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Tax preparer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a tax preparer. Tax preparers usually study accounting, business, or finance. 46% of tax preparers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 46,198 real tax preparer resumes to see exactly what tax preparer education sections show.
The most common colleges for tax preparers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online tax preparer courses to help get the education required to be a tax preparer.
There are certain tax preparer certifications that you should consider. These tax preparer certifications include Tax Certification and Accredited Tax Preparer (ATP).
What education do you need to become a tax preparer?
What degree do you need to be a tax preparer?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 24%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a tax preparer?
- Accounting, 41%
- Business, 27%
- Finance, 4%
- Other Majors, 25%
Most common colleges for tax preparers
| Tax preparer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 28.05% |
| DeVry University | 7.16% |
| Strayer University | 6.98% |
| Colorado Technical University | 5.21% |
| American InterContinental University | 4.81% |
Best majors for tax preparers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 41.1% |
| 2 | Business | 26.7% |
| 3 | Finance | 4.3% |
| 4 | Health Care Administration | 3.0% |
| 5 | General Studies | 2.8% |
Best colleges for tax preparers
The best colleges for tax preparers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.
A tax preparer 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 preparers. 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 preparers.
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 tax preparers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for tax preparers
The most affordable schools for tax preparers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for tax preparers 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 preparers.
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 tax preparers
The hardest universities for tax preparers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.
Some great schools for tax preparers 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 preparers 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. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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
4%
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 tax preparers
The easiest schools for tax preparers 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 tax preparer 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 preparers.
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 tax preparer salary by education level
| Tax preparer education level | Tax preparer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,634 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,040 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,816 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $45,921 |
Tax preparer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025