Choosing where to study accounting shapes the first decade of your career, from which firms recruit on campus to how prepared you are for the CPA exam. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign now holds the top spot in undergraduate accounting reputation surveys, having overtaken the University of Texas at Austin after more than a decade in second place. That shift alone tells you rankings move, and the right choice depends on what you actually want from a degree.
This guide ranks 50 accounting programs across the United States, weighted toward undergraduate teaching quality, employer recruiting and CPA exam preparation rather than research output alone. Some entries suit a school leaver aiming straight for a Big Four internship; others suit a career changer who wants a shorter, more practical route into bookkeeping or a company accounts department. If you’re weighing up whether you need a full degree at all, it’s worth reading about the difference between a formal accounting course and a university programme before you commit years and tuition fees to either path.
Quick picks:
- Best overall for undergraduate reputation: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Best for Big Four recruiting pipelines: University of Texas at Austin
- Best for CPA exam pass rates: Brigham Young University
- Best for finance-industry crossover: New York University
1) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The Gies College of Business now ranks first in the nation for undergraduate accounting, a position that reflects years of strong outcomes catching up with reputation surveys. Gies accounting graduates report an average starting salary of $78,477, and 98% find employment or move into graduate study within six months.
Undergraduates can pursue a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, with Master of Accounting Science, Master of Science in Accountancy, Master of Science in Tax, and PhD options for those continuing on. The programme runs the world’s largest student-run consultancy, giving undergraduates client-facing experience well before graduation.
Illinois suits students who want a large, well-resourced public university with deep employer ties into Chicago, New York and California. Corporations recruiting the most recent graduating class included Amazon, Deloitte, KPMG and PwC. The scale means bigger class sizes than a private college, but the trade-off buys extensive study-abroad options and research facilities that rival private universities.
2) University of Texas at Austin
McCombs School of Business held the number one undergraduate accounting spot for over a decade before Illinois overtook it in the 2026 cycle, and it remains a formidable second-place programme. Early-career graduates earn a median salary of $77,400, rising to a median mid-career figure of $141,100, based on outcomes data compiled by College Transitions.
Degrees span a Certificate, Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Science and PhD, with an integrated five-year option combining the bachelor’s and master’s. Over 1,000 alumni work at firms including Dell, Google and Deloitte, and more than 500 each at IBM, Meta and AMD.
Austin’s growing finance sector gives students recruiting channels a Midwest campus cannot easily replicate. The trade-off is a large cohort, with roughly 42,444 students enrolled across the wider university, so undergraduates need to seek out smaller accounting sections and faculty contact deliberately.
3) University of Pennsylvania
Wharton School’s undergraduate accounting concentration sits among the most selective in the country, with median starting salaries for all graduates reaching $100,000. The Wharton programme covers auditing, tax and financial accounting within a broader business curriculum, and students wanting CPA eligibility typically add coursework through the MBA or a fifth year.
Class sizes stay notably small for a university of Penn’s size: 27% of courses enrol under ten students, and 58% enrol under twenty, according to profile data from College Transitions. Employers hiring the largest numbers of recent graduates include Goldman Sachs, McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group.
Wharton suits ambitious students targeting Big Four partnerships or finance-adjacent careers in investment banking and consulting, not solely traditional public accounting. The acceptance rate sits around 6%, so admission is genuinely competitive. A PhD track exists for those interested in accounting research rather than practice.
4) University of Notre Dame
Mendoza College of Business consistently ranks among the top accounting programmes nationally, built on a reputation for research strength paired with practical training. Students can pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration in accountancy, then qualify for the CPA exam through a Master of Science in Accountancy or an MBA.
A distinctive Tax Assistance Program lets students prepare returns for local community members under supervision, giving hands-on experience most undergraduate programmes do not offer. Notre Dame shows up near the top of placement-rate tables despite a smaller class size than large state universities.
The trade-off for that intimacy is less geographic recruiting diversity than a school situated in a major financial hub. Notre Dame suits students who want strong faculty access and a tight-knit accounting cohort over sheer scale, with career services and extracurricular tax clinics reinforcing classroom learning.
5) University of Michigan
Ross School of Business pairs an undergraduate accounting degree with an integrated Master of Accounting and MBA pathway, built specifically around CPA exam preparation. The Bachelor of Business Administration curriculum blends core accounting principles with broader business training in finance and strategy.
Ross maintains close relationships with the business community, which translates into internship access before students graduate. That connection matters for accounting specifically, since firms often extend full-time offers based on how an intern performed the previous summer.
