Top Accounting Schools in the Country

University of Texas at Austin

• The university offers an undergraduate accounting degree, a graduate accounting degree and a Ph.D. in accounting. Under the McCombs School of Business umbrella, the University of Texas accounting department ranks high among the nation's many accounting schools. According to U.S. News and World Report's 2010 rankings, the university is the nation's premier school for accounting students. The Public Accounting Report, which publishes annual surveys of accounting professors, ranked the university in the top 25 for all three of its accounting programs. The bachelor's degree program falls under the business administration heading. The program requires students to complete 21 hours of accounting courses. The school requires finance majors to complete nine to 12 hours of accounting courses to qualify for a degree with accounting emphasis. A concurrency program allows students to earn both the bachelor's degree in business administration and the master's degree in professional accounting.

  University of Texas-Austin
  1 University Station
  B6000
  Austin, TX 78712
  512-471-5291
  utexas.edu

University of Pennsylvania

• The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania offers one of the world's finest master's of business administration (MBA) degree programs, according to the school's website. The school offers an accounting degree that prepares students for careers in corporate finance, treasury, investment banking and private equity management. According to the school's website, many students pursue a double major by combing an accounting curriculum with a finance degree curriculum. Accounting is one of 18 majors available through the Wharton School, which ranks second among all schools for excellence in its accounting program.

  University of Pennsylvania
  Wharton School
  420 Jon M. Huntsman Hall
  3730 Walnut St.
  Philadelphia, PA 19104
  215-898-6183
  wharton.upen.edu/mba

University of Illinois

• U.S. News and World Report ranks the MBA program at the University of Illinois fourth among schools for accounting. The university offers bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting and also offers an MBA degree that allows students to tailor their degrees based on career objectives that include specialization in accounting. The bachelor of science in accountancy program prepares students for careers in corporate accounting and government accounting. An integrated program furthers students' education by adding the master of science in accounting degree.

  U of I College of Business
  515 E. Gregory Drive
  3019 BIF
  MC 520
  Champaign, IL 61820
  mba.illinois.edu

University of Southern California

• For several years, the University of Southern California has ranked among the best colleges in the nation for accounting students. In 2010, U.S. News and World Report ranked the college sixth. It ranks on top among schools in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. According to the university's website, the Marshall School of Business features the Leventhal School of Accounting, where students can earn a bachelor of science degree in accounting or a master's degree in accounting. During students' junior years, they must choose from three tracks to determine the focus of their senior coursework. The tracks vary based on students' career objectives. The graduate accounting track is for students who intend to continue their education with enrollment in the school's master's program. The accounting track is for students who plan to enter the workforce upon graduation. The accounting information systems track is for students interested in the IT aspect of accounting.

  University of Southern California
  Marshall School of Business
  University Park
  Los Angeles, CA 90089
  213-740-7846
  marshall.usc.edu