Corporate accounting manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate accounting manager. Corporate accounting managers usually study accounting, business, or finance. 81% of corporate accounting managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,622 real corporate accounting manager resumes to see exactly what corporate accounting manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for corporate accounting managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online corporate accounting manager courses to help get the education required to be a corporate accounting manager.

There are certain corporate accounting manager certifications that you should consider. These corporate accounting manager certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a corporate accounting manager?

What degree do you need to be a corporate accounting manager?

The most common degree for corporate accounting managers is bachelor's degree, with 81% of corporate accounting managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 81%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 4%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become a corporate accounting manager?

You should major in accounting to become a corporate accounting manager. 58% of corporate accounting managers major in accounting. Other common majors for a corporate accounting manager include business and finance.

Accounting, 58%

Business, 25%

Finance, 7%

Management, 2%

Other Majors, 8%

Most common colleges for corporate accounting managers

Corporate accounting managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pace University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for corporate accounting managers in the US based on their resumes.

Corporate accounting manager common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	12.32%
Pace University	8.87%
University of Houston	7.88%
Northern Illinois University	6.90%
San Diego State University	4.93%

Show more common corporate accounting manager colleges

Best majors for corporate accounting managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Accounting	57.9%
2	Business	25.3%
3	Finance	6.7%
4	Management	1.8%
5	Economics	1.5%

Show more common corporate accounting manager majors

Best colleges for corporate accounting managers

The best colleges for corporate accounting managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

A corporate accounting manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for corporate accounting managers. 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 corporate accounting managers.

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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for corporate accounting managers

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Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...

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Accounting Concepts & Principles...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate accounting managers

The most affordable schools for corporate accounting managers are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for corporate accounting managers 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 corporate accounting managers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. 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 - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for corporate accounting managers

The hardest universities for corporate accounting managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for corporate accounting managers 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 corporate accounting managers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for corporate accounting managers

The easiest schools for corporate accounting managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corporate accounting manager 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 corporate accounting managers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average corporate accounting manager salary by education level

Corporate accounting managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $121,678 annually. With a Master's degree, corporate accounting managers earn a median annual income of $116,923 compared to $104,872 for corporate accounting managers with an Bachelor's degree.

Corporate accounting manager education level	Corporate accounting manager salary
Master's Degree	$116,923
High School Diploma or Less	$88,256
Bachelor's Degree	$104,872
Doctorate Degree	$121,678
Some College/ Associate Degree	$88,247

Corporate accounting manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Corporate Accounting Managers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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