Michigan suits students wanting a large research university with strong regional and national recruiting reach, particularly into Chicago and New York offices of major firms. The PhD track caters to those aiming at academic careers in accounting research rather than public practice, a distinct path worth clarifying with faculty before enrolling.
6) Brigham Young University
Marriott School of Accountancy is known nationally for producing some of the highest CPA exam pass rates among any US programme. BYU’s 2023 job placement rate reached 96%, with nearly all Master of Accountancy graduates securing offers before graduation.
The Intensive Accounting Junior Core is demanding by design; students describe it as their hardest semester, but it builds the technical depth that shows up later in exam results. Both the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science programmes feed into this pipeline, with a PhD Prep track for students considering academia.
BYU suits students who want rigorous technical training and are comfortable with an intense workload early on. Near-complete placement rates for master’s graduates make the extra year worthwhile for many, particularly those targeting Big Four firms straight out of the programme.
7) University of Southern California
Leventhal School of Accounting, part of the Marshall College of Business, is often underrated relative to its outcomes. Its Los Angeles location opens doors into entertainment industry accounting, a genuinely specialised niche, alongside international finance through Pacific Rim business connections.
Students can pursue a Certificate, Bachelor of Business Administration, or Master of Science, with Master of Accounting and Master of Business Taxation programmes offering deep technical coverage. TFE Times ranked USC first for Master of Accounting programmes in 2026, ahead of Washington University in St Louis and Vanderbilt, per graduate rankings coverage.
USC suits students wanting California-based recruiting and a dense alumni network at every major firm in the state. The combination of study-abroad options and award-winning faculty gives the undergraduate degree unusual breadth for a professionally focused programme.
8) Indiana University Bloomington
Kelley School of Business reports that 100% of graduates receive at least one job offer within 90 days of graduation, a figure reflecting deliberate, long-built firm relationships rather than a one-off cohort. That statistic comes from detailed 2026 rankings analysis.
Indiana is often described as a “Public Ivy”, and its accounting programme runs Bachelor of Science, MBA, Master of Science and PhD tracks. Structured internships, field study projects and field consulting experience give students real client exposure before they graduate.
Kelley suits students who want a public university with private-school-level recruiting infrastructure. The conversion rate from internship to full-time offer is a genuine strength here, worth asking career services about directly when comparing this programme against pricier private alternatives.
9) New York University
Stern School of Business sits inside Manhattan, which creates a recruiting environment few other accounting programmes can match. Firms including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan recruit Stern accounting graduates for financial analysis roles that blend accounting fundamentals with investment banking exposure.
NYU ranked eleventh in the 2026 undergraduate accounting reputation survey, a solid tier-one placement even without topping the list. The location matters as much as the ranking number: proximity to Wall Street means students can attend recruiting events and information sessions without travelling.
Stern suits students specifically targeting finance-adjacent roles alongside or instead of traditional public accounting. The cost of living and tuition in Manhattan run high, so this programme fits students prioritising access to financial services recruiting over affordability.
10) Ohio State University
Fisher College of Business ranked twelfth in the 2026 undergraduate accounting survey, placing it firmly in the national top tier. Fisher offers a Bachelor of Science in Accounting alongside graduate options, with strong regional recruiting into the Midwest’s corporate and public accounting firms.
Ohio State’s scale as a major public research university gives students access to extensive alumni networks across multiple industries, not just accounting. In-state tuition also makes it considerably more affordable than most private universities on this list.
Fisher suits state residents or Midwest-focused students wanting a well-regarded programme without private-school pricing. It pairs particularly well with students who want optionality: a large university offers more elective breadth if a student later shifts toward finance or data analytics within accounting.
11) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Master of Accounting programme reports a 98% graduate placement rate, a figure that stands out even against other strong placement tables, according to 2026 graduate programme analysis. The undergraduate accounting concentration feeds directly into this master’s pathway for many students.
UNC combines a respected undergraduate business core with a graduate accounting track built around the 150-credit-hour CPA requirement most states now enforce. Students who complete both often do so through a combined four-plus-one structure, avoiding a fully separate second application.
Chapel Hill suits students wanting strong regional recruiting into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, particularly Charlotte’s banking and accounting sector. The public university price point makes the near-100% placement rate especially notable for in-state students.
12) Michigan State University
The Eli Broad College of Business offers an established undergraduate accounting degree with a long-standing reputation among Midwest employers. Michigan State’s accounting programme draws recruiters from regional and national firms alike, with a business school that has featured in accounting rankings for decades.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in accounting, generally moving toward a master’s degree to meet CPA credit requirements. The undergraduate curriculum covers financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing and tax as core components.
