The Best Associate's in Accounting Programs in Wisconsin for 2027

Moraine Park Technical College's Accounting associate degree (AAS) is a 66-credit, two-year program available online and across three campuses: Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, and West Bend. Coursework covers auditing, financial and cost principles, payroll preparation, tax accounting, risk management, and digital systems like QuickBooks, building toward roles such as accountant, cost accountant, staff accountant, and individual income tax preparer. The college cites local Lightcast wage data putting the field's entry-to-experienced range in its district at $40,263 to $55,379 a year, and offers stackable options along the way, including a Bookkeeper Technical Diploma and a Tax Preparer Assistant Certificate.

Moraine Park's 58% graduation rate and 87.1 Program Score place it fourth among Wisconsin's ranked associate's-in-accounting programs for 2027. In-state tuition is $4,462 versus $6,727 out-of-state, a $2,265 gap, in line with the other three programs on this list; the college's own cost estimate for the full degree runs $11,794.20 in tuition and fees. With 4,171 students enrolled across three physical campuses plus a fully online track, it fits students who need geographic flexibility in the Fond du Lac region more than students chasing the single highest completion rate here.

Gateway Technical College's Accounting associate degree is a 64-credit program offered on campus in Kenosha and Elkhorn or fully online. Coursework builds skill in QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, and professional income tax software, and students can stack in the Tax Preparer Assistant or Payroll Assistant certificates and the Accounting Assistant technical diploma along the way, plus a Computerized Accounting Using QuickBooks digital badge. Gateway also points students toward internships, study abroad, and its Collegiate DECA club for applied experience.

The program carries a 51% graduation rate and an 84.4 Program Score, the No. 5 accounting associate program in Wisconsin for 2027 on that composite. In-state tuition runs $4,485 a year against $6,728 out-of-state, a $2,243 annual premium for nonresidents; Gateway's own estimate for tuition, fees, books, and supplies across the full program totals $16,401. Nationally, the BLS reports a $54,920 median wage for accountants and auditors, context for where a later bachelor's transfer can lead. With 10,100 students enrolled campus-wide and 94.4% of accounting graduates employed within six months, Gateway fits students who want a fast, low-cost route into bookkeeping or staff accountant work.

Waukesha County Technical College's Accounting program is a 62-credit Associate of Applied Science built for a two-year finish, with August and January start dates and classes offered online, on campus, and in daytime blocks. Students learn to prepare, interpret, and analyze financial information and get hands-on with business accounting software; the program runs a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site through La Casa for live client work and includes capstone and internship placements. WCTC lists program-to-program transfer agreements that carry graduates toward a bachelor's degree and eventual CPA licensure.

WCTC's accounting associate posts a 44% graduation rate and an 82.7 Program Score, ranking No. 6 among Wisconsin's 2027 accounting associate programs. Tuition runs $4,485 a year in-state and $6,728 out-of-state, the same $2,243 nonresident gap seen across the state's technical college system. WCTC cites Lightcast wage data putting related Waukesha County roles at $46,400 to $73,600 a year, a range that straddles the $54,920 national median BLS reports for accountants and auditors. With 8,367 students enrolled and an application built on a high school transcript, ACT, or ACCUPLACER score rather than competitive admission, WCTC fits students who want a direct, credential-based route into accounts payable, receivable, or bookkeeping supervisory roles.

Northcentral Technical College's Accounting Associate Degree is a 62-credit program available 100% online or across NTC's Wausau, Antigo, Medford, Phillips, Spencer, and Wittenberg campuses. Coursework runs through general accounting, individual and payroll tax, cost accounting, and accounting information systems, and the program is structured so students sit for the NACPB Bookkeeper Certification exam, a $100 fee built into the Accounting Capstone term, before they graduate. The degree is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, and NTC lists direct transfer agreements into bachelor's programs at 13 partner colleges, including UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior.

