The Best Bachelor's in Accounting Programs of 2027

Florida State University's Bachelor of Science in Accounting, through the Herbert Wertheim College of Business, builds on core courses in financial accounting and reporting, cost accounting, accounting information systems, federal income tax, and audit, combined with management, business analytics, and marketing coursework. Getting into upper-division accounting classes requires a B or better in ACG 2021 and ACG 2071 plus a passing score on FSU's own Accounting Competency Exam. The page is explicit that the bachelor's alone does not meet Florida's CPA licensure requirements: students need the Master of Accounting, and qualified students can use a combined bachelor's/master's pathway that counts up to nine credit hours toward both degrees.

FSU's Program Score is 97.4, close behind Wisconsin's, on an 86% graduation rate, the lowest of the four programs here but still well above the national norm, and a 24% admit rate that ties Florida as the most selective school on this list. In-state tuition is $4,640 a year, nearly identical to UF's $4,477, but out-of-state tuition is $19,084, a $14,444 annual gap that totals $57,776 over four years. That out-of-state price is less than half of UT Austin's $44,908 and well under Wisconsin's $40,506, making FSU the most affordable option here for students paying non-resident rates while still getting a comparably selective, comparably ranked program.

The BBA in accounting at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business is administered through the J.M. Tull School of Accounting. The curriculum covers accounting standards, financial statement preparation, product costing and budgeting, taxation, and auditing, risk assessment and control, alongside required coursework in accounting systems and professionalism in the business environment. Terry reports that more than 95% of its accounting graduates are employed within three months of graduation, with recent hires going to Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, Citi, Raymond James and The Home Depot.

Terry's Program Score of 97.2 is built on a 90% graduation rate and a 38% admit rate, selective for a public flagship enrolling 43,146 students. Georgia residents pay $10,034 a year, $40,136 over four years; nonresidents pay $30,272 a year, or $121,088 over four years, a premium of $80,952 across the degree. At $10,034 a year, Georgia's in-state rate is the lowest sticker price of the four programs in this group, for a program with a 90% graduation rate and direct recruiting pipelines into Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC.

The national median wage for accountants and auditors is $87,660 a year, per BLS Occupational Outlook data; it's the same figure nationwide, not a UGA-specific outcome. Measured against it, the $40,136 in-state cost of the full degree equals about 5.5 months of that median salary, one of the shortest tuition paybacks among these four programs.

University of Maryland-College Park's accounting major, housed in the Robert H. Smith School of Business, splits into two explicit tracks. The Public Accounting Track is built for CPA Exam eligibility: after a shared core of Intermediate Accounting I, Managerial Accounting and Accounting Systems, it requires Intermediate Accounting II, Taxation of Individuals, Ethics and Professionalism in Accounting, and Auditing Theory and Practice, the four courses the program flags as required for CPA licensure in Maryland. The Business and Accounting Advisory Track swaps some of that technical depth for a broader business elective, options include Negotiations, Operations Analytics, International Business Management and Entrepreneurship, for students headed into corporate roles that don't require CPA eligibility.

The catalog notes that 120 credits complete the accounting major, but the 150-hour route to CPA licensure, tracked nationally by the AICPA, leads many Public Accounting Track students to plan on coursework beyond the bachelor's degree. Maryland's Program Score of 97.2 rests on an 89% graduation rate and a 45% admit rate, the least selective of the four programs here, at a public university enrolling 41,725 students. In-state tuition is $10,087 a year, $40,348 over four years; out-of-state tuition is $39,464 a year, or $157,856 over four years, a gap of $117,508 across the degree, the largest dollar spread in this group.

The national median wage for accountants and auditors is $87,660 a year, per BLS Occupational Outlook data, the same figure nationwide and not a Maryland-specific result. Against it, the $40,348 in-state total equals about 5.5 months of that median salary; the $157,856 out-of-state total equals roughly 1.8 years of it, the real price of choosing Maryland's CPA-track curriculum as a nonresident.