Michigan State suits students wanting a large public university with strong within-state recruiting and reasonable tuition relative to private competitors. It’s a sound choice for students not chasing a top-ten national ranking but wanting solid, dependable outcomes and a broad alumni base across Michigan and neighbouring states.
13) University of Florida
Fisher School of Accounting tied for eighth in the 2026 undergraduate rankings, a strong showing that reflects consistent investment in the programme. Florida offers particularly competitive in-state tuition pricing, making it a standout option for state residents chasing a top-ten reputation without private-school costs.
The Fisher School runs a five-year integrated programme combining a bachelor’s and Master of Accounting, structured around CPA exam eligibility. Regional recruiting into Florida’s growing corporate and public accounting sector is a genuine strength, alongside national firm placement.
Florida suits state residents and cost-conscious students wanting nationally recognised outcomes. Its ranking alongside Boston College at eighth place, noted in 2026 rankings coverage, reflects a programme punching above its price point.
14) University of Georgia
The Terry College of Business accounting programme appears among the top ten accounting colleges identified by College Transitions’ 2026 rankings. Georgia combines a respected undergraduate curriculum with strong regional recruiting into Atlanta, a major Southeast accounting and finance hub.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, typically continuing into a Master of Accountancy to satisfy the 150-credit-hour requirement most states impose for CPA licensure. Terry’s business school draws recruiters from national firms alongside a dense network of Atlanta-based employers.
Georgia suits students wanting strong Southeast recruiting at public-university tuition rates. It works particularly well for students planning to stay in Georgia or the broader Southeast after graduation, given how concentrated the alumni network is in that region.
15) Texas A&M University
Mays Business School offers an established undergraduate accounting degree with a reputation for producing CPA-track graduates who stay within Texas’s large accounting job market. The programme combines core financial and managerial accounting coursework with electives in tax and audit.
Texas A&M’s scale as a major public research university gives students access to extensive corporate recruiting, particularly from firms with a presence in Houston, Dallas and Austin. Many students pursue a combined bachelor’s and master’s track to meet CPA credit-hour requirements before sitting the exam.
Mays suits students wanting strong Texas-based recruiting outside Austin specifically, with a large and loyal alumni network across the state’s energy, finance and public accounting sectors. In-state tuition adds real value here relative to private Texas competitors.
16) University of Wisconsin–Madison
The Wisconsin School of Business runs a well-regarded undergraduate accounting programme known for rigorous technical training in financial reporting and audit. Madison’s accounting faculty include researchers recognised nationally, giving undergraduates exposure to current thinking in the field alongside practical coursework.
Students typically pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, with many continuing into a Master of Accountancy to meet CPA licensure requirements. Wisconsin’s business school draws recruiters from major firms with Midwest and national offices.
Madison suits students wanting a rigorous public-university programme with strong regional ties to Chicago and Minneapolis in addition to Wisconsin itself. The relatively large student body means undergraduates benefit from seeking out smaller accounting seminars and faculty office hours actively rather than relying on a naturally intimate class size.
17) Pennsylvania State University
Penn State’s Smeal College of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree built around a large, well-established recruiting infrastructure. The programme’s scale, spread across Penn State’s main campus and other locations, gives students access to a broad alumni base across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond.
Smeal’s accounting curriculum covers financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing and tax, with many students continuing into a fifth-year master’s programme to satisfy CPA credit-hour rules. Corporate recruiting draws firms from Philadelphia, New York and beyond.
Penn State suits students who want a large public university experience with dependable national recruiting reach. It’s a solid option for students prioritising breadth of alumni connections and in-state tuition value over a top-ten national accounting ranking.
18) Boston College
Carroll School of Management tied for eighth place in the 2026 undergraduate accounting rankings, a strong showing for a mid-sized private university. Boston College also appears among the top accounting colleges recognised by College Transitions’ rankings methodology.
The Carroll School’s accounting programme benefits from Boston’s dense concentration of financial services and professional services firms, giving students recruiting access without needing to relocate for interviews. Undergraduates typically pursue a Bachelor of Science in accounting, with many adding a Master of Science to meet CPA requirements.
Boston College suits students wanting a smaller private-university experience with strong regional recruiting into New England’s accounting and finance sector. The trade-off is a smaller alumni footprint outside the Northeast compared with larger public universities on this list.
19) Wake Forest University
Wake Forest’s Master of Accountancy programme placed 98% of its master’s graduates in recent cohorts, a figure that puts it alongside the strongest placement rates nationally. Wake Forest is also recognised among schools whose CPA exam first-time pass rates outperform the national average.
