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By University HQ Staff Writers
Edited by Evelyn Keener
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University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlights the best programs for accounting in New Hampshire.

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What is Accounting?

Accountancy is one of the oldest professions in business. When ancient traders needed a way to track their sales and inventory, they found mathematical geniuses who tracked the fundamentals of their enterprise. These days, the profession has evolved to meet contemporary standards. It is such a part of our life and culture that we now have state licenses for our top accountants. The road to becoming a CPA is not easy, and it is contingent on state requirements. Keep reading to learn how to become a CPA.

To become a Certified Public Accountant CPA, you need to obtain a bachelor's degree and complete the work experience requirements. After you complete your education, you will need to take the CPA exam to become a certified public accountant CPA. When you pass the CPA exam in your state, you will become a certified public accountant. Becoming a CPA is challenging but rewarding. Here’s a guide to what can expect in the process of becoming a licensed CPA in New Hampshire.

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Top Ranked Campus & Online Accounting Programs in New Hampshire

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1

Saint Anselm College

Score: 83.44

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $46,810
    • Out-of-State:$46,810
  • Net Price: $35,080
  • Acceptance Rate: 82%
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%
  • Total Enrollment: 1,977
  • Undergrad Students: 1,959
  • Graduate Students: 18
  • Grads Salary: $83,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 11:1
  • Saint Anselm College
2

Franklin Pierce University

Score: 69.59

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $44,963
    • Out-of-State:$44,963
  • Net Price: $28,434
  • Acceptance Rate: 93%
  • Retention Rate: 74%
  • Graduation Rate: 52%
  • Total Enrollment: 1,663
  • Undergrad Students: 1,118
  • Graduate Students: 545
  • Grads Salary: $76,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 12:1
  • Franklin Pierce University
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3

Plymouth State University

Score: 68.02

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $14,558
    • Out-of-State:$25,498
  • Net Price: $20,321
  • Acceptance Rate: 98%
  • Retention Rate: 68%
  • Graduation Rate: 51%
  • Total Enrollment: 3,872
  • Undergrad Students: 3,308
  • Graduate Students: 564
  • Grads Salary: $70,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 17:1
  • Plymouth State University
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4

UNH College of Professional Studies

Score: 63.51

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $7,812
    • Out-of-State:$9,372
  • Net Price: $11,850
  • Acceptance Rate: 100%
  • Retention Rate: 40%
  • Graduation Rate: 15%
  • Total Enrollment: 1,425
  • Undergrad Students: 1,195
  • Graduate Students: 230
  • Grads Salary: $77,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 14:1
  • UNH College of Professional Studies
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5

New England College

Score: 59.92

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $41,578
    • Out-of-State:$41,578
  • Net Price: $29,512
  • Acceptance Rate: 100%
  • Retention Rate: 61%
  • Graduation Rate: 31%
  • Total Enrollment: 2,852
  • Undergrad Students: 1,043
  • Graduate Students: 1,809
  • Grads Salary: $74,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 7:1
  • New England College
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6

White Mountains Community College

Score: 58.82

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $7,050
    • Out-of-State:$15,300
  • Net Price: $14,426
  • Acceptance Rate: 100%
  • Retention Rate: 76%
  • Graduation Rate: 53%
  • Total Enrollment: 523
  • Undergrad Students: 523
  • Graduate Students: N/A
  • Grads Salary: $34,600
  • Student-to-faculty: 7:1
  • White Mountains Community College
7

Manchester Community College-New Hampshire

Score: 56.13

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $7,090
    • Out-of-State:$15,340
  • Net Price: $13,779
  • Acceptance Rate: 100%
  • Retention Rate: 58%
  • Graduation Rate: 37%
  • Total Enrollment: 1,976
  • Undergrad Students: 1,976
  • Graduate Students: N/A
  • Grads Salary: $44,700
  • Student-to-faculty: 11:1
  • Manchester Community College-New Hampshire
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8

