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 Atlantic Cape, Ocean County College, Brookdale Community College, and Essex County College.
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 New Jersey City University, Fairleigh Dickinson - Metropolitan, Berkeley, and Kean.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Georgian Court University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Bloomfield, Saint Peter's College, Felician, and Fairleigh Dickinson - Metropolitan.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Caldwell College, Fairleigh Dickinson - Metropolitan, Georgian Court University, and New Jersey City University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Seton Hall, Centenary, Rider University, and Fairleigh Dickinson - Metropolitan.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of The College of New Jersey, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Fairleigh Dickinson Florham, and Saint Peter's College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at The College of New Jersey and Rutgers.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at New Jersey City University, The College of New Jersey, Saint Peter's College, and Rutgers Camden.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Saint Peter's College, Felician, Seton Hall, and Rutgers Camden.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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The College Of New Jersey • Ewing, NJ
Studying Accountancy (completion in 2009)
• 7/6/2011
"The school was a great place for learning accountancy and getting a career during college. The main problem is that the school is not very well known outside of New Jersey."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school provided a great education and experience. I do not know of anyone in my graduating class that did not graduate with a job offer. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | In New Jersey, the school is known for being a very good school for most majors. Outside of New Jersey, most people have not heard of the school. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My school was great at providing the basics of accounting. I felt that I was more knowledgeable than people from other schools. The only problem was that they did not necessarily teach the items that you learn through on-the-job training, like the software we use to keep our audit work papers. |
| Instruction | 9 | I felt that most of the material I learned relating to accountancy was relevant. The other classes that I had that did not relate to accountancy were not too useful for my career. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Our classes were really hard and very homework and writing intensive. We also needed more credits than most schools require for accounting majors. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of our classes were book oriented, but there were some classes where we used Excel, Access, etc. One of my classes even taught us XBRL, which I have not used yet, but probably will in the future. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The school had some night classes. For junior year where most people were interning, they offered 8 hours of straight classes on Monday so that you cold work the rest of the week with a night class at some other point during the week. I also took a few summer classes, although they mostly offered electives. I do not recall any online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | I did not use any of these items so I am not sure how good they were. I used the computer facilities a few times, but they were usually packed during peak hours. |
| Social Life | 5 | I did not really go to any of these events so I am not sure how good they were. I do know that people say the school is not a party school, and most people go home on the weekends. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I interned my junior year of college and was offered a full time job before I started my senior year. The school had an excellent recruitment program where many different companies presented accounting and business careers to us starting our freshman year. The school also offered the intern program, where recruiters offered intern postings through our school's career website, and the first interview took place on campus. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I do not participate in the alumni network, but it seems as though a lot of alumni contribute to the school. I get sick of all the mail they sent asking for contributions. |
Drew University • Madison, NJ
Studying Economics (completion in 1990)
• 7/6/2011
"I think that I wasn't prepared for college well enough. However, I think the school needs to provide resources to help students who come in and struggle."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It would depend on the individual and the other factors that they were looking for in a school. Additionally, I do not know the status of internships or of the business programs currently offered. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | This is difficult because I haven't keep up on issues at Drew U. When I attended they had a good reputation for Economics but no real program in business or accounting. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Drew is a small school that did not have a major in accounting (I don't know if that has changed). They had no or very limited opportunity for internships and no assistance with job placement. |
| Instruction | 6 | I learned a lot, but the practical training (like an internship) was missing. The professors were wonderful. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Drew U. had a great economics department with rigorous coursework. However, the school focuses on liberal arts and the requirements to get the degree were not extensive. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | At the time that I attended, internship opportunities were lacking. However, when observing classmates in other majors, I saw that they got quite a bit of hands on experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | No online classes were offered when I was a student as PCs were just becoming widely available. The school did have very good flexibility with other types of classes (evening, summer, etc.) |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Drew put a lot of money into these facilities. They have always been forward thinking and provided the best resources. |