The undergraduate accounting programme feeds into this master’s track, with a curriculum built to front-load technical preparation ahead of the CPA exam’s more difficult sections. Wake Forest keeps cohorts smaller than large public universities, giving students closer faculty contact.
Wake Forest suits students wanting a small private university with placement outcomes that rival much larger, better-known programmes. The trade-off for that intimacy is less geographic recruiting diversity than a school situated directly inside a major financial centre.
20) University of Virginia
The McIntire School of Commerce offers an undergraduate accounting concentration within a broader commerce degree, a structure distinct from a stand-alone accounting major found at many other schools on this list. Students apply to McIntire after their first year, then specialise in accounting alongside finance, marketing or management.
This structure suits students who want exposure to broader business disciplines before committing fully to accounting. UVA’s reputation as a top public university brings strong recruiting from national accounting and consulting firms into its Charlottesville campus.
McIntire suits ambitious students comfortable with a competitive internal application process after enrolling. The commerce degree’s breadth can be an advantage for students later drawn toward finance or consulting roles adjacent to traditional public accounting work.
21) University of Washington
The Foster School of Business runs an undergraduate accounting programme with strong ties to the Pacific Northwest’s corporate and technology sector. Seattle’s concentration of major employers, including technology firms with substantial internal accounting and finance functions, gives Foster graduates recruiting pathways beyond traditional public accounting.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an accounting concentration, and Foster also offers a Master of Professional Accounting for students pursuing CPA licensure. The programme’s location gives it a distinct advantage for students wanting technology-sector accounting or finance roles.
Foster suits students wanting West Coast recruiting outside California, with genuine access to Seattle’s corporate accounting departments alongside the more familiar public accounting firms.
22) Arizona State University
The W. P. Carey School of Business runs one of the largest undergraduate accounting programmes in the country, with a scale that brings substantial corporate recruiting relationships. Arizona State’s accounting degree covers financial reporting, tax, and audit, with a Master of Accountancy available for CPA-track students.
The programme’s size means broad course offerings and flexible scheduling, an advantage for career changers or transfer students entering accounting later than a typical freshman. W. P. Carey draws recruiters from national firms alongside a growing Phoenix corporate base.
Arizona State suits students wanting an accessible, large-scale public university option with reasonable tuition and flexible pathways into the accounting major, including for students who did not start college intending to study accounting.
23) Southern Methodist University
The Cox School of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree with strong ties into Dallas’s dense concentration of corporate headquarters and public accounting firm offices. SMU’s relatively small, private-university setting gives students closer faculty access than large state universities.
Students typically pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, continuing into Cox’s Master of Science in Accounting to meet the 150-credit-hour requirement for CPA licensure in Texas. Dallas’s business environment gives SMU graduates recruiting access without needing to relocate.
Cox suits students who want private-university class sizes with strong regional Texas recruiting, particularly for those set on staying in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after graduation.
24) University of Minnesota Twin Cities
The Carlson School of Management offers an established undergraduate accounting programme with strong ties to Minneapolis-St Paul’s concentration of major corporate headquarters. Carlson’s accounting curriculum covers core financial and managerial accounting alongside audit and tax electives.
Students generally pursue a Master of Accountancy after their bachelor’s degree to satisfy CPA credit-hour requirements, a pattern common across most public universities on this list. Carlson’s location gives graduates recruiting access to a dense corporate accounting job market beyond public accounting firms alone.
Minnesota suits students wanting strong Upper Midwest recruiting and a public university price point, particularly those interested in corporate accounting roles at the substantial number of major companies headquartered in the Twin Cities.
25) Bentley University
Bentley is a business-focused university where accounting sits at the centre of the institution’s identity rather than one department among many. The undergraduate accounting programme is built specifically around Boston’s professional services market, with recruiting relationships that reflect the university’s narrow, business-first focus.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Science in accounting, with a Master of Science in Accountancy or Master of Science in Taxation available for CPA-track students. Bentley’s smaller size compared with large state universities gives students close contact with faculty and career services staff.
Bentley suits students who know accounting is their chosen field early on and want a university built entirely around business and accounting education rather than a broad liberal arts curriculum layered around it.
26) Villanova University
The Villanova School of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree with strong regional ties into Philadelphia’s professional services and financial firms. Villanova combines Catholic university values with a business curriculum recognised for producing CPA-track graduates.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Science in accounting, typically continuing into a Master of Accounting to meet CPA licensure credit-hour requirements. Villanova’s relatively selective admissions and smaller class sizes give students meaningful faculty access compared with larger public universities.
