The Best Bachelor's in Accounting Programs in Arkansas for 2027

John Brown University offers a B.B.A. in accounting that prepares students to prepare, analyze and interpret financial information. The program requires an internship, so students gain professional experience while they study. Coursework includes specialized software, mock audits and financial data analysis, and students work through the accounting cycle of a fictional company and visit real companies to see the concepts applied. Core courses named on the program page include financial accounting principles, principles of marketing, intermediate accounting and cost accounting. The school says it helps students meet the requirements to become a Certified Public Accountant, and classes are taught by faculty who hold CPA licenses and have public, corporate and international accounting experience. The page lists audit, tax preparation, internal control, budget analysis and forensic accounting as career directions.

John Brown is a private nonprofit school in Siloam Springs. It graduates 72% of its students and admits 76% of applicants. Tuition is $30,374 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program has a Program Score of 81.5 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a required internship and licensed CPA faculty, and who are weighing a private-school price against a strong completion rate.

Ouachita Baptist University offers a Bachelor of Arts in accounting through its Hickingbotham School of Business. The page describes financial reporting for both non-profit and for-profit organizations, with classes that pair foundational principles with real-world tax and audit work, aimed at preparing students to pursue the CPA right after graduation. Featured courses include Accounting Information Systems, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost Accounting, Federal Income Tax, Advanced Accounting and Principles and Procedures of Auditing. The degree is described as flexible, letting students choose courses to fit their interests and career path. The school reports AACSB accreditation and says all business students join the Four Year Experience, which includes annual trips to metropolitan areas for tours of businesses, accounting firms and the Federal Reserve. The school also reports that 100% of recent accounting students found jobs within six months of graduation.

On the federal side, Ouachita graduates 61% of its students and admits 68% of applicants, with in-state and out-of-state tuition both at $33,780 as a private nonprofit. The program earns a Program Score of 78.3 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a small, faith-based campus, a CPA-oriented curriculum and a school-organized path into regional accounting employers.

Arkansas State University offers a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with Data Analytics through the Neil Griffin College of Business. Students build a base in accounting and learn tools including Excel, Power BI, Tableau and Alteryx, with the option to specialize toward the Certified Public Accountant exam. The degree requires 120 credit hours. The school lists roles such as financial analyst, auditor, tax consultant and data analytics and automation specialist. A featured alumnus describes being recruited by a CPA firm in November of senior year and reaching 155 credit hours by graduation, which shows how students can plan for the 150-hour licensure threshold. The school reports that the college is accredited by AACSB International. Admission asks for a 3.0 GPA for freshmen and 2.0 for transfers, a completed online application and official transcripts.

A-State graduates 55% of its students and admits 82% of applicants. In-state tuition is $7,488 and out-of-state tuition is $13,920. The program carries a Program Score of 73.1 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want accounting plus hands-on analytics skills, and those who want a path toward CPA licensure at a regional public university with a moderate price for out-of-state students.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff houses its Bachelor of Science in Accounting in the Department of Accounting, one of two departments in the School of Business and Management. The curriculum pairs accounting with a general education in the humanities and sciences, communication, quantitative methods, economics and computer technology. Accounting majors must hold a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA, earn at least a C in major core courses, pass the English Proficiency Exam and complete the school of business program of study. The department is direct about licensure: Arkansas requires 150 semester hours of college credit to sit for the CPA exam, so aspiring CPAs need elective hours or an advanced degree beyond the bachelor's. A minor in accounting is also available. The department lists career paths in public, government, industrial and management accounting, auditing and teaching.

UAPB admits 41% of applicants, and 40% of students graduate. In-state tuition is $6,330 and out-of-state tuition is $14,910. The program's Program Score is 68.8 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits Arkansas residents who want a lower in-state price and a campus-based accounting degree, and who are prepared to plan extra credit hours if CPA licensure is the goal.

Southern Arkansas University (SAU) delivers its accounting major through the Rankin College of Business, in the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics. The page lists a 120 credit hour degree, offered on campus as a major or minor. Students take a broad mix of business and campus-wide classes in the first two years, then move into upper-level courses in financial and managerial accounting, auditing, tax and fraud. Accounting students are encouraged to complete an internship and each is assigned an accounting faculty advisor for scheduling, mentoring and career placement. The page says the curriculum meets the educational requirements for CPA licensure in Arkansas and describes career paths in public, private and government or non-profit accounting. Students can compete with FBLA/PBL and join the Accounting Society, and the faculty are all CPAs.

Federal data show SAU graduates 49% of its students and admits 75% of applicants. In-state tuition is $7,380 and out-of-state tuition is $13,110. The program holds a Program Score of 66.9 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits students who want a low-cost, CPA-eligible accounting degree with hands-on advising and an internship push.

Arkansas Tech University offers its accounting degree through the LeMoyne Smith School of Business. The program is laid out as an eight-semester degree map meant to be finished in four academic years, with CPA-aligned coursework built in. The school says the program prepares students for public, governmental and nonprofit accounting. Career-building features include the Meet the Firms event and an Accounting Club. The 120-credit-hour degree alone does not meet Arkansas's 150-credit-hour requirement for CPA licensing, so the school points students to its MBA, and an Accelerated Bachelor to Master Degree program lets students earn dual credit toward both degrees. Accounting courses require a grade of C or better. The school lists stackable credentials including the CPA, CFE, CIA, CMA and CISA. It reports a 24:1 student-to-faculty ratio in upper-level accounting classes.

Arkansas Tech graduates 49% of its students and admits 96% of applicants. In-state tuition is $5,995 and out-of-state tuition is $11,989. The program's Program Score is 63.3 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits students looking for a low-cost, campus-based accounting degree with a clear route to the CPA through the school's own graduate option.