounting majors at TCU take out is $21,500.

Full Accounting at Texas Christian University Report

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Rest of the Top 50 Best Accounting Schools

#26

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, MN
#27

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC
#31

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA
#33

University of Mary

Bismarck, ND
#36

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
#37

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA
#38

University of Delaware

Newark, DE
#39

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI
#40

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN
#41

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
#42

Bentley University

Waltham, MA
#44

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT
#45

Drake University

Des Moines, IA
#49

Elon University

Elon, NC
#50

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Accounting Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 1470 different United States accounting schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
52 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
53 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
54 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
55 Excelsior College Albany, NY
56 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
57 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
58 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
59 Creighton University Omaha, NE
60 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
61 Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI
62 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
63 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI
64 Saint Mary’s College of California Moraga, CA
65 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
66 Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD
67 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
68 Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, MN
69 University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA
70 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
71 Luther College Decorah, IA
72 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
73 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
74 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
75 Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN
76 Augustana College Rock Island, IL
77 Hope College Holland, MI
78 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
79 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
80 Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ
81 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
82 Western Technical College La Crosse, WI
83 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
84 Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI
85 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
86 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
87 Kapiolani Community College Honolulu, HI
88 University of Dallas Irving, TX
89 Walsh College Troy, MI
90 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
91 Northeastern University Boston, MA
92 Rasmussen University - Minnesota St. Cloud, MN
93 Colorado State University - Global Campus Greenwood Village, CO
94 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
95 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
96 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
97 Baylor University Waco, TX
98 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
99 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
100 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
101 George Washington University Washington, DC
102 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
103 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
104 Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT
105 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
106 Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
107 Misericordia University Dallas, PA
108 University of Portland Portland, OR
109 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
110 Providence College Providence, RI
111 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
112 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
113 Wartburg College Waverly, IA
114 Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Fennimore, WI
115 Southwestern College Winfield, KS
116 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
117 Bradley University Peoria, IL
118 Metropolitan Community College Omaha, NE
119 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
120 Yeshiva University New York, NY
121 Furman University Greenville, SC
122 King’s College Wilkes-Barre, PA
123 Simpson College Indianola, IA
124 California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA
125 Iowa State University Ames, IA
126 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
127 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
128 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
129 John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR
130 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
131 Seattle University Seattle, WA
132 Auburn University Auburn, AL
133 McDaniel College Westminster, MD
134 Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson, KS
135 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
136 Towson University Towson, MD
137 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
138 Rasmussen University - North Dakota Fargo, ND
139 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
140 Illinois State University Normal, IL
141 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
142 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
143 Rhodes College Memphis, TN
144 Harding University Searcy, AR
145 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
146 Golden Gate University - San Francisco San Francisco, CA
147 Ithaca College Ithaca, NY
148 University of Redlands Redlands, CA
149 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
150 Rutgers University - Camden Camden, NJ
151 University of Alaska Southeast Juneau, AK
152 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
153 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
154 DePaul University Chicago, IL
155 Herzing University - Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN
156 Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN
157 Fordham University Bronx, NY
158 North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN
159 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
160 Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA
161 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
162 Northwood University Midland, MI
163 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN
164 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
165 Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA
166 Rasmussen University - Illinois Rockford, IL
167 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
168 Chapman University Orange, CA
169 Clarkson University Potsdam, NY
170 Northcentral Technical College Wausau, WI
171 Menlo College Atherton, CA
172 Austin Community College District Austin, TX
173 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH
174 Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA
175 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
176 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
177 West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA
178 Clemson University Clemson, SC
179 Central College Pella, IA
180 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
181 Northern State University Aberdeen, SD
182 Taylor University Upland, IN
183 Rasmussen University - Florida Ocala, FL
184 McKendree University Lebanon, IL
185 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
186 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH
187 American University Washington, DC
188 Belmont University Nashville, TN
189 Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD
190 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
191 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
192 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
193 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
194 Manhattan College Riverdale, NY
195 Carthage College Kenosha, WI
196 Franklin University Columbus, OH
197 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
198 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
199 Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA
200 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
201 University of Mississippi University, MS
202 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
203 Alexandria Technical & Community College Alexandria, MN
204 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
205 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
206 Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA
207 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
208 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
209 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
210 Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH
211 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
212 Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA
213 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA
214 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Fort Wayne, IN
215 Stevenson University Stevenson, MD
216 St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX
217 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
218 Westminster College Utah Salt Lake City, UT
219 Carroll University Waukesha, WI
220 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Accounting Schools award.

Rank College Location
221 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
222 El Centro College Dallas, TX
223 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
224 Portland Community College Portland, OR
224 Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC
226 Washington State University Pullman, WA
227 Rasmussen University - Wisconsin Green Bay, WI
228 Lakeland University Plymouth, WI
229 Ohio Northern University Ada, OH
230 Lipscomb University Nashville, TN
231 Concordia University, Wisconsin Mequon, WI
232 Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL
233 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
234 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
235 The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX
236 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
237 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
238 Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI
239 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
240 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
241 University of Houston Houston, TX
242 Macomb Community College Warren, MI
243 Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA
244 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
245 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown Johnstown, PA
246 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
247 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
248 George Fox University Newberg, OR
249 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
250 Bunker Hill Community College Boston, MA
251 Stonehill College Easton, MA
252 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
253 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
254 La Salle University Philadelphia, PA
255 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
256 Thomas More University Crestview Hills, KY
257 University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK
258 Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI
259 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
260 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
261 Dordt University Sioux Center, IA
262 Northwestern College Orange City, IA
263 Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI
264 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
265 Dakota State University Madison, SD
266 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
267 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
268 Winona State University Winona, MN
269 St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN
270 Herzing University - Akron Akron, OH
271 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
272 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
273 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
274 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
275 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
276 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
277 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
278 Fontbonne University Saint Louis, MO
278 Kean University Union, NJ
280 Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, MD
281 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
282 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
283 Bryant University Smithfield, RI
284 Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MO
285 Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee, WI
286 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
287 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
288 Warner Pacific College Adult Degree Program Portland, OR
289 Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI
290 NHTI-Concord’s Community College Concord, NH
291 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
292 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
293 Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI
294 Transylvania University Lexington, KY

Accounting by Region

View the Best Accounting Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Accounting is one of 21 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 416,590
Finance & Financial Management 57,778
General Business/Commerce 56,042
Marketing 52,916
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 43,382

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Pixabay.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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