Accounting Schools in Washington

Washington Accounting Schools

Washington State Board of AccountancyPO Box 9131
Olympia, WA 98507-9131
Phone: 360-753-2585
Fax: 360-664-9190
Email: customerservice@cpaboard.wa.gov

The state of Washington boasts an array of colleges and universities that offer accounting degree programs. The programs equip students with a keen business sense and ability to accept the challenges of today’s constantly changing workplace.

Undergraduate programs in accounting provide individuals with a strong understanding of both business and accounting theories and applications. Graduate degree accounting programs focus on more advanced aspects of the field and research. Examples of the required accounting courses may include:

  • financial accounting
  • managerial accounting
  • taxation
  • cost accounting
  • intermediate accounting
  • international taxation

Some programs require special topics in accounting, as well as seminars in specific areas. Many accounting programs in Washington offer internship opportunities to accounting students to enable them to obtain professional experience and learn actual career abilities that will help make graduates valuable to future employers. The internship experiences can also help students gain a better understanding of the type of accounting specialty they want to pursue. Many accounting programs in Washington state prepare individuals for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination, which is administered the by the Washington State Board of Accountancy. The education requirements include a minimum of 150 semester credits of college education, including at least a bachelor’s degree, 24 semester credits in accounting courses with a minimum of 15 upper-level or graduate credits, and 24 semester credits in business administration classes. In addition to the education requirements, candidates for the CPA exam must have at least one year experience in the field, or a total of 2,000 hours.

Total Accounting Schools: 60
Total Accounting Students: 20,673
Average Tuition: $9,552
Average Scholarship Package: $3,544
Average Grant Amount: $7,081
Average Classroom Size: 16 Students
Online Accounting Programs: 50
Average Online Tuition: $9,189
Online Undergraduate Programs: 47
Online Graduate Programs: 14
Top Accounting Schools:University of Washington – Seattle Campus
Seattle University
Western Washington University
Largest Accounting School:University of Washington – Seattle Campus
• 5,788 Students Currently Attending
Cheapest Accounting School:Spokane Community College
• $3,467 Annual Tuition Charges
School With Largest Financial Aid Packages:Pacific Lutheran University
• $15,797 Average Financial Aid Award

Salary and Job Outlook for Accountants in Washington

Washington State is where you’ll want to be if job opportunities in accounting are what you’re looking for. That’s because between 2018 and 2028, the state projects the number of accounting jobs to increase by an impressive 15% —more than three times the national projected growth rate during this time. The state also projects about 4,870 annual job openings the accounting field during this ten-year period leading to 2028 due to a blend of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.

As of May 2020, Washington’s accountants earned an average salary of $77,190, which is about $4,000 more annually than the national average. Accountants with graduate-level accounting degrees like the master’s in accounting, recognized industry credentials like the CPA designation, and plenty of experience can expect to earn closer to the 90th percentile here which, as of May 2020, was $127,050.

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area landed a spot as Washington’s top metro area for its pay of accountants. As of May 2020, the average salary for accountants here was $80,570, while those in the 90th percentile earned about $132,280.

The passage of stricter laws and the incorporation of new financial standards are part of the driving force behind the demand for more accounting professionals in Washington and across the nation. Also, harsher lending standards will increase the necessity of audits, creating a more need for auditors. Accounting professionals with a professional certification, like Certified Public Accountant or Certified Management Accountant are expected to have the most favorable job options.

Graduates of accounting programs work in private, non-profit, and governmental accounting fields. In addition to working as an accountant or auditor, graduates often purse positions as actuaries, bank examiners, commodities traders, commercial bankers, loan officers, and payroll managers.

May 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market data for accountants and auditors represents state data, not school-specific information.

Job growth projections for 2018-2028 sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored O*Net database represents state data, not school-specific information.

Conditions in your area may vary. Data Accessed May 2021.