| Social Life | 8 | The school had a very active social life. While we were small, we still had a very large number of events. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I got no assistance from Drew's placement office. I can't comment on what the career placement office is like at this time. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | The school is small; only 400 in my graduating class. There is little opportunity for networking. |
William Paterson Of NJ • Wayne, Nj, NJ
Studying Accounting (completion in 1976)
• 7/7/2011
"The education allowed me to advance in my industry and earn a decent living. The learning there and opportunity to learn was above average for a school that had been strictly a teacher's college."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you want to learn the accounting basics and use those skills in a non CPA, strictly accounting environment, then the school would be great. If you want to pursue a career as a CPA, a more prestigious school would be better to accomplish this. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school has combined all the state colleges into one university, but still operates each school independently as before. However the programs have grown over the years and now attract better instructors and professors. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The school evolved from a teacher's college into a university that eventually became one with a well rounded curriculum. In my years we did not have the best accounting professors as the school was still in it's early years of business courses. |
| Instruction | 5 | The professors were mostly new to the school and were teaching at the college level. The program was still in it's infancy. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The courses were easy and the basics were covered adequately. The understanding of the more advanced courses by the professors in my opinion left a lot to be desired. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A very mixed bag here. It was entirely up to the professor on how hands on it was. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I worked full time and attended classes during the day on weekends and in the summer. The flexibility allowed me to obtain my degree in 3 years. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The facilities were adequate on a campus that was quite spread out. The access to professors was hit or miss. Some professors were very accessible while others made it difficult for you . |
| Social Life | 5 | Since I was working full-time my social experience at school was practically nil. There were many opportunities that I was unable to take advantage of. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I never had occasion to use the job placement services . I was not aware of any services like that when I graduated. No one made me aware if they did exist. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I never had occasion to use the network. I found all my jobs on my own and needed no support from the alumni network |
The College Of New Jersey • Ewing, NJ
Studying Accounting And A Minor In Business Management (completion in 2011)
• 11/18/2011
"I had a great time in the school, and the friends I made during my time spent there are the friends I still have today. I met my wife there and we are both very happy we attended. The price was right and I got a great education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Accounting majors at TCNJ will have a great time and learn a lot. If you follow in my same path, you will be able to find a job right after college as well. It is a great experience. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My school is more known for its engineering programming; however, its accounting classes, especially managerial accounting, are very good. The math classes are very difficult and provide value to an accountant's degree. |
| Program Quality | 9 | TCNJ has a great engineering program, so all of their math classes are top quality. Their accounting program is not something they brag about on college tours; however, this program is better than most. The business classes and program at TCNJ are amazing as well. |
| Instruction | 7 | The instruction was pretty good. The teachers all seemed to be very knowledgeable with their profession of math and business, but they are not very good teachers. There is a difference between being well educated in your field and being able to teach it to others. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The classes I took were extremely difficult. I had to retake many over the summer, just so I could get above a C average. The college of New Jersey has extremely strict math classes. The classes did, however, prepare me for my future career. Many of the math teachers I had used to be accountants, so I kind of got an idea of what the profession would be like. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Our school and my major are very book learning oriented. All of my classes required me to purchase 100+ dollar books. It was very expensive and every class was going over the chapters and equations in the book. I received little hands-on experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | TCNJ offered many night classes, summer classes, winter classes and abroad opportunities. I took full advantage of the summer classes, so that I could retake some of my math classes and possibly get a better grade. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | TCNJ has a great library and great computer labs. Although I never really needed to use the computer labs like the engineering majors, I was constantly using the library as a quiet place to do work. |