Southern New Hampshire University

Score: 55.83

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $16,450
    • Out-of-State:$16,450
  • Net Price: $32,043
  • Acceptance Rate: 96%
  • Retention Rate: 62%
  • Graduation Rate: 41%
  • Total Enrollment: 164,091
  • Undergrad Students: 140,865
  • Graduate Students: 23,226
  • Grads Salary: $70,000
  • Student-to-faculty: 22:1
  • Southern New Hampshire University
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9

Nashua Community College

Score: 54.14

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $7,140
    • Out-of-State:$15,390
  • Net Price: $11,840
  • Acceptance Rate: 100%
  • Retention Rate: 61%
  • Graduation Rate: 40%
  • Total Enrollment: 1,245
  • Undergrad Students: 1,245
  • Graduate Students: N/A
  • Grads Salary: $34,800
  • Student-to-faculty: 10:1
  • Nashua Community College
10

Lakes Region Community College

Score: 53.9

  • Undergraduate Tuition
    • In-State: $6,720
    • Out-of-State:$14,970
  • Net Price: $16,313
  • Acceptance Rate: 100%
  • Retention Rate: 69%
  • Graduation Rate: 34%
  • Total Enrollment: 645
  • Undergrad Students: 645
  • Graduate Students: N/A
  • Grads Salary: $40,800
  • Student-to-faculty: 8:1
  • Lakes Region Community College

Online Accounting Education in New Hampshire

New Hampshire, like many states, has specific academic requirements. One of the first steps you will need is to obtain a bachelor's degree with 120 credit hours concentration in accounting. The State Board does not recognize 3-year baccalaureate degrees, unless you have gone on to complete a 2-year graduate program that meets their academic standards.

You should provide official transcripts to prove to the New Hampshire Board of Accountancy that your education included certain courses. The State Board requires at least 30 credit hours in accounting.

You must take an upper-level course in each of these subjects:

  • Financial accounting
  • Auditing
  • Taxation
  • Management accounting

The State Board requires that you take an additional 24 credit hours taking business courses.

Here you have a bit more leeway, but try to use these hours studying courses that include, but are not limited to:

  • Business law
  • Business information systems
  • Finance
  • Professional ethics
  • Business organizations
  • Economics

All total, you should have 150 credit hours to qualify for your New Hampshire Certified Public Accountant CPA license. Thus, after you have completed your bachelor's degree, you can consider taking CPA review courses. Make sure that your school is fully accredited so that the State Board will recognize your hard work. It is also acceptable to take courses in non-traditional environments, such as online. You will need to verify that your coursework is accredited, however. The online option will be helpful if you intend to start working after completing your bachelor's degree but before completing the requirement for a Certified Public Accountant CPA license.

  • Accreditation

    Not only should you take specific courses, but they must be accredited by a regional board. This assures the Board that your education attained the level of quality they expect.

    Here is a list of accrediting agencies recognized by the Board:

    • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
    • New England Association of Colleges and Schools
    • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
    • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
    • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

    If, on the other hand, you have gained credit hours in an institution not accredited by one of the above agencies, you should have that coursework verified by Certified Public Accountant CPA Exam Services. Their consulting services will help ensure that your application is complete and correct the first time.

    Some students might have taken courses while studying in foreign universities, or they may be newcomers to the United States.

    Foreign coursework can be evaluated by one of the following entities:

    • NASBA International Evaluation Services
    • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
    • Educational Records Evaluation Services (ERES)
    • Josef Silny and Associates
    • Educational Perspectives
    • International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
    • Foreign Academic Credentials Service (FACS)

Online Associate Degree in Accounting (AS)

A two-year associate degree is a terrific place to start a career in accounting. There are many traditional and online institutions that offer these degrees and students can get to work as a bookkeeper or auditing clerk.

