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 Northern Virginia Community College, Tidewater Community College, Germanna Community College, and Lord Fairfax Community 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 James Madison, Bluefield, Norfolk State, and Virginia State.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Virginia State, Hampton, Norfolk State, and Ferrum.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Southwest Virginia Community College, Bluefield, Patrick Henry Community College, and Danville Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Washington and Lee University, University of Richmond, Hampton, and Eastern Mennonite University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Ferrum, Emory and Henry, Randolph-Macon College, and Lynchburg College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Washington and Lee University, William and Mary, University of Virginia, and University of Richmond.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Washington and Lee University, University of Virginia, William and Mary, and University of Richmond.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Washington and Lee University, University of Richmond, Emory and Henry, and William and Mary.
Working as an Accountant or Auditor in Virginia
Accountants and auditors make sure individual taxpayers, companies, government agencies and institutions keep accurate financial records and pay taxes correctly and on time. They may also provide financial and investment planning, information technology consulting, some legal services and budget analysis. Read a detailed Accountant and Auditor job description and schools overview.
The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants is an organization that provides resources for professional development.
State Requirements for Accountants and Auditors in Virginia
The State of Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation Board for Accountancy requires that any practicing public accountant be licensed. To obtain a license, an accountant must be certified as Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Virginia. In order to be certified, applicants must:
- have a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited four-year college or university
- complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of undergraduate or graduate accounting courses in financial and management accounting, taxation and auditing
- complete a minimum of 18 semester hours in undergraduate or graduate business courses (other than accounting)
- pass a national written exam in accounting practice, auditing, theory of accounting, business law and other subject areas as established by the board
Major Industries for Accountants and Auditors in Virginia
Most accountants and auditors in Virginia work for:
- Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services
- Computer systems design services
- Credit intermediation services
- Educational services
- Architectural and engineering services
Major Employers for Accountants and Auditors in Virginia
A few representative employers of accountants and auditors in Virginia include:
- Deloitte (Accounting Firm)
- Ernst and Young (Accounting Firm)
- Pricewaterhouse Coopers (Accounting Firm)
- Argy Wiltse and Robinson (Accounting Firm)
- Goodman and Co (Accounting Firm)
- Cotton and Co (Accounting Firm)
- Brown Edwards and Co (Accounting Firm)
- Grant Thornton LLP (Accounting Firm)
- Jefferson Wells Intl (Accounting Firm)
- Kearney and Co (Accounting Firm)
- KPMG Peat Marwick (Accounting Firm)
- Witt Mares and Co PLC (Accounting Firm)
- Yount Hyde and Barbour (Accounting Firm)
- A T and T Government Solutions (Computer Systems Design Service)
- CACI International Inc (Computer Systems Design Service)
- EDS Corp (Computer Systems Design Service)
- EMC Corp (Computer Systems Design Service)
- General Dynamics Corp (Computer Systems Design Service)
- TNS Inc (Computer Systems Design Service)
- Strayer Education Inc (Educational Support Service)
- Learning Tree Intl USA Inc (Educational Support Service)
- Clark Nexsen PC (Architectural And Engineering Service)
- HSMM Facilities Inc (Architectural And Engineering Service)
- Jacobs (Architectural And Engineering Service)
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Virginia Commonwealth University • Richmond, VA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2002)
• 5/8/2011
"I am very satisfied with VCU. It has instilled in me the core principles that I was able to use right out of college."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I am BIG VCU advocate. There is no other university that I know that offers a campus setting right in the middle of a busy city like Richmond, VA. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | VCU's school of business is one of the best in the country. If I am not mistaken, more than 85% of VCU accountant majors pass the CPA on the 1st try. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I believe that VCU is the best of the best. The professors are GREAT and always willing to go beyond the call of duty. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 7 | I gave it a 7 because it was challenging--learning all the principles and concepts was not an easy task. But in the end, it was all worth it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I think it was a nice mixture of the two. There is not a lot of hands-on learning that deals with accounting, but when it was applicable the professors did use that route. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Most of VCU classes are flexible schedule-wise. There are some that only offer 1 or 2 classes and they do tend to fill up quite quickly. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The class settings were GREAT! Most of my classes were in classrooms, but there were some that needed to be held in lecture rooms. Either way, the professors were still there to accommodate us. |
| Social Life | 6 | I only gave them a '6' because I actually worked through my college days. So I did not have a lot of opportunities to do things on campus like the "normal" college student. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I do believe that they could have more job placement opportunities throughout the school year. I think this is needed so that students can get a early start on getting that first job after graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | VCU has a great Alumni Association. We are always looking for better ways to help “greaten” VCU and our community. |