| Social Life | 8 | There was not much school spirit. TCNJ did not have very good sports teams and the school was small. I did, however, have lots of fun going to parties and hanging out with friends. The students I met at The College of New Jersey are some of the best friends I have in my life. It was a great time, despite the lack of school spirit. I am very glad I chose to go to TCNJ. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I was able to get a job right after college, so TCNJ must be doing something right. I know during my senior year, I was constantly in the career services office, and they helped me find a job close to my hometown. They were extremely friendly and helpful. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | My school has many alumni who frequently return to the school and aid students with job searching, academics and answering any other questions. They are always willing to talk on the phone, and when I attended college, I utilized the alumni system a lot. |
Rider University • Lawrenceville, NJ
Studying Accounting (completion in 1985)
• 3/23/2012
"I loved Rider and the education I received during my year there. Like I said before, some of my best years were spent there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Rider is a great school with a great accounting program. I have and would recommend Rider to others. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Rider has a strong and proven Accounting Program. They are well known in the tri-state area for producing qualified accountants in the business world. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Rider is a business school that is known for producing great accountants. Because they are known in the state for business, the program was great. |
| Instruction | 10 | Along with normal accounting and business class needed to obtain a degree, Rider made you take classes to prepare you for the real world. I had to take public speaking, computers, and project management classes. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I had a heavy but doable work load. Classes were challenging and insightful. They really prepared me for the real world. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We really did not have a lot of hands on opportunities. My education was mostly book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Rider offers all kinds of options to take classes. Times and options are very flexible to make taking a class very easy. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Rider is always expanding. They are always updating the college. When I attended it was easy to reach professors and staff. |
| Social Life | 10 | I was involved in Greek life at Rider. My years at Rider were the best years of my life. |
| Placement Services | 9 | In my senior year they offered job placement seminars and job interviews. Every job I have obtained in my entire career has been because I was a Rider Graduate. In my first job, the President of the company was a graduate of Rider. My second job, my current job, the CFO is a Rider graduate. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They have an alumni network. I get a newsletter about 4 times a year. To be honest I only went to one event right out of school and have not attended any event since. |
Rutgers University • Newark, NJ
Studying Accounting (completion in 2008)
• 3/26/2012
"I'm glad that I attended Rutgers. Not sure I would feel any different at another college. Maybe a smaller school would have been better for me, but overall I'm happy I attended and I learned a lot during my time there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you need a quality education and you can't afford private school, I would say Rutgers is great. Otherwise a small college or an Ivy League school will suit you better. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Rutgers Business is a leader in education and it has been to my knowledge that it is well known locally and abroad as well. I think it ranks up there with other Ivy League Universities programs. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Rutgers University's business school offers a great program, but with no jobs out there it doesn't matter how good the teaching is. I learned a lot with my accounting degree but I have not had much of an opportunity to use it. |
| Instruction | 8 | The quality of instruction was great. Most of my professors worked in the field before turning to education and knew a lot about what they were teaching. I learned more in any one class at Rutgers than at any job I've had so far. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The accounting program at Rutgers is not easy if you don't study. They give you a lot to learn during a small window of time. Most of the information I learned I have never used, but I am glad that I got a feel for a larger aspect of accounting instead of specializing on one topic. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In my experience, 90% of my learning was book learning except for a science lab and one accounting class that made use of computers during class. Otherwise it was all read, memorize, test, and forget. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | While I attended the college, I believe class schedules and offerings were acceptable. They offered a wide variety of class hours for people who worked during the day and for those who preferred weekend classes. My only objection to class times and offerings is that weekend and night classes tended to be small and would fill up too rapidly. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | As proud as I am to have graduated from Rutgers, I must say the facilities were terrible. I had one class in my entire 4 years of college in which we had to use a computer during class. Most classrooms were small, outdated, and were for multiple uses, so they only had generic equipment.. |
| Social Life | 5 | Rutgers tried to encourage all students to participate in events and made an effort to entertain everybody as much as possible. My only objection is that the events were not well informed and sometimes the staff and other students were not very friendly. |
| Placement Services | 1 | The university's career website lacks many jobs and has a poor layout and functionality. They try and make it up by having links to other job search engines, but that doesn't make up for the lack of quality. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I have tried to reach out to alumni for help in finding a job, but they are hard to come by. I am on the career services webpage for the University and have posted on several alumni sites but nobody is willing to help or even communicate. |
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