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 LSCS, Richland College, Blinn, and HCC.
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 Texas A&M Kingsville, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Texas Wesleyan University, and Paul Quinn College.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Texas Woman's University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Paul Quinn College, Texas Southern, TAMIU, and UT Brownsville.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider University of Houston-Victoria, Northwood University, Texas Woman's University, and University of Houston-Clear Lake.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of University of Dallas, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, SMU, and LeTourneau.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of East Texas Baptist University, Southwestern University, Schreiner University, and Texas Lutheran University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Trinity University, Southwestern University, SMU, and The University of Texas.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Hardin - Simmons, Prairie View A & M University, and Paul Quinn College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Southwestern University, Texas Wesleyan University, Trinity University, and Texas Southern.
Working as a Accountant and Auditor in Texas
Accountants and auditors help to ensure that firms are run efficiently, public records are kept accurately, and taxes are paid properly and on time. They analyze and communicate financial information for various entities such as companies, individual clients, and Federal, state, and local governments. Read a detailed Accountants and Auditor job description and schools overview.
Certified Public accountants who work in the State of Texas may find career advancement resources at Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants or Texas Association of CPAs.
Government accountants may opt for the programs offered by the Association of Government Accountants - Austin Chapter.
County auditors can use the educational resources available at the Texas Association of County Auditors.
Career advancement and networking opportunities are available for internal auditors at the Institute of Internal Auditors – Dallas Chapter. .
State Requirements
Accountants or auditors do not have to fulfill any specific state requirements to find employment in the state. However, if they wish to work as Certified Public Accountants, they have to obtain the Certified Public Accountant license from Texas State Board of Public Accountancy by fulfilling the following conditions:
They must either:
- possess a bachelor's degree in a program consisting of 30 semester hours of accounting. 20 hours of this must be in core accounting courses, while 20 hours may be in pertinent business courses. They must also have a couple of years of experience in the field of accountancy.
- OR possess a master's degree in accounting.
- OR possess an MBA or a similar professional degree or 150 hours of college credit consisting of 30 semester hours of accounting. 20 hours of this should be in core accounting courses and 20 hours in related business courses.
- Annual license renewal requires continuing education.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight Texas Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: Sugar Land
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor
- Locations: Austin, Cedar Hill, Dallas, Houston, Irving, Plano
- Programs: 10 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Certificate, Diploma, Master, Post- Bachelor's Certificate
- Locations: Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Hurst, Irving, Killeen, San Antonio, Spring, Sugar Land
- Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Master
DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management
- Locations: Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, Irving, Richardson, San Antonio, Sugar Land
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master, Post- Bachelor's Certificate
- Locations: Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Diploma
- Locations: Dallas
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Doctorate, Master
- Locations: San Antonio
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Diploma
South Texas Vocational Technical Institute
- Locations: Mcallen
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Diploma
- Locations: San Antonio
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Certificate
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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor
- Programs: 5 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Master
- Programs: 9 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Doctorate, Master
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Master
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi • Corpus Christi, TX
Studying Business Administration (completion in 2010)
• 5/8/2011
"I was satisfied with the program. I learned a ton."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It really helped me with my job. It prepared me for a better career. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is a good program. It is one of the better programs at the University. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My degree helped me apply my education to real world experiences. I was able to get a fuller experience because I already worked full time. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors cared about the students. The material applied to the real world. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The material was more time consuming than difficult. It was average. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I like the mix of learning. I enjoyed class interaction. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Classes are mostly at night. Not every course is offered each semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | There are not many tutors. The professors are helpful. |
| Social Life | 5 | There is not a strong graduate student social scene. There is not very much school spirit. |
| Placement Services | 2 | The career fairs aren't catered to graduate students. There are few opportunities for accountants. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | Many people don't have school spirit. There is no family unity. |
Baylor University • Waco, TX
Studying Bachelor Of Business Administration In Accounting (completion in 2007)
• 7/8/2011
