Accounting Schools in Minnesota

The universities and colleges in Minnesota offer a broad array of accounting programs for those interested in a career in the field. This overview of accounting schools in Minnesota will provide you with the information you need to select a school that fits your needs. Programs range from undergraduate to graduate degrees, and business schools offer different concentrations and formats. Read on below to learn more about school rankings, career outlooks, and professional opportunities in the accounting field in Minnesota.

Quick Facts

• 49 not-for-profit colleges and universities offer an accounting degree program in Minnesota.¹
• 18 schools offer a certificate in accounting.¹
• 24 schools offer an associate’s degree in accounting.¹
• 26 schools offer a bachelor’s degree in accounting.¹
• 9 schools offer a graduate degree in accounting.¹
• 5 schools ranked in College Factual’s Best Accounting Schools 2023.²
• No schools ranked in the Princeton Review’s Best Colleges for Accounting Majors 2023.³
• No programs ranked in US News & World Report’s Best MBA Accounting Programs 2023.⁴
• 1 school ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs 2023.⁵
• 1 school ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Undergrad Accounting Programs 2022-2023.⁶
• No schools are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in Business and Accounting.⁷
• 12 schools have accounting programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).⁸
• 2 schools have accounting programs accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).⁹

Comparison of Minnesota Accounting Schools and Programs

The table below provides detailed information on not-for-profit accounting programs in Minnesota to help you compare your options. Programs that appear in bold text offer hybrid or online options. For further school statistics, including median SAT, SAT, and GMAT scores, see the tables on our Minnesota business schools page, which break out information at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Table Notes:
*Median Debt: The median debt is the cumulative federal loan debt, excluding PLUS loans, at the time of graduation for students who completed an undergraduate program (certificate, associate, or bachelor’s degree) as reported by College Scorecard for academic year 2020-2021 based on ​​National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) data.
**Median Earnings 10 Years After Entry: Median earnings are the middle value of earnings, at which half earned more and half earned less, measured 10 years (2020-2021) after the first year of study (2010-2011) for all students, institution-wide, who received federal loans and who are employed but not enrolled in school. Note that this value includes those who completed their program of study as well as those who discontinued study without receiving an award.

Top-Ranked Accounting Schools in Minnesota

College rankings can be a useful tool to measure the overall reputation of a school or program. Weighing multiple rankings when evaluating your college choices can be helpful because different publishers may use different ranking factors in their methodologies. While the best program for your goals may rely on a combination of factors not typically considered in overall rankings, such as location or funding, seeing a program ranked on multiple lists can be a strong indication of reputation and academic quality.

College Factual’s Best Accounting Schools 2023

• University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (#24)
• University of St. Thomas Minnesota (#65)
• Dakota County Technical College (#198)
• Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota (#207)
• Minnesota State University-Mankato (#252)²

US News & World Report’s Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs 2023

• Concordia University-St. Paul (#91 tie)⁵

US News & World Report’s Best Undergrad Accounting Programs 2022-2023

• University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (#60 tie)⁶

Highest First-Time CPA Exam Pass Rate with a Bachelor’s Degree

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) releases a report including data on candidate performance on the Uniform CPA Exam.¹¹ The following schools had the highest first-time CPA exam pass rates in Minnesota in 2019 (the most recent report available*) for candidates with a bachelor’s degree, with the overall pass rate for first-time test-takers in Minnesota being 60.9%.

1. University of Minnesota-Crookston 75.0%
2. University of Northwestern-St. Paul 71.4%
3. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 68.7%
4. Concordia College 63.6%
5. Southwest Minnesota State University 60.9%

*As NASBA makes significant changes to the CPA Exam as part of the CPA Evolution initiative, new candidate score reports by state are not anticipated until at least mid-2024.

Schools in Minnesota with Accounting Degrees

To give you an idea of the breadth and depth of accounting degrees offered in Minnesota, we have profiled select programs below. Be sure to visit the websites of programs of interest for more detailed information on courses, admissions requirements and deadlines, and faculty.

Undergraduate Accounting Programs

Gustavus Adolphus College

Students at Gustavus Adolphus College can earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting. This undergraduate track prepares students to pursue further graduate study and provides the basic accounting and business knowledge for those seeking entry-level employment after graduation. The curriculum emphasizes industry fundamentals through required courses like Managerial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Federal Taxation, and Auditing, and students are also encouraged to search out real-world learning opportunities. Graduates will meet the educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam but will need to take additional coursework to qualify for licensure. A Finance concentration is available, which includes electives such as Business Finance; Investments; and International Trade and Finance. For those interested in completing the 150 credits required for CPA licensure during their undergraduate degree, the Gustavus Department of Business and Economics also offers a Public Accounting major. Students in this program can take advantage of the January term and for-credit internships in order to fulfill the 150-credit requirement within eight semesters of study.

