2023 Best Accounting Schools in California
Finding the Best Accounting School for You
With 4,040 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, accounting is the #31 most popular major in California.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Accounting Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 74 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Accounting Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Accounting Colleges.
Top 15% Best Accounting Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Santa Clara University the best school in California for accounting students. Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that accounting majors at SCU take out is $17,313.
Out of the 74 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, accounting majors at USC accumulate an average of around $17,750 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $292, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Out of the 74 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the # 3 spot on the list. UC Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis.
Read full report on Accounting at University of California - Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola Marymount University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Accounting Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, accounting graduates from Loyola Marymount carry an average student debtload of $19,000.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a great place for accounting students. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Read full report on Accounting at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Accounting Schools in California ranking. SMC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Moraga.
After completing their degree, accounting graduates from SMC carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Accounting at Saint Mary’s College of California Report
With a ranking of #7, University of San Diego did quite well on this year’s best schools for accounting students. USD is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Diego.
While working on their degree, accounting majors at USD accumulate an average of around $21,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $830.
With a ranking of #8, University of San Francisco did quite well on this year’s best schools for accounting students. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that accounting majors at USFCA take out is $25,020.
California Lutheran University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best accounting programs. Located in the city of Thousand Oaks, CLU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, accounting majors at CLU accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.
Golden Gate University - San Francisco did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #10 on the list. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.
Full Accounting at Golden Gate University - San Francisco Report
University of Redlands did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for accounting students. It came in at #11 on the list. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Redlands.
On average, accounting graduates from University of Redlands take out $26,686 in student loans while working on their degree.
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 in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Chapman University | Orange, CA |
| 13 | Menlo College | Atherton, CA |
| 14 | San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
Best Accounting Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Accounting Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 1,634 |
| Oregon | 772 |
| Nevada | 396 |
| Hawaii | 215 |
| Alaska | 136 |
More Accounting Rankings in California
Accounting Related Rankings by Major
Accounting is one of 21 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Accounting
| 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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