Income tax expert education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an income tax expert. Income tax experts usually study accounting, business, or electrical engineering. 58% of income tax experts hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 167 real income tax expert resumes to see exactly what income tax expert education sections show.

The most common colleges for income tax experts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online income tax expert courses to help get the education required to be an income tax expert.

What education do you need to become an income tax expert?

What degree do you need to be an income tax expert?

The most common degree for income tax experts is bachelor's degree, with 58% of income tax experts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 58%

Associate, 19%

Master's, 11%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become an income tax expert?

You should major in accounting to become an income tax expert. 42% of income tax experts major in accounting. Other common majors for an income tax expert include business and electrical engineering.

Accounting, 42%

Business, 25%

Electrical Engineering, 5%

Finance, 3%

Other Majors, 25%

Most common colleges for income tax experts

Income tax experts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and University of Massachusetts Amherst. Here are the most common colleges for income tax experts in the US based on their resumes.

Income tax expert common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.34%
DeVry University	10.34%
University of Massachusetts Amherst	6.90%
Goldey-Beacom College	6.90%
University of Oregon	6.90%

Show more common income tax expert colleges

Best majors for income tax experts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Accounting	42.0%
2	Business	25.0%
3	Electrical Engineering	5.0%
4	Finance	3.0%
5	Computer Science	3.0%

Show more common income tax expert majors

Best colleges for income tax experts

The best colleges for income tax experts are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.

An income tax expert with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for income tax experts. 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 income tax experts.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

3. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

6. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

20 best online courses for income tax experts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for income tax experts

The most affordable schools for income tax experts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for income tax experts 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 income tax experts.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for income tax experts

The hardest universities for income tax experts to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.

Some great schools for income tax experts 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 income tax experts 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for income tax experts

The easiest schools for income tax experts 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 an income tax expert 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 income tax experts.

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 Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average income tax expert salary by education level

Income tax experts with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $45,710 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, income tax experts earn a median annual income of $41,026 compared to $34,500 for income tax experts with an Associate degree.

Income tax expert education level	Income tax expert salary
Master's Degree	$45,710
High School Diploma or Less	$30,926
Bachelor's Degree	$41,026
Some College/ Associate Degree	$34,500

Income tax expert education FAQs

What is the best college for Income Tax Experts?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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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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