Home › Trades › Accounting

Accounting

176 schools compared · Average earnings $35,808/yr

Quick Facts: Accounting Training

Where it's offered

Accounting programs are offered at 176 schools across 40 states. Most students attend a school within driving distance of home — use the state picker below to see programs near you.

Earnings expectations

Graduates earn approximately $35,808/year on average one year after completion, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Pay scales with experience, certifications, and regional cost-of-living.

Apprenticeship pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 5 registered apprenticeship pathways related to Accounting — earn-while-you-learn alternatives to traditional schooling. See apprenticeship.gov for the federal registry.

Program quality benchmark

Across the 176 schools we analyze, the average TradeSchoolOutlook Score is 52/100. Higher-scoring programs combine strong graduate earnings, manageable cost, and strong job-market demand — see the leaderboard further down for the highest-rated options.

What Accounting Graduates Do

Your career will likely start in a role like a bookkeeping or accounting clerk, where your day-to-day involves using software like QuickBooks to reconcile bank statements, manage invoices, and process payroll for a small business or as part of a larger corporate team. You’ll be the person ensuring the financial data is accurate and organized.

With experience and certifications, you can advance to become an accountant or auditor, shifting from data entry to analysis. Here, you’ll prepare financial reports, analyze budgets, and advise leadership on financial strategy. The most significant growth and highest earnings are in senior roles like financial manager or financial examiner, where you might oversee a company's entire financial health or ensure regulatory compliance for banks and financial institutions.

It's true that software and AI are automating routine tasks like data entry. However, this shift increases the value of human skills like advising clients, interpreting complex financial data to guide business strategy, and investigating discrepancies. Successful professionals adapt by using these powerful tools to free themselves up for more strategic, high-impact work that technology can’t replicate.

Students considering Accounting also weigh Finance, Management Sciences, and Entrepreneurship — see each trade's earnings and school count side by side.

Schools Offering

176

Avg Grad Earnings

$35,808/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

52/100

Apprenticeship Paths

View pathways ↓

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 5 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Accounting. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship	Training Hours	Type	Salary RangeSalary	Growth
Accounting Technician (Alternate Title: Accounting Specialist) RAPIDS 1125HY	4000-5000 hrs	Hybrid	$41K – $49,210 – $60K	-5.8%
Accounting Technician (Alternate Title: Accounting Specialist, Payroll Assistant Specialist) RAPIDS 1125CB	Competency	Competency	$41K – $49,210 – $60K	-5.8%
Bank Branch Manager RAPIDS 2059HY	4288-4760 hrs	Hybrid	$118K – $161,700 – $214K	14.8%
Bank Branch Manager (Financial Manager, Branch Or Department, Project Management (Banking/Finance) RAPIDS 2059CB	Competency	Competency	$118K – $161,700 – $214K	14.8%
Financial Management (Military Only) (Alternate Title: Finance Specialist) RAPIDS 1083CB	Competency	Competency	$45K – $55,290 – $66K	-16.7%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Find Accounting Programs in Your State

Trade and community college programs are local decisions — most students pick a school within driving distance. Accounting is offered at 176 schools across 40 states. Pick your state to see a local comparison (states with fewer programs link to the state hub).

New York (18) Wisconsin (14) Texas (13) Florida (10) California (8) Georgia (8) Minnesota (8) Ohio (8) Indiana (5) North Carolina (5) Illinois (4) Pennsylvania (4) Michigan (3) South Carolina (3) South Dakota (3) Virginia (3) Arizona (2) Colorado (2) Iowa (2) Kansas (2) Louisiana (2) Massachusetts (2) New Jersey (2) Oregon (2) Washington (2) West Virginia (2) Alaska (1) Alabama (1) Connecticut (1) Delaware (1) Kentucky (1) Missouri (1) Mississippi (1) North Dakota (1) New Hampshire (1) New Mexico (1) Nevada (1) Puerto Rico (1) Tennessee (1) Wyoming (1)

View the complete Accounting school rankings — 176 programs analyzed →

Top Accounting Programs Nationally

For context, here are the highest-scoring Accounting programs in the country. Most students attend a school within 60 miles of home, so your state list above is usually more actionable — but these are the benchmarks others compete against.