Washington University's BSBA in Accounting, part of its undergraduate business program, requires 12 total units: a three-unit core course, Intermediate Financial Accounting I, plus nine units of electives. The elective list runs from standard technical training, Intermediate Financial Accounting II, Taxation of Business Entities, Auditing, Financial Statement Analysis, M&An Accounting, to specialized half-unit courses in Carbon Accounting and Not-for-Profit Accounting, a two-course Ethics sequence, and International Taxation and Advanced International Taxation. That menu lets a student weight the major toward audit, tax or specialized reporting without leaving the accounting department.

Washington University's Program Score of 97.2 is built on the strongest outcomes pair in this group: a 94% graduation rate against just a 12% admit rate, the tightest admission funnel of the four schools here, at a university enrolling 16,357 students total. Tuition is flat at $64,500 a year regardless of residency, $258,000 over four years before financial aid, versus $40,136 over four years for an in-state Georgia student, a difference of $217,864.

Set against the national median wage for accountants and auditors, $87,660 a year per BLS Occupational Outlook data (a national figure, not a Washington University-specific outcome), the $258,000 four-year sticker price equals about 2.9 years of that median salary before aid. That's the tradeoff behind the 94% graduation rate and 12% admit rate: a materially longer payback window than either public in-state option in this group, unless financial aid closes the gap.

Wake Forest University's B.S. in Accountancy runs through the AACSB-accredited School of Business and builds the standard technical core, intermediate accounting, taxation, auditing, systems and ethics, paired with a ten-week paid accounting or finance internship built into the senior-year curriculum. The undergraduate degree feeds directly into Wake Forest's Master of Science in Accountancy: accountancy majors can apply during junior year, and the school reports its MSA program has held the #1 CPA pass rate ranking more often than any other school over the past 25 years, plus a #1 ranking in Big Four job placement and 100% employment for the MSA Class of 2024 six months after graduation. A new Accountancy Minor, launched for 2025-2026, packages five courses, Introductory Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I and II, and a business tax course, for non-business majors.

Wake Forest's Program Score of 97.2 is built on an 89% graduation rate and a 22% admit rate, more selective than the two public flagships in this group, Georgia at 38% and Maryland at 45%, but less selective than Washington University's 12%, at a university enrolling 9,322 students. Tuition is flat at $66,470 a year regardless of residency, $265,880 over four years before aid, the highest sticker price of the four programs here.

Against the national median wage for accountants and auditors, $87,660 a year per BLS Occupational Outlook data (a national benchmark, not a Wake Forest-specific figure), the $265,880 four-year cost equals just over three years of that median salary before aid. The case for paying it is the junior-year MSA pathway: a fifth year converts the bachelor's into the credential the school reports has topped CPA pass-rate and Big Four placement rankings, rather than requiring a separate 150-credit program elsewhere.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Gies Business accountancy major sits inside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's undergraduate business core, then layers on upper-level courses in audit, tax, accounting information systems, and financial reporting. The program builds artificial intelligence directly into its coursework rather than treating it as an add-on: students use AI tools for forecasting, audit support, fraud analytics, and tax research inside their accounting classes. Illinois also runs a five-year path that lets students combine the bachelor's degree with a Master of Accounting Science (MAS), a running start on the credit hours needed for CPA or CMA credentials.

The numbers back the reputation: an 85% graduation rate and a 42% admit rate on a campus of 59,238 students, the data behind its 96.9 Program Score (rank #9 nationally in this analysis). In-state tuition is $14,975 a year, or $59,900 over four years, less than nine months of the $87,660 national median salary the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for accountants and auditors. Out-of-state tuition runs $36,804 a year, or $147,216 over four years, about $87,316 more than the in-state total.

Gies Business reports an $84,343 average starting salary and 97% successful career outcomes for its own graduates, and its page cites a #1 U.S. News & World Report ranking for undergraduate accountancy. This fits Illinois residents who want a flagship business school under $15,000 a year, and out-of-state students willing to pay closer to private-school tuition for a program built around CPA and CMA preparation; AICPA sets the licensure requirements that curriculum feeds into.

