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Chartered accountant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chartered accountant. Chartered accountants usually study accounting, business/commerce, or business. 72% of chartered accountants hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 270 real chartered accountant resumes to see exactly what chartered accountant education sections show.
The most common colleges for chartered accountants are the National University and the National University.
There are also many online chartered accountant courses to help get the education required to be a chartered accountant.
There are certain chartered accountant certifications that you should consider. These chartered accountant certifications include Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
What education do you need to become a chartered accountant?
What degree do you need to be a chartered accountant?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 17%
- Diploma, 6%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a chartered accountant?
- Accounting, 45%
- Business/Commerce, 23%
- Business, 9%
- Finance, 4%
- Other Majors, 19%
Most common colleges for chartered accountants
| Chartered accountant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| National University | 13.04% |
| University of Central Arkansas | 8.70% |
| Manchester University | 8.70% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.70% |
| Kean University | 4.35% |
Best majors for chartered accountants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 45.0% |
| 2 | Business/Commerce | 22.8% |
| 3 | Business | 9.4% |
| 4 | Finance | 4.4% |
| 5 | Management | 2.2% |
Best colleges for chartered accountants
The best colleges for chartered accountants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A chartered accountant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chartered accountants. 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 chartered accountants.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
7. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
8. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
20 best online courses for chartered accountants
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20. Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Stmt, Cash Flow
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chartered accountants
The most affordable schools for chartered accountants are USF Sarasota-Manatee, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for chartered accountants 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 chartered accountants.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
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 chartered accountants
The hardest universities for chartered accountants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for chartered accountants 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 chartered accountants 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chartered accountants
The easiest schools for chartered accountants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chartered accountant 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 chartered accountants.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
Average chartered accountant salary by education level
| Chartered accountant education level | Chartered accountant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,318 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,207 |
| Doctorate Degree | $80,209 |
Chartered accountant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025