Top 20 of 176 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and career analysis.

#	School	Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Austin Community College District Austin, TX	88 80–90	$62,261/yr	375.3x
2	Cabrillo College Aptos, CA	87 80–90	$57,294/yr	365.5x
3	Austin Community College District Austin, TX	84 77–86	$58,469/yr	88.9x
4	College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL	83 77–86	$52,724/yr	121.0x
5	Davidson-Davie Community College Thomasville, NC	81 75–84	$41,532/yr	209.0x
6	Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey, IL	80 73–82	$42,502/yr	118.7x
7	Dallas College Dallas, TX	80 73–83	$39,308/yr	217.2x
8	Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC	80 72–82	$38,258/yr	206.3x
9	Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC	79 73–82	$44,616/yr	103.3x
10	Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL	79 73–82	$39,076/yr	154.9x
11	Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM	78 71–81	$40,511/yr	118.6x
12	Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC	77 71–80	$45,092/yr	67.9x
13	Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC	77 71–80	$35,972/yr	151.0x
14	Houston Community College Houston, TX	77 70–80	$34,667/yr	168.9x
15	Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH	75 68–78	$44,532/yr	69.3x
16	Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI	75 67–78	$40,424/yr	82.5x
17	Dallas College Dallas, TX	75 67–79	$37,031/yr	104.8x
18	Northcentral Technical College Wausau, WI	75 68–77	$36,562/yr	93.7x
19	Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA	75 69–78	$34,604/yr	125.8x
20	North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN	74 67–77	$49,685/yr	55.3x
21	College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL	74 68–76	$47,775/yr	54.3x
22	Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee, WI	73 66–76	$45,634/yr	56.9x
23	Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI	73 67–76	$37,881/yr	77.1x
24	Pima Community College Tucson, AZ	73 67–76	$37,358/yr	67.4x
25	Valencia College Orlando, FL	73 67–76	$37,209/yr	83.4x
26	Houston Community College Houston, TX	73 66–76	$34,447/yr	97.7x
27	Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA	72 65–74	$47,400/yr	48.3x
28	Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, GA	72 66–75	$40,820/yr	63.6x
29	Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA	72 66–74	$39,265/yr	61.7x
30	Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX	72 66–74	$31,414/yr	100.7x
31	Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud, MN	71 66–73	$47,506/yr	42.6x
32	Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI	71 66–73	$45,333/yr	46.4x
33	Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN	71 63–74	$43,520/yr	52.2x
34	Western Technical College La Crosse, WI	71 64–75	$42,732/yr	55.8x
35	Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL	71 65–74	$36,970/yr	72.1x
36	Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA	70 65–72	$48,832/yr	37.9x
37	Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Green Bay, WI	70 65–72	$47,506/yr	38.6x
38	Laramie County Community College Cheyenne, WY	70 65–73	$43,744/yr	46.4x
39	Connecticut State Community College Hartford, CT	70 63–73	$42,591/yr	50.2x
40	Spokane Community College Spokane, WA	70 64–72	$31,873/yr	77.6x
41	William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL	70 64–73	$31,747/yr	82.1x
42	Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global Marion, IN	69 64–71	$52,576/yr	31.5x
43	Rasmussen University-North Dakota Fargo, ND	69 64–71	$47,506/yr	36.4x
44	Century College White Bear Lake, MN	69 64–71	$46,996/yr	36.9x
45	Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI	69 64–72	$42,629/yr	46.0x
46	Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI	69 64–72	$42,427/yr	47.6x
47	Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC	69 63–72	$41,233/yr	48.9x
48	Butler Community College El Dorado, KS	69 63–72	$37,496/yr	56.7x
49	Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA	69 64–72	$35,597/yr	61.3x
50	Northwood Technical College Rice Lake, WI	69 61–73	$30,586/yr	86.5x
51	Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford, IL	68 63–71	$47,506/yr	34.1x
52	Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI	68 63–70	$41,261/yr	42.1x
53	Front Range Community College Westminster, CO	68 61–71	$38,838/yr	48.1x
54	Stark State College North Canton, OH	68 61–72	$38,671/yr	51.2x
55	Northern Essex Community College Haverhill, MA	68 58–72	$37,960/yr	53.0x
56	Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI	68 60–72	$35,538/yr	60.7x
57	Wayne Community College Goldsboro, NC	68 63–71	$32,979/yr	64.3x
