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Tax internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a tax internship. Tax interns usually study accounting, business, or finance. 75% of tax interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,600 real tax internship resumes to see exactly what tax internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for tax interns are the DePaul University and the DePaul University.

There are also many online tax internship courses to help get the education required to be a tax internship.

There are certain tax internship certifications that you should consider. These tax internship certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP).

What education do you need to become a tax internship?

What degree do you need to be a tax internship?

The most common degree for tax interns is bachelor's degree, with 75% of tax interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 75%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a tax internship?

You should major in accounting to become a tax internship. 60% of tax interns major in accounting. Other common majors for a tax internship include business and finance.

Most common colleges for tax interns

Tax interns often get their degrees at DePaul University, Bentley University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for tax interns in the US based on their resumes.
Tax internship common collegePercentages
DePaul University7.44%
Bentley University6.51%
University of Houston6.36%
Michigan State University5.58%
Ohio State University5.58%

Best majors for tax interns

RankMajorPercentages
1Accounting60.4%
2Business19.6%
3Finance6.3%
4Economics2.5%
5Taxation1.5%

Best colleges for tax interns

The best colleges for tax interns are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A tax internship with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for tax interns. 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 tax interns.

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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for tax interns

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8. Fundamentals of Business Taxes

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Top 10 most affordable universities for tax interns

The most affordable schools for tax interns are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for tax interns 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 tax interns.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tax interns

The hardest universities for tax interns to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for tax interns 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 tax interns 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for tax interns

The easiest schools for tax interns to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a tax internship 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 tax interns.

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. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average tax internship salary by education level

According to our data, tax interns with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $51,212 annually. Tax interns with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $47,632.
Tax internship education levelTax internship salary
Master's Degree$51,212
High School Diploma or Less$39,409
Bachelor's Degree$47,632
Some College/ Associate Degree$42,408

Tax internship education FAQs

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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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