University Of Virginia • Charlottesville, VA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2011)
• 8/28/2011
"UVA is a wonderful academic institution as far as quality of instruction and quality of life is concerned. Further, its location in Charlottesville, VA is a tranquil contrast to places such as New York City and Washington, DC, two locations where graduates ultimately settle."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend UVA without hesitation. Not only has my education given me the tools necessary to succeed in my career, it has also afforded me a network of helpful and well-established alumni should my career progress in another direction. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I really feel like UVA should receive a 10 here based on what I experienced. However, the realist in me recognizes that schools such as BYU and UT-Austin will take some time to dethrone as accounting powerhouses. Also, I can't be sure that bias doesn't make its way into rankings put out by US News and the like, which people seem to invest far too much faith in... |
| Program Quality | 10 | The University of Virginia not only offers rigorous coursework that left me well prepared to take and pass the CPA exam, it also had a supportive network of faculty. I was already employed by my current employer when I began coursework here, but the faculty was still helpful insofar as helping me to draft long term career goals. |
| Instruction | 10 | The professors at UVA are top-notch in their fields. They are well-versed from both a research and employment perspective, with many professors having formerly worked for Big 4 firms, investment banks, and government organizations. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I had a finance undergraduate degree from William and Mary coming into the program, and had already taken some accounting coursework while enrolled at W&M. Thus, I wasn't going into the program without any accounting background whatsoever. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | UVA is an advocate of the case method. For example, rather than teach intermediate accounting straight from a textbook, a case following a business is used across a semester and students have to apply individual topic study to solve the business' problems. In this same class, research examinations are given in which the student has to learn a topic and solve a problem all under a time constraint. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I got my degree over the course of two summers. However, this was a special program set up by my employer, which unfortunately no longer exists. I'm pretty sure UVA only allows FT enrollment, so to be honest, while flexibility was a 10 for me personally, it would probably be standard for someone currently matriculating. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Despite being subject to the budgetary restrictions of being a Virginia public school, UVA benefits from a solid network of alumni benefactors. This is evident in the school's facilities, which are beautiful, clean, and modern inside. Computer labs are great, and the commerce school has an incredible computer lab complete with ticker tape that runs around the top of the walls. |
| Social Life | 9 | My rating here is again skewed because I was in a summer program. That said, the faculty made sure we got a "true" UVA experience and helped us get involved with the community despite there not being the usual student population on campus. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I work in New York City, and am always getting emails and LinkedIn updates as to alumni events through the University of Virginia Club. I am sure that if I were to leave my current job that I would be able to find alumni willing and able to help me find alternative employment (I feel this would also be the case with the William and Mary network). |
Liberty University • Lynchburg, VA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2013)
• 9/5/2011
"I think the school offers great programs and great professors. Their major downfall is the high cost of education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | For anyone who prefers the online learning environment rather than sitting in a classroom, this would be great option. For those who want to use financial aid, that is available as well. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | They are very well known for their business programs. The large amount of students in that program let the school's reputation speak for itself. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The instructors were great. I chose the online learning environment and was impressed with how interactive the instructors were. |
| Instruction | 10 | All the materials were from well known mainstream textbook companies. They were expensive but definitely well worth it. |
| How Difficult | 7 | There were times it just seemed overwhelming trying to get all the work done. But, that's what you get for working full time and going to school full time at the same time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would consider it to be very book learning oriented. There are different lectures and other opportunities, but a majority of the learning comes from diving into one's books on one's own. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | All of my classes are able to be completed online. I can complete work on my own schedule as long as all my assignments are submitted by their due dates. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Tutors are available free of charge to all students. There is an online library offered to make completing assignments much more convenient. |
| Social Life | 10 | The school spirit is excellent. Even interacting with other students online through different classes we have together has been a great social experience. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I actually am not sure how they would be able to offer this service to online students. I would assume they offer it to on campus students. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They are very good at communicating. E-mail is the main form of communication. |
Virginia Commonwealth • Richmond, VA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2007)
• 9/13/2011