Villanova suits students wanting a private university with strong Mid-Atlantic recruiting and a close-knit accounting cohort, an appealing combination for students who value smaller class sizes without sacrificing employer name recognition.
27) Baruch College
Baruch, part of the City University of New York system, offers one of the most affordable pathways into New York City’s dense accounting job market. The Zicklin School of Business runs an undergraduate accounting degree recognised for strong CPA exam outcomes relative to its public tuition pricing.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, with many continuing into Zicklin’s Master of Science in Accountancy to meet the 150-credit-hour CPA requirement in New York State. Baruch’s Manhattan location gives students direct access to Big Four and mid-tier firm recruiting without relocating.
Baruch suits cost-conscious students and career changers wanting access to New York’s accounting job market without the tuition levels of NYU or comparable private universities in the same city.
28) Purdue University
Purdue’s Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business runs an undergraduate accounting programme within a university known primarily for engineering and technology, giving accounting students unusual cross-disciplinary access. The business school reports an acceptance rate around 50%, with 59% of students receiving financial aid, according to research performance rankings data.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Science in accounting, with strong ties into Indiana’s and the broader Midwest’s corporate and public accounting sector. Purdue’s reputation for data analytics and technology programmes increasingly benefits accounting students, given the profession’s growing use of data tools.
Purdue suits students interested in the intersection of accounting and technology, and those wanting a large public university with a more accessible acceptance rate than several peer institutions on this list.
29) Emory University
Emory’s Goizueta Business School offers an undergraduate accounting concentration with a reputation for strong technical rigour and Atlanta-based recruiting. Emory reports an acceptance rate around 11%, with a median SAT of 1510, reflecting the university’s overall selectivity, per research-based rankings data.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration with an accounting concentration, and Goizueta’s location gives graduates direct access to Atlanta’s concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters and major accounting firm offices. The relatively small, private-university setting supports close faculty contact.
Emory suits academically strong students wanting a selective private university with genuine Southeast recruiting strength, a combination that appeals particularly to students set on staying in Atlanta after graduation.
30) Miami University
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, runs the Farmer School of Business, which carries a strong regional reputation for undergraduate accounting despite the university’s smaller size relative to major state flagships. The programme is known for close faculty engagement and a curriculum built around practical preparation for both public accounting and corporate roles.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Science in accounting, generally continuing into a Master of Accountancy to meet CPA credit-hour requirements. Miami draws recruiters from Ohio’s, and the wider Midwest’s, public accounting firms and corporate accounting departments.
Miami suits students wanting a smaller public university experience with strong regional recruiting, an option often overlooked next to larger, more nationally visible state flagships.
31) Baylor University
Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree with a strong reputation across Texas, alongside a private, faith-affiliated university setting distinct from the state’s large public flagships. The programme covers core financial and managerial accounting with audit and tax electives.
Students typically pursue a Master of Accountancy after their bachelor’s degree to satisfy the 150-credit-hour CPA requirement. Baylor’s Waco location sits within reach of both Dallas and Austin’s corporate and public accounting job markets, giving graduates recruiting access to both.
Baylor suits students wanting a private university experience with Texas-wide recruiting reach and a smaller, close-knit accounting cohort compared with the state’s larger public universities.
32) Clemson University
Clemson’s undergraduate accounting programme, housed within its business school, carries a strong regional reputation across the Southeast alongside relatively accessible public-university tuition. The curriculum covers core financial reporting, audit and tax coursework, with many students continuing into a master’s programme to meet CPA licensure requirements.
Clemson’s location in upstate South Carolina gives students recruiting access to the Carolinas’ and Georgia’s growing corporate and public accounting sectors. The university’s overall reputation for engineering and business has grown substantially in recent years, lifting visibility for its accounting programme alongside it.
Clemson suits students wanting Southeast regional recruiting at public-university tuition rates, particularly those focused on staying in the Carolinas after graduation.
33) Florida State University
Florida State’s College of Business runs an undergraduate accounting degree recognised for strong CPA exam preparation and reasonable in-state tuition. The programme covers financial accounting, managerial accounting, audit and tax, with a Master of Accounting available for students completing the 150-credit-hour requirement.
Florida State draws recruiters from Florida’s growing corporate and public accounting sector, alongside national firms with a presence in Tallahassee, Orlando and Miami. The university’s overall scale as a major public research institution gives students a broad alumni network across the state.