Brigham Young University's Marriott School offers a 64-credit-hour Bachelor of Science in Accounting built in three stages. Students first complete three prerequisites, Principles of Accounting 1 and 2 and Intro to Information Systems, with a minimum B grade required before declaring the major, which can only happen starting fall semester. A six-course pre-major block covers business law, economics, corporate finance, spreadsheets and business analysis, management communication, and marketing. The junior core then runs 11 courses deep, including Business and Accounting Information Systems, Cost and Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Financial Accounting 1 and 2, Fundamentals of Taxation, Financial Statement Auditing, a dedicated Data Analytics in Accounting course, and two professional development seminars.

BYU's catalog pairs technical learning outcomes with its religious mission: alongside mastering accounting and business content, students are expected to "express a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ," a reminder this is a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints affiliated program with an honor code, not a secular accounting school. The program posts an 81% graduation rate and a 68% admit rate, the most accessible of the four programs profiled here, across an enrollment of 35,873. That combination underlies its 96.9 Program Score and rank #10 nationally in this analysis.

Tuition is the outlier: $6,688 a year, identical for in-state and out-of-state students. Four years totals $26,752, about four months of the $87,660 national median salary the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for accountants and auditors. This fits students comfortable with BYU's honor code and religious mission in exchange for the lowest sticker price of any accounting program on this list.

University of Pennsylvania's Wharton accounting concentration starts with two required fundamentals, Accounting and Financial Reporting (ACCT 1010) and Strategic Cost Analysis (ACCT 1020), inside Wharton's broader core of corporate finance, monetary economics, managerial economics, ethics, marketing, and operations. Concentrators then take Financial Measurement and Disclosure (ACCT 2120) plus three electives chosen from a list that includes Accounting for Mergers, Acquisitions, and Complex Financial Structures; Climate and Financial Markets; Forensic Analytics; Accounting for Entrepreneurs; and Taxes and Business Strategy, or a valuation course through the finance department. The concentration sits inside a 37-course-unit degree that also requires a foreign-language requirement, three courses of cross-cultural content, and three upper-level "business breadth" courses taken outside the student's concentration.

Wharton's undergraduate program is the most selective and the most consistent-to-finish program in this group: a 5% admit rate against a 97% graduation rate, out of an undergraduate population of 29,109. That combination drives its 96.7 Program Score and rank #11 nationally in this analysis. Tuition is a flat $60,920 a year regardless of residency; four years totals $243,680, about 2.8 times the $87,660 national median salary the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for accountants and auditors.

This program fits applicants who can clear one of the lowest admit rates in undergraduate business education and pay full private tuition for early access to specialized electives, forensic analytics, M&An accounting, and climate-related financial reporting, that most bachelor's programs don't offer until graduate school.

Boston College's Carroll School splits accounting into two concentrations. The standard Accounting concentration, aimed at future CPAs, requires four core courses, Financial Accounting Standards and Theory I and II, Managerial Cost Analysis, and Federal Taxation, plus one additional course from a CPA-discipline list (Accounting Information Systems, Advanced Federal Taxation, or FAST III) and one elective from options that include Auditing and Other Assurance Services, ESG Reporting and Analysis, AI Applications in Business, and Forensic Accounting. Students who want to analyze financial statements rather than prepare them can instead take the four-course Accounting for Finance and Consulting concentration, built around Intermediate Accounting for Finance & Consulting and aimed at financial analysis, investment banking, and consulting roles.

The department is explicit that its CPA-track concentration alone will not clear a state's exam bar: most states require between 24 and 33 accounting credit hours (8 to 11 classes) to sit for the CPA exam, while BC's six-course concentration totals 18 credits, 21 once the required Financial Accounting core course is counted, so students must add electives from the department's list to reach the threshold. Auditing is called out as a requirement to sit for the CPA exam in every state, and Accounting Information Systems becomes a New York CPA exam requirement starting in 2027, according to the page.