58	Rasmussen University-Florida Ocala, FL	67 62–70	$47,506/yr	30.4x
59	Rasmussen University-Kansas Topeka, KS	67 62–70	$47,506/yr	30.0x
60	Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI	67 62–70	$40,925/yr	40.8x
61	Portland Community College Portland, OR	67 62–70	$40,816/yr	43.1x
62	Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH	67 57–70	$35,703/yr	51.8x
63	York Technical College Rock Hill, SC	67 62–70	$33,177/yr	59.2x
64	Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA	67 61–69	$30,393/yr	68.8x
65	Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD	66 61–68	$44,850/yr	28.3x
66	Chemeketa Community College Salem, OR	66 61–69	$42,808/yr	32.5x
67	Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC	66 61–69	$41,619/yr	37.9x
68	Niagara County Community College Sanborn, NY	66 58–70	$39,761/yr	40.4x
69	Delaware Technical Community College-Terry Dover, DE	66 59–69	$36,743/yr	46.4x
70	Pensacola State College Pensacola, FL	66 60–68	$29,855/yr	62.6x
71	Alaska Career College Anchorage, AK	65 58–68	$42,749/yr	—
72	Asher College Sacramento, CA	65 57–67	$41,351/yr	—
73	Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA	65 60–68	$37,297/yr	41.7x
74	Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN	65 57–69	$37,289/yr	41.8x
75	Bunker Hill Community College Boston, MA	65 57–69	$35,602/yr	46.5x
76	Northwood Technical College Rice Lake, WI	65 58–68	$35,039/yr	44.9x
77	American Public University System Charles Town, WV	64 58–67	$42,509/yr	29.7x
78	Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, MN	64 60–67	$39,742/yr	33.6x
79	Finger Lakes Community College Canandaigua, NY	64 57–68	$37,433/yr	39.1x
80	Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN	64 58–67	$36,241/yr	40.7x
81	Nassau Community College Garden City, NY	64 55–68	$35,513/yr	43.9x
82	Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield, MO	64 59–67	$35,169/yr	40.4x
83	Northcentral Technical College Wausau, WI	64 56–67	$30,573/yr	52.8x
84	College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, NV	64 55–68	$30,553/yr	55.0x
85	West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA	64 55–67	$28,346/yr	61.3x
86	Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud, MN	63 56–66	$43,765/yr	22.9x
87	Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Green Bay, WI	63 56–66	$43,765/yr	20.8x
88	Mitchell Technical College Mitchell, SD	63 58–66	$40,475/yr	25.5x
89	York Technical College Rock Hill, SC	63 58–65	$36,520/yr	32.6x
90	Spokane Community College Spokane, WA	63 58–65	$33,193/yr	39.9x
91	Northampton County Area Community College Bethlehem, PA	63 54–67	$32,407/yr	44.3x
92	Northwest Mississippi Community College Senatobia, MS	63 54–66	$28,725/yr	55.6x
93	North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, GA	63 53–67	$26,968/yr	64.4x
94	Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Marion, IN	62 55–64	$52,576/yr	7.6x
95	Rasmussen University-North Dakota Fargo, ND	62 55–65	$43,765/yr	19.5x
96	Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford, IL	62 55–65	$43,765/yr	18.3x
97	Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA	62 56–65	$38,112/yr	28.3x
98	Ventura Adult and Continuing Education Ventura, CA	62 55–65	$37,356/yr	—
99	Interactive College of Technology-Chamblee Chamblee, GA	62 57–65	$36,264/yr	31.0x
100	Interactive College of Technology-Morrow Morrow, GA	62 57–65	$36,264/yr	31.3x
101	Interactive College of Technology-Newport Newport, KY	62 57–65	$36,264/yr	32.1x
102	Interactive College of Technology-Gainesville Gainesville, GA	62 57–65	$36,264/yr	31.3x
103	Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN	62 55–65	$34,808/yr	34.5x
104	CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY	62 53–66	$30,942/yr	44.5x
105	Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN	62 52–66	$23,271/yr	77.4x
106	Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL	61 54–64	$48,117/yr	9.0x
107	Rasmussen University-Florida Ocala, FL	61 54–64	$43,765/yr	16.3x
108	Rasmussen University-Kansas Topeka, KS	61 54–64	$43,765/yr	16.0x
109	University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ	61 54–64	$38,794/yr	22.0x
110	Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN	61 54–64	$38,751/yr	22.0x
111	Stellar Career College Modesto, CA	61 54–64	$35,186/yr	—
112	CUNY Hostos Community College Bronx, NY	61 53–64	$31,397/yr	40.0x
113	Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA	61 51–65	$29,188/yr	49.1x
114	Blinn College District Brenham, TX	60 55–63	$32,243/yr	34.2x
115	SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA	60 55–62	$31,019/yr	36.1x
116	Hudson County Community College Jersey City, NJ	60 51–64	$28,818/yr	51.7x
117	Florida National University-Main Campus Hialeah, FL	59 53–62	$41,019/yr	9.5x
