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

Holy Cross runs accounting out of a combined Economics and Accounting Department inside an exclusively undergraduate liberal arts college. The major follows a fixed four-year sequence: Financial Accounting (ACCT 181) in year one, Intermediate Accounting I and II (ACCT 277, 278) by sophomore year, Federal Income Taxation (ECON 292) and Auditing (ACCT 382) in year three, then Ethics, Accounting and Organizations (ACCT 360), Business Law (ACCT 387), and Cost Accounting (ACCT 389) senior year, plus two electives from options like Accounting Information Systems, Data Analytics, or Taxation of Entities. The department maps this directly to CPA licensure's 150-hour rule: a standard 32-class Holy Cross course load equals 128 credit hours, but three required accounting courses carry an extra credit each, so accounting majors graduate with 131 hours. Because Holy Cross has no on-campus graduate program, students still have to close the remaining gap to 150 hours through summer coursework or a graduate program elsewhere.

The program combines an 87% graduation rate, tied with Bentley for the highest on this list, with an 18% admit rate, the second-tightest behind Boston College's 16%. Tuition is $63,650 flat, with no in-state break, inside a total undergraduate enrollment of just 3,126. Its 93.1 Program Score puts it fourth in Massachusetts. Holy Cross fits students who want the smallest cohort and the most rigorously sequenced CPA-track curriculum on this list, and who are willing to plan post-graduate coursework elsewhere to finish the 150-hour requirement.

Bentley University's Corporate Finance and Accounting (CFA) major fuses accounting and finance into one degree, covering cost and profitability analysis, strategic planning, and business performance management. Select high-performing students can add a master's through an accelerated BS/MS finished in four years total. The curriculum includes Financial Modeling (FI 347), where students build valuation models and VBA-driven tools, plus hands-on work through the student-run Bentley Investment Group, which manages a slice of the university's own endowment. Bentley's CareerEdge office reports an $80,000 median starting salary for CFA graduates, a 100% post-graduate outcome rate, and 89% internship participation.

Bentley ranks #5 among Massachusetts's top accounting programs with a Program Score of 93, the highest of the four schools profiled here, built on an 87% graduation rate and a 45% admit rate, the most selective of the group; 55% of applicants are turned away. Tuition runs $61,000 a year regardless of residency (private schools set one flat rate, with no in-state discount), which totals $244,000 across four years before aid or fees, across an undergraduate enrollment of 5,333. For comparison, the national BLS median for accountants and auditors, all experience levels, is $87,660 a year, per BLS data; Bentley's reported $80,000 median starting salary sits close behind that all-career benchmark. This program fits an applicant who tests well, wants the CPA-track dual-degree route, and can compete for one of the state's most selective accounting seats.

Endicott College's Accounting Program (B.S.) is built as a CPA-exam pipeline: 125 to 126 total credits across four years, with required courses in Intermediate Accounting I through III, Cost Accounting, Tax Accounting, Auditing, Advanced Accounting, Corporate Tax Accounting, and Data Analytics for Accounting and Auditing. Career prep starts early, with first- and second-year internship courses (INT 100, INT 200), then a 12-credit, full-semester internship (ACC 480) in year three. Recent internship and alumni placements include PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, KPMG, Fidelity, and RSM. Stated learning outcomes tie directly to CPA exam readiness.

Endicott ranks #6 in Massachusetts with a Program Score of 88.3, built on a 76% graduation rate and a 71% admit rate, the most accessible of the four programs here alongside Merrimack. Tuition is $39,750 a year, flat for in-state and out-of-state students and the lowest sticker price on this list, for a four-year total of $159,000 before aid. Enrollment stands at 4,394. Endicott does not publish its own accounting starting-salary figure; the national BLS median for accountants and auditors, all experience levels, is $87,660 a year, per BLS data. The combination of a CPA-focused curriculum, a built-in semester internship, and the lowest tuition on this list fits a student chasing Big Four exposure without Bentley's admit-rate ceiling.

Stonehill College's accounting major is a B.S.B.A. housed in the Department of Accounting and Taxation inside the AACSB-accredited Meehan School of Business, a distinction the college notes places it among the under 6% of business schools worldwide with that AACSB accreditation. The program targets CPA, controller, internal auditor, and forensic accountant career tracks, and the Skyhawk Accelerated Dual Degree lets students add a master's, in business administration, marketing, or data analytics, in as little as four years total. Stonehill reports that 96% of its Class of 2023 accounting majors were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduating, at a median salary of $71,291.

