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Industrial accountant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an industrial accountant. Industrial accountants usually study business, accounting, or finance. 74% of industrial accountants hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 48 real industrial accountant resumes to see exactly what industrial accountant education sections show.

The most common colleges for industrial accountants are the American InterContinental University and the American InterContinental University.

There are also many online industrial accountant courses to help get the education required to be an industrial accountant.

What education do you need to become an industrial accountant?

What degree do you need to be an industrial accountant?

The most common degree for industrial accountants is bachelor's degree, with 74% of industrial accountants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an industrial accountant?

You should major in business to become an industrial accountant. 37% of industrial accountants major in business. Other common majors for an industrial accountant include accounting and finance.

Most common colleges for industrial accountants

Industrial accountants often get their degrees at American InterContinental University, Regis University, and Salem State University. Here are the most common colleges for industrial accountants in the US based on their resumes.
Industrial accountant common collegePercentages
American InterContinental University9.52%
Regis University4.76%
Salem State University4.76%
Indiana University Bloomington4.76%
Saint Joseph's University4.76%

Best majors for industrial accountants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business36.8%
2Accounting28.9%
3Finance5.3%
4Communication2.6%
5Economics2.6%

Best colleges for industrial accountants

The best colleges for industrial accountants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

An industrial 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 industrial 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 industrial accountants.

1. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Cleary University

Howell, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$20,550

Enrollment

474

5. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

6. University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Lafayette, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,912

Enrollment

14,245

7. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

8. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

9. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for industrial accountants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for industrial accountants

The most affordable schools for industrial accountants 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 industrial 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 industrial accountants.

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. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for industrial accountants

The hardest universities for industrial accountants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for industrial 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 industrial 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. 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

4%

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. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for industrial accountants

The easiest schools for industrial accountants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an industrial 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 industrial accountants.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

10. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

Average industrial accountant salary by education level

Industrial accountants with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $54,587 annually. With a Master's degree, industrial accountants earn a median annual income of $52,289 compared to $45,146 for industrial accountants with an Bachelor's degree.
Industrial accountant education levelIndustrial accountant salary
Master's Degree$52,289
Bachelor's Degree$45,146
Doctorate Degree$54,587

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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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