118	EDP School Brooklyn, NY	59 52–62	$31,996/yr	—
119	Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA	59 52–63	$29,506/yr	39.7x
120	Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA	59 50–63	$29,056/yr	39.7x
121	Essex County College Newark, NJ	59 50–63	$29,026/yr	40.7x
122	Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar, IA	59 50–63	$24,726/yr	52.9x
123	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA	58 51–61	$40,500/yr	9.8x
124	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH	58 50–61	$37,986/yr	14.1x
125	Ohio Business College-Sheffield Sheffield Village, OH	58 51–61	$34,785/yr	21.2x
126	Ohio Business College-Sandusky Sandusky, OH	58 51–61	$34,785/yr	21.2x
127	Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA	58 48–62	$19,762/yr	70.4x
128	Bryant & Stratton College-Online Orchard Park, NY	57 50–60	$36,958/yr	12.4x
129	Baker College Owosso, MI	57 50–60	$36,181/yr	16.3x
130	Herzing University-Birmingham Birmingham, AL	57 51–59	$31,620/yr	22.5x
131	Herzing University-Atlanta Atlanta, GA	57 51–59	$31,620/yr	22.5x
132	Herzing University-Minneapolis St. Louis Park, MN	57 51–59	$31,620/yr	22.5x
133	Herzing University-Akron Akron, OH	57 51–59	$31,620/yr	22.5x
134	Herzing University-Madison Madison, WI	57 51–59	$31,620/yr	22.5x
135	Herzing University-Orlando Winter Park, FL	57 51–59	$31,620/yr	22.5x
136	Herzing University-Kenosha Kenosha, WI	57 51–59	$31,620/yr	22.5x
137	Herzing University-Brookfield Brookfield, WI	57 51–59	$31,620/yr	22.5x
138	CUNY Kingsborough Community College Brooklyn, NY	57 48–61	$26,953/yr	38.8x
139	Bryant & Stratton College-Albany Albany, NY	56 49–59	$36,958/yr	10.3x
140	Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North Liverpool, NY	56 49–59	$36,958/yr	10.0x
141	Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo Buffalo, NY	56 49–59	$36,958/yr	10.1x
142	Bryant & Stratton College-Greece Rochester, NY	56 49–59	$36,958/yr	9.9x
143	Bryant & Stratton College-Parma Parma, OH	56 49–59	$36,958/yr	9.9x
144	Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA	56 49–59	$36,958/yr	10.5x
145	Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa Wauwatosa, WI	56 49–59	$36,958/yr	9.7x
146	Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	56 49–59	$34,762/yr	14.0x
147	National American University-Rapid City Rapid City, SD	55 47–58	$32,546/yr	13.8x
148	CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY	55 46–58	$27,467/yr	29.7x
149	Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY	55 47–59	$27,170/yr	40.9x
150	New Professions Technical Institute Miami, FL	55 48–58	$26,733/yr	—
151	Southwest University at El Paso El Paso, TX	54 47–56	$33,024/yr	8.0x
152	Stautzenberger College-Maumee Maumee, OH	53 46–55	$32,132/yr	8.6x
153	West Virginia Junior College-Morgantown Morgantown, WV	53 46–56	$31,860/yr	10.1x
154	Mohawk Valley Community College Utica, NY	52 46–55	$26,181/yr	20.4x
155	Southern Careers Institute-Austin Austin, TX	52 45–54	$22,081/yr	—
156	Southern Careers Institute-Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX	52 45–54	$22,081/yr	—
157	Southern Careers Institute-Pharr Pharr, TX	52 45–54	$22,081/yr	—
158	Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio San Antonio, TX	52 45–54	$22,081/yr	—
159	Southern Careers Institute-Brownsville Brownsville, TX	52 45–54	$22,081/yr	—
160	Southern Careers Institute-Harlingen Harlingen, TX	52 45–54	$22,081/yr	—
161	Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio San Antonio, TX	52 45–54	$22,081/yr	—
162	International Business College-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	51 43–54	$28,838/yr	10.4x
163	NUC University Bayamon, PR	51 44–53	$26,373/yr	14.0x
164	Interactive College of Technology-Chamblee Chamblee, GA	51 42–54	$26,189/yr	17.5x
165	Interactive College of Technology-Morrow Morrow, GA	51 42–54	$26,189/yr	17.7x
166	Interactive College of Technology-Newport Newport, KY	51 42–54	$26,189/yr	18.1x
167	Interactive College of Technology-Gainesville Gainesville, GA	51 42–54	$26,189/yr	17.7x
168	Miller-Motte College-STVT-McAllen McAllen, TX	51 44–54	$20,789/yr	—
169	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	51 44–54	$20,789/yr	—
170	Summit College San Bernardino, CA	51 44–53	$20,055/yr	—
171	Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater Clearwater, FL	51 43–53	$19,904/yr	—
172	CUNY LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NY	50 42–54	$20,436/yr	42.4x
173	Metropolitan Learning Institute Rego Park, NY	50 43–53	$18,181/yr	—
174	CET-San Jose San Jose, CA	49 42–51	$14,972/yr	—
175	CET-El Centro El Centro, CA	49 42–51	$14,972/yr	—
176	Long Island Business Institute Flushing, NY	45 37–47	$20,711/yr	9.5x

