Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Accountants And Auditors
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Central Piedmont Community College, Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State University, and East Carolina University.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Methodist University, Shaw University, Salem College, and Pfeiffer University.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Bennett, Meredith College, and Salem College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Livingstone, North Carolina A & T, North Carolina Central University, and Elizabeth City State.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Montgomery Community College, Wilson Community College, McDowell, and Cleveland Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Bennett, Elon University, Wake Forest University, and High Point.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Livingstone, Saint Augustines College, High Point, and Bennett.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at UNC, Elon University, NC State, and Appalachian State.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at UNC, Campbell, Shaw University, and Wake Forest University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Bennett, Wake Forest University, Meredith College, and UNC.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
Lenoir Rhyne University • Hickory, NC
Studying Accounting (completion in 1998)
• 5/8/2011
"It gave me a degree that has helped me get a good job. I would do it again."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It provides a good education for its size. It helps its students grow into well educated, well rounded people because of its liberal arts based education. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I haven't kept up with its reputation. I think it has a good one. |
| Program Quality | 8 | They provided a good base to start my career. The professors were excellent. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | I graduated a long time ago. |
| How Difficult | 8 | This job requires constant educational updates. Not every person is willing to continue going to classes after they are out of school |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It provided opportunities for interships. There were also opportunities for overseas studies | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I don't know. I've been out of school a long time |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | For a small private school it was ok. I can't tell you more than that. |
| Social Life | 7 | It was very good. I wasn't on campus a lot because I was a day student |
| Placement Services | 5 | It does what every other school does. It did not help me get my first job |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't use it. There are a lot of newsletters and websites that keep you up to date. |
Lenoir Rhyne University • Hickory, NC
Studying Accounting (completion in 1988)
• 7/11/2011
"I was happy with it. It fit into my plans."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think it is a good school. I would go there again if I had to. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | It is good for the region. Outside of the region, it isn't well known. |
| Program Quality | 6 | It is a very good school with a good accounting program. It is local, so it is not well known outside of the region. |
| Instruction | 6 | They were well educated and knew what they were doing. The college found the best they could find. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It was average. No real difficulty in the program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We learned a little of both. There were intern programs and modules along with classwork. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | It is hard for me to rate this. I was a daytime student a long time ago. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | It was adequate. I don't remember much anymore. |
| Social Life | 5 | I heard it was good. I was a day student and didn't participate much in the social aspects of the school. |
| Placement Services | 5 | No real effort to assist us to find jobs. There was a decent internship program that led to many jobs, though. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | It is a good network. There are quarterly newsletters about events at the school and alumni happenings. |
Western Carolina University • Cullowhee, NC
Studying Masters Of Accountancy (completion in 2007)
• 7/15/2011
"I enjoyed my time there, and it was a means to an end. I would have preferred to go to a more reputable academic school, but my options were limited."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program is flexible and caters to working adults. I also like the job placement work that they perform. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | In the area they have a pretty good reputation, but outside of the geographic area they are not highly thought of. I would say the reputation is better in the graduate accounting program than in the other majors. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The program seemed to focus too much on CPA exam prep. However, I did get a good foundation in accounting. |
| Instruction | 7 | Most teachers were good, but there was nothing exceptional about the program. I did learn what I needed to know for my career. |
| How Difficult | 7 | In general, accounting can be somewhat difficult, but the courses did nothing to add to the challenge. Some professors actually made their tests too easy, in my opinion. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Mostly book learning with some projects. However, I guess that is to be expected in accounting. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | They offered classes in Asheville at night. They also accepted prerequisites taken at community colleges. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities were on par with most other schools. Many of my classes were on the campus of UNC Asheville. |
| Social Life | 3 | I didn't spend much time on campus. However, the time I did spend in Cullowhee was just okay. I didn't sense a lot of school spirit. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I had a job before I left school. They have big recruitment events. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | They are great for job searches and staying in contact. I hear from the department on a regular basis. |
University Of North Carolina • Chapel Hill, NC
Studying Accounting (completion in 2008)
• 9/17/2011
"I don't regret going, even if I don't really like accounting as a profession anymore. I'd still recommend the program to anyone interested."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I certainly would recommend the school, especially if the applicant is an in-state resident. It's one year, is relatively inexpensive, and accounting is a relatively stable/reliable profession to get into. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | From what I understand, UNC's MAC program is still quite reputable. It's not among the top programs, but it's certainly strong (several of my professors were from BYU, which is perhaps the top accounting school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I was very satisfied with the school. The faculty was generally very good, and the program provided a lot of help in getting people situated after graduation (they bring in the Big 4 recruiters, and anyone who wants an interview gets one). |
| Instruction | 9 | A professor or two might not have been great, but as a whole the instruction was great. The Master's professors were all the best ones from the Undergrad program. |
| How Difficult | 6 | With the exception of maybe one class (S-Corp Taxation) the classes seemed relatively easy, and more like another year of undergrad than a graduate program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Unlike undergrad, I felt as though most of my learning in the MAC program came from sitting in class. As mentioned earlier, the program didn't feel terribly difficult, so it seemed like studying or book learning wasn't required much for doing well, as long as you paid attention in class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Given the limited timeframe of a one year Masters program, the schedule is not very flexible. You have your choice of several elective courses (and whether to focus on audit or tax) but all classes are between 8 AM and 2 PM. No nights, no weekends, and the program runs from June through May. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Kenan-Flagler is a relatively new building on UNC's campus, and was really nice. Very nice computer labs, meeting rooms, and the building's own personal cafe rivaled any of the dining halls. |