"I was very satisfied with the level of education I received through Baylor's accounting program. Although the workload was extremely heavy and difficult, I feel that I learned a lot because of it. I was less impressed with the lack of flexibility in scheduling accounting core classes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Baylor will provide anyone who is willing to work and study hard with an outstanding education in the field of accounting. Be prepared to work for it, but Baylor's accounting program will prepare you for a successful career in the field of accounting. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I am not sure what the reputation of Baylor's accounting program is among other business schools, but I have seen pass rates for the CPA exam. Baylor's pass rates are excellent, and I believe Baylor has a very good reputation in that regard. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The accounting program at Baylor is very difficult but I felt that it prepared me well for my career. The professors were very knowledgeable and helpful, and I felt that they prepared me well for the CPA exam. |
| Instruction | 9 | Again, the accounting program at Baylor prepared me well for my career and the CPA exam. I learned a huge amount of information in the various aspects of accounting through Baylor's accounting program. I felt that the curriculum and material was very relevant to the real world. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I graduated in the top 5% of my high school class, took AP classes, and had a 4.0 GPA in college until I got to the accounting core at Baylor. I couldn't even finish my first upper-level accounting exam after studying more than I ever had in my life - and I got a 58. It was a serious wake up call for me! Although my grades got better, it was still extremely difficult. Very few students made A's on exams. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | While book learning was really emphasized, we were often assigned group projects that helped us apply what we were learning to the real world. Also, semester long internships at various accounting firms were available. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Accounting program classes were always Monday through Thursday. While there was a certain flexibility in choosing morning or afternoon classes, there were no weekend or evening options, no summer accounting core classes, and no online accounting classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The Baylor business school has its own large computer lab, many classrooms, great advisors, and accessible professors. I felt that all the resources I needed were easily accessible. |
| Social Life | 5 | The accounting program was extremely difficult and the only socializing we did outside of class was in group project work sessions. All of us students were too busy studying to have much of a social life or to be very involved socially in Baylor events. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Accounting firms of all sizes are very visible at Baylor's career fairs and recruiting events. My accounting professors said that every accounting student who wanted an internship would have one. These internships often led to job offers after graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I get alumni emails sometimes but I am not particularly interested in networking. For someone who is interested, Baylor does a decent job with alumni support. |
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi • Corpus Christi, TX
Studying M.B.A. (completion in 2009)
• 7/13/2011
"I enjoyed the education I got. The professors and advisors were very helpful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | There was a great MBA program here where students are looked over by their professors carefully. There is a lot of room for growth and application of concepts into real life. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It has a good rating. It is not very publicized, though. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I enjoyed my program and got a lot of great real life experience from it. |
| Instruction | 9 | The professors cared about the students. I learned so many things that applied to my job. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was not as difficult as I expected. I was at the top of my class. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a very balanced mix at my school. I enjoyed that balance. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Most of the classes are at night. There was only one section for each course. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | There is a new business building. There is access to the GMID database which is very helpful. |
| Social Life | 8 | I work full time so I was not very involved. There are many more activities for undergraduates. |
| Placement Services | 7 | There is not much assistance for graduate students. Most of it is for undergraduates. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | No one really knows about the alumni network. They don't really contact you except to ask for money. |
Texas A & M • Commerce, TX
Studying Accounting (completion in 1978)
• 9/16/2011
"I was well prepared for my career when I graduated. I enjoyed my time at Commerce, learned what I needed and went on with my life."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you intend to live and work in the region where the school is located, it is a fine school. If you intend to leave the area, you would be better served by going to a top-tier school. Employers who are not in the area will not be familiar with the school and you may not be able to compete with candidates who attended more notorious schools. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school is not top tier but is respected in the surrounding area. Graduates still find relevant employment, even in the current economy. |
| Program Quality | 8 | At the time I was there it was well-respected in the region. Graduates easily found employment in accounting departments or accounting firms nearby. |
| Instruction | 7 | I was prepared for an entry level accounting position when I graduated. I did not immediately sit for the CPA exam, but would have done well had I done so at that time. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I did not find the work difficult at all. I completed my degree in three years. I carried a heavy course load the entire time and had no trouble keeping up with the work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The curriculum was all classroom/book learning when I was a student. There were no internships or any programs of that sort. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Night classes and summer school were offered when I was a student. Currently, online courses are also offered, but I cannot find any weekend offerings. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The School of Business had excellent facilities when I was a student. The school now has many programs for academic support; more than when I was there. The professors were all very accessible when I was a student. |
