Accounting major

Accounting: courses, careers, and where to study

Accounting prepares graduates for the CPA exam and careers in public accounting, corporate finance, audit, tax, and forensic accounting, a major with high job placement.

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Accounting earn a median $76,194 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $56,205 to $97,191 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college

Accounting is one of the most career-direct business majors. The standard 4-year BS in Accounting covers financial accounting, managerial accounting, intermediate and advanced accounting, audit, taxation, and accounting information systems. To sit for the CPA exam, most states now require 150 credit hours, students typically complete the BS plus an MS in Accounting (or MBA) for that fifth-year requirement. Average starting salaries at Big Four firms are competitive, and the profession has predictable career advancement (Senior → Manager → Senior Manager → Partner).

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Accounting maps to CIP 52.0301, Accounting, within the BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES family. The official definition:

A program that prepares individuals to practice the profession of accounting and to perform related business functions. Includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What credential Accounting is awarded as

Of the 60,985 Accounting credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:

  • Certificate: 5%, 3,279 credentials.
  • Associate: 6%, 3,845 credentials.
  • Bachelor's: 69%, 41,860 credentials.
  • Graduate: 20%, 12,001 credentials.

This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 50 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 15 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.

Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.

What you'll study

  • Financial accounting (GAAP, IFRS basics)
  • Managerial / cost accounting
  • Intermediate and advanced accounting
  • Audit principles and procedures
  • Federal and state taxation
  • Accounting information systems and ERP
  • Forensic accounting and fraud examination
  • Business law and ethics

Typical careers

Typical salary range: $56,000–$78,000 early-career (BLS accountant median $79,880)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

How much do Accounting graduates earn?

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Accounting earn a median $76,194 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $56,205 to $97,191 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

National median earnings four years after graduating for Accounting, by credential
CredentialNational medianMiddle half of programs
Bachelor's$76,194$56,205 to $97,191
Associate's$47,660$32,411 to $63,692
Undergraduate certificate$44,589$27,975 to $62,148
Master's$95,833$74,491 to $118,338
Graduate certificate$82,363$53,388 to $113,136

Compare Accounting programs in your state

Highest-earning bachelor's Accounting programs

Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Accounting and Related Services. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Accounting, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.

Occupations associated with Accounting by the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, projected employment change, and the education most entrants typically hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrProjected changeMost entrants hold
Accountants and Auditors$81,680124,200+4.6%Bachelor's degree
Tax Preparers$50,56010,400+4.5%High school diploma or equivalent
Business Teachers, Postsecondary$97,2708,100+5.7%Doctoral or professional degree
Financial Examiners$90,4005,700+18.5%Bachelor's degree
Financial Risk Specialists$106,0004,800+6.5%Bachelor's degree
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents$59,7404,300-1.8%Bachelor's degree
Credit Analysts$80,9703,700-4.4%Bachelor's degree
Budget Analysts$87,9303,100+1%Bachelor's degree
Appraisers of Personal and Business PropertyNot reportedNot reportedNot reportedNot reported

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 8 of these 9 occupations report a median wage.

“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Accounting does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

Before you commit to a Accounting major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Accounting program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Accounting department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Business programs may hold AACSB, ACBSP, or IACBE accreditation (AACSB is the most selective). Accreditation can affect graduate-school admission and some employers, so confirm it for any Accounting program you shortlist.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Accounting careers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Accounting program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

Colleges that awarded the most Accounting credentials

Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.

Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.

Search Accounting schools

Where Accounting credentials were awarded

15 states have a distinct enough set of Accounting colleges to be worth its own page.

Accounting by state

Every Accounting program with its own CampusPin page

361 programs in 46 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.

Accounting programs in Alabama, 7 programs
Accounting programs in Alaska, 1 program
Accounting programs in Arizona, 4 programs
Accounting programs in Arkansas, 1 program
Accounting programs in California, 18 programs
Accounting programs in Colorado, 6 programs
Accounting programs in Connecticut, 8 programs
Accounting programs in Delaware, 2 programs
Accounting programs in Florida, 13 programs
Accounting programs in Georgia, 9 programs
Accounting programs in Hawaii, 1 program
Accounting programs in Idaho, 2 programs
Accounting programs in Illinois, 21 programs
Accounting programs in Indiana, 6 programs
Accounting programs in Iowa, 5 programs
Accounting programs in Kansas, 3 programs
Accounting programs in Kentucky, 6 programs
Accounting programs in Louisiana, 7 programs
Accounting programs in Maryland, 5 programs
Accounting programs in Massachusetts, 7 programs
Accounting programs in Michigan, 17 programs
Accounting programs in Minnesota, 12 programs
Accounting programs in Mississippi, 4 programs
Accounting programs in Missouri, 6 programs
Accounting programs in Nebraska, 2 programs
Accounting programs in Nevada, 2 programs
Accounting programs in New Hampshire, 2 programs
Accounting programs in New Jersey, 12 programs
Accounting programs in New Mexico, 1 program
Accounting programs in New York, 36 programs
Accounting programs in North Carolina, 12 programs
Accounting programs in North Dakota, 3 programs
Accounting programs in Ohio, 18 programs
Accounting programs in Oklahoma, 4 programs
Accounting programs in Oregon, 3 programs
Accounting programs in Pennsylvania, 17 programs
Accounting programs in Rhode Island, 4 programs
Accounting programs in South Carolina, 5 programs
Accounting programs in South Dakota, 2 programs
Accounting programs in Tennessee, 5 programs
Accounting programs in Texas, 27 programs
Accounting programs in Utah, 8 programs
Accounting programs in Virginia, 8 programs
Accounting programs in Washington, 6 programs
Accounting programs in West Virginia, 3 programs
Accounting programs in Wisconsin, 10 programs

Related majors

Still deciding between Accounting and something else?

These guides put Accounting side by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.

Put this major in context

The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Accounting degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.

Explore Business & Finance careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

Explore Education & Library careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

How one major leads to many careers

Why a single Accounting degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.

Why a median wage is not a starting salary

How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.

When accreditation and licensure matter

How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Accounting path before you enroll.

Does a pricier college pay off?

How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.

Does picking a major narrow your college list?

Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.

Certificate or degree?

What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.