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2024 Best Accounting Master's Degree Schools in California

25 Colleges in California
824 Master's Degrees
$61,419 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a master's degree in accounting, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #10 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 25 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Accounting Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 824 master's degrees in accounting during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Accounting School for Your Master's Degree

Best Accounting Master's Degree Schools in California The accounting master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for accounting students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Accounting Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Master's Degree Schools in California.


 

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Accounting in California

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for accounting students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Top California Schools for a Master's in Accounting

1

It is difficult to beat Saint Mary's College of California if you want to pursue a master's degree in accounting. SMC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Moraga.

Master's recipients from the accounting major at Saint Mary's College of California make $8,762 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

2

Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a master's degree in accounting. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Master's recipients from the accounting major at Golden Gate University - San Francisco earn $9,428 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in accounting from Golden Gate University - San Francisco

3
13 Annual Graduates

University of San Diego is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in accounting. USD is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego.More information about a master’s in accounting from University of San Diego

4
10 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat Loyola Marymount University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in accounting. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in accounting from Loyola Marymount University

5

SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Diego.

Master's recipients from the accounting program at San Diego State University earn $4,423 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in accounting from San Diego State University

6

Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population.

Master's recipients from the accounting degree program at University of California - Davis earn $3,678 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in accounting from University of California - Davis

7
14 Annual Graduates

Chapman is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Orange.More information about a master’s in accounting from Chapman University

8

Located in the large city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Accounting master's degree recipients from California State University - Northridge earn a boost of around $7,057 over the average income of accounting majors.

More information about a master’s in accounting from California State University - Northridge

9
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA

Located in the large city of San Diego, National University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the accounting program make around $54,100 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in accounting from National University

10

Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Those accounting students who get their master's degree from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo receive $5,501 more than the average accounting student.

More information about a master’s in accounting from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

Best Accounting Colleges in the Far Western US Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 183 159
Oregon 158 39
Nevada 105 73
Hawaii 85 22

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

Accounting Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Accounting 702
Accounting and Business/Management 107
Accounting and Finance 15

Majors Similar to Accounting

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 11,070
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 3,491
Human Resource Management 1,050
International Business 255
Taxation 218
Finance & Financial Management 206
Entrepreneurial Studies 196
Management Information Systems 171
General Business/Commerce 157
Marketing 85

Notes and References

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