Florida State suits state residents and cost-conscious students wanting solid regional recruiting outcomes without the private-university price tag carried by some peer programmes.
34) University of Alabama
The Culverhouse College of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree with a longstanding reputation across the Southeast and increasingly strong national recruiting relationships. The programme covers core accounting principles with electives in tax, audit and forensic accounting.
Students typically pursue a Master of Accountancy after their bachelor’s degree to meet CPA credit-hour requirements, with Culverhouse maintaining relationships with regional and national firms recruiting on campus. Alabama’s growing corporate presence, particularly in manufacturing and logistics, adds to the accounting job market graduates can access.
Culverhouse suits students wanting a large public university with strong Southeast recruiting and relatively accessible admissions compared with the most selective programmes on this list.
35) Auburn University
Auburn’s Harbert College of Business runs an undergraduate accounting programme with an acceptance rate around 46% and 85% of students receiving financial aid. That relative accessibility makes it a practical option for strong students who might not gain admission to the most selective programmes.
The curriculum covers financial accounting, managerial accounting, audit and tax, with many students continuing into a Master of Accountancy to satisfy CPA licensure requirements. Auburn draws recruiters from across the Southeast, alongside national firms with regional offices.
Harbert suits students wanting a solid, dependable Southeast accounting programme with accessible admissions and a strong regional alumni network across Alabama and neighbouring states.
36) University of Mississippi
The Patterson School of Accountancy offers one of the broadest accounting degree portfolios on this list, spanning a Bachelor of Accountancy, Master of Accountancy, Master of Taxation and PhD in Accountancy. The school combines technical accounting training with liberal arts-focused elective coursework, a distinctive structure among specialised accounting schools.
Faculty include practising CPAs, and the school’s internship programme gives students hands-on experience ahead of graduation. This breadth marks Patterson as different from schools that treat accounting purely as one business school department among several.
Ole Miss suits students wanting a dedicated accounting school with a broader liberal arts influence than a typical business school curriculum, alongside strong regional recruiting across Mississippi and the broader South.
37) University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business runs an undergraduate accounting degree with strong regional recruiting across the Southeast, particularly into Nashville’s growing corporate sector. The curriculum covers core financial and managerial accounting alongside tax and audit electives.
Students typically pursue a Master of Accountancy to meet the 150-credit-hour CPA requirement, a near-universal pattern across public universities on this list. Haslam’s location gives graduates access to both traditional public accounting firms and Nashville’s expanding corporate headquarters presence.
Tennessee suits students wanting solid regional recruiting outcomes at public-university tuition rates, particularly those focused on staying in Tennessee or the broader mid-South after graduation.
38) Louisiana State University
LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business runs an established undergraduate accounting degree with deep ties into Louisiana’s energy, finance and public accounting sectors. The programme covers core accounting principles with electives suited to Louisiana’s oil and gas industry accounting needs.
Students generally continue into a Master of Accountancy to satisfy CPA credit-hour requirements before sitting the exam. LSU’s recruiting relationships lean heavily toward Louisiana and the broader Gulf Coast region, an advantage for students planning to stay local.
LSU suits students wanting strong regional recruiting tied to Louisiana’s distinctive energy-sector accounting job market, alongside reasonable in-state public university tuition.
39) University of Arkansas
The Sam M. Walton College of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree with a notable advantage: proximity to Walmart’s global headquarters in Bentonville, which creates unusually strong corporate accounting recruiting relationships for a university of its size.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an accounting concentration, generally continuing into a Master of Accountancy for CPA eligibility. Walton draws recruiters from major national retailers and consumer goods companies alongside traditional public accounting firms.
Arkansas suits students specifically interested in corporate accounting and finance roles within retail and consumer goods, a niche recruiting advantage few other state flagship programmes can offer at this scale.
40) University of South Carolina
The Darla Moore School of Business runs an undergraduate accounting programme recognised for strong regional recruiting across the Carolinas. The curriculum covers financial reporting, managerial accounting, audit and tax, with a Master of Accountancy available for CPA-track students.
South Carolina’s location in Columbia gives students recruiting access to Charlotte’s substantial banking and financial services sector, one of the largest concentrations of such employers in the Southeast. This proximity is a genuine advantage for students targeting corporate finance and accounting roles beyond traditional public practice.
Darla Moore suits students wanting Southeast regional recruiting with particular strength in banking-adjacent accounting careers, at accessible public-university tuition.
41) University of Houston
The C.T. Bauer College of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree with strong ties to Houston’s concentration of energy companies and public accounting firm offices. The programme covers core accounting principles alongside electives suited to the energy sector’s specific reporting and tax needs.
