Prospective accounting students must certainly recognize the difficulty the modern economy presents to new graduates; both the prospect of high debt coupled with high unemployment or underemployment can make a student think twice before attending an expensive university and paying so much for room and board. With many top of the line universities offering online programs it often makes the most economical sense to pursue an Online Accounting Degree, saving on room, board, often tuition, and travel expenses.
Ranking the Top 10 Online Accounting Degree Programs
There are many great online accounting degree programs being offered by reputable schools and this list covers ten of the best schools and the Online Accounting Degree programs they offer.
#1. Penn State University: Bachelor of Science in Business, Accounting
Executive Summary: One of the top public schools in the country, Penn State was the first major university to embrace distance education,offering their first program in 1892, nearly 100 years before the advent of the internet. The online global campus (Penn State World Campus) offers a quality Penn State education to those that cannot attend the university in the traditional manner.
Tuition: Tuition for this Online Accounting Degree program ranges between $504.00 per credit to $542.00 per credit.
Unique Features: Penn State is ranked #46 by U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of national universities. Penn State’s online bachelor programs are also ranked #20 and #47 in Student Engagement and Assessment and Student Services and Technology respectively.
#2. Colorado State University Global Campus: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: The Colorado State University Global Campus is similar in form and function to that of Penn State’s online campus, but it focuses a bit more narrowly on bachelor completion programs and graduate programs. The CSU global campus was seen as a growing need and created in 2007 to meet the need of people to receive a quality education at an affordable price from a reputable institution regardless of location.
Tuition: Tuition for the B.S. in Accounting program is $350.00 per credit.
Unique Features: The Online Accounting Degree program at CSUGC offers more concentrations than almost any other online accounting degree program. Students can choose from a staggering fourteen different concentrations. CSU is ranked #134 among national universities and is also ranked on U.S. News and World Report’s online honor roll.
#3. Northeastern University: Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting Management
Executive Summary: Northeastern is a highly regarded research university in Boston and has a long academic tradition dating back to its founding in 1898. The focus of Northeastern is instilling in students a global perspective through experiential training and interdisciplinary research methodologies.
Tuition: Tuition at NEU is $335.00 per credit hour toward an Online Accounting Degree.
Unique Features: Though finding employment seems to get harder and harder for new graduates, 90% of Northeastern graduates between 2006 and 2011 have been employed full time or are in a full time graduate program within six months of graduation. This impressive statistic is largely due to a high quality career services department and is why NEU is ranked #1 for career services by Entrepreneur Magazine and The Princeton Review.
#4. Indiana Wesleyan University: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: Indiana Wesleyan University is a mid size evangelical Christian university offering quality education in both liberal arts and professional education. Their Online Accounting Degree program is designed for working professionals desiring to complete a bachelor degree that will help them advance in their field or branch into another field entirely.
Tuition: Tuition for the online B.S. Accounting program is $405.00 per credit hour.
Unique Features: Indiana Wesleyan University is ranked #27 in the midwest by U.S. News and World Report and #11 “Best Value” schools. IWU’s accounting program was designed to build a strong foundation for those wishing to pursue graduate work and/or a career as a CPA.
#5. Bellevue University: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: The B. S. in Accounting degree from Bellevue utilizes a multidisciplinary approach. The program is designed to transition easily into the professional field or a graduate degree program. Bellevue is an affordable institution of high quality and very respected in the distance education community.
Tuition: Tuition at Bellevue for the Online Accounting Degree is $370.00 per credit hour.
Unique Features: Bellevue is a world class leader in adult education. Bellevue’s online bachelor programs are ranked #1 in student engagement and accreditation on the U.S. News and World Report online education honor roll. Bellevue was also awarded the prestigious “21st Century Best Practices Award” by the United States Distance Learning Association.
#6. University of Minnesota Crookston: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: Small classes, individual attention from faculty, and a quality accounting program are a few of the hallmarks of UMC’s online programs. The university offers diverse perspectives and a different experience for students of all stripes, from working adults to students looking to save by living at home and attending college online.
Tuition: Undergraduate Online Accounting Degree tuition at UMC is $387.77 per credit plus a $45.00 per credit online fee for online programs.
Unique Features: U.S. News and World Report’s online education honor roll ranked University of Minnesota Crookston’s Student Services and Technology #40, and Teaching Practices and Student Engagement #32. The Princeton Review names UMC as one of the “Best Colleges in the Midwest”.
#7. Brenau University: Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting
Executive Summary: Brenau University was founded in 1878 as a school for women and has prided itself on offering the highest quality education throughout its long academic history. While the school as a whole is no longer exclusively for women, the main campus is female only. Other campuses and the online programs are offered to both men and women.
Tuition: Tuition for Brenau’s online undergraduate programs is $540.00 per credit.
Unique Features: Brenau is ranked 30th in the south by U.S. News and World Report. Brenau also made the online distance education honor roll and is ranked #13 Best Value Schools by U.S. News and World Report.
#8. University of Alabama Birmingham: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: The University of Alabama Birmingham is a public university and has an accounting and a finance option for students seeking an online degree. High achieving students will qualify for and may enter the fast track masters program in accounting at UAB while still earning their B.S. in Accounting as well.
Tuition: Resident tuition is $7,740.00 per year; non-resident tuition is $17,730.00 per year.
Unique Features: UAB’s online bachelor’s programs are listed on U.S. News and World Report’s online education honor roll at #97 in Student Services and technology. UAB is also ranked #151 among national universities, and #80 among top public schools by U.S. News and World Report.
#9. Post University: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Executive Summary: Post University was founded in 1890 and is fueled by a drive to see its students achieve professional success. The Student/Faculty ratio at Post is 15:1, ensuring that students will receive personal attention from faculty dedicated to providing them with a quality education.
Tuition: Tuition at Post for the undergraduate Online Accounting Degree program is $525.00 per credit.
Unique Features: Post knows the importance of individual attention and believes that a one-on-one approach to training in the accounting program is the best way to ensure the student receives the necessary attention to flourish in this online learning environment. This, in addition to Post’s online bachelor’s programs being ranked at #12 for Faculty Credentials and Training, makes Post a strong choice for anybody seeking a quality online undergraduate education.
#10. Saint Leo University: Bachelor of Arts in Accounting
Executive Summary: Saint Leo University was founded in 1869 in Florida. Saint Leo University is a Catholic liberal arts school of the Benedictine tradition meaning it is devoted to the well rounded growth of its students and community.
Tuition: Full time tuition for undergraduate programs is $19,070.00 per year.
Unique Features: Saint Leo University is ranked #67 among universities in the south by U.S. News and World Report. SLU’s online bachelors programs are ranked 11th in Faculty Credentials and Training and 29th in Student Engagement and Assessment by U.S. News and World Report’s online honor roll. The Online Accounting Degree program at Saint Leo is just one of the many quality online program this school offers.
