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Public accountant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a public accountant. Public accountants usually study accounting, business, or finance. 77% of public accountants hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 776 real public accountant resumes to see exactly what public accountant education sections show.
The most common colleges for public accountants are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.
There are also many online public accountant courses to help get the education required to be a public accountant.
There are certain public accountant certifications that you should consider. These public accountant certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a public accountant?
What degree do you need to be a public accountant?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 10%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a public accountant?
- Accounting, 64%
- Business, 19%
- Finance, 3%
- Economics, 2%
- Other Majors, 12%
Most common colleges for public accountants
| Public accountant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | 10.42% |
| Texas State University | 8.33% |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler | 7.29% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.29% |
| University of Houston | 5.21% |
Best majors for public accountants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 63.9% |
| 2 | Business | 19.2% |
| 3 | Finance | 3.2% |
| 4 | Economics | 1.8% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 1.3% |
Best colleges for public accountants
The best colleges for public accountants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
A public 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 public 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 public 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. 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 public accountants
Advertising disclosure
1. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement
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2. Financial Accounting - Subsidiary Ledgers & Special Journals
Mastering Special Journals and Subsidiary Ledgers: A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlined Accounting Practices...
3. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries
Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...
4. Excel Accounting Problem
Learn How to Create an Accounting Worksheet Using Microsoft Excel from a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)...
5. Principles of Financial Accounting
Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...
6. Financial Accounting & Excel-Comprehensive Accounting Course
Comprehensive accounting course to learn the accounting cycle in a practical way and pick up critical Excel fundamentals...
7. Financial Accounting-Debits & Credits-Accounting Transaction
Masterclass: Learn Accounting Principles, Financial Statements, Transactions & More in this Comprehensive Course...
8. Financial Accounting: The Complete Introductory Crash Course
Learn the Basics of Financial Accounting: Financial Statements, Debits and Credits, The Accounting Cycle and More!...
9. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily
Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...
10. Accounting & Bookkeeping Masterclass - Beginner to Advanced
Accounting, Bookkeeping Introduction, Accounting, Bookkeeping Entries, Accounting, Bookkeeping Adjustments & Reports...
11. Bank Reconciliations & Cash Internal Controls
Mastering Internal Controls and Cash Management: Safeguarding Business Assets and Ensuring Financial Accuracy...
12. Financial Statement Auditing Cycles
In this course, we learn how public accountants plan and execute an audit...
13. Accounting, Bookkeeping & Financial Analysis (Accounting)
Accounting & Bookkeeping Basics. Accounting & Financial Analysis Concepts. Learn Accounting & Bookkeeping...
14. Accounting 101: How to read an Accounting Balance Sheet
Accounting 101: Non-Accountants' Guide to Accounting. Learn Accounting. Get Paid More, and Get Promoted Faster!...
15. Financial Accounting: A Comprehensive Guide with E-book
Unlock Financial Accounting Mastery: Comprehensive Course for Students, Professionals, and Business Owners...
16. Awaken the Accountant in You Master the Accounting Basics
Learn Accounting to Boost your career, pass an exam, be a screwed entrepreneur!...
17. Financial Accounting - Closing Process
Conquering the Closing Process: A Thorough Exploration of the Final Step in Accounting...
18. Financial Accounting-Depreciation Calculation & Fixed Assets
Optimizing Asset Management: Comprehensive Guide to Property, Plant, and Equipment Accounting...
19. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training
Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!...
20. Governmental Accounting 100
Fund accounting-governmental accounting-General Fund & government-wide activity transactions-modified accrual method...
Top 10 most affordable universities for public accountants
The most affordable schools for public 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 public 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 public 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. 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 public accountants
The hardest universities for public accountants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
Some great schools for public 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 public 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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public accountants
The easiest schools for public accountants 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 public 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 public accountants.
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 public accountant salary by education level
| Public accountant education level | Public accountant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,895 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,357 |
| Doctorate Degree | $67,612 |
Public accountant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025