Boston College posts a 91% graduation rate against a 16% admit rate, at an enrollment of 15,432, the smallest campus of the four programs profiled here. That combination underlies its 96.5 Program Score and rank #12 nationally. Tuition runs a flat $69,400 a year, the highest of this group; four years totals $277,600, about 3.2 times the $87,660 national median salary the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for accountants and auditors, so the CPA-track concentration works best for students set on public accounting who plan extra electives around the state credit-hour requirement. AICPA and individual state boards set the exact CPA credit-hour thresholds referenced above.

Georgetown University's accounting major sits inside the McDonough School of Business and builds on the business core with five accounting courses, totaling 15 credits. Students take 6 credits of required courses, led by ACCT-3101 Corporate Financial Reporting, plus 6 credits of accounting electives and 3 credits of technology-based coursework such as Python, data visualization, databases or data science. Electives include Tax and Regulation, Financial Statement Analysis, Auditing and Analytics, and Mergers, Acquisitions and Complex Financial Structures. The school suggests pairing accounting with Finance, Operations and Analytics, or Marketing, and it names consulting, banking, private equity, technology and public accounting among the career paths for majors. Students aiming for the CPA or CFA designation are told to consult accounting faculty and their state Boards of Accountancy about requirements.

Georgetown has a 95% graduation rate and admits 13% of applicants. Tuition is $67,896 for both in-state and out-of-state students. The program's Program Score of 96.3 out of 100 is the basis of its ranking. It suits students who are admitted to a highly selective university and want an accounting major paired with a second business field and some technical coursework. Anyone planning on CPA licensure should confirm the credit requirements with their state board early.

The University of Notre Dame teaches undergraduate accountancy in the Department of Accountancy at the Mendoza College of Business. The page lists courses such as Strategic Cost Management, Ethics in Accounting and Federal Taxation, and names Data Analytics in Accounting as a key differentiator, covering data mining, simulation modeling and optimization. It explains that a CPA license typically requires 150 college credit hours, and that the yearlong Master of Science in Accountancy program lets students complete those hours. Under the accelerated 3+1 option, students finish the undergraduate degree in three years and earn the MSA in the fourth, or begin the MSA in January of their fourth year if they finish in 3.5 years.

Federal data show a 95% graduation rate and an 11% admit rate at Notre Dame, so admission is highly selective. Tuition is $64,518 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program earns a Program Score of 96.2 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits strong applicants who want an analytics-oriented accounting education and a built-in path to the 150 hours the CPA license usually requires.

At Emory University, accounting is one of five areas of study in the Goizueta Business School BBA, alongside finance, information systems and operations management, marketing, and strategy and management consulting. Students may add a secondary area from other academic fields. The accounting area covers financial reporting, the legal environment and taxation, and the school lists electives such as Strategic Cost Management, Accounting Analytics, Tax Strategy, Financial Reporting, Audit, and Accounting for Mergers and Acquisitions. BBA students can also combine any area with the joint Master of Professional Accounting, which lets them begin graduate coursework during the undergraduate degree. The page frames the major as a route to roles in public accounting, corporate finance, consulting and investment banking.

Emory graduates 91% of its students and admits 11% of applicants. Tuition is $63,400 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The accounting program has a Program Score of 96.1 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want accounting inside a broad business degree and who may later add the joint graduate accounting degree.

Texas A&M University-College Station offers an Accounting BBA through the James Benjamin Department of Accounting at Mays Business School. The degree is 120 credit hours, taught in person in College Station. Majors learn to understand business operations, communicate financial performance to different audiences and use financial data to support decisions. Hands-on options include an Internal Audit Program, an Energy Accounting Certificate and a Mergers and Acquisitions course, and students can join the Aggie Accounting Association. The department states that its coursework is approved by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy and that CPA candidates need 120 to 150 credit hours, so some students add courses or a master's. The Professional Program in Accounting lets students finish a master's alongside the BBA in a 4+1 format.

The university graduates 84% of its students and admits 57% of applicants. In-state tuition is $9,092 and out-of-state tuition is $36,169. The program earns a Program Score of 96 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a large public campus, a clear path toward CPA eligibility and the option to stack a master's degree on top.