"I am very satisfied with VCU. I would not think of going anywhere else. If I decide to go back for my Masters I will definitely return to VCU."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | Yes | I would definitely recommend VCU to others. VCU is located in the heart of downtown Richmond, where most of the big employers of Virginia are. Most of them will give a candidate special attention of they see VCU on the resume. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I gave VCU an average reputation for accounting/business because we are known for our health science and technology programs. The business program is about the same as any university in the area. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I am very satisfied with my major. I have always liked working with numbers and I always wanted to work in an office setting. Majoring in accounting has allowed me to do both. |
| Instruction | 9 | I think I learned a lot while studying for my Bachelor's in Accounting. The curriculum included all things that I needed to excel in my career. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I think the program was difficult. It takes a person with a lot of determination and smarts to remember accounting rules and statements. You also have to know some mathematical formulas. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This was one of the reasons why I love VCU. The instructors/professors that I had were actually employed or had been employed in the accounting profession. They were able to teach us from both real life experience and from the textbooks. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I absolutely loved VCU schedule flexibility. I am a morning person so I preferred to have all of my classes in the morning. I was able to have about 95% of my classes in the morning each and every semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I think they could have more facilities for business schools majors. They do offer study rooms and on-site tutoring sessions. |
| Social Life | 2 | I really did not have a social experience. I became a mom my Sophomore year so I was all books and no fun so that I could maintain my grades. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I gave them a high mark in job placement because once you reach your junior year, you begin receiving notices to register at the career placement center. They also have numerous job fairs during the semesters. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | VCU's alumni network is great. I actually got my first job offer via a connection that I gained as a member of the alumni association. |
Old Dominion University • Norfolk, VA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2008)
• 9/23/2011
"I earned a good education and I found a good job."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This school has a very good program. There are also many resources to help find employment after graduation. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | My school is a good business school in the area. The graduates are competitive in the local market. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I feel like my school had very good professors. The program required a variety of courses which made the education well-rounded. |
| Instruction | 7 | Most professors seemed to care a lot about their students. I had no problem learning or asking for help if I needed it. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I like numbers so I did not find it too difficult. If you get bored easily, this is not the career for you. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was very book-oriented. An internship is required in this field to gain hands-on experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Scheduling was very flexible. I was able to schedule all my classes on two days a week so I could work. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Professors always had office hours available for help. The library was new and wonderful. |
| Social Life | 4 | We did not have a football team and I rarely participated in social events. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The career services assistance was great. I found a job before I graduated through it. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I receive a lot of material about the alumni network. I have not participated. |
Strayer University • Newport News, VA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2009)
• 12/3/2011
"The online classes helped me, because I also worked and could do the schoolwork from the classes at my own pace. I have kept in touch with many friends and teachers, which is pretty neat."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this university to everyone, because of the flexibility and because the university is an accredited college. They will be able to do well in this program if they want to. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Their programs are improving a little bit each year. They could offer more in their programs. |
| Program Quality | 10 | This school was just right. I took classes online. They gave you your assignments and tests on Sunday and you had until Saturday to complete them. The discussions had to be entered 2 times a week. The proper material was covered and there were teachers to help you if you needed help. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructions were very easy and if you did not understand something, you could just email your professor. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I only had problems with the Tax 2 class, because the teacher was not helpful. I had good notes and learned a lot of income tax for businesses from running my own construction corporation. You can always call the IRS to get information on any questions you have. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I had a friend from Christopher Newport University who gave me excellent notes that I copied and used while in Strayer. These notes helped immensely. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They had weekly classes, weekend classes and online classes. They make attending their classes very flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They provided the facilities and resources you needed, and other students could help you, too. They also had an online library to help you with you papers you had to write. |
| Social Life | 10 | I got to socialize with many students through our discussion groups as often as I liked. I met many of the professors in person who gave me recommendations for my employment. |
| Placement Services | They were there to help you find jobs, but I had a job before I graduated, because of my high GPA score. |