Stonehill ranks #7 in Massachusetts with a Program Score of 87.2, built on a 76% graduation rate and a 66% admit rate, roughly midway between Bentley's 45% and Merrimack's 70%. Tuition is $55,750 a year, flat for in-state and out-of-state students, which totals $223,000 across four years before aid, at a comparatively small enrollment of 2,674. Stonehill's self-reported $71,291 median starting salary sits below the national BLS median of $87,660 a year for accountants and auditors across all experience levels, per BLS data, which reflects the usual gap between an entry-level salary and a career-wide average. This program fits a student who wants a small cohort and a named dual-degree path to a master's.

Merrimack College's B.S. in Accounting runs through the Girard School of Business as a 124-credit, on-campus degree (60 to 68 credits in the major, 2.0 minimum GPA), with required coursework in Intermediate Accounting I and II, Managerial Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, Taxes, and Auditing. Every accounting major gets a guaranteed co-op through the Warriors at Work program; the college reports co-op participants earn about $15,000 over three months at $28 to $37 an hour, with recent placements at Deloitte, PwC, Baker Tilly, Andersen, and Tonneson and Co. The related Bachelor's Degree Completion Program is Merrimack's online-accessible track, separate from the on-campus major detailed here.

Merrimack ranks #8 in Massachusetts with a Program Score of 86.6, built on a 70% graduation rate and a 70% admit rate, the most accessible on this list alongside Endicott. Tuition is $49,352 a year, flat for in-state and out-of-state students, which totals $197,408 across four years before aid, across the largest undergraduate enrollment of the four schools at 5,862. Girard School of Business reports 97% of its class of 2024 was employed, in a service program, or continuing education at graduation. That mix, guaranteed paid co-op income plus a 70% admit rate, fits a student prioritizing early work experience and access over maximum selectivity.

Springfield College offers a Bachelor of Science in Accounting through its Department of Business Management, taught on campus in Springfield, Massachusetts. The page says courses use current business software, and students can gain practical experience through internships and volunteering in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The curriculum spans accounting along with management, communications, ethics and data analytics, teaching students to assemble, analyze and report financial data for a range of organizations. The department reports specialized accreditation from the International Accreditation Council for Business Education. Graduates are described as ready to enter for-profit or nonprofit organizations, continue to graduate school, or pursue certifications such as the CPA and CMA, and an experiential major map helps students plan their path.

Springfield reports a 74% graduation rate and admits about 72% of applicants. In-state tuition is $43,800, matching the out-of-state figure. The program's Program Score is 82.8 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a hands-on, campus-based accounting degree with a broad business curriculum and an accredited business department.

Gordon College's B.A. in Accounting, offered in person through its School for Business, is designed to prepare students for the Certified Public Accounting exams. The school says Gordon alumni earn CPA licensure at a high rate, though it does not give a figure on the page. Courses include Intermediate Accounting and Financial Reporting I and II, with electives such as Strategic Cost Accounting, Federal Income Taxation and Planning, and Auditing. A Professional Accounting concentration adds Accounting Information Systems and Advanced Accounting. Faculty include former professionals from PricewaterhouseCoopers and Manulife John Hancock, and the page lists internships at Deloitte, KPMG and EY in the Greater Boston area. The program is also available as an accounting minor for students in other majors.

Gordon reports a 69% graduation rate and an admit rate of 69%. Tuition is $29,500 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program's Program Score is 82.3 out of 100, the basis of its ranking here. It fits students who want a small, faith-informed college setting and a clear path toward CPA licensure.

Assumption University's Bachelor of Arts in Accounting sits in the Grenon School of Business, within the Economics, Finance, and Accounting department. Majors complete 9 accounting courses and 9 interdisciplinary courses, covering auditing and assurance, corporate and individual tax, financial and managerial accounting, and data analysis, all inside a liberal arts curriculum that adds business law, marketing, management and economics. The school reports that it is one of only a few accounting programs in New England certified by the Institute of Management Accountants, and says the coursework prepares students to sit for the CPA and CMA exams. Assumption also offers an Accelerated CPA track MBA, and a minor is available alongside the major.

Federal data show a 75% graduation rate and an 83% admit rate, so the school admits most applicants. Tuition is $50,494 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program earned a Program Score of 80.7 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a CPA or CMA path with a broad business and liberal arts base, and who may stay on for the accelerated MBA at Assumption.