Field of study · CIP 52.03
Accounting and Related Services
Offered at 3,249 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 719 | $39,417 | $45,161 | $14,786 |
| Associate | 760 | $42,751 | $50,495 | $19,102 |
| Bachelor's | 1,133 | $59,097 | $77,352 | $23,172 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 4 | — | $81,900 | — |
| Master's | 530 | $73,684 | $99,524 | — |
| Doctoral | 16 | — | — | — |
| Professional | 1 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 86 | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Our read
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $39,417, versus $59,097 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Community College District | TX | $68,635 | $99,422 | $19,119 |
| 2 | Champlain College | VT | — | $90,346 | — |
| 3 | Northern Virginia Community College | VA | — | $74,668 | $17,312 |
| 4 | University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | — | $66,739 | — |
| 5 | College of the Canyons | CA | — | $63,628 | — |
| 6 | Central New Mexico Community College | NM | — | $61,441 | — |
| 7 | Columbus State Community College | OH | $60,494 | — | $24,199 |
| 8 | Bunker Hill Community College | MA | — | $59,083 | — |
| 9 | College of Southern Maryland | MD | — | $58,305 | — |
| 10 | Iowa Central Community College | IA | — | $58,280 | — |
| 11 | Cabrillo College | CA | $58,027 | — | $6,567 |
| 12 | Tidewater Community College | VA | $56,080 | — | — |
| 13 | Tacoma Community College | WA | — | $55,921 | $15,756 |
| 14 | Connecticut State Community College | CT | — | $54,576 | — |
| 15 | Wake Technical Community College | NC | $42,153 | $54,364 | $15,323 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prince George's Community College | MD | — | $76,462 | — |
| 2 | College of San Mateo | CA | — | $76,162 | — |
| 3 | Austin Community College District | TX | $60,248 | $74,482 | $13,000 |
| 4 | Red Rocks Community College | CO | — | $69,516 | — |
| 5 | Northern Virginia Community College | VA | — | $67,147 | $9,000 |
| 6 | City College of San Francisco | CA | — | $65,631 | — |
| 7 | College of the Canyons | CA | — | $65,399 | — |
| 8 | Blinn College District | TX | — | $63,298 | — |
| 9 | Suffolk County Community College | NY | $43,104 | $61,574 | $8,625 |
| 10 | Oakland Community College | MI | $45,665 | $61,448 | — |
| 11 | Davenport University | MI | — | $60,965 | — |
| 12 | North Hennepin Community College | MN | — | $60,760 | — |
| 13 | Normandale Community College | MN | — | $60,351 | — |
| 14 | Johnson County Community College | KS | $45,225 | $60,181 | — |
| 15 | Hudson Valley Community College | NY | $43,312 | $59,796 | $9,500 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown University | DC | — | $163,654 | $16,250 |
| 2 | Washington and Lee University | VA | — | $144,579 | $21,500 |
| 3 | Santa Clara University | CA | $88,383 | $143,129 | $17,000 |
| 4 | Lehigh University | PA | $83,966 | $140,890 | $19,000 |
| 5 | Boston College | MA | $85,089 | $136,922 | $19,000 |
| 6 | Bucknell University | PA | $87,150 | $135,369 | $26,100 |
| 7 | Villanova University | PA | $83,193 | $134,085 | $24,187 |
| 8 | Fordham University | NY | $78,304 | $132,283 | $23,428 |
| 9 | University of Southern California | CA | $81,514 | $129,984 | — |
| 10 | College of the Holy Cross | MA | $82,078 | $127,397 | $25,000 |
| 11 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $81,226 | $124,432 | $17,500 |
| 12 | Loyola Marymount University | CA | $79,907 | $124,088 | $18,750 |
| 13 | University of Richmond | VA | $79,100 | $123,668 | $17,500 |
| 14 | American University | DC | — | $123,318 | — |
| 15 | George Washington University | DC | $81,037 | $122,193 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara University | CA | $95,065 | — | — |
| 2 | Portland State University | OR | — | $85,473 | — |
| 3 | Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | — | $81,900 | — |
| 4 | Post University | CT | — | $73,709 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | — | $151,947 | — |
| 2 | New York University | NY | $82,194 | $143,813 | — |
| 3 | Brigham Young University | UT | — | $138,316 | — |
| 4 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $76,297 | $137,617 | — |
| 5 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $86,098 | $137,538 | — |
| 6 | Fordham University | NY | $84,550 | $134,879 | — |
| 7 | Boston College | MA | — | $132,667 | — |
| 8 | Golden Gate University | CA | $93,591 | $130,889 | — |
| 9 | George Mason University | VA | $89,990 | $130,856 | — |
| 10 | Northeastern University | MA | $86,876 | $130,059 | — |
| 11 | Binghamton University | NY | $81,242 | $130,036 | — |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | PA | $81,321 | $129,991 | — |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley | PA | $81,321 | $129,991 | — |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $81,321 | $129,991 | — |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | PA | $81,321 | $129,991 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capella University | MN | $102,632 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning professional programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $76,360 | $126,955 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | $70,964 | $107,161 | — |
| 2 | George Mason University | VA | $91,655 | — | — |
| 3 | DeVry College of New York | NY | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 4 | DeVry University-Arizona | AZ | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 5 | DeVry University-California | CA | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 6 | DeVry University-Florida | FL | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 7 | DeVry University-Georgia | GA | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 8 | DeVry University-Illinois | IL | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 9 | DeVry University-Ohio | OH | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 10 | DeVry University-Texas | TX | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 11 | DeVry University-Virginia | VA | $62,539 | $87,370 | — |
| 12 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | $64,937 | $79,683 | — |
| 13 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | $58,519 | $70,629 | — |
| 14 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | MN | $65,315 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $67,779Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $68,377Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $83,701MarketingBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $71,160Business/Managerial EconomicsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $83,514Human Resources Management and ServicesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $70,804Management Information Systems and ServicesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $87,204Real EstateBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $89,083
Quick answers
- How much do accounting and related services graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in accounting and related services reports median earnings of $59,097. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
