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.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying accounting schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send accounting graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Southeast Technical Institute tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying accounting schools in South Dakota. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a public institution. Early-career accounting graduates from Southeast Technical Institute make a median of around $44,850 per year.
A rank of #2 makes Western Dakota Technical Institute one of the highest-paying schools for accounting. Western Dakota Technical Institute is a public school located in the city of Rapid City. Students who complete the accounting program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,947.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of South Dakota earned it the #3 place for accounting. University Of South Dakota is a public school located in the town of Vermillion. Early-career accounting graduates from University Of South Dakota make a median of around $67,351 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Mitchell Technical Institute one of the highest-paying schools for accounting. Located in the town of Mitchell, Mitchell Technical Institute is a public institution. Early-career accounting graduates from Mitchell Technical Institute make a median of around $39,840 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Northern State University one of the highest-paying schools for accounting. Northern State University is a public school located in the town of Aberdeen. Accounting graduates of Northern State University earn a median of about $56,764 a year early in their careers.
National American University Rapid City landed the #6 spot for accounting salaries this year. National American University Rapid City is a private for-profit school located in the city of Rapid City. Accounting graduates of National American University Rapid City earn a median of about $52,854 a year early in their careers.
University Of Sioux Falls earned the #7 position for accounting graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, University Of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career accounting graduates from University Of Sioux Falls make a median of around $49,325 per year.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their accounting graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 7 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.