| Social Life | 8 | I was a traditional student, and lived on campus two of the three years I was there. I was involved in the Greek system, intramural sports and regularly attended football and basketball games. |
| Placement Services | 6 | It was very good when I was a student. Graduates were hired by accounting departments of companies in the region and by CPA firms in the area. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not utilized the alumni network. I never looked back when I graduated. |
Texas A&M University • College Station, TX
Studying Finance (completion in 2009)
• 9/16/2011
"It's the best place on Earth. I wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You're almost guaranteed to find an Aggie connection somewhere. An A&M diploma will open a lot of doors and be very beneficial in the future. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The Finance Department and business school are extremely well-known. They are also ranked among the top 25 in the nation. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I feel like I got a quality education. Professors were very helpful and knowledgeable. |
| Instruction | 10 | One can tell the professors really know what they are talking about. They always take time to explain things in detail or in a different way if you didn't understand. |
| How Difficult | 9 | There were a lot of assignments to complete outside of the classroom. Exams were extremely difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Science classes were more hands-on. Everything else was lecture and book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The school offered both summer and online course. One could also take classes at nearby junior colleges and transfer the credits. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities are excellent. I felt like I never had to wait for a computer and always had access to tutors if need be. |
| Social Life | 10 | Loved it so much! I wish I was a freshman again so I could still be in school. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Career services was very helpful. They brought the interviewers to campus for us. Also, I was able to find a job pretty easily in this tough economy. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The Aggie network is extremely well-connected. I have already found an alumni group in my city and am very active in it. |
Texas A&M • College Station, TX
Studying Accounting (completion in 2010)
• 9/21/2011
"It was a great town and school to go to. I was satisfied with my job placement and experience going there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would absolutely recommend going to Texas A&M for an accounting degree. It is a ton of fun, lots of spirit, and a great education. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Texas A&M's Accounting program is a highly rated program in the U.S. News and World Reports. They provide exceptional rankings. |
| Program Quality | 8 | My education provided me with the knowledge and resources to excel at my job. I believe that Texas A&M really got me prepared for the real world. |
| Instruction | 7 | Instructors could have had a bit more real life experience. Many seemed to just knew the scholarly route. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Classes were extremely difficult in the upper levels. On the lower level, classes were not very hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good blend of book and hands-on work. More real life application would have been preferable. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Scheduling for me was flexible, but if you are behind in your hourly course load you will get the lowest priority for selection. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The facilities were very nice. They could have expanded or integrated with more modern technology. |
| Social Life | 10 | Texas A&M probably is one of the best for school spirit. It was an extremely fun school to go to. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The school could be better. They do not prepare you for interviewing, or some real world applications. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Texas A&M provides students with a great alumni connection. The spirit and camaraderie of former students and recent graduates is strong. |
Texas Lutheran University • Seguin, TX
Studying Business Administration With A Specialization In Accounting (completion in 2001)
• 10/28/2011
"I felt at home at TLU and am confident I got a very well rounded degree. I felt well prepared for the outside world when I entered the workforce."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | TLU, while expensive, provides a competitive degree that is recognized by employers in South Texas. TLU is a small school with a low student to professor ratio, a safe campus, and various social activities. TLU is a place where you're not just a number. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I was able to get a job right out of college because of professor recommendations and the school's reputation. Every employer in South Texas knows about TLU and considers it a good school. |
| Program Quality | 10 | TLU has a low student to professor ratio, allowing for more personalized teaching. The school is recognized in my area as being one of the best private schools in South Texas. |
| Instruction | 10 | I felt very well prepared for my career when I finished my degree. I was able to pass the CPA exam with limited preparation. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I like to consider myself having higher then average intelligence, so the curriculum was not difficult, but it was not easy either. I had some challenging courses, and some classes (the more basic ones) that were so easy I wondered if my time and money were being wasted. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | TLU had various courses that allowed for labs to provide the hands-on learning. I took an independent study in corporate taxation and learned to prepare corporate tax returns in a very hands-on environment. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | TLU is a very traditional school, offering primarily day-time classes. The availability of classes was pretty inflexible as certain courses were only offered during certain semesters, so if a student had a scheduling conflict, s/he was often forced to choose one and take the other later. Sometimes this resulted in having to take a summer session or delay graduation. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Though I seldom spent time in the library, it was a very nice, well maintained library. The computer labs were sometimes crowded, but most students had their own computers in their dorms. The professors had specific office hours posted and would often stay after class for questions or discussions. The professors were very approachable and easy to talk to. |
