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Accounting professor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an accounting professor. Accounting professors usually study accounting, business, or finance. 54% of accounting professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 38% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 264 real accounting professor resumes to see exactly what accounting professor education sections show.

The most common colleges for accounting professors are the Strayer University and the Strayer University.

There are also many online accounting professor courses to help get the education required to be an accounting professor.

There are certain accounting professor certifications that you should consider. These accounting professor certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

What education do you need to become an accounting professor?

What degree do you need to be an accounting professor?

The most common degree for accounting professors is bachelor's degree, with 54% of accounting professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 38% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Master's, 38%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an accounting professor?

You should major in accounting to become an accounting professor. 56% of accounting professors major in accounting. Other common majors for an accounting professor include business and finance.

Most common colleges for accounting professors

Accounting professors often get their degrees at Strayer University, University of Phoenix, and Appalachian State University. Here are the most common colleges for accounting professors in the US based on their resumes.
Accounting professor common collegePercentages
Strayer University14.29%
University of Phoenix14.29%
Appalachian State University5.36%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro5.36%
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico5.36%

Best majors for accounting professors

RankMajorPercentages
1Accounting55.8%
2Business22.1%
3Finance6.7%
4Taxation2.1%
5Economics2.1%

Best colleges for accounting professors

The best colleges for accounting professors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

An accounting professor 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 professors. 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 professors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

9. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for accounting professors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for accounting professors

The most affordable schools for accounting professors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and university of florida.

If the best universities for accounting professors 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 professors.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for accounting professors

The hardest universities for accounting professors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for accounting professors 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 professors 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for accounting professors

The easiest schools for accounting professors to get into are Barry 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 professor 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 professors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average accounting professor salary by education level

According to our data, accounting professors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $100,404 annually. Accounting professors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $78,978.
Accounting professor education levelAccounting professor salary
Master's Degree$78,978
Doctorate Degree$100,404

Accounting professor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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