Highest Earning Accounting Programs

Schools where Accounting graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	Score
Austin Community College District	$62,261/yr	88
Austin Community College District	$58,469/yr	84
Cabrillo College	$57,294/yr	87
College of DuPage	$52,724/yr	83
Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global	$52,576/yr	69
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion	$52,576/yr	62
North Hennepin Community College	$49,685/yr	74
Montgomery County Community College	$48,832/yr	70
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale	$48,117/yr	61
College of DuPage	$47,775/yr	74

Best ROI for Accounting

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Accounting.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	Score
Austin Community College District	375.3x	$62,261/yr	88
Cabrillo College	365.5x	$57,294/yr	87
Dallas College	217.2x	$39,308/yr	80
Davidson-Davie Community College	209.0x	$41,532/yr	81
Wake Technical Community College	206.3x	$38,258/yr	80
Houston Community College	168.9x	$34,667/yr	77
Hillsborough Community College	154.9x	$39,076/yr	79
Catawba Valley Community College	151.0x	$35,972/yr	77
Mt San Antonio College	125.8x	$34,604/yr	75
College of DuPage	121.0x	$52,724/yr	83

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Considering a 4-Year Degree?

Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Accounting degree programs stack up on earnings and ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Accounting graduates earn?

Across 176 schools, Accounting graduates earn an average of $35,808 per year in their first year after completing the program. Earnings range from $14,972 to $62,261 depending on the school.

How safe is Accounting from automation and AI?

AI resilience for Accounting is classified as "Exposed." Approximately 37% of typical job tasks are hands-on — a moderate share of the daily work involves skills that current AI technology cannot perform.

What's the top-ranked school for Accounting?

Our data ranks Austin Community College District first among 176 Accounting programs. Its score of 88/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($62,261/yr), return on investment, and career durability.

Do Accounting graduates get a good return on their tuition?

Typical graduates earn 52.2 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.

Data from College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, and DOL RAPIDS. Methodology & sources →