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting at North Carolina State University pairs a general business foundation, including business statistics, statistical programming and business analytics, with depth in accounting. The curriculum covers financial and managerial accounting, taxation, auditing, analytics and accounting information systems, and students build teamwork, problem-solving and technology skills. The catalog states that the program provides the credit hours needed to sit for the CPA exam. High-achieving students can apply directly to the Master of Accounting program and earn the graduate degree with just one additional year of coursework. The degree sits in the Poole College of Management, and its plan of study includes general education coursework in communication, economics, ethics and the sciences alongside the accounting core.

NC State graduates 85% of its students and admits 42% of applicants. In-state tuition is $6,535, compared with $30,583 out of state. The program has a Program Score of 95.8 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students aiming for CPA licensure who value the option of a fast-track master's degree, and in-state students benefit most from the price gap. Admission is moderately selective, so applicants should prepare a strong academic record.

Villanova University's accounting major in the Villanova School of Business leads to a Bachelor of Business Administration. Students complete the university core, the business core, four required accounting courses and two accounting electives. The school says its programs prepare students for public accounting firms, corporate rotation programs, government forensics work and other professional groups, and reports that nearly 100% of accounting majors find full-time placement by graduation. The page explains that most CPA licensure routes need 150 credit hours, and describes combining the bachelor's with the Master of Accounting with Data Analytics or the Master of Business Taxation with Data Analytics over four to five years. Students can also overload courses or take summer classes to reach 150 hours.

Villanova reports a 92% graduation rate and a 27% admit rate, so admission is selective. Tuition is $66,838 for in-state and out-of-state students alike, since the university is private. The program earns a Program Score of 95.8 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits students who plan to sit the CPA exam and want a clear path to the 150 hours employers expect.

The University of Washington's accounting major is one of the options inside the Foster School of Business's Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, alongside majors such as finance, marketing, entrepreneurship and operations and supply chain management. The school also lists an Accounting for Business Professionals major. Students enter through the Freshman Direct program, offered once a year for autumn, or the Upper-Division Admission Group, which requires 60 graded credits and a minimum 2.00 GPA. Applications for autumn are due April 5 and for winter October 5. Suggested preparation includes ACCTG 215 and 225, MGMT 200 and QMETH 201, and the school says acceptance is competitive.

Federal data show an 85% graduation rate at the University of Washington and an admit rate of 39%. In-state tuition is $11,869, compared with $42,105 for out-of-state students. The program earns a Program Score of 95.8 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits Washington residents, and students from elsewhere who can handle the higher rate, who are willing to complete prerequisite coursework and compete for a place in the business school.

Purdue University offers a Bachelor of Science in accounting through the Daniels School of Business on its West Lafayette campus. Students apply to the accounting (pre) major. The curriculum covers designing and managing accounting information systems, auditing, tax preparation, fraud detection and data visualization tools, with projects that work with public accounting firms, nonprofits and government agencies. As early as the sophomore year, students can pursue the 10-month Master of Science in Accounting pathway, which provides a route to the 150 college credit hours required for a Certified Public Accountant license. The page lists careers such as auditor, tax accountant, forensic accountant and payroll manager, and internships at firms including KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Cummins. It reports an average starting salary of $60,356.

Purdue has a Program Score of 95.6 out of 100, which is the basis of this ranking. The university graduates 83% of its students and admits 50% of applicants. In-state tuition is $9,718 and out-of-state tuition is $28,520. The degree fits students who plan to sit for the CPA exam and want the extra year of graduate study built into their path.

Washington and Lee University's Bachelor of Science in Accounting is housed in the Williams School's Accounting and Finance department and builds on a liberal arts foundation. Majors combine accounting, economics and business administration courses. The school reports that about one-third of graduates are recruited by Big Four accounting firms, another third join investment and commercial banking firms, and the rest follow varied paths including graduate school. Because most states require 150 hours of college credit for the CPA Exam, the page describes routes to reach it, including the ELE program, AP credit, summer school or graduate study. It also cites agreements with graduate programs and internship and study options in Sydney, Cape Town and London.

