Accounting is a broad field with options for students with either bachelor, or graduate level education and many prospective accounting students are well aware of the possible benefits of earning an online accounting degree, cutting out the cost of room and board.
Recently more and more major universities both public and private have begun offering high quality online bachelor’s programs and accounting is one of the fields that has seen a marked growth in options.
Ranking the Best Online Accounting Degree Programs 2014
The universities listed here all offer regionally accredited online bachelors in accounting degree programs, and many are also AACSB accredited, the highest level of accreditation available to business schools.
#1. Post University: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: Boasting a low student:faculty ratio and highly ranked online programs, Post University offers students the chance to earn an online degree without sacrificing the personal attention available to traditional students.
Tuition: Tuition at Post for the undergraduate online Accounting program is $525.00 per credit.
Unique Features: Post University is ranked #19 in the best online bachelor’s programs category by U.S. News and World Report.
#2. Penn State University: Online Bachelor of Science in Business, Accounting
Executive Summary: Penn State University is one of the top universities in the United States and also was one of the first to offer distance education opportunities. PSU continued their pursuit of innovative distance education by becoming an early adopter of the online education method. The online programs at PSU are designed specifically to help the online students learn effectively in a flexible, self determined manner.
Tuition: Cost is between $504.00 per credit to $542.00 per credit.
Unique Features: Penn State is ranked #46 among national universities, #13 among top public schools by U.S. News and World Report. PSU is also ranked #1 according to the Wall Street Journal’s survey of corporate recruiters. Penn State is accredited by the AACSB.
#3. Kaplan University: Online BS in Accounting
Executive Summary: Kaplan is an online and campus-based university. It is a member of the Northcentral Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), and it is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It boasts more than 66,000 students attending its online programs and 11 physical campuses. It has degree offerings in a range of areas including business, information technology, law, and criminal justice. Its accounting degree program is designed to prepare students for careers as accountants.
Tuition: $371 per credit.
Unique Features: Students may specialize in a number of areas within the online accounting degree, including auditing-forensic accountancy, managerial accountancy, public accountancy, and tax accountancy.
#4. Temple University: Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting
Executive Summary: The Richard J. Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University is AACSB accredited and one of the most respected business schools in the country. The accounting program at Temple provides students with many quality options for focus of study, as well as the flexibility necessary to complete their degree in their own time.
Tuition: Online students in the BBA program at Temple pay $690.00 per credit regardless of residency.
Unique Features: Temple University is ranked #125 among national universities, and #60 among top public schools.
#5. Pace University: Online Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting Concentration
Executive Summary: This online BBA with an accounting concentration is of extremely high quality. Not only is Pace a highly ranked national level university, but its online programs are considered to be some of the best in the online education field.
Tuition: The cost of the online BBA program at Pace is $535.00 per credit.
Unique Features: Pace University is ranked #174 among national universities, and the online bachelors degree programs at Pace are ranked #1 by U.S. News and World Report. Pace is AACSB accredited
#6. Colorado State University Global Campus: Bachelor of Science in Accounting Online
Executive Summary: The Global Campus of Colorado State University is 100% online that offers many bachelor degree completion programs. The B.S. in Accounting program at CSU:GC is a bachelor completion program meaning that students take their general curriculum courses elsewhere and transfer them into the program.
Tuition: The CSU B.S. in Accounting program costs $350.00 per credit, making it one of the cheapest online accounting degree programs available anywhere.
Unique Features: Colorado State University is accredited by the AACSB and ranked #7 among the best online bachelor’s degree programs and #134 among national universities and by U.S. News and World Report. Colorado State University’s business school is AACSB accredited.
#7. University of Alabama Birmingham: Bachelor of Science in Accounting Online
Executive Summary: The University of Alabama Birmingham is a highly respected public research university. The online bachelor’s in accounting also offers high performing students the option pursue a fast tracked graduate program in accounting, making this school a unique and attractive option for students intending to pursue a graduate program in accounting.
Tuition: Resident tuition runs $7,740.00 per year, non-resident tuition runs $17,730.00 per year.
Unique Features: UAB is an AACSB accredited university and is ranked #151 among national universities, and #80 among top public schools by U.S. News and World Report.
#8. Bellevue University: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: The Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Bellevue University is designed to allow students to immediately pursue employment in a professional accounting position, or to choose the option of entering graduate degree program upon completion.
Tuition: Bellevue tuition for online programs is $370.00 per credit hour.
Unique Features: Bellevue is best known for the quality of its online programs. The university’s online bachelor programs are ranked #9 by U.S. News and World Report. Bellevue has also been awarded the United States Distance Learning Association’s “21st Century Best Practices Award”.
#9. University of Minnesota Crookston: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: The accounting program at UMC offers students more than just an accessible, affordable online degree program. The accounting program offers students a diverse range of learning opportunities suited to students from a variety of backgrounds, from working adults looking to advance in or change their careers, to students looking for an economical opportunity that doesn’t require them to sacrifice the quality of their education.
Tuition: Undergrad tuition at UMC is $387.77 per credit, online programs carry a $45.00 per credit online fee.
Unique Features: UMC is ranked #60 among top online bachelor’s programs, and #49 among midwest regional universities by U.S. News and World Report. UMC also made The Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges in the Midwest” list.
#10. Northeastern University: Online Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting Management
Executive Summary: Northeastern University is a well known, respected private research university located in Boston MA. The online programs at NEU are designed to provide students with flexibility and customization options while still providing them with the academically rigorous education for which the school is well known.
Tuition: The cost of the B.S. in Finance and Accounting at NEU is $335.00 per credit hour.
Unique Features: Northeastern University is ranked #56 among national universities, and #7 among up and comers by U.S. News and World Report. Northeastern’s career services department is ranked #1 by Entrepreneur Magazine and The Princeton Review. NEU is also accredited by the AACSB.
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Additional Resource: Accounting Degree and Career FAQ
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Editor’s Picks
1. Kaplan University – BS in Accounting
2. Post University – Bachelor of Science in Accounting
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Once you’ve identified some schools that could meet your needs, we encourage you to contact the accounting degree program directly to obtain further information. We hope you have found this to be a helpful review of online accounting degree options.
