by our College Data Analytics Team
[Accounting](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/accounting/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The schools below stand out for the salaries their accounting graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where accounting graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send accounting graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Miami tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying accounting schools in the Southeast Region. Set in the suburb of Coral Gables, University Of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. Accounting graduates of University Of Miami earn a median of about $97,421 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #2 makes Washington And Lee University one of the highest-paying schools for accounting. Washington And Lee University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Lexington. Accounting graduates of Washington And Lee University earn a median of about $106,739 a year early in their careers.
Northern Virginia Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying accounting schools. Set in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public institution. Early-career accounting graduates from Northern Virginia Community College make a median of around $63,016 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Edison State College earned it the #4 place for accounting. Edison State College is a public school located in the suburb of Fort Myers. After graduating, accounting degree recipients from Edison State College typically earn about $54,668 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Vanderbilt University earned it the #5 place for accounting. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, accounting degree recipients from Vanderbilt University typically earn about $122,891 annually.
Fayetteville Technical Community College placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for accounting. Fayetteville Technical Community College is a public school located in the city of Fayetteville. After graduating, accounting degree recipients from Fayetteville Technical Community College typically earn about $55,214 annually.
Rhodes College came in at #7 for accounting graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Memphis, Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the accounting program here go on to a median salary of roughly $94,916.
Elon University placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for accounting. Elon University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elon. Students who complete the accounting program here go on to a median salary of roughly $103,374.
University Of Richmond came in at #9 for accounting graduate earnings this year. University Of Richmond is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of University of Richmond. Accounting graduates of University Of Richmond earn a median of about $99,714 a year early in their careers.
Berry College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying accounting schools. Set in the suburb of Mount Berry, Berry College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career accounting graduates from Berry College make a median of around $81,562 per year.
George Mason University earned the #11 position for accounting graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a public institution. Students who complete the accounting program here go on to a median salary of roughly $101,783.
James Madison University came in at #12 for accounting graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a public institution. Accounting graduates of James Madison University earn a median of about $93,678 a year early in their careers.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earned the #13 position for accounting graduate earnings this year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Students who complete the accounting program here go on to a median salary of roughly $98,162.
Spartanburg Community College earned the #14 position for accounting graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Spartanburg, Spartanburg Community College is a public institution. Accounting graduates of Spartanburg Community College earn a median of about $48,697 a year early in their careers.
University Of Florida earned the #15 position for accounting graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a public institution. Students who complete the accounting program here go on to a median salary of roughly $97,330.
Shepherd University landed the #16 spot for accounting salaries this year. Set in the rural area of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a public institution. Early-career accounting graduates from Shepherd University make a median of around $71,328 per year.
Northern Kentucky University landed the #17 spot for accounting salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Highland Heights, Northern Kentucky University is a public institution. Early-career accounting graduates from Northern Kentucky University make a median of around $85,876 per year.
Belmont University landed the #18 spot for accounting salaries this year. Belmont University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. After graduating, accounting degree recipients from Belmont University typically earn about $94,661 annually.
Harding University earned the #19 position for accounting graduate earnings this year. Harding University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Searcy. Students who complete the accounting program here go on to a median salary of roughly $87,632.
Furman University ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying accounting schools. Furman University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Greenville. After graduating, accounting degree recipients from Furman University typically earn about $70,115 annually.
Hampton University placed #21 among the highest-paying schools for accounting. Hampton University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Hampton. Early-career accounting graduates from Hampton University make a median of around $69,330 per year.
Florida State University landed the #22 spot for accounting salaries this year. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State University is a public institution. After graduating, accounting degree recipients from Florida State University typically earn about $89,416 annually.
Stetson University came in at #23 for accounting graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of DeLand, Stetson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career accounting graduates from Stetson University make a median of around $74,880 per year.
University Of Georgia landed the #24 spot for accounting salaries this year. University Of Georgia is a public school located in the city of Athens. After graduating, accounting degree recipients from University Of Georgia typically earn about $97,160 annually.
University Of Mississippi Main Campus came in at #25 for accounting graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of University, University Of Mississippi Main Campus is a public institution. After graduating, accounting degree recipients from University Of Mississippi Main Campus typically earn about $87,198 annually.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid accounting ranking:
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries accounting graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