University of Northwestern St. Paul

The University of Northwestern St. Paul (UNWSP) offers a 131-credit Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting. This undergraduate degree lays the foundation for students to work in many different industries, including small businesses, non-profits, and accounting firms. The curriculum focuses on accounting fundamentals and their application to the business world. The core accounting classes include Individual Income Taxation, Business Law, Auditing, and Cost Accounting. Students may select from the 10-credit Business Accounting or the 35-credit Analytics and Reporting Concentration to further specialize their degree. The Analytics and Reporting Concentration is designed for students to meet the educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam. Students in the BS in Accounting program can opt for the Bachelor to Accelerated Master’s, which allows students with a 3.0 GPA and at least 45 undergraduate credits to begin online courses for their Master of Business Administration (MBA) while working on their BS.

Graduate Accounting Programs

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC) Carlson School of Management location offers a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) degree. This program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis and admission is open to those without an undergraduate accounting degree. The curriculum is designed around the technical and interpersonal skills needed to become a leader in the accounting industry. Students with an undergraduate accounting degree will complete 30 credits to graduate, which generally takes two full-time semesters. Those with an unrelated undergraduate degree will need to complete 44 credits, which takes between three and four semesters for full-time students. Core classes for both tracks include Auditing; Internal Control; Corporate Finance Analysis and Decisions; and International Financial Management. Students can choose from electives in accounting, finance, taxation, supply chain and operations management, and information systems. The Carlson School also offers a Master of Business Taxation (MBT) degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting.

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Online Accounting Programs

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

At Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota (SMUMN), students can earn an IACBE-accredited Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) entirely online. Students learn advanced financial knowledge and leadership skills, as well as management strategies. The 30-credit program can be completed in 20 months and consists of instructor-led courses that can be taken at any time as long as assignments are completed on schedule. The core curriculum, which includes classes such as Forensic Accounting and Fraud Analysis; Strategic Management Accounting; Taxation and Business Decisions; and Corporate Finance, can be completed in one year. SMUMN’s MSA prepares students to pursue CPA or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) licensure and well as management positions in public or private accounting firms, corporate or nonprofit organizations, or governmental departments.

St. Cloud State University

Students at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) can earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting either on-campus or online. By taking courses such as Internal Audit; Financial Accounting and Analysis; Cost Accounting; and Fraud and Forensic Accounting, students learn how to make financial decisions through the framework of accounting. Classwork focuses on practical skills such as analyzing financial statements, managing assets and liabilities, and short and long-term strategic planning. This undergraduate degree prepares graduates to work in private industry, government, education, and not-for-profit organizations. Students also receive preparation to sit for a number of exams, including the CPA exam, Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam, Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) exam, and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam. SCSU students can take advantage of real-world learning opportunities through student accounting clubs and internships.

University of Minnesota Crookston

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) campus offers an ACBSP-accredited Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting that can be completed entirely online or on-campus. The curriculum provides students with the theoretical and analytical knowledge necessary to work in public, private, or governmental accounting. Through classes such as Accounting Systems, Income Tax, and Managerial Finance, students learn the foundational and technical skills needed in the accounting industry. Graduates from this online or on-campus program have the foundation to pursue professional designations such as CPA, Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and work in such fields as financial analysis, public accounting, management accounting, banking, or taxation. UMC has also created four three-credit CPA review courses with Gleim CPA Review. These for-credit courses are available for students who have already completed their undergraduate degree in Accounting and can be taken entirely online, providing 12 additional credits toward CPA licensure.

Minnesota CPA Requirements

The Minnesota Board of Accountancy (the Board) requires that CPA candidates hold at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting and 150 semester hours of collegiate education. To take the Uniform CPA examination, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or higher including 24 hours of accounting at the intermediate or advanced level. Those semester hours must include dedicated courses in financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting. After completing the exam, applicants must then fulfill the work experience requirement through one year, or at least 2,000 hours, of professional accounting experience. This experience must be verified by a licensed CPA. After gaining CPA licensure, individuals must complete Continued Professional Education (CPE) hours through educational activities and professional development efforts to keep their license active.

Career Opportunities for Accounting Grads in Minnesota

Those with accounting degrees in Minnesota may find many opportunities to work in the state after graduation. Large accounting firms headquartered in Minnesota include CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), Olsen Thielen & Co, and SDK (Schechter Dokken Kanter). For those interested in smaller firm environments, Minnesota is home to smaller local firms such as Smith Schafer. The state of Minnesota hosts the headquarters of several large national corporations such as the Target Corporation, Best Buy, General Mills, and 3M, all of which employ large numbers of financial and accounting staff. Graduates may also find positions with numerous existing small firms or start their own within the Twin Cities area or other areas of the state.

Minnesota Accounting Salary and Jobs by Metro Area