NTC's accounting associate carries a 45% graduation rate and an 82.2 Program Score, the No. 7 ranked accounting associate program in Wisconsin for 2027. In-state tuition is $4,485 a year against $6,728 out-of-state, a $2,243 nonresident gap consistent with the state's technical college system. NTC's own Graduate Outcomes Report puts starting pay for completers between $21,216 and $51,428, below the $54,920 national median BLS reports for accountants and auditors, a gap that reflects the entry-level bookkeeping and payroll roles this associate degree targets. With 6,746 students enrolled system-wide, NTC fits students who want a bookkeeping certification built into the degree and a wide multi-school transfer map rather than a single university partner.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College's Accounting associate degree runs 65 credits across the Green Bay, Marinette, and Sturgeon Bay campuses, with day, evening, full-time, part-time, and online delivery. Students move through Accounting 1 and 2, payroll, intermediate, cost, and managerial accounting alongside personal and business tax courses, and can carry in credits from the Accounting Assistant technical diploma or Small Business Bookkeeping certificate. The program is ACBSP-accredited, and NWTC lists Certified Public Accountant among the roles graduates can reach with additional education, plus transfer agreements into four-year business degrees.

NWTC's accounting associate posts a 51% graduation rate, tied for the highest in this group, and an 81.8 Program Score that ranks it No. 8 among Wisconsin's 2027 accounting associate programs. In-state tuition runs $4,485 a year versus $6,728 out-of-state, the same $2,243 nonresident premium seen system-wide. NWTC's own Graduate Outcome Survey reports 92% of graduates employed, with 50% working in the accounting field, at a 3-year median wage of $44,500, below the $54,920 national median BLS reports for accountants and auditors, consistent with an associate-level bookkeeping and accounts-payable/receivable track. With 11,826 students enrolled, the largest of this group, NWTC fits students who want maximum schedule flexibility across three regional campuses.

Mid-State Technical College's Accounting program is a 61-credit Associate in Applied Science designed to take two years. The college lists financial reporting, tax preparation and decision-making among the skills covered, and it says students gain experience through projects that simulate professional accounting work. Delivery options include online, online live and hybrid, and the program is offered at Adams, Marshfield, Stevens Point Downtown and Wisconsin Rapids as well as online. Students can start in fall, spring or summer, and general education courses can begin at any time or location. Listed careers include accounts receivable and payable specialist, junior staff accountant, payroll accountant and tax accountant.

Mid-State is open admission, and federal data show a 52% graduation rate. In-state tuition is $4,339, against $6,508 for out-of-state students. The program's Program Score is 80.2 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want entry-level accounting work after two years or plan to continue toward a bachelor's degree, and who need a flexible mix of in-person and remote classes. The school describes the associate degree as preparation for either route, so students with a transfer goal should check articulation details with an advisor.

Western Technical College offers an associate degree in accounting on its La Crosse campus, with a fall start. The page says instruction is flexible and may be delivered face-to-face, online, through computer conferencing or in a combination of these formats. The program serves people seeking entry-level accounting positions and people who already carry accounting responsibilities and want to strengthen their skills. Students gain proficiency in accounting software and spreadsheet applications. Program outcomes include processing financial transactions through the accounting cycle, preparing payroll, cost accounting and tax reporting, and identifying internal controls to reduce risk. Listed careers include accountant, bookkeeper, payroll specialist, cost accountant and tax accountant. The page notes a waiting list policy when the program reaches capacity.

Western has a Program Score of 78.4 out of 100, which is the basis of this ranking. The college is open admission and graduates 34% of its students. In-state tuition is $4,462 and out-of-state tuition is $6,720. The program fits students who want a local, flexible path into bookkeeping, payroll and staff accounting work, and employed adults who need to build formal accounting credentials around a job.

Lakeshore Technical College offers a 60-credit Accounting associate degree in a competency-based education format. The college says this lets students accelerate their learning while receiving personalized coaching, with frequent start dates. A full-time student finishes in four terms, and classes are delivered by day, evening and online. The page points to instructors with experience in a variety of accounting environments, a low student-to-faculty ratio and transfer paths to several university partners for a bachelor's degree. Related career titles include bookkeeping and auditing clerk, billing and posting clerk, payroll and timekeeping clerk and tax preparer. The college lists the program as financial aid eligible, with starts in fall or spring.

Lakeshore is open admission, and federal data show a 50% graduation rate. In-state tuition is $4,485, against $6,728 for out-of-state students. The program's Program Score is 75.7 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits self-paced students, especially working adults who already know some accounting and want to move faster than a fixed semester schedule allows. The competency-based format rewards independent study, so students who prefer set class meetings should ask how coaching and scheduling work before enrolling.