Strayer University • Newport News, VA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2008)
• 1/2/2012
"I just wish they had forensic accounting. Since they do not I will be taking my Master's degree at FAU."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It was a good school. It was very flexible to all kinds of people. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | They are an accredited college. There are better colleges out there and I am getting my Master's degree in Forensic Accounting at FAU. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I learned all the difficult parts of accounting. I also learned auditing from my second job and taxes for both corporations and personal taxes. |
| Instruction | 10 | I had quality classes that prepared me well to go out in my field and get a job. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The classes were very easy for me except tax for businesses. I missed an A by .5 and got a B. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Accounting is a lot of hands on. To get there you had to learn a lot of bookwork and work on assignments to learn how to do your job. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They have great flexibility for students. I liked the online classes because you got your assignment on Sunday and had until the nest Saturday to turn it in. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They had an online library, use of W&M college and a library at Strayer. Teachers were there to help you also. |
| Social Life | 10 | We had online discussion groups where we had to comment on the subject. Students could then reply in a forum format. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They helped me get a job before I graduated. I had taken accounting classes a long time ago so I was a little ahead of everyone else. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I joined the alumni network through an invitation when I graduated. I took online classes so I do not know if they had them at the school. |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University • Blacksburg, VA
Studying Accounting Information Systems (completion in 2005)
• 1/11/2012
"I love my college experience. I have a degree that I use every day."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think it offers a diverse learning experience. I also think that they offer a quality academic product. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | As far as I know, the program is still strong. The ACIS department continues to partner with industry leaders. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I learned the computer information systems side of accounting as well as traditional accounting skills. In a world that is going more to paperless, it helps to understand how information systems work. |
| Instruction | 7 | Some of the professors had been in academia too long. I had some professors that literally bored me to sleep. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Overall it was a challenging program. Compared to the program I transferred out of (engineering), accounting was much easier. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were some classes that focused on theory more than others. Other classes gave real world, hands on examples. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | I had all my classes on Tues and Thurs. I had 5 days off a week. |
| Academic Facilities | 2 | I didn't really use them much. I can't really speak to all the resources. |
| Social Life | 10 | I made great friends in college, some of which I have been friends with for years. |
| Placement Services | 9 | We had an excellent job fair. Well organized career center. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I get a newsletter twice a year. I receive a magazine every quarter. |
Virginia Commonwealth University • Richmond, VA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2009)
• 3/21/2012
"I LOVE VCU!! I would not be working for the company and/or making the salary that I am without VCU. It has allowed me to excel!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend VCU to others. It has a great curriculum and instructors. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | VCU's School of Business is one of the most up-to-date business schools in the U.S. They are already boasting about the percentage of new graduates that were able to sit and pass the CPA exam. |
| Program Quality | 9 | As of lately, VCU has ranked pretty high because of their Business School. They offer great courses and professors. These things combined instilled in me the core values I needed to excel in my field. |
| Instruction | 9 | I was taught all of the core values needed to do well in the accounting field. I was also able to sit and pass my CPA exam because of the teaching that I received at VCU. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I would not say that Accounting was difficult. But I have always known I wanted to be an Accountant. As like anything, if it is worth achieving... it is worth working for. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I think the curriculum is a perfect mix of book and hands on learning. Most of the professors had jobs outside of lecturing so they were able to bring more real-life situations into the classroom. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I love my scheduling options. When I began VCU, I was the typical college student. I wanted all morning classes so that I could have the afternoons off. I was able to achieve this each semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I think VCU's facilities and resources were better than most schools. There were multiple computer labs in each building. And the library had everything you needed to complete assignments. |
| Social Life | 5 | I think I could have done more socially at VCU while attending. But I was more into getting my work done and keeping my grades up to par. If I could do it again, I would do more socially. |
| Placement Services | 7 | There are a lot of networking events held during the year, which will allow you to meet prospective employers. They also have a career center that is always there to help you with job placement and resume help. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | VCU's alumni association is typical. They have numerous networking events during the year, which is a good way to keep in touch with others. |
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