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Accounting instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an accounting instructor. Accounting instructors usually study accounting, business, or finance. 58% of accounting instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 799 real accounting instructor resumes to see exactly what accounting instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for accounting instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online accounting instructor courses to help get the education required to be an accounting instructor.
There are certain accounting instructor certifications that you should consider. These accounting instructor certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become an accounting instructor?
What degree do you need to be an accounting instructor?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 31%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an accounting instructor?
- Accounting, 56%
- Business, 23%
- Finance, 5%
- Economics, 2%
- Other Majors, 14%
Most common colleges for accounting instructors
| Accounting instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.26% |
| Strayer University | 6.60% |
| Jackson State University | 6.60% |
| Jacksonville State University | 5.66% |
| University of Georgia | 5.66% |
Best majors for accounting instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 55.9% |
| 2 | Business | 22.7% |
| 3 | Finance | 5.0% |
| 4 | Economics | 1.8% |
| 5 | Management | 1.4% |
Best colleges for accounting instructors
The best colleges for accounting instructors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
An accounting instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for accounting instructors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become accounting instructors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for accounting instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for accounting instructors
The most affordable schools for accounting instructors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for accounting instructors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for accounting instructors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for accounting instructors
The hardest universities for accounting instructors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for accounting instructors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for accounting instructors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for accounting instructors
The easiest schools for accounting instructors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an accounting instructor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for accounting instructors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
6. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
Average accounting instructor salary by education level
| Accounting instructor education level | Accounting instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,179 |
| Doctorate Degree | $68,345 |
Accounting instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025