Best Accountant programs in Pennsylvania, ranked by enrollment
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others.
90 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,601 people a year. The job pays a median of $79,000 in Pennsylvania across about 54,290 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
7 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accountingmain feeder CIP 52.0301In Pennsylvania → | 2,255 | 86.7% | 83 | $51,824 | $24,433 |
| 2 | Accounting and Financemain feeder CIP 52.0304In Pennsylvania → | 157 | 6.0% | 5 | $51,824 | $24,433 |
| 3 | Accounting and Business/Managementmain feeder CIP 52.0305In Pennsylvania → | 76 | 2.9% | 5 | $51,824 | $24,433 |
| 4 | Taxationmain feeder CIP 52.1601In Pennsylvania → | 55 | 2.1% | 5 | — | — |
| 5 | CIP 43.0405In Pennsylvania → | 36 | 1.4% | 6 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
| 6 | Accounting and Computer Sciencemain feeder CIP 30.1601In Pennsylvania → | 21 | 0.8% | 1 | — | — |
| 7 | Auditingmain feeder CIP 52.0303In Pennsylvania → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $51,824 | $24,433 |
Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 46 of the 90 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 275 | Accounting | $63,425 | 86% | — | 61% |
| 2 | Villanova University Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 163 | Accounting | $77,966 | 92% | $33,774 | 27% |
| 3 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 161 | Accounting | $57,966 | 85% | — | 58% |
| 4 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 154 | Accounting and Finance | $70,069 | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 5 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 147 | Accounting | $63,202 | 75% | — | 80% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University - World Campus University Park, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 120 | Accounting | $63,425 | 34% | — | 91% |
| 7 | University of Scranton Scranton, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 95 | Accounting | $70,453 | 80% | $25,834 | 81% |
| 8 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 88 | Accounting | — | 71% | — | 78% |
| 9 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 65 | Accounting | $69,807 | 79% | $34,418 | 89% |
| 10 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 50 | Accounting | $47,640 | 54% | — | 93% |
| 11 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 50 | Accounting | $60,666 | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 12 | Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 47 | Accounting | $57,685 | 66% | $24,175 | 90% |
| 13 | La Salle University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 46 | Accounting | $54,772 | 57% | $21,997 | 97% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Accounting | $48,418 | 52% | — | 94% |
| 15 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Accounting | $77,026 | 88% | $26,912 | 26% |
| 16 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 36 | Accounting | $49,454 | 56% | — | 91% |
| 17 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 34 | Accounting | — | 43% | — | 92% |
| 18 | King's College Wilkes-Barre, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 34 | Accounting | $61,680 | 60% | $22,131 | 93% |
| 19 | Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 34 | Accounting | $59,401 | 70% | $24,246 | 81% |
| 20 | Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Abington Abington, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Accounting | — | 20% | — | 97% |
| 21 | Reading Area Community College Reading, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 32 | Accounting and Business/Management | — | 34% | — | — |
| 22 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 31 | Accounting | $46,359 | 66% | — | 71% |
| 23 | Lackawanna College Scranton, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Accounting | — | 37% | $25,320 | — |
| 24 | Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Erie - Behrend College Erie, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Accounting | — | 44% | — | 97% |
| 25 | Widener University Chester, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 27 | Accounting | $65,071 | 68% | $29,049 | 71% |
All 90 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus | University Park | Public | 275 | 1 |
| Villanova University | Villanova | Private not-for-profit | 163 | 2 |
| University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 161 | 1 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 154 | 2 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia | Public | 147 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania State University - World Campus | University Park | Public | 120 | 2 |
| University of Scranton | Scranton | Private not-for-profit | 95 | 2 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester | Public | 88 | 1 |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 65 | 1 |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg | Public | 50 | 1 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 50 | 1 |
| Robert Morris University | Moon Township | Private not-for-profit | 47 | 1 |
| La Salle University | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 46 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania Western University | California | Public | 42 | 1 |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem | Private not-for-profit | 40 | 1 |
What accountants and auditors earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $83,680. Pennsylvania pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Accountants and Auditors page.
How to become a Accountant
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Pennsylvania
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 7 majors mapped to Accountants and Auditors7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 30.1601Accounting and Computer Science
- 43.0405Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation
- 52.0301Accounting
- 52.0303Auditing
- 52.0304Accounting and Finance
- 52.0305Accounting and Business/Management
- 52.1601Taxation
Common questions
Answers for people weighing accountants and auditors programs in Pennsylvania.
What degree do you need to become an Accountant?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Accounting, which awarded 2,255 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 86.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Accountant?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Accounting and Related Services, Taxation, Security Science and Technology, Accounting and Computer Science. Together they graduate about 2,601 people a year in Pennsylvania.
How much do accountants and auditors earn in Pennsylvania?+
The median is $79,000 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 5.6% below the U.S. median of $83,680. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for accountants and auditors growing?+
BLS projects a +4.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 124,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Pennsylvania?+
90 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do accountants and auditors work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Auditor, Accountant, Financial Auditor, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-2011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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