Students typically pursue a Master of Accountancy to meet Texas’s 150-credit-hour CPA requirement. Bauer draws recruiters from Houston’s dense corporate accounting job market, including major energy companies with substantial internal accounting departments alongside the traditional public accounting firms.
Houston suits students wanting to build a career specifically within Houston’s energy-sector accounting and finance market, a genuinely specialised recruiting advantage over programmes located elsewhere in Texas.
42) University of Texas at Dallas
The Naveen Jindal School of Management runs an undergraduate accounting degree with strong ties into the Dallas-Fort Worth corporate headquarters market. UT Dallas has built a reputation for accessible admissions relative to UT Austin, while still offering solid regional recruiting outcomes.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Science in accounting, generally continuing into a Master of Accountancy or Master of Science in Taxation to meet CPA credit-hour requirements. Jindal draws recruiters from the substantial number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the Dallas area.
UT Dallas suits students wanting Dallas-focused recruiting without the selectivity of UT Austin, a practical alternative for strong students seeking a public university option within the same metro area.
43) University of Maryland, College Park
The Robert H. Smith School of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree with strong ties into the Washington, D.C. area’s substantial concentration of government contractors, financial firms and public accounting offices. The programme covers core financial and managerial accounting alongside audit and tax electives.
Students generally continue into a Master of Science in Accounting to meet the 150-credit-hour CPA requirement. Maryland’s proximity to Washington gives graduates recruiting access to federal government accounting roles alongside traditional private-sector public accounting careers, a distinctive dual pathway.
Maryland suits students interested in government or federal contracting accounting work in addition to traditional public accounting, a genuine point of difference from most state flagship programmes on this list.
44) Rutgers University–New Brunswick
Rutgers Business School runs one of the larger undergraduate accounting programmes in the Northeast, with strong ties into New York City and New Jersey’s dense concentration of corporate and public accounting employers. The curriculum covers core accounting principles with electives in tax, audit and forensic accounting.
Students typically pursue a Master of Accountancy in Financial Accounting or a related graduate track to meet CPA licensure requirements. Rutgers’ scale as a major public research university brings a substantial alumni network across the tri-state area.
Rutgers suits cost-conscious students wanting access to the New York metropolitan area’s accounting job market at public-university tuition, an appealing alternative to the far higher cost of NYU or comparable private universities in the same market.
45) Temple University
Temple’s Fox School of Business runs an undergraduate accounting degree with an acceptance rate around 80% and 93% of students receiving financial aid. That accessibility makes Temple a practical option for students who want a Philadelphia-based accounting education without highly competitive admissions.
The curriculum covers core financial accounting, managerial accounting, audit and tax, with a Master of Accountancy available for CPA-track students. Fox draws recruiters from Philadelphia’s professional services and financial firms alongside national accounting firms with regional offices.
Temple suits students wanting accessible admissions combined with genuine Philadelphia recruiting access, a solid option for career changers and transfer students entering accounting.
46) Fordham University
Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business offers an undergraduate accounting degree built around its New York City location, giving students recruiting access to Manhattan’s accounting and finance job market without the selectivity level of NYU. The programme covers core accounting principles alongside finance and business electives.
Students generally continue into a Master of Science in Accounting to meet New York’s 150-credit-hour CPA requirement. Gabelli’s Jesuit university setting brings a values-oriented curriculum alongside technical accounting training, a distinctive combination among New York City business schools.
Fordham suits students wanting New York City recruiting access at a somewhat more accessible admissions tier than the city’s most selective business schools, while retaining strong employer name recognition among Northeast firms.
47) Syracuse University
The Martin J. Whitman School of Management runs an undergraduate accounting degree with strong regional recruiting across upstate New York and the broader Northeast. The curriculum covers financial accounting, managerial accounting, audit and tax, with a Master of Accounting available for CPA-track students.
Syracuse’s private-university setting brings smaller class sizes than large public flagships, giving students closer contact with faculty and career services staff. The Whitman School draws recruiters from regional firms alongside national accounting firms with Northeast offices.
Syracuse suits students wanting a private university experience with solid regional recruiting reach, particularly those focused on upstate New York or the broader Northeast corridor after graduation.
48) University of Connecticut
UConn’s School of Business runs an undergraduate accounting degree with strong ties into Connecticut’s substantial concentration of insurance and financial services companies. The curriculum covers core accounting principles with electives suited to the insurance industry’s distinctive accounting and actuarial needs.
