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2025 Best Accounting Schools in California

58 Colleges in California
7,141 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$55,065 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #8 in popularity, accounting is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 58 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for accounting students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 7,141 degrees in accounting to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Accounting School

Best Accounting Schools in California Your choice of accounting school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for accounting schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Accounting Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Accounting
Bachelor's Degrees in Accounting
Master's Degrees in Accounting

The accounting school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Accounting Schools in California. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Accounting in California

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the accounting degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

11 Top California Schools in Accounting

1
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
104 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$78,374 Median Starting Salary

Santa Clara University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in accounting. Located in the midsize city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #53 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were about 104 accounting students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Those accounting students who get their degree from Santa Clara University make $23,309 more than the typical accounting grad.

More information about a degree in accounting from Santa Clara University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$73,163 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in accounting has to check out Saint Mary's College of California. SMC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Moraga. A Best Colleges rank of #148 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SMC is a great college overall.

There were roughly 49 accounting students who graduated with this degree at SMC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the accounting degree program at Saint Mary's College of California make $18,099 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in accounting from Saint Mary’s College of California

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Accounting Program Name

If you have a knack for numbers and want a career that allows you to use your skills in the business field, consider the online Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree program at Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$70,960 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Loyola Marymount University if you wish to pursue a degree in accounting. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #222 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Marymount is a great university overall.

There were about 49 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the accounting program at Loyola Marymount University make $15,895 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in accounting from Loyola Marymount University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$69,240 Median Starting Salary

University of San Diego is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in accounting. USD is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego. This university ranks 35th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 76 accounting students who graduated with this degree at USD in the most recent year we have data available. Those accounting students who get their degree from University of San Diego earn $14,175 more than the average accounting student.

More information about a degree in accounting from University of San Diego

5
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
23rd Most Popular In CA
75 Accounting Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Chula Vista, SWC Chula Vista is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #120 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SWC Chula Vista is a great college overall.

There were about 75 accounting students who graduated with this degree at SWC Chula Vista in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in accounting from Southwestern College

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
309 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$69,073 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 48th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 309 accounting students who graduated with this degree at CSUN in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the accounting major at California State University - Northridge earn $14,009 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in accounting from California State University - Northridge

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Accounting Degrees Awarded
23.8% Growth in Graduates

Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Orange. A Best Colleges rank of #172 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Chapman is a great university overall.

There were about 63 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the accounting program at Chapman University get $15,297 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in accounting from Chapman University

Sponsored
Associates Degree Type
AS in Accounting Program Name

Break into the accounting field with the skills you need to succeed with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in AS in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$72,588 Median Starting Salary

USFCA is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #152 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USFCA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 37 accounting students who graduated with this degree at USFCA in the most recent year we have data available. Those accounting students who get their degree from University of San Francisco make $17,523 more than the average accounting graduate.

More information about a degree in accounting from University of San Francisco

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
74th Most Popular In CA
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pepperdine is a great university overall.

There were approximately 15 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in accounting from Pepperdine University

10
Cosumnes River crest
Cosumnes River College
Sacramento, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
31st Most Popular In CA
61 Accounting Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Sacramento, Cosumnes River is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #206 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cosumnes River is a great college overall.

There were roughly 61 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Cosumnes River in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in accounting from Cosumnes River College

11
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
80 Accounting Degrees Awarded
15.0% Growth in Graduates

Cabrillo College is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Aptos. This college ranks 104th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 80 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Cabrillo College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the accounting major at Cabrillo College make $2,229 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in accounting from Cabrillo College

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Accounting students in the state of California that almost earned our Best Accounting Schools in California award.

Rank College Location
12 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
13 Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA
14 Golden Gate University - San Francisco San Francisco, CA
15 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
16 San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino, CA
17 Mission College Santa Clara, CA
18 University of the Pacific Stockton, CA
19 Folsom Lake College Folsom, CA

Best Accounting Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Accounting Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 1,628
Oregon 266 718
Nevada 192 396
Hawaii 164 215
Alaska 119 135

View All Rankings >

Accounting is one of 21 different types of Business, Management & Marketing programs to choose from.

Accounting Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping 4,962
Accounting 1,932
Accounting and Business/Management 215
Other Accounting and Related Services 21
Accounting and Finance 11

View All Accounting Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 61,616
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 5,860
General Business/Commerce 2,956
Business Support & Assistant Services 2,007
Real Estate 1,988
Human Resource Management 1,768
Finance & Financial Management 1,544
Marketing 1,412
Entrepreneurial Studies 1,401
Hospitality Management 1,106

View All Accounting Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
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