Federal data show a 94% graduation rate and a 14% admit rate at Washington and Lee. Listed tuition is $66,800 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program earns a Program Score of 95.5 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students aiming at public accounting or finance who want a small residential college, are willing to plan their 150 credit hours early, and value overseas internship options alongside the technical coursework.

The University of Connecticut offers a Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in Accounting, taught in person on the Storrs campus. It combines a general business background with junior and senior accounting and business law courses. Required major courses include Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost Accounting, Federal Income Taxes, Assurance Services, and Accounting Information Systems and Data Analytics. Students must complete several of these in residence and keep a 2.0 GPA across their accounting courses. Students preparing for the CPA exam are directed to also apply to the school's M.S. in Accounting, a 30-credit program designed to meet the 150-hour education requirement in Connecticut, and an accelerated B.S./M.S. track lets undergraduates finish both in under five years. Those aiming for the CMA exam are told to consult an accounting advisor about electives.

UConn admits 52% of applicants, and 83% of students graduate. In-state tuition is $17,010 and out-of-state tuition is $39,678. The program earns a Program Score of 95.3 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want an accounting degree with a clear CPA or CMA pathway and who may stay on for the accelerated master's.

Lehigh University offers accounting as a major within its B.S. in Business and Economics, taught through the Lehigh Business college. The school says the curriculum and its students have earned the program the designation of "key school" among recruiters, and that professional firms run on-site summer and winter leadership programs and externships for sophomores. Many accounting students then take paid internships the summer after sophomore year, and most complete an internship the summer after junior year, which the program says typically leads to entry-level jobs at graduation. Beyond the classroom, the page lists the Segal Accounting Distinguished Speaker Series (established in 2003), the Beta Alpha Psi honor society, which tutors students in ACCT 151 and ACCT 152, and an Accounting Club that connects students with visiting professionals and recruiting firms. The page describes alumni as partners at international professional services firms, chief financial officers, management consultants and Wall Street analysts.

Federal data shows an 88% graduation rate at Lehigh and an admit rate of 26%, so this is a selective program. In-state tuition is $63,930, the same as out-of-state, since the school is private. The Program Score of 95.3 out of 100 is the basis of its ranking. The program fits students who want a recruiter-driven path into public accounting or corporate finance and are comfortable competing for a place at a selective school.

Bucknell University's Freeman College of Management offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting and Financial Management, with accounting and finance paths. The page describes small classes, faculty mentors with industry experience, a liberal arts perspective and an alumni network. Select seniors and second-semester juniors can join the Student Managed Investment Fund, a capstone that manages about $3.6 million of University funds and requires presenting positions to a committee of the Board of Trustees. The school says its accounting majors regularly exceed national averages for first-attempt CPA exam passing and that most secure internships with top accounting firms, often leading to offers before senior year. The Dominguez Center for Data Science, launched in 2024, adds data programming across disciplines.

Federal data show an 86% graduation rate and a 29% admit rate, so admission is selective. Tuition is $67,446 for in-state and out-of-state students, since Bucknell is a private nonprofit. The program earns a Program Score of 95.3 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits strong applicants who want a liberal arts setting, early internships with major firms and a capstone with real money at stake.

Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business offers a bachelor's degree in accounting. The department describes the major as developing students' ability to create, interpret and analyze financial information for business decisions, and as preparing them for CPA certification. A second option, the Accounting and Information Systems major, is STEM designated and combines the courses required for both an accounting major and an information systems major, aimed at specialists who bridge IT and accounting or finance. The school says it emphasizes small class sizes, faculty mentorship and contact with alumni and professionals. Students can join the Accounting Association, attend accounting career fairs and events with professionals, and compete for department awards and scholarships. The school also reports AACSB accreditation.

Federal data show an 88% graduation rate and a 48% admit rate. In-state tuition is $60,639, identical to the out-of-state figure of $60,639. The program earns a Program Score of 95 out of 100, the basis of its ranking here. It fits students who want a CPA-oriented accounting degree in a small-class setting, with a technology-focused alternative, and who can afford private-university tuition.