| Social Life | 10 | I attended several parties and had a good time while also feeling safe with campus police nearby. The football team started up again my freshman year and the games were always energetic and fun to attend. |
| Placement Services | 10 | My accounting professors arranged an interview for me after graduation and I was offered a job on the spot. The Big 5 (at the time) came to the school for recruiting events. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I really don't know much about the alumni network other then the fact they meet monthly for a mixer. Alumni are one of the primary sources of scholarship money. |
University Of Texas At Austin • Austin, TX
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2009)
• 12/15/2011
"From the variety of the curriculum to the quality of the professors, everything was top notch. The great social aspects of going to UT make the experience that much better."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Going to UT to pursue auditing/accounting, or any other profession for that matter, can never be a bad decision. The education you receive truly will prepare you for any challenge in the field. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Publications seem to rate the MIS program consistently as top 10 in the nation. Speaking with people interested in entering the program in the future seems to confirm this. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The class selection and quality of professors was excellent. The only downside was a sense of unilateral focus on just getting a job after graduation. |
| Instruction | 9 | Most professors did a good job of tying topics to their relevance in the workplace. More importantly, some professors really wanted us to develop into insightful IT-minded business people. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Classes that focused on case studies were the most challenging. However, compared to a technical degree such as engineering or biology, MIS (and probably all other business programs) were relatively easy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the technical classes were project-oriented. Other business classes were either exam-focused or presentation-focused. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | There was plenty of flexibility in choosing classes, in terms of days/times. However, there were no real online or evening offerings. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | There were plenty of libraries and computer labs for studying and completing group projects. Advisors were always available by appointment, as well as on a walk-in basis. |
| Social Life | 10 | Hundreds of student organizations and varying interest groups meant there was always something going on around campus. Sports were also a welcome distraction. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Our career center was great at giving advice and offering learning/training sessions for job fairs, interviews, etc. On-campus interviewing was top-notch, with plenty of companies coming to the career center to interview candidates. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The Texas Exes group constantly sends out emails. However, I'm not very interested in alumni relations. |
Texas A&M International University • Laredo, TX
Studying Accounting (completion in 2003)
• 1/7/2012
"They needed a lot of improvement in variety, hands-on learning, career assistance and especially social activities. It was not a very rounded experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Until there are drastic improvements, this university will never give young adults the full college experience. Much more balance is needed in the educational and social area. The only positive thing about a new university is that the buildings and equipment are all brand new and updated. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | We had two professors for the entire accounting major course. The accounting section was not diverse or really emphasized. The university was known more for its international business degree because of the border town location. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The head of the accounting department instructed pretty much 90% of all the accounting core curriculum classes. It would have been much more beneficial to have a variety of professors. |
| Instruction | The basic core classes were relevant when my career began, they're your foundation. But subjects such as taxation change so often that we were never shown how to keep up to date. Teaching students how to stay up to date without college courses would definitely have helped in my career preparation. | |
| How Difficult | 7 | The classes during junior and senior year were much more detailed and complicated. Work load was increased but kept interesting. It would have been better if they considered those of us already working and volunteering in accounting jobs as part of our curriculum. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All learning was completely book learning. There should have been at least a little hands on, even it was just volunteering for the free tax clinics. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Since it was a fairly new university, there weren't many professors so there weren't many classes offered. You had to take a class when it was given or wait an entire year to retake it. I found it very difficult going to class and working because of the limited class times available. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | The professors were good at meeting with students for assistance but mainly because there were no accounting tutors in the tutoring center. Study groups were extremely difficult to come by as well. |
| Social Life | 2 | There were no school athletics at the time of my attendance. We had a mascot for school spirit. During my time there, they only ever had one event at the university, a medieval fair. |
| Placement Services | 1 | When I attended, they only had a department to help you find a job while you were attending classes. Once you graduated, you were not given any assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | When I was in college, it was a brand new university - just a few years old. I don' t even know if they even had an alumni network then. I did, although, receive my first email from the alumni association this year, so I guess things are progressing in that area now. |
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