| Social Life | 8 | Sports (particularly football and basketball) were easily accessible to students, and Franklin Street had plenty of other options. The MAC program also arranged various get-togethers throughout the year (like a Casino Night) to get people together. |
| Placement Services | 8 | From what I understand, most people have a job upon graduating. I had several job offers, and I don't think that was uncommon at all. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The support was great (bringing the Big 4 to us, instead of having to go out on our own to find jobs). Alumni support wasn't something I ever looked into, so I can't say anything about it. |
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington • Wilmington, NC
Studying Accounting (completion in 2005)
• 11/10/2011
"UNCW was a great place to attend school due to the location; however, the quality of the master's program was not as good as other comparable programs in North Carolina, primarily the preparation for the CPA exam."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Would recommend school to anyone who would like to live at the beach. However, other programs in NC are better for preparation with regard to entering the profession of accounting. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | UNCW's Master of Accountancy program is ranked fairly well out of peer programs. Difficulty of acceptance is considered high. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Graduate program offered great electives, but did not prepare me adequately for the CPA exam. Great place to attend school, being at the beach. |
| Instruction | 5 | Curriculum did not prepare me for the CPA exam, compared to other Master of Accountancy programs in North Carolina. While the curriculum was interesting, sometimes it was not really relevant to the day-to-day duties of a typical accountant. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Tests were moderately difficult. Lots of group projects that were graded based on group performance, rather than individual ability. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Two of the principal professors did not actually have public or private accounting experience; all academic. Several of the classes were primarily textbook-based and not interesting. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | In my master's program, only 1 set of classes was available. Therefore, it was very difficult to work around the school schedule. However, this was stressed to applicants, therefore, graduate assistantships were common. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | UNCW Cameron School of Business had a great computer lab. Classrooms were new and in good condition. |
| Social Life | 9 | Lots of classmate interaction outside of normal class hours. This is primarily due to the amount of group projects assigned. Made many friendships in my graduate program. |
| Placement Services | 9 | All but 2 classmates out of a class of 50 were placed by graduation. Professors seemed to really pride themselves on this accomplishment. This was one of the reasons I chose this program. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I get emails regularly from my alumni network. Usually these are asking for donations, but there is fair amount of newsletters that come out each year, which can keep you up to date on former classmates. |
Martin Community College • Williamston, NC
Studying Accounting (completion in 2010)
• 11/16/2011
"I was pretty satisfied with my school overall. It allowed me to enter the field I am in today."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would not recommend my school for the accounting program. I believe it is no longer available there, and I feel others could get more out of a larger school with more resources. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | My school's reputation of the accounting program is extremely poor. I believe the program was canceled this year, due to lack of interest. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I am somewhat on the fence in my opinion of Martin Community College for their accounting program. It is a small school with limited resources, and I felt I could have gotten more out of my time there. |
| Instruction | 5 | The quality of instruction was okay. However, with it being a small school, I only had two different instructors during my 2 years there. I felt I could have benefited from a variety of instructors. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The workload was extremely heavy and the work was challenging. I excel in this type of environment, however. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The accounting program at my school was very book oriented. The only hands-on experience I had was during my QuickBooks Pro 2009 course. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | One of my school's best features was scheduling flexibility. Because of the small size of the accounting program, we worked with our instructors to create the schedule each semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The accessibility of professors was excellent. However, resources were limited due to the size of the school. |
| Social Life | 10 | Social experience at my school was extremely good. We got to know each other quite well in my time there, due to the fact that there were only 4 students in my program. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I had no help in career placement after graduation. The school's program is extremely poor. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I have not received any support since graduation. I find the school's alumni network/support extremely poor. |
Elon University • Elon, NC
Studying Business Admin (completion in 2003)
• 1/7/2012
"I was very pleased with my choice of schools. I had a wonderful experience and felt like it really met all of my needs."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The business school is more than adequate and the school clearly cares a lot about giving the students the best possible experience and education. It is a small school with lots of opportunities for the small campus. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | The school has a good reputation for its business program. However it is not famous for the accounting program. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school provided a comprehensive program. They had a number of qualified professors and lots of class options. |
| Instruction | 8 | I felt like I was adequately prepared for the working world when I graduated. There were no major gaps in my knowledge when I started working but nothing can replace real working experience. |
| How Difficult | 6 | There were some challenging classes and tasks. However I didn't feel like the program was too difficult to accomplish. Work load was moderate. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school had a major emphasis on hands on learning. A high percentage of students studied abroad and there were many programs in place to get the students out in the community as part of their education. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Class schedule was very flexible. Courses were offered at a wide variety of times. However, when I attended (9 years ago) there were no online courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Top quality facilities and educational support. The buildings were state of the art and there were many programs in place to assist students. |
| Social Life | 10 | The school has a huge social scene. Lots of athletics and Greek life. Many parties and events all in a close knit community. |
| Placement Services | 7 | There was a lot of on campus career assistance including career fairs and internship programs. The alumni network is very strong and helpful with job placement. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | There are many alumni events and activities. Lots of career advice and networking activities. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.