Students typically continue into a Master of Science in Accounting to meet the 150-credit-hour CPA requirement. UConn’s proximity to Hartford, a major insurance industry hub, and New York City gives graduates a genuinely distinctive recruiting advantage among public university accounting programmes.
UConn suits students interested in insurance industry accounting specifically, alongside traditional public accounting recruiting, at accessible public-university tuition rates.
49) Northeastern University
Northeastern’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business runs an undergraduate accounting degree built around the university’s well-known cooperative education model, which places students in full-time paid work terms alongside their studies. This structure gives accounting students substantially more workplace experience before graduation than a standard internship schedule provides.
Students pursue a Bachelor of Science in accounting, with many completing multiple co-op rotations at different firms before graduating. Northeastern’s Boston location gives students recruiting access to New England’s professional services and financial firms between and after their co-op placements.
Northeastern suits students who want extensive, structured work experience built directly into their degree rather than a single summer internship, a genuinely distinctive model among the accounting programmes on this list.
50) University of Iowa
The Tippie College of Business runs an established undergraduate accounting degree with a solid regional reputation across the Midwest. The curriculum covers core financial and managerial accounting alongside audit and tax electives, with a Master of Accountancy available for CPA-track students.
Iowa’s accounting programme draws recruiters from regional and national firms, with a particular strength in insurance and financial services given the Midwest’s concentration of such employers. Tippie’s public-university tuition makes it an accessible option relative to private competitors.
Iowa suits students wanting a dependable Midwest accounting education with reasonable admissions requirements and solid regional recruiting, rounding out this list as a practical, lower-cost alternative to the more selective programmes above it.
How These Colleges Were Selected
Which rankings and outcomes informed the order?
This list draws on multiple 2026 ranking sources rather than a single methodology, since no one ranking captures every dimension of an accounting education. Undergraduate reputation surveys, graduate placement statistics, CPA exam pass rate data and employer recruiting patterns each contributed to where a college landed.
Specific outcome figures, such as Gies College of Business graduates averaging a $78,477 starting salary with 98% employment or graduate school placement within six months, came from named sources rather than estimation. Where a college’s precise placement statistic could not be verified, this list describes its recruiting relationships and programme structure rather than inventing a number.
Why do undergraduate and research-based rankings differ?
Undergraduate reputation rankings and research-output rankings measure genuinely different things. U.S. News calculates its undergraduate accounting rankings through peer surveys, where deans and senior faculty nominate up to 15 strong programmes, a reputation-based model rather than a raw data model.
Research-based rankings instead weigh citation counts and published academic papers, which can favour universities with large PhD programmes over those focused on undergraduate teaching. A school like Harvard or Yale can rank highly for accounting research output while offering a narrower undergraduate accounting pathway than a business-focused school such as Bentley.
How were practical training and employer connections weighed?
Internship-to-offer conversion rates and on-campus recruiting access carried real weight in this list’s ordering, alongside placement statistics. Programmes with structured recruiting pipelines, such as Indiana’s Kelley School reporting 100% of graduates receiving an offer within 90 days, were treated as a meaningfully stronger signal than reputation alone.
Whether a firm sends partners to campus for recruiting events, rather than only accepting online applications, changes how many students compete for each opening. This list favoured colleges with documented on-campus recruiting and internship pipelines over those with reputation strength but thinner evidence of practical employer access.
How to Choose an Accounting College
Do you need a degree or a shorter bookkeeping qualification?
A full accounting degree and a bookkeeping qualification serve different career goals, and confusing the two wastes time and money. A degree, typically a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, prepares you for the CPA exam, public accounting careers and roles requiring formal accreditation.
Bookkeeping training focuses on recording transactions, reconciling accounts and preparing basic financial statements, skills you can often learn through a shorter certificate or accounting course rather than a four-year degree. If your goal is managing small business accounts or entering an entry-level finance role quickly, a bookkeeping-focused pathway may get you working sooner. If you want to become a CPA or work in public accounting at a major firm, a full degree is the accepted route.
Does the course offer the accounting subjects you want to study?
Course content varies meaningfully between programmes, so check the specific concentrations, electives and specialisations a college offers before applying. Some schools, such as the University of Houston, build electives around a regional industry like energy; others, such as the University of Connecticut, lean into insurance accounting given local employer demand.
Look for programmes covering financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, taxation and, increasingly, data analytics, since the most in-demand accounting skills employers are looking for now extend beyond traditional bookkeeping. If forensic accounting or international tax interests you, confirm the college offers dedicated coursework rather than assuming a general accounting degree covers it.
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