Online Bachelor's Degree in Accounting (BS, BAcc or B.Acy)

This is the best place from which to start a career in accounting. Though the credits for an undergraduate degree won't qualify you to sit for the CPA examination in New Hampshire, you can land an entry-level job and work while you satisfy the Accounting Board's requirements.

University HQ Online Bachelors National Rankings

Master's Degree in Accounting (MS, MAcc or M.Acy)

This is perhaps the ideal academic credential to have for any business professional. For those with ambitions in the C-suites, an MS in Accountancy or an MBA with an accounting focus will provide keys to their success.

University HQ Online Masters National Rankings

Online PhD Degree in Accounting (PhD)

The business community doesn't require a PhD in Accounting, but a doctoral degree will set your resume apart from the pack.

Check out our Financial Aid Guide Learn more about accounting resources and scholarships

New Hampshire CPA Exam Requirements

Prior to sitting for the CPA exam in New Hampshire, you must first meet certain academic requirements. Since the test is notoriously difficult, it is a good idea to have a strong academic background prior to paying the fees and spending the time on the test.

The minimum requirements for sitting for the examination are a bachelor's degree consisting of 120 credit hours. Those hours must consist of 30 hours in upper-level accounting courses and 24 hours in business electives.

Once you have satisfied the academic requirements, you can apply online through the CPA Exam Services website and mail all of your documents to the agency at:

CPA Exam Services
New Hampshire Coordinator
P.O. Box 198469
Nashville, TN 37219-8469

You may send official transcripts yourself, but make sure they are in the original sealed envelope provided by your educational institution. To streamline the process, you might consider having the transcripts sent directly from your school to CPA Exam Services. If you have any credits from foreign institutions, they should be evaluated and that determination should be included with your application packet. You can send this yourself or have the agency send it directly.

Once the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy have approved your application, they will issue a Notification to Schedule to you. You can then contact a Prometric site in New Hampshire to schedule a testing day and time. Prometric has locations in Concord and Portsmouth.

CPA exam periods are open in the following months:

  • January and February
  • April and May
  • July and August
  • October and November

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Requirements

Once you have attained your full CPA license, New Hampshire asks that you continue your professional education. Your license expires every three years, and you must complete 120 hours of CPE credit during that period. Each year you are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours by June 30 each year. You must also take a minimum of 4 hours in ethics education during the triennial period.

The board will accept your CPE units from any of the following activities:

  • Seminar
  • Lecture
  • Self-study
  • Authoring books or publishing articles
  • Instructing, lecturing, or giving presentations

You may study, teach, or write about any of these topics:

  • Government accounting
  • Public accounting
  • Auditing – public or private
  • Business law
  • Regulatory ethics
  • Marketing
  • management advisory services
  • Communications
  • Personal development
  • Computer science
  • Mathematics
  • Statistics
  • Taxation
  • Finance

Note that for every 50 minutes you spend on CPE-related activities, you may count as a single CPE hour.

As you practice, you are sure to encounter many opportunities to gain CPE hours. Additionally, you can seek out opportunities by seeking courses at your local college or university, through accounting-related professional associations, and through online resources, such as webinars, universities, etc. You might also be able to accrue CPEs at national or regional conferences.

After you have completed your requirements for a New Hampshire CPA license, you should celebrate. The CPA license is one of the most difficult professional credentials a person can earn. Kudos!

Become an Accountant in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, you will need to qualify your Certified Public Accountant CPA licensure application with 1,500, full-time, real-world work experience. If you choose to work part-time, 2,080 hours is required, with 1,500 of those hours spent in the practice of accounting or auditing. Regardless, the State Board requires that you spend a minimum of one full year practicing your profession. This experience requirement can be fulfilled either through work with a government agency, industry, or public accounting. You will need to verify and account for your experience so that the State Board will acknowledge this portion of your CPA licensure application.

To verify your experience, your supervisor will need to verify to the State board that they hold a CPA or other qualifying license. They should provide the board with their full name, their license type (CPA, CA, CPC, or other foreign credential), the date upon which they became licensed, their license expiry date, and a statement verifying that their credentials are in good standing.

You will also need to account for your time working as an accountant. Thus, as you proceed with your work experience, you should be diligent with how you are spending your time.

That is, the State board will want to know how much time you spent performing the following tasks:

  • Auditing or reviewing financial statements or reports
  • Performing management advisory
  • Performing financial advisory
  • Consulting clients
  • Preparing tax documents
  • Offering taxation advice
  • Working in private practice or industry

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Getting Your CPA License in New Hampshire

To satisfy the New Hampshire State Board, you will need to fulfill their academic, experience, and examination requirements. New Hampshire does not require that you pass the Ethics examination, as many states do. However, you will need to provide three character reference forms.

To prove your academic performance, you will need to have your official transcripts sent to the Board either by yourself or directly from your school(s). The transcript should show 150 credit hours that include 30 hours studying accounting and 24 studying business related subject matter. Your transcript should also reflect at least a baccalaureate degree.

The State Board requires that you complete a minimum of one full year practicing accounting in the professional environment. You can work in public accounting, government, or industry. You should fully account for your time and show to the board the hours you spent performing various aspects of your profession – audits, tax preparation, etc. Your supervisor will need to sign off on your experience while also attesting to her licensure and experience.

After you have completed your baccalaureate degree and 120 credit hours, you can apply for the CPA examination. You can then schedule a day and time for your test with a New Hampshire Prometric location in either Concord or Portsmouth. The test is a multi-part examination and many need to retake at least one portion before passing the entire test. Your scores will go to the Board to help fulfill your application.

The character reference form will ask that the writer state the circumstances of your acquaintanceship, the nature of your relationship, the occupation of the writer, and any information about you that demonstrates the quality of your character.

Careers for Accounting Graduates

New Hampshire accountants are lucky enough to be among the top 25 to 30 percent in the country in terms of annual average salary. Though rural northern New Hampshire lacks job density (just 3.5 out of 1000 positions are held by accountants), the southern two-thirds of the state more than make up for it with averages around eight or nine jobs per thousand. In cities like Manchester, Nashua, and Portsmouth, accountants and auditors can expect to draw in an average annual salary between $50,440 and $137,280. Job growth in the Granite State is growing annually, with a projected increase of 4% by 2032.

New Hampshire Accounting Frequently Asked Questions

How much to Accountants in New Hampshire earn?

Accountants in New Hampshire earn a healthy salary that rivals the national average. The average, base salary for accountants and auditors average exceeds $72,000. By contrast, bookkeepers and accounting clerks earn just over $42,000. Nationally, accountants and auditors earn around $71,000 and bookkeepers are shown to earn a bit more than $41,000.

What degree do I need to sit for the CPA exam?

CPA candidates should have a minimum of an undergraduate degree in accounting before they sit for the CPA exam in New Hampshire. Their transcripts should reflect a minimum of 150 credit hours that includes a major concentration in accounting. Since an undergraduate degree typically requires 120 hours, students should consider completing their academic requirements in a graduate program. Keep in mind that students' transcripts should reflect at least 30 undergraduate semester hours in accounting courses above the introductory level.

Do New Hampshire colleges offer online Accounting degrees?

Yes, in fact there are a number of New Hampshire colleges and universities that offer online accounting degrees. Schools such as Franklin University and Southern New Hampshire University are exclusively online institutions that offer a range of degrees in an online format. New Hampshire students can also seek out online programs nationwide, though out-of-state tuition rates may apply.

What is the best accreditation for my Accounting degree?

There are three national accrediting bodies that Accountancy Boards tend to favor. Though some Boards will recognize CPA candidates from regionally accredited programs, look for programs with credentials from the AACSB, ACBSP, or the IACBE. These agencies